Class of 1968 Dedicates Going Green Benches to Baldwin High School, Milledgeville, Georgia

Baldwin High School, Milledgeville, Georgia - Class of 1968 commissioned Going Green for 4 benches. As of yesterday, they are placed at Baldwin High School. Two sit in the front lobby by the office, one rests at the Counselors office and another at the on-site Sheriff's office.

The benches are live edge pine slabs that came from two trees passed on to us for re-purposing. Kevin hand forged the metal risers, propane burnt the wood for desired effect and finished them off with multiple layers of polyurethane varnish.

The beatifically plaques were supplied by the class of 1968.

It is an honor to be chosen by the Class of 1968 for this project. It is also ironic that our son Arthur is a freshman there his year, class of 2018.

Classes begin 8-4-14

~Cheryl 

End of Trail - Line Shack Benches

Along the original Cowboy trails, Kevin revisits the old west, dropping in on his StickStoneSteel genre to bring to life some old standards.

These Line Shack Benches are reminiscent of what the Cowhands may have built for the months they spent away from the ranch tending to cattle in the high pastures.

Kevin’s great Uncle migrated from Prussia to homesteaded in the Dakota Territory. His sons completed such tasks including the fencing and furnishing of the bunkhouses and what not.

Bow Saws, 1 and 2 man saws, an ax, a forge and hammers were among the tools that made the initial trip along side food staples, cookware and clothing. Then using what wood was left over from building fences and their housing, they put together a few luxuries. Tables and benches which would remain on site long after the cattle tending tour of duty was complete, set up for seasons to follow.

Now Kevin’s tools are electric and more calculating, but he builds in their spirit of making use of what is available. Where the Cowhands most likely used an old horseshoe Kevin uses scrap iron and saw blades.

The benches seen here are made from pine slabs, scrap iron and used saw blades cut and forged to fit the design. They are a bit upscale from what their ancestors looked like, complemented with stain washes and readymade bolts from an old futon frame but they do inspire a campfire cookout.

Come sit a spell. 

These benches will be on site at the "Deep Roots Festival" in Milledgeville,  Georgia on Saturday October 22nd.   

We owe thanks for this opportunity to Jessica Danials, owner operator of A Flair for Hair Salon here in Milledgeville,  whom is hosting the Charity auction at this festival for two local ladies dealing with breast cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

~Cheryl

P.s. These are prototype pieces, 76 inches long, 17 inches in height with a bench width of 15 inches. What would you pay for something like this?

Possible options are cushioned, and different ranges of finishes, you tell us, and we’ll go from there…

Sunburst Table - StickStoneSteel 1st Appearance!

Recently one of our previous clients asked told us about a non-profit charity auction she is holding to benefit for two women; one dealing with breast cancer and the other hodgkin’s lymphoma. She asked Kevin if he would donate some of what she calls his ‘rustic’ hand made furniture for the cause. He happily complied. 

She then asked if he could supply benches and tables for the food court seating of the Deep Roots Festival, Milledgeville, Georgia where her auction will take place.

With less than a month to go, Kevin plunged into his "StickStoneSteel" mode.  Between the Saw Mill fall off and the collection of items collected and obtained over time his palate was already full.

He’d already been playing with forge bending steel for benches for our own deck so Naturally while his mind clicked away at designs for benches made out of fall off wood he came into the house and asked me for whatever poster paint Arthur had left over in the craft cupboard.

Within in minutes, under the carport he had a concrete garden walk paver balancing on a couple bags of concrete and was joyfully painting away like a happy kid. 

With limited colors, he went freewheeling; digging at the bottom of the bottles where the thick colored gook had accumulated. He managed to scrape more than enough yellow for the center.  I watched him artfully dash out orange and red rays from that yellow core.  I am pretty sure he was fighting the urge to unleash a wild splattering of paint at it but refrained.

Hours later, after the paint had dried he brought the stand to the house.  Chain welded together for the tripod legs with a used saw blade to secure the balance. What you can’t see from this picture is an old grinding wheel holding the concert paper in place with a heavy nut and bolt.

Arthur has made a request that Kevin build one like this for his room.  I want one too!   Guess we’ll have to get more poster paint.  :)

~Cheryl

Man Chair Moved In !

The Man Chair has moved in and is seldom vacant.  Who ever gets there first calls it the ‘Me” chair. So comfortable!

Okay, forget that the black cushion doesn’t show up well against the background of the blue sun wall hanging, and forget that the lathe turned table with the basket on top and the lovely rustic Heart Pine side table to the left don’t match in any world.  What they do have in common though is the fact that Kevin built them all. Along with the 5’x3’ tablecloth covered coffee table in front.

Hey, it’s our living room, dining room and TV room.  Once the house is completed, I expect none of these four pieces of furniture will be wind up the same room.

In the history of Kevin and I and our furniture, with the exception of the bed and soon to be replaced couch, Kevin has built it all.  This includes my kitchen cabinets, bedroom armoire, breakfast bar and countertop, the 8-foot console our TV and Arthur’s Lego workspace rest on AND the desk I am currently working on. 

Granted much of it will be upgraded and or refinished for the new house, but I can always say my décor is one of a kind.  Along with that, all the wood etc that goes into the furniture has been salvaged either from old paid projects, or felled Trees from our land.

Of course, this in no way accounts for all the pieces he’s build for customers. Including the elegant 15-piece chair and dining room set (complete with upholstered back and seat cushions) for an upscale mansion in Eatonton, Georgia.  I have my designs set upon something similar for my new house, more rustic of course.  Or the country kitchen table for one of the weekend houses here on the lake.  If I can locate those pictures, I’ll be sharing those as well.

And!!!! I am very excited; I’ve learned that the boards have been cut for my matching love seat sofa!

~Cheryl

Wood Strip Canoe

Hi All,

The Man Chair is comlete and moved in, however the pictures I took did not come through with enough lighing, so we have a treat today........Canoes!!

When I met Kevin back in 1993 he was building Cedar Strip canoes in Columbia Falls, Montana. 

Back then Colombia Falls is a small logging town of 3000. They also had several yards that catered to woodworkers.  From the speciality wood fall off Kevin planed own many a board into strips his canoes much like the one you see above. 'NO' nails are used on the hull, each board is bead and cove cut cut for a perfect fit. Epoxy and Fibreglass add to the strong build.

Since we moved to Georgia in 1995, he's built and sold over a dozen of these white water rapid sturdy canoes. 

And I must admit, I was so impressed at his creation, I decided to stick around for the next 17 or so years to see what came next. And I'm still fascinated...

~Cheryl