More Cutting Boards!

I've been busy. I've made some more cutting boards. This time, all different sizes for the widths and lengths. But they are all 3/4" thick. These are all made from recycled flooring. And all of these boards are edge grain/long grain cutting boards (that means I'm done after the first glue up. Just one overnight glue up as opposed to two overnight glue ups with the end grain boards). The smallest one is 10"x16" and would make a perfect sushi/cheese board. It's made from a beautiful batch of Walnut and has two strips of quarter sawn White Oak running down each side. The next one is my jumbo Pizza Board. It's 16"x 18" and has a striped pattern* made from White Oak and Walnut. It's only 3/4" thin so it's not as heavy as you would think. The other one on the bottom is my favorite. I call it the Autumn Board. It's 12.25"x 17.5" and has a random pattern** of multiple species including: Eastern Black Walnut, American Cherry, Honduran Mahogany, Santos Mahogany, Brazilian Cherry and Sapele. It makes me think of the fall time when I look at it. I envision this one sitting on a wooden counter top in a mountain house somewhere in North Carolina. I know it's a very vivid/specific vision! Haha!

I have a stack of cutting boards that have been glued up but are waiting on the final finish sanding and a coat of mineral oil. So stay tuned because there are more cutting boards to come along with pictures. All of them different. Including: Solid American Cherry, solid Purple Heart, solid Angeline, checkerboard American Cherry and White Oak and a checkerboard White Oak and Walnut. That's the picture of them stacked up waiting to be sanded.

*The striped pattern means that there is a order or sequence to the pattern. For example the one above is walnut, white oak, walnut, white oak, every other throughout the entire board.

**The random pattern means that there is no order as to which species/color I use. I throw a pile of 1.5"x3/4" strips down, shuffle them up and pick them up at random as I'm gluing it up. I close my eyes sometimes if I'm feeling crazy/frisky!

***The Checkerboard pattern is two different species with a random pattern but I flip every other row on the second glue up giving it a checkered pattern..

****The Solid pattern is one species and comes either in edge grain and end grain.

Custom Scrapers

I've thought of something else I could make by using recycled hardwood flooring scraps! Custom Scrapers! When you're sanding hardwood floors, the edger can sand all the way up against the wall. But there is one place it can't get. Corners! So for this you use a scraper and you do it by hand. Every single corner has to be scraped by hand. They make them in different sizes that you can buy but there limited sizes available. So I decided to use some of my flooring remnants and make several different size scrapes that I can use depending on what the job requires. The longer the handle, the more leverage you can get without having to over exert yourself and wear yourself out on the first few corners. Because there are a lot of corners in a house. You never pay attention to them but when you're sanding a floor in a big house, they add up quick. And scraping is tiring. It's hard on the hands, abs, back and knees. But I designed a custom scraper to be more ergonomic. Therefore, it's not as hard on the body, it's designed to let the scraper do the work not you. It's amazing how much of a difference putting a few inches onto the length of the handle makes. I'm making one that is a shorty so that can get into tight spaces and one with a super thin head that can scrape between the balusters on nosing and stair treads. You wont know what you need until you use one, so I decided to design and make my own. And what's better than using recycled material to achieve this! If you need a scraper, let me know. I make them to order. More pictures coming soon.

Exotic Wood Cutting Boards!

