Red Hill Woods

First one of the six finished. Making a bow is so much work but it’s all worthwhile when I hear that arrow slam the target. #woodenbows#archery#osageorange #local#artisan#sustainability

Customized a form for a Sugar Maple bow. Extra long draw length on an extra long bow. #woodenbows#archery #local#sustainability

Working with a drawknife #handtools#woodenbows#local

Making five wooden bows right now. Here’s a few pictures showing some of the processes. There’s so much that goes into making a bow, and if one step goes wrong it’s firewood. Here I’m splitting a log to make staves and using a drawknife to isolate a growth ring. The bow’s back needs to be an unbroken line of wood fibre.

Here are the two Black Walnut bows being steam bent into shape. Often I’ll just use the natural shape of the stave and allow the finished bow to have the curves that nature gave it. However, these five bows are all going to be recurve and reflex/deflex designs. It’s stressful because the wood can shear and then it’s firewood after about 8-10 hours of work. One is being deflexed at the grip and the other is being reflexed at the tip. #woodenbows#handmade #craftsmanship #ethicallymade #local

This is a commemorative piece for someone who l never knew but whom someone cared enough about to have it commissioned. We’ll all leave this earth one day, it’s beautiful when people remember loved ones.

Just finished the first coat of oil an hour ago. White Oak, Butternut, figured Beech, Black Cherry, Black Walnut and farmed Plum. I think the most unique and beautiful is the Plum. It seems to me that some of the most character-laden wood I’ve come across is farmed fruit trees. This tree gave plums for most of it’s life and now it begins it’s new life in people’s homes. It’s grain will probably be on display for longer than it lived in the orchard. I made these boards with Christmas in mind. They’ll be available as soon as the second coat of oil has dried (around Wednesday). If you’re interested please contact me. #sustainability #handmade #hardwood #charcuterieboard #localbusiness #exploretidc

There’s three of the five staves gotten down to a single growth ring on the back and reduced to rough dimensions. Note the propeller twist on the Maple stave.

This is some Plum wood. The farmer just wanted the tree gone. Heavily laden with character and striking colour, it’s going to make gorgeous charcuterie boards. I’d have loved to make furniture with the slabs but the extreme warpage demanded that l cut them into shorter pieces. There in a batch of around thirty boards along with some highly figured Beech, farmed Sour Cherry and Black Walnut. #charcuterieboard #sustainability #localbusiness #plumwood #handmade #woodworking #tidc

Here’s the desk finished. Black Walnut and Sugar Maple are made for each other. I wanted to use all wooden architectural techniques so the drawer moves on two sliding dovetails. No prefabricated hardware. The first time I pulled it open it came right out and landed hard on my work table. It was a real exercise in maintaining calm (l didn’t). #wood #woodendesk #sustainability #blackwalnut #exploretidc

Here’s all the pieces made for the desk. Just a matter of sanding, assembling and oiling.

This is a Black Walnut slab that will become a desktop. It’s for the daughter of my dear friend Mark and she’s really into architecture and design. So I’m making this as interesting as possible, with lots of dovetails, through tenons and exposed joinery. She’ll spend so much time sitting at this piece, it will become somewhat of a companion to her over the years. I remember when she was born and now I’m making her a study desk for high school. We’re all moving through life eh!

These are the corner posts of the Cherry wood bed. On one side I’ve wedged the two smaller tenons and on the other l used a tusk. That’s a tenon that is mortised into another larger tenon. I only use local hardwoods for everything I make but this is an exception. The dark wood is the exotic Ekki. My uncle gave me a few slabs 20 years ago and it’s the hardest, densest wood I’ve ever worked with. Probably a lifetime of tenons in those few slabs. And they look beautiful with Cherry. #woodenbed #blackcherry#ekki#handmade # mortiseandtenon#localbusiness #woodworker

This is the centre support joist for a bed that l made for Gabriela and l. I actually made it during quarantine but didn’t post it because l just couldn’t find the perfect headboard. So we were sleeping on it for months until I finally came across the ideal Black Cherry slab and had to bring the bed back to my work shop to fasten it. It was definitely an exercise in patience, sometimes it felt like I’d never find it. Then I just lucked upon it. Sometimes we need to relax and trust in the process eh! #blackcherry #handmade #sustainability #woodenbed #hardwoods

This is a coffee table that I made for my friends John and Deb. The top slab is two bookmatched pieces of Apricot wood and the base is White Ash. The Apricot was cut by the farmer for being well past it’s prime. This tree gave fruit and nourished people for years and now will give in a different way. The practicality of putting a mug onto it, the visual beauty on display.