Custom Made High End Furniture Costs | Added Steps for Colorado Artisans add Value
We’ve discussed previously that Colorado handcrafted furniture is an investment, of time, energy and money. Some of that investment is simply in the sourcing and preparation of the timber for building.
The solid wood used for building quality custom furniture comes in the form of “rough” lumber. At the supplier there are stacks of boards in various thicknesses and approximate lengths, and of random widths. These boards come from the sawmill roughly cut. The faces of the boards are not flat nor smooth, often with marks from the giant sawblades. The edges are not straight nor square to the faces. In short, this raw lumber is not suitable for use. Yet.
Rough sawn white oak ready for milling.
In addition, here in Colorado we are far from the hardwood forests of the eastern and western US. Thus, virtually all of our timber is transported sizable distances, increasing its raw costs for all involved.
An artisan furniture maker will spend time at the lumberyard sorting through boards to acquire ones that match relatively well in terms of color and grain movement, especially when making a highly visible piece like a table top. Often these boards have defects like knots that make some of the board unsuitable for the final piece. But we can’t buy just the good part of a board. So there is inherently some waste as we work towards the final product.
Once back at the shop the timber needs to acclimate to the temperature and humidity, usually for several days, if not longer, to minimize wood movement once milling begins (Understanding Wood Movement Blogpost).
Milling is the process of turning a rough piece of lumber into something usable for furniture. The faces and edges of the board are trimmed and flattened with the jointer. Multiple boards are brought to the same thickness with the thickness planer. Properly done, this takes time and effort. It’s time and effort just making the building blocks for the final form.