I recently made some more cutting boards. I'm constantly trying to create different patterns using different species, in different orders and thicknesses. I love working with different species of wood because every one works differently. I was looking through craigslist and found a guy selling tables that he'd made. Well, I called him because he said that he was from Chapin. I'm always looking for local woodworkers because it's cool to see what they are making and plus you can talk with someone who shares similar interests. Well, it ends up, I went to high school with him so I went over to his house to check out his shop and his work. While I was over there, I saw a big ol' pile of wood that was just sitting outside without protection or support. I asked him if I could look through it and explained that I love recovering and salvaging wood. He said to take a look. I found a few good pieces of purple heart. He let me have those and then showed me a stack of wood that was also not being stored properly but these were actually long planks of Angeline and more Purple heart. I asked him if I could buy some because I couldn't stand to see it go to waste. So he sold me some wood and I also told him that he needed to re-stack that wood and cover it up if he didn't want it to warp and rot. He promised me he would and told me to come back if I wanted to buy more. But for now, I've got plenty to work with. I made some cutting boards using both. The pictures are of just that. I still consider these recycled because I definitely saved this wood from being wasted. Purple heart is a beautiful exotic wood that originates from the rain forest areas of Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname. It is extremely dense and is pretty resistant to sandpaper. I went through quite a bit of paper trying to smooth these down. But it's gorgeous. I noticed that when you pair the purple heart with the walnut heartwood it makes USC gamecock colors, garnet and black! Pictured above, you can see how you gamecock fans could pull this out while tailgating before a game and get some comments (but maybe not from the Clemson fans, haha!) So I'm gonna burn the gamecock logo into these boards using a branding iron and make some South Carolina Gamecock cutting boards. The Angeline is a unique wood with a distinct odor. It grows throughout the West Indies and from Southern Mexico through Central America to Northern South America and Brazil. It has a very coarse texture and irregular grain. It's the tan/blonde colored wood paired with the purple heart (purple) in the picture above. I like it! Check em out.

Recycled Mistakes! A Catchall Dish!

When making my cutting boards the process is very time consuming. So once I've start I don't like to stop. This time I should have stopped because I was tired and I was soon to be woken by a wooden rocket. But as I learned here, mistakes don't have to be a bad thing! I had already ripped the wood into thin strips on the table saw. Once I glue these strips together overnight I have what I call a blank. I take that blank and crosscut it into thin strips, again using the table saw. Then another overnight glue up and that's what makes up an end grain cutting board. So yeah, I was making the crosscut and had a momentary lapse and the blank floated up just a little bit and caught the blade. It kicked back so quick that I didn't have time to react. "KICKBACK" the word that all woodworkers dread! Luckily, out of habit, I position my body out of the path of the blade for this exact reason. Otherwise, it would have hit me in the face. The blank (piece of wood) hummed by my ear. I could feel the wind as it passed. I think I tasted it too, ha ha!! I mean it was close y'all! It smacked into the door behind me with a big bang and left a huge hole. Close call! I was lucky but the blank was ruined where it caught the blade. It had a big gash in it. Wait, don't throw it away! Instead, I put it aside sure that I would come up with some way of using it. And because I've managed to make some beautiful stuff out of what would be trash, I can't stand throwing things away. Later that night while eating some supper it happened! I'd remembered seeing a catchall at the craft show I'd recently been to and I thought, "That one was made of glass but I could make one out of wood?!? That's it, that's what I'll do!!" I couldn't wait to get home to start carving and creating. Or at least attempt to create. I finally made it home, ran down, grabbed the mangled blank, made a few cuts on the miter saw to square it up, pulled out my canvas roll of chisels, carving mallet and went to town. Good thing I don't have any neighbors as I carved late into the night. I had no idea what would come of it but I was sure I would learn along the way. And this I did. It slowly took shape as the hours fell from the spinning minute hand. It worked! It was a lot of work but once again, I had managed to create something out of what would have otherwise been trash. I had blisters on my hands from gripping that chisel so hard. Since the first attempt (the multi colored, striped catchall pictured above), I've established a quicker and more accurate method. The trick is having a super sharp chisel. The brown dish pictured below is a solid walnut catchall made by recycling the scrap cuttings from my cutting boards. So yes, I've come up with one more thing I could make using recycled/scrap material. "Repurposed Wood" I love it. Lesson learned, with every mistake comes a chance to create/recreate! That's the beauty of recycling!! And that's what recycling is all about! Oh, you want one??! I can make these in any size, any depth, using any species of wood. They are a great center piece for a coffee table or side table, great for holding candy or potpourri! Or put them on your dresser or bedside table where they catch all! I made me one big enough to hold my keys, wallet, and money (bills and loose change!) Again, I'm always seeking your feedback! So please let me know what you think!

Green Ideas For A Green Business!

