About My Products
I have always liked things have have a rustic or rough appearance to them whether wood or metal. If they appear hand made and unique, all the better. There's nothing wrong with perfect and polished, but that's not my preference when it comes to certain things. My goal is to make products that are unique, but usable.
These are the items I currently make:
Dump/valet trays (VIPS - Very Important Pocket Stuff)
Shop/garage trays (VISS - Very Important Shop Stuff)
Coasters (Drink Discs)
Cigar ashtrays (CAT - cigar ash tender)
Cigar holders (Stick Stands)
Candle holders (Candle Sticks)
The majority of stuff I make is from natural wood, meaning it's not store bought. Most of the wood I currently have on hand was originally cut with chainsaws. I source it from a variety of places like my own property, friends' property, logging operations, and storm damage clean up. Sometimes I'm fortunate to be able to get my hands on old barn wood or rough cut lumber from the sawmill. My process includes both hand and power tools. I don't use anything programmable or computerized.
I want the end product to retain as much of the original character of the wood as possible. I don't remove flaws unless they impact the integrity of the wood. You'll see pieces that have bug holes or tunnels, knots, cracks, and chainsaw marks. Some items have full bark, some have partial bark, and some have no bark. There is a sanding process involved, but I don't sand things to the point that I'm removing all the character of the wood.
Unless it's otherwise noted in the item description, everything is sealed for protection from liquids, ash, temperature changes, and is suitable for outdoor use. The cigar ashtrays are perfectly safe. I have used them for years and never had a single issue. All items (unless otherwise noted) come with felt or silicone pads to protect surfaces. Sometimes a piece will still have a slight wobble on its own and I position the felt pads to remove that. The pads are easily replaceable, if necessary.
I'm currently working with a lot of white and red oak and Bradford Pear. If you're not familiar with Bradford Pear, it's an invasive species and, in my opinion, it sucks as a landscaping tree. However, I have discovered it works great for what I do. Bradford Pear has some weight to it and when it's sealed, it has beautiful grain and patterns. It also tends to hold its bark better than some other species.
No two pieces coming out of my shop are ever identical. Some things, like coasters and cigar holders, look similar, but none of them are the same. I couldn't make two identical items even if I wanted to.
I have ideas for some new products I'll be working on and will add them to the store here if I'm happy with the results. Right now I am not taking custom orders. That could change in the future and I'll announce it if so.
As always, thanks for visiting and reading!
Brian - Mr. Dad