Stasis stools in black walnut and ash.

These Stasis stools feature a warm and welcoming hand carved black walnut seat with sturdy contrasting ash legs.

Selected work: The Swancy resident's counter stools.

3 of our "Stasis" stools 25" tall with wild black cherry seats and figured maple legs. Just right for this family of three on their all natural/organic farm.

Feel free to email me with any questions at appjoinery@gmail.com

Selected work: The Chang residents's entertainment center/cabinet.

This cabinet was custom made for this space at 5' long x 36" tall and is constructed of 100% locally harvested Appalachian hardwood. The case itself is made from richly grained black walnut with a natural edge top. The sliding book-matched door panels are made from beautiful and rare spalted sycamore and complemented with a contrasting walnut rail and style border. The cabinet is constructed with traditional dovetails for maximum strength and longevity. The shelves are a substantial 1 1/8" thick with two perpendicular supports to eliminate any slight movement that may occur in the shelf. The back is constructed of two solid panels in a rail and style manor, and features a 2" grommet hole for low profile wire access.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at appjoinery@gmail.com

What we mean by "Sustainably Harvested".

Harvesting:

We recently struck Appalachian gold! We were turned on to a huge black walnut tree located on the perimeter of a forest property in Burnsville, NC. (Picture # 1) The property owner informed us that the tree had not leafed out in 3-4 years and it was showing signs of age. A tree in this condition is a gamble, it can be either woodworkers gold, or simply rot not even good enough for firewood. The tree was obviously dead and it was running the risk of damaging the property owners fence, there was no question in our minds about cutting this tree down so we called on the help of Shafer Tree Care. Brain Shafer of Shafer Tree Care is a quality minded Arborist and certified by the ISA. He makes sure that every bit of tree that has to be removed due to age or damage is saved from the landfill and recycled by putting it to good use for lumber, mulch, or firewood. When the tree was felled only about a half of an inch off Brians bulls eye I was AMAZED! No other trees were damaged in the process. I imediatly ran to the tree to see if the gamble paid off and YES! 100% solid wood, with beautiful grain, and just a 1/4" of sapwood surrounding the perimiter of the tree which is commonly about 1-2". The tree was more than I ever could have expected it to be and we transported it directly to the saw mill.

Milling:

We traveled north from our shop in Asheville to Billy Rice's saw mill in Mars Hill, NC. Billy Rice is known all over western NC. for his ability to read a tree and make the best possible use of it for lumber. High on a cleared mountain top lot I pulled down his long gravel driveway only to meet his two Australian Cattle Dog puppies (Picture # 2). My wife Amy and I have a 3 year old Australlian Cattle dog which we love to death so needles to say I played in a puppy pile for about 30 minutes. After being nibbled on by puppies we decided it was time to mill the walnut logs. Billy set up his "Woodmizer" which is a portable saw mill capable of milling 26" diameter logs ( Picture # 3) and our log was going to use every bit of that. We milled the first log( the butt log). The deeper into the tree we cut the more beautiful the grain was! The first log was filled with clean straight grain and rich nut brown tones as walnut is known for. The second log was the next 10' long section of tree above the "butt" log. The second log has a "crotch" section which is where the tree trunk branches out into two. As we milled this log we completely forgot the first log existed and our jaws dropped further and further as we milled deeper into the tree. The "crotch" section displayed the most figured and characteristic grain I have seen in a long time ( picture #5). "Crotch" grain is commonly used in gun stocks, veneered drawer fronts, Book-matched panels and table tops. It is truley natures work of art. When all the logs were milled the lumber was transported to our lumber storage building to dry.

Drying:

The drying process is one of the most important. The wood can cup, crown, twist, crack, and it is important to be meticulous about stacking and storing. We stack each board on top of another and space them with 3/4" sticks to maximize air flow inside our ventailated building ( Picture # 4). The boards are 2" thick and we have to wait a full year before they reach a 20-30% moisture content. After a years time if the moisture content of each board is between 20-30% we load them into a solar kiln to bring the moisture down to 6-7% which is standard for interior furniture, cabinets, hardwood floors, and trim. A solar kiln works with the sun like a green house, the kiln has a clear glass top angled towards the sun which collects heat and warms the kiln to 100-110 degrees. To keep dry air circulating and remove the moisture a fan is installed at the top of the kiln blowing towards the glass roof and circulated the dry hot air through the lumber pile. A small vent at the bottom removes any unwanted cool moist air when the top fan is running. Other than completely air drying lumber for 10-15 years this is the most efficent suatainable way to dry lumber.