Greenleaf Woodwork's! I've wanted my own business since I earned my first paycheck at my first job at the age of 16. So now that I've invested my life savings and so much time into building my business, I've got to make sure I do it right. So I'm constantly thinking creatively, researching facts and listening to customers/feedback in attempts to maximize my potential and efficiency to build a successful earth conscious and green construction company. There are numerous reasons why it's so difficult to be 100% green. #1. It's expensive. All the new technology such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc... is still fairly expensive. Even recycled material is more expensive than the commonly available materials. So it's hard to convince your customer to spend that extra money on these green materials on an already expensive upgrade such as hardwood floors. #2. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration. I use a lot of different tools, equipment, and materials in my line of work. But I have a long term goal I'm working to achieve which would leave me 100% green and decreases my carbon footprint to almost non-existent or invisible. With that being said, I had a good idea the other day. For every 500 sq. ft. of hardwood I install, I plant a tree seedling to replace the wood I used in installation. I will either plant it on the customers land or my land. So if I install 1500 sq. ft. of walnut, I will plant 3 walnut seedlings wherever the customer prefers. This won't replace the wood immediately but is an extra step I want to take to help restore one of the beautiful resources that mother earth provides us with. This is just one of many ideas I plan to install in my business plan that helps to reduce my footprint. I will continue to add ideas and would love to know what you followers think. I would love to hear your opinions, thought and ideas on this subject. We work together to make a better place for tomorrow and the next day!!

Refinishing Furniture

We found this mini writer's desk at an old antique store. It did have a really bad burn/stain on the surface of the desk top. It's an old piece. So the lacquer was a dull orange and caked on. It quickly gummed up my sandpaper, so I went through quite a bit. I sanded it down to bare wood. That's when I found out that it was a beautiful piece of furniture. It's made of red oak and most of it is quarter sawn with ray fleck running all through it. The little desk has a lot of tiny cracks and seams that made for some tedious sanding. But once it was done, it looked good and made it well worth it. To finish it I decided to use a wiping varnish. This is more time consuming but leaves a strong, flawless finish that provides layers of protection. Wiping varnish is 2 parts varnish (poly) and 3 parts mineral spirits. I mix them in a mason jar and stir until the color is consistent. I use a mason jar with fill lines allowing you to mix equal parts and if there is any left over, screw the lid down tight and it will keep for a while. But I try to mix only what I need. That's something you get better at the more you do it. There are a few tricks to this. So I will share the Tricks Of The Trade (TOTT): Prep surface with 220 grit sandpaper. Once surface is nice and smooth, use a tack cloth to remove all the dust. Here's the trick, with the first coat use a soft rag. The goal isn't to apply a smooth coat like you think you would with a brush. But instead, you want to flood surface and let the thin varnish flow out and penetrate the pores of the wood. The first coat on unsealed wood tends to soak in quick so go back over each area to keep it wet. Once the surface is coated, let it sit for about 5 minutes before you come back and wipe it off. You want to leave a thin film of finish but not a wet layer. The trick is to start wiping before the varnish gets sticky. Try to be thorough without wiping too hard. Let it dry for about 4-8 hours. Once it's dry sand lightly with a 220 grit sandpaper. Every time you sand you need to remove the dust from the surface using a tack cloth. For the second, third and fourth coats I use a foam brush to apply a smooth wet layer of wiping varnish WITHOUT a wipe down. This builds a thicker film. This time between coats use steel wool to sand out any dust nibs or fuzz that got trapped in the finish. This will leave the surface super smooth. And for the final coat use a soft rag again applying a thin coat with the wipe on/wipe off method similar to the first coat minus the surface flooding. This leaves a unique finish that is only achievable through the "TOTT" I just shared with you. Give it a try! Look at that finish, that shine!

New Business

I'm so passionate about wood that I decided to start my own company. I'm providing several specialty services. Custom woodworking: Countertops, Butcher Block Islands, Cabinetry, Finish Trim, and Furniture. But my main focus is installing and refinishing hardwood floors! I recently spent all my savings on a bunch of flooring equipment. I have a drum sander, an edger, two buffers, routers, and nailers. And it's all neatly organized in a trailer that I will soon have wrapped in a wrap bearing the company name, Greenleaf Woodworks. So if you need some work done, please email me at greenleafwoodworks@gmail.com I will continue to use this blog to post my company progress and work completed. Thanks for the work, as I love each new challenge and take it on with passion. This is what I live for.

