PROCESSING

CH-1  : DELAWARE COUNTY BLACK CHERRY BURL SLAB : 

This piece is a delaware county grown black cherry burl slab. Burl is a wood grain anomaly, causing the grain orientation to turn in on itself in a choatic pattern. When sanded and polished it has an intense unique look. Burl is very hard, but it can be brittle sometimes requires stabilizaiton. 

This slab has two large burls on opposite ends, and mineral staining happens when a contaminant makes its way into the living tree, whether its from the roots or from a puncture. Staining caused by minerals absorbed through the roots cause a discoloration in bands of the grain. In this slab it causes an almost greyish purple streak following some of the grain. 

This was air-dried for 2 years before finishing in a kiln to ensure it was dried for dimensional stability and to eliminate any potential pests. This log was milled in 2019 and is the final slab from the log. 

NM-1  : NORWAY MAPLE

Norway Maple is a medium hardness maple. Harder than soft maples and softer than hard maples. It is a invasive species not native to the US. Not popular for  U.S. furniture building because of the high percentage of -Heartwood- the brown. It is popular in Europe as it is plentiful and nice to work with. For a beautiful contrast between heart and sap, Norway Maple makes a very unique piece. 

GW-1  : GEORGE WASHINGTON WALNUT

 This was a local Delaware county walnut tree that was felled a few decades ago with a ring count around 260. Meaning this tree was nearly half a century old and well established during the signing of the declaration of independence. In the Philadelphia region these trees are historically valuable, growing in the birthplace America, during the birth of America! 

 The tree had a substantial crack and was cut into sections and slabbed. 

 We purchased one section in early 2021, and air dried off the saw for 5 years to preserve the natural warm walnut hue. 

 Walnut has exceptional rot and bug resistance. Is a medium hardness softwood with excellent dimensional stability. Black walnut is one of the world's top woodworking woods. This demand coupled with a slower growing tree, keeps good quality black walnut at a premium. 

 When you join that with historical significance, you truly have something special.