In a years time we plan to have these once in a lifetime boards on display for customers to pic from and have made into custom furniture. We are working on a showroom space right now so stay tuned for more info.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the picture's.

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Jumping on the Google + bandwagon.

To keep up with the rest of the world we decided to join Google +. If you have Google plus and want to follow us here is the link https://plus.google.com/115171169320519029650/posts

Thanks,
Chester Shuey

Selected work: English walnut dining table.

We recently delivered a "Harmony" dining table to a local couple in north Asheville. The top is made with two wildly grained English walnut boards, book-matched and salvaged from western Maryland. The base is made with gorgeous black walnut. We will be building two "grace" high back chairs for the end of the table, and four "New hope" chairs with locally salvaged black walnut and hickory to fill in the sides to complete the dining set.

Not such a great picture but enjoy!

Selected work of the week: Chef's Board

This custom 36" x 36" chef's board is made from salvaged Appalachian black walnut which was locally harvested of course. The joined walnut work surface beautifully blends the rich dark heartwood and creamy sapwood while providing a flat 36" x 36" work surface. We added bread boards on the ends to stabilize any movement, and a lip on the inside edge which keeps the board from sliding around while in use.

Thanks to our customer we were able to provide pictures below. Enjoy!




More boards available for purchase on our Appalachian Joinery etsy shop listed here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AppalachianJoinery?ref=pr_shop_more

Free shipping special!

Receive free shipping within the U.S.A. at our etsy shop until Labor Day by using the coupon code "laborday2011". Hurry to get first picks on out new inventory of unique boards!

Selected work of the week: Dovetail joinery of epic proportions.

Recently we had the opportunity to work on a one of a kind custom bench. The bench was made from wormy chestnut that dates back 200+ years. The wormy chestnut was salvaged from a stock/tobacco barn in Madison county N.C. built just before the civil war. The building was constructed using these beams and old fashioned dovetail joinery. We thought that using this same joinery technique to construct this bench would not only be the strongest and cleanest looking design, but it would respect the craftsman who originally hand hewn the logs and hand cut the dovetail joints for the building. Dovetailed corners on an building never needed to be fastened in any way due to the the angle of the dovetail and gravity constantly pulling down on the beams which naturally pulls the corner tight. We maintained that same level of craftsmanship on our bench.

May these 200+ year old wormy chestnut beams live another 200+ years in the form of a bench!

Enjoy the pictures!

The Facebook fan cutting board giveaway!

Ok, here is how to play. Seach our Appalachian Joinery Etsy shop for a cutting board with the word "facebook" listed as one of the "tags". Once you have found that board, post the listing # of that board on our Chester Shuey Handcrafted Facebook page and you win. The board will be mailed to you with free shipping in 3-4 days. Good luck everyone!

Here's or etsy shop url: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AppalachianJoinery?ref=pr_shop_more

New salvaged Appalachian serving and cutting boards!

The new inventory includes three beautiful Appalachian hardwood species. First, a few gorgeous honey locust boards made from a storm felled tree from a mountain top property north of Asheville, NC. Honey locust is a very hard, very stable wood and was traditionally used for outdoor structures because it is highly rot resistant and naturally stands up to water. Second, beautiful box elder boards we made from a tree that was felled by a tree service on a residential property in Barnardsville, NC. Box elder is used primarily for accent furniture due to its mesmerizing figure and unique red-streaked grain. Last but not least, our classic Appalachian black walnut boards are back! The black walnut tree was felled by a local tree service here in Asheville, NC and stored in a cabinet shop for 10 years. Black walnut is prized for furniture making due to its beautiful chocolate and nut brown color. All of the wood we use for our boards is air dried for at least one year and then kiln dried for two weeks to eliminate warping and unwanted moisture. I hope these trees will have a great second life!

Enjoy the pictures and to see more of these boards look for them very soon this week on our Etsy shop.

The very last of our gorgeous salvaged english walnut supply is on etsy.

About 2 years ago we are able to salvage a huge english walnut tree that was damaged in a storm. Ever since then we have been making custom furniture from the main log, cutting/serving boards from the limbs, and anything too small to work with was put in the shop wood stove for to keep us warm in the winter. It was truly a please to work with this beautiful and hard wood. We were glad repurposed this tree into functional and beautiful objects that have been shipped all over the world to people that share a passion for earth conscious handmade items.

