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Friends, Finds & Collaborations
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Greenfolio. The green building directory.
Find green building materials, architects, interior designers, artisans, contractors, and more...
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Finishing Tip
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Los Angeles Magazine has called, Carl Tillmanns, "THE BEST PAINTER IN L.A.". He's skilled, licensed and we just like him.
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| Dear Reader,
Welcome!
This (not quite) monthly e-newsletter will answer the questions that
people always seem to ask when we tell them our business, woodworking.
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Good Wood (Part 3: Fast-growing Species)
It's bamboo. It's eco-friendly, right?
 I love working with bamboo for cabinets, cutting boards, tables, beds...
Bamboo smells great when I cut it. It is super strong, yet flexible. In
addition to the ubiquitous plywoods which come in beautiful varieties,
there is also bamboo lumber.
It is indeed fast growing. It has a five year growing cycle, as opposed to typical farmed hardwoods that take about 40.
We've
labeled bamboo the paragon of green, but it's not an absolute. Labels
and the things they label don't always match up. And they change. Not
so long ago, bamboo could have been considered exotic, or even kitsch.
Think about your favorite the tiki bar. I did say bamboo was flexible.
As a discerning buyer, labels are worth being examined. For example, where does bamboo come from?
For
the most part, from China, the bamboo chugs across oceans from Asia,
spitting carbon all 7,195 miles (Hong Kong to Los Angeles). We get
excited about the eco-label and ignore who's cutting it and where and
how. Improper growing and harvesting leads to deforestation, habitat
and biodiversity loss, severely depleting any green cred.
An
indicator of the slippery green status of bamboo is the range of prices
for what looks like the same material. "Check out the bamboo flooring
at Home Depot, they're practically giving it way!" versus "this bamboo
plywood is three times more expensive than walnut!" generally lets you
know the environmental quality of the source.
Fortunately, companies, like Smith and Fong, have earned FSC certification for their bamboo.
Bamboo
is an amazing resource, and there are other good ideas like it, locally
in the US. As an example, mesquite, often thought of as a weed, better
plowed down and burned, has sustainable properties.
A favorite wood
of mine, mesquite is very hard, very stable, and has beautiful grain,
color and figure. It grows rapidly, and it grows in areas where other
plants can't, here in the southwest and down through Mexico and South
America, where the trees get really big. Mesquite doesn't need a lot of
water, as its tap root, up to 190 ft deep, drinks from deep
underground. It's a nitrogen fixing tree, so it repairs the soil around
it and creates the conditions for other plants to grow.
Mesquite
is a legume. Rich in proteins and amino acids, the pods have been used
as a food source for generations of livestock and indigenous
populations. It grows without irrigation, pesticides or fertilizer. Is
mesquite the new soy? And don't forget to throw the scrap wood onto
barbecues.
It just takes a little more investigation into what's
available without a transoceanic journey. Mesquite is just one
possibility.
Ask for mesquite at your local lumber yard and
watch the dumbfounded look on their face for a laugh, but maybe you'll
plant seeds to have a greater range of "green" resources in your future.
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Raffle! Win a prize!
The Prize
Hand-crafted.
Upcycled. Functional. Made from salvaged offcuts. Instead of feeding
the dumpster, we make these cutting boards. They also make beautiful
serving pieces. We make them in a range of sizes and types of wood. The
prize (shown here) is made of ash.
How to Enter
You can qualify each way once.
1. Forward the e-newsletter. Be sure to use the "forward email" link below, otherwise, we won't know you did it.
2. Sign up for the e-newsletter. All new subscribers will be entered.
3. Share on Facebook. Write on the fanpage wall with a link to a favorite piece at Cliff Spencer Furniture Maker website. You have to be, or become, a fan and include a link.
4. Comment on today's blog post.
Winner
On
July 30, we'll compile all entries, and our son will pick. Since he
can't read yet, this is a random process. We'll email you for your
address.
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Press
2009 FreshWood
Last week in Las Vegas, Cliff served on a ten judge panel, representing design, at the AWFS fair.
High school and college woodworking students entered pieces in seven
categories for substantial cash and prizes for themselves and their
programs. It was an honor to be asked to judge and a thrill to see the
enthusiasm of a new generation of craftspeople.
orGLAMic
This blog covers style and sustainability, calling themselves "almost always organic, always glamorous!"
Misosouper
Being a part of "wood week" on this shopping blog made for some creative and fun juxtaposition next to kid's blocks, moroccan poofs, and wallpaper.
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On the Workbench
New Projects and Photos
 This gorgeous house in Santa Monica showcases their fantastic vinyl collection in custom reclaimed wood cabinets.
A client and her interior designer both loved the same posting on Apartment Therapy, a popular home decorating website, and commissioned this sliding door.
Apologies for the bum link in the last issue. Thanks to all of you who let us know. See the New Custom Furniture and Cabinetry Projects |
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Our
services include the highest quality modern and traditional cabinetry,
custom furniture, green materials, finishing & refinishing. We
work with general contractors, architects, interior designers and
home owners.
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We always look forward to hearing your questions and suggestions.
Thanks, Cliff and Leigh Spencer
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