A Recycled Bedside Table

When I moved back to Chapin from Charleston, I realized I didn't own much furniture. My bedside table in Charleston was a particle board cubicle that was damaged during the move. But after a month of living without a bedside table I realized how much I actually used it. It provides a spot for my alarm clock, water, lamp, book(nightly read) and remote. So I decided to build one. When I was cleaning out the shop (was a storage building but I'm cleaning it out to turn it into a fully functioning workshop!) I found an old school desk my mom had purchased from an antique store, Harper's, in Walhalla, SC. Given it's shape and style, I would date the desk from the 1950's to 1960's. The base is solid pine and it had a wooden top with a piece of plastic laminate for the writing surface. It's had mold all over it. So I wiped it down with diluted bleach to get all the mold off. Then I cut the top off and exposed the interior of the storage slot. It was covered in dust and cobwebs. More cleaning! I decided not to sand the base because the patina, nicks, scratches and writing gave it character. And all this is the voice for the desk and tells it's story. You can see in the pictures, the writing looks to be from a kid. Who knows? but it's so cool. I took some of my scrap strips from my wood pile and glued them up to make a top. The top consists of 9 different species of wood, all of which is recycled hardwood flooring. American Cherry, Brazilian Cherry, White Oak, Red Oak, Sapele, Santos Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany, Reclaimed Pine & Brazilian Red Wood. So this table is 100% recycled. More reason to think before you throw something away, asking yourself: "what else could I use this for?" On second thought......

Cutting Boards From Recycled Flooring

I've been installing and refinishing hardwood floors for over 2 years now. When I lived in Charleston installing & refinishing hardwoods in the oversized houses on Kiawah Island I was e

xposed to some very fine and pricey woods. I was given the opportunity to be able to work with several different species of wood. Domestic hardwoods like white oak, red oak, walnut and american cherry. And imports such as brazilian cherry, cumaru, purlpleheart, santos mahogany and angeline. We refinished a floor that was 4,500 sq ft. of Walnut and every plank was crotch wood. Sanded and coated an entire house of quarter sawn white oak and it had ray fleck running all through it. It was absolutely beautiful. The biggest house we did was 7,500 sq. ft. of walnut (CEO of Procter & Gamble). The house was 9,000+ sq. ft. I'd never seen 7,500 sq. ft. of living space much less that much heart walnut. This was a 7 million dollar house and the floors alone cost half a million dollars. So I was exposed to some very expensive wood and a lot of it. But while the wood was plentiful so was the WASTE. You could build a house with what was thrown in the dumpsters. The clients were extremely picky. They would make us rip up walnut planks because they had too much blonde in it. (Just so you understand, Walnut: the sapwood-the outer wood of the tree is white/blonde. the heartwood-the inner wood,center of the tree is brown/black.) And of course all the boards we pulled up was thrown in the dumpster. So I decided to start dumpster diving and started saving all the wood. After a year of saving, I had a huge pile. So I decided to make butcher blocks and cutting boards from scrap hardwood flooring. I had to de-nail, plane and ripped the wood into strips. Then I glued them up. And when I created was art but remember this is art that was made from trash. It would be in a landfill if it weren't for dumpster diving and recycling. Tell me what you think!

A Custom Pump House Using Recycled Material

I was asked to fix the roof on this dilapidated pump house. But convinced the owner to allow me freedom to redesign and rebuild this pump house using recycled material. I kept the carcass of the existing structure. I glued furring strips up using construction adhesive. This allowed me to nail the cedar siding and trim up against the cinder blocks. I designed the roof so that it could be removed, allowing the owner to access the pump. I went dumpster diving and managed to reclaim 75% of the materials used for this custom upgrade. This new pump house is beautiful but also serves a direct purpose. The well pump was freezing due to cold temperatures and lack of insulation. So I used 100% recycled styrofoam sheets to insulate the interior of the pump house, that otherwise would be sitting in a landfill. The cedar siding also provides a thick barrier between the pump and the outside elements. And it looks good. I was amazed at what I was able to use from the leftover trash of a newly built house. Dumpster Diving helps keep landfills cleaner and helps the environment. Dumpster Diving, I approve!

it's not until you try that you realize you can do anything that you put your mind to.