Here are some of the great things our customers have said -
http://www.etsy.com/people/AppalachianJoinery/feedback?ref=pr_feedback

Here are a few pictures of the very last of this tree-





You can see more boards here-
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AppalachianJoinery?ref=pr_shop_more

New boards!!

Flamed red birch from the Biltmore estate grounds and gorgeous figured wild black cherry!

Salvaged Appalachian red birch off the Biltmore estate.

This is one of our greatest finds yet to date! We have a few pieces of a huge red birch tree that fell down during a storm on the Biltmore estate. The tree was quickly cared for and we were able to purchase a few pieces from our sawyer. Red birch slightly resembles black cherry when milled and finished.

Here are a few pictures and the history of the Biltmore estate.






Building Biltmore was, at the time, one of the largest undertakings in the history of American residential architecture and the results were astounding. Over a six-year period, an entire community of craftsmen worked to build the country's premier home. The estate boasted its own brick factory, woodworking shop, and a three-mile railway spur for transporting materials to the site.

A New World Château
The celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt modeled the house on three châteaux built in 16th-century France. It would feature 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The basement alone would house a swimming pool, gymnasium and changing rooms, bowling alley, servants' quarters, kitchens, and more.

An Environmental Wonder
The grounds of the 125,000-acre estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator of New York's Central Park and the father of American landscape architecture. He not only developed acres of gardens and parkland, but in his efforts to protect the environment and reclaim over-farmed land, Olmsted established America's first managed forest.

A True Family Home
George Vanderbilt officially opened the home to friends and family on Christmas Eve in 1895. He had created a country retreat where he could pursue his passion for art, literature, and horticulture. After marrying the American Edith Stuyvesant Dresser (1873–1958) in Paris during the summer of 1898, George and his new bride came to live at the estate. Their only child, Cornelia (1900–1976), was born and grew up at Biltmore.

Selected work of the week: French country vanity.

This week we chose to highlight a custom french country style vanity with hand turned hard maple legs, and mortise and tenon joinery. We love pieces like these because we get to be creative and explore classic designs while fulfilling our customers needs.

Enjoy the pictures.

New boards! Salvaged Appalachian crab apple.

The wood in these boards came from a tree located in northern Asheville NC. It was once a fruit bearing tree and provided for its owners for years. It was damaged in a storm about 6 months ago and our local sawyer was quick in saving and caring for the material so it may be used for woodworking. We decided with all of the character the wood had to offer serving and cutting boards would best suit the material.

We would also like to mention the wonderful chef's knife in the pictures below was custom crafted for us from 100% reused materials by C. Thomas. You can find there shop "theknife" on www.etsy.com as well.

Enjoy the pictures below and If you see on you like you can find it on our Appalachian Joinery shop page at www.etsy.com

Salvaged Mammoth Kauri carbon dated to be 30,000-50,000 years old.

With our work we use mostly locally salvaged Appalachian hardwood to build our furniture, however we have recently found rare access to a very limited supply of Salvaged Ancient Mammoth Kauri originating in New Zealand. The Kauri has been cut into huge slabs measuring about 4' in width which would make most amazing dining/conference table tops.

Heres the story-

Kauri


Botanical name: Agathis australis


Family: Angiosperm

The Kauri species originate on the northern island of New Zealand and are said to date back to pre-historic times (Between 130 to 180 million years ago). Kauri trees still grow today due to their unique ability to interact with soil and have been able to compete with more evolved and faster growing species in the same family. The tree can attain a height of 120ft to 150ft and the trunk size can grow to over 15ft in diameter which rivals the Sequoias found in California. Kauris reach maturity in about 300 years and are said to live longer than 600 years of age and up to 2000 years of age.

The original Kauri forest covered a very large area and at the peak of their existences the forests were spreading at a rate of 600 ft per year, climatic changes and theories such as giant Tsunamis rolling through the swampy areas where they grew lead to a decline of these forests. Many of these felled trees sank into the muddy swamps and were preserved from the elements. Today, with the help of modern earth moving equipment, these giant logs are being excavated and brought out of the swamps. The salvaged wood has been carbon dated 25 000 to 50 000 years.

Video on us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv3Yn4VrQ6E

Gift Certificates now available

Let the food lover in your life make up there own mind! Give them a gift certificate to our Etsy shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AppalachianJoinery?ref=pr_shop_more