Sandwood Designs
● Bespoke Furniture ●
"Designed to suit. Made to Measure. Built to last."
Machining.
Once the timber is dry and a cutting list has been created, I'll begin by deciding which piece of timber will be used for each component. The timber will then be cut into oversized, managable pieces that can be planed and then thicknessed. At this point, I'll glue and clamp together any boards that I need wider. I then tend to sand components before cutting them to a final size.
The components then need the appropriate joints to be marked out and cut in order to be assembled.
The wood shavings that collect in the extractor bags during the machining process are taken away and utilised by a local horse stable.
Assembly.
When everything has been sanded, the assembling can begin. This can be frustrating work as you have to work fast when gluing up, so preparation is key! As the glue squeezes out of the tightened joints, any visible glue must be cleaned off with a wet rag. These areas will need to be re-sanded to ensure there is no glue residue as this will show up then a finish is applied.
Clamping is a fine art. Applying the right amount of pressure in the right area and making sure everything is square takes practice. I keep a variety of clamps for different applications.
Finishing.
After everythng has been sanded to a fine grade, it's time to appy a finish. There are a large variety of finishes available for timber: natural and synthetic oils, stains, varnishes, paints, polishes, shellac, lacqures, waxes. All have their own varieties and benifits/
drawbacks. I tend to favour hardwax oil or lacquer for indoor furniture.
Each finish usually requires a number of coats, with specified drying times in between coats. This means that, to acheive a quality finish, it may take a good few days.
When everything is dry, it can be packaged for delivery and installation.