Barnwood Folding Table (with my Dad)

This project started with a simple find, and ended with a table that My Wife will not let me sell.

The simple find was a card table that unfortunately had oil spilled on it and was being thrown away because the top was ruined.  However the legs were still in perfect working order and that is where the idea spawned.

I think this project was special too because of being able to work on it with my Dad while he and my Mom were in town.  He is the one who first taught me how to use a circular saw and though I may not have aways realized it then, the time working with my Dad on projects became some of my fondest memories.

The wood used was Reclaimed from a barn that was going to be torn down just south of Lancaster PA.

Reclaimed Pallet Wood Coffee Table

Here is a coffee table that I made from pallets.  

Pallet wood is an interesting wood to work with because of the character it has going into whatever project you are undertaking.  It has already been used and abused, beat up.  Often times has been disregarded, thrown out, and left to rot.  There are nails, nail holes and other imperfections so it can present challenges when working with it, however I think it also can be transformed into something with great Beauty. 

            

A symbol of Reclamation

My church requested that an old wooden cross be made for them to use in their decorations for easter, and this is what I came up with.

It was a fun project.  The cross can stand alone or also fits into the stand I made for it.

All the wood is reclaimed barn wood, and the Cross itself is Old Growth Red Oak.

It was really fun to do this custom project for Acts Covenant Fellowship, and I am looking forward to more custom projects in the future.

From the Wood Shop

One of my favorite pieces is this bench made from reclaimed floor joists. The beam came from a house here in Lancaster City that was easily built at least 100 years ago.

The idea behind this bench was to draw out as much character as possible from this old beam.  I love seeing all the old cuts and nail holes left in this beam finished and accented.  There is even one corner that still shows marks left from where the beam was hewn by an ax or hatchet to fit with another aspect of the original house.

From the Wood Shop

It has been a busy few weeks getting things up and rolling with TheCraftsmansHands but we are officially up and running. There are several projects posted up for sale and I am really excited to see them out there for people to enjoy. 

I definitely enjoy breathing life into the different project ideas I have floating around in my head. It's fun to me to creatively but carefully use the reclaimed materials at my disposal.

Each piece I have made is unique and has its own challenges but in the end that is what makes them so beautiful.  This carpenters bench is a prime example. The wood used in this piece is reclaimed from a hard wood pallet. It has been pieced together to make this beautiful bench with a cool flip side. I call it my carpenters bench because when it is flipped over it can hold tools or any supplies a carpenter would need to carry and have with him for whatever project he is undertaking. Then if he desires, it can also be flipped again to work on or just to use as a great place to take a breather stepping back to admire what you have been working on. I really enjoyed watching these pieces of hardwood come together in this bench and hope others enjoy them too.

When you get an idea...

When you get an idea that hits you, that sticks, and grabs ahold of you. An idea that as you think about it more you see taking shape and you get more and more excited and passionate about. Well this is something like that.

This blog and business idea is the result of an inspired idea like that.  It combines many of my desires; for business, for creatively working with my hands {saving, reclaiming, and building things}, and for doing what we can to help people around the world who are trapped in modern day slavery. This idea pulls them all together into one idea where each piece seems to compliment and work with the others.

 

I love using old wood to make new things, especially if I know that the wood was reclaimed.  Something about it just makes it that much better.  There is just something special to me about drawing out the character found in each piece of wood I come across.  It is so fulfilling to shape each piece into that thing it is just perfect for, and in doing so more I have been finding I really love it.  Working in the wood shop it has also been really neat to see God showing me different aspects of his heart, through parallels I see between what I am doing and what he desires to do with us.  He sees so much value and potential in us and deeply desires to draw it out.  We are all different with our own unique scars and wounds but he wants to draw out the beauty in each of us.

These principles also seems to go hand in hand with the way God sees those caught in Trafficking. It is an issue that can and should shake you to the core of who you are and fighting against it is definitely one of the motivating and driving forces behind what I do and Create.  Every human life has such incredible value, and potential in the eyes of the Lord and as I am working with these sometimes battered and broken pieces of wood I think of and pray for those people.   This issue is important and I believe on the Heart of God so as this business is forming I am committing at least 10% of the profits from this business to people working with the victims of Human Trafficking. It is also my hope that as people buy and use my creations they will be reminded of what is being stood for and their part in it.

The Craftsman's Hands is officially here and I am excited to see where the Lord takes it.