Wood

I purchase the highest quality wood I can find. Most of the wood I use is shipped from Pennsylvania (Irion Lumber and Groff & Groff), where my favorite, American black cherry is grown. Cherry is a sustainably grown and harvested resource that will be available forever with careful management. I also work extensively with walnut which grows well in Kansas. Most of the walnut I use is locally sourced.

Other domestic hardwoods I use include ash, oak, and maple. I rarely use rare or exotic tropical hardwoods unless they are certified to be from sustainable, yield-managed forests (and most aren’t).

Finishes

Most of my pieces are finished with a home-brewed combination of varnish, tung oil, and turpentine, mixed in equal thirds and rubbed in by hand. Every piece gets a minimum of three coats and followed by a top coat of paste wax. The insides of cabinets and drawers are usually finished with thin shellac, which has very little residual odor.