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A driftwood table & the different color possibilities

Although most people recognize driftwood as being  silver gray in color due to the lengthy time being exposed to the sun & salt air, not everyone’s decor allows for that color scheme.

My finished inventory of driftwood tables consists almost entirely of the lighter finish because it is my most popular & also takes the longest to obtain.

However, in leading up to that white or silver color, the driftwood goes through a variety of tones due to the bleaching process that I employ.

The following series of images display the possibilities of a particular shade that may better suit your decor. 
The color change in each set of pictures may seem subtle as I proceed slowly with the length of time a piece is submersed & the strength of chemicals used.

The small white spots found on the bases are the patches that hide the bolts used to secure the different support limbs. Their final color will match the finished table.

#1  Raw sandblasted

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

Bear in mind that these images are only examples & can’t be exactly matched. Even though the driftwood is all Florida red cedar, there are color nuances in each piece & can be affected differently by the bleaching process.

Other examples can be found here. https://driftwooddecor.wpengine.com/driftwood-glass-top-tables/

2017-A year in review

Posted on by driftwooddecor Posted in Dining Room Tables, driftwood & glass tables, driftwood base, driftwood table base, Glass Top Tables, sandblasted coffee tables, Sofa/foyer table — 1 Comment ↓

Every year usually has it’s fill of highs & lows with 2017 being no different except this one had some events that won’t be soon forgotten. Over shadowing everything was the entrance into this world of our first grandchild-Ellie Rose. Needless to say, she has been quite the blessing & a joy to be around. Living only 3 blocks away we are able to play G Pa & G Ma on a regular basis.

Not long after she was born I was scheduled to have a “routine” but not without risk procedure that was supposed to be an overnight hospital stay & back to my shop a couple of days later. It turned out not as we had planned & I ended up in progressive care for 6 days & not able to work for almost 2 months. Just as I was getting back on my feet we had Hurricane Irma decide to pay us a visit which caused quite the mess with water getting in & collapsing the ceiling above where I do my photography & the wind blowing down my sign. My back yard looked like a small lake but that soon subsided & my insurance has given me a new roof & sign.

Prior to my 2 month hiatus I had built up a good inventory of finished tables but I still had a number of orders that I needed to complete or start, but fortunately my customers were very understanding & patient with me. Those are now caught up, I’ve completely recovered & I’m looking forward to see what 2018 holds for Driftwood Decor.

Below are images of my work that some of my customers were gracious enough to send me this past year.

 

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A driftwood lacquered dining table

Posted on by driftwooddecor Posted in Dining Room Tables, driftwood & glass tables, driftwood base, driftwood table base, Glass Top Tables — 1 Comment ↓

driftwood_and_glass_dining _tableI’m frequently asked to create driftwood dining room tables & it’s usually with the sun bleached silver gray patina. However, in the past couple of months I received  4 requests for driftwood dining tables with the lacquered finish.  I just finished the first for a lovely couple who live in Antioch, Tennessee who were kind enough to send me some images of it in their home. They had some definite ideas of what they had in mind so there were many emails back & forth including pictures of the raw driftwood stump before anything was trimmed.

Their main desire was to have a finished piece that was very full with some heavier type roots. They were pleased with the looks of this one, so now it was time to add all the necessary support limbs to ensure that the table footprint was extended enough to be stable & at the same time provide enough room for seating. In addition pieces were bolted to the top of the stump to support the heavy rectangle glass.

Now it was time for the part of the process I no longer do myself & that’s sandblast the entire table…a job that I do not miss, but really enjoy seeing the transformation once I get it back a few days later.

                                                                      All that’s left is the the lacquering which can be time consuming & tedious with all the many nooks & crannies that have to be hand brushed.

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Finally, with help from my son the table is placed in a custom heavy duty crate & the next day is on it’s way north. I always hope to hear from my customers once their piece arrives & hopefully receive some images in it’s new home.These folks were kind enough to do that along with a very gracious note which can be found on my review page.

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A “holy” driftwood coffee table

Posted on by driftwooddecor Posted in driftwood & glass tables, driftwood base, driftwood table base, Glass Top Tables, sandblasted coffee tables — No Comments ↓

Although the red cedar stumps that I use for my driftwood coffee , dining & foyer tables are found very near the waters of Florida’s Gulf Coast, very seldom do I ever acquire a piece that had actually been in the water for an extended period of time. Especially a driftwood root system that had the right size & shape to make a nice table base. The result of being in the water is a stump that is literally riddled with ship worm holes & that can make for a very unique & interesting driftwood coffee table. The great thing about this one was the added bonus of having some extended limbs that were also holy that I could trim off & use for my necessary support pieces.

Ship worms are not actually worms but marine bivalve molluscs, a group of saltwater clams with long, soft, naked bodies. They are notorious for boring into (and eventually destroying) wood that is immersed in sea water, including such structures as wooden piers, docks and ships; they drill passages by means of a pair of very small shells borne at one end, with which they rasp their way through. Sometimes called “termites of the sea”, they are relentless in their pursuit of somewhere to make their home. In the past they have created a tremendous of damage to wooden hulled ships weakening their structure & making them more susceptible to sinking in a storm or battle. This led to covering the hulls with copper & was even mentioned in a poem by Henry David Thoreau:

The vessel, though her masts be firm,

Beneath her copper bears a worm …

Far from New England’s blustering shore,

New England’s worm her hulk shall bore,

And sink her in the Indian seas …

(excerpted from “Though all the Fates” 1849)

For many this worm is a curse, but for my purposes it is a treasure as these holes are thorough but shallow, thus not weakening the integrity of the table in the least. Although I have a few individual wormy pieces that are part of the collection that I rent for wedding center pieces & are the most requested, this base is only the second one I’ve created in my decades of building driftwood furniture.

wedding driftwood

Below are the images of this table base as it progresses to the point where it now (06/26/2017) sits in my showroom with a 30″ x 54″ racetrack oval glass resting on its surface.

 

 

 

 

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Our final port of call-Ketchikan

Posted on by driftwooddecor Posted in Uncategorized — 4 Comments ↓

DSC_3245_tonemappedIt’s time I conclude the final post on our May trip while I can still remember the details. With the continual creating & shipping of my driftwood furniture the keeping up with my journalism endeavors has been sorely neglected. DSC_3247_tonemappedOur final stop before heading back to Vancouver & then home was to the port city of Ketchikan, the southernmost city in Alaska. The excursion that we chose to go on was the spectacular Misty Fjords National Monument, lying just 22 miles east of Ketchikan & is a natural mosaic of sea cliffs, steep fjords and rock walls jutting 3000 ft straight out of the ocean. Extending 2.3 million acres across Tongass National Forest, Misty Fjords is the largest wilderness in Alaska’s national forests and the second largest in the nation.

DSC_3258_tonemappedThere’s 2 ways to experience the beauty of this wilderness-by seaplane or by boat. After reading about a tragic plane accident that took the lives of some Holland America passengers last year, we decided the boat ride was the way we wanted to go.DSC_3390The air was chilly, the skies were crystal clear & the views were breathtaking, including the chance encounter with a small pod of orcas or killer whales. DSC_3328

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For the next couple of hours it was just the wonder of soaking in the splendor of this landscape.DSC_3518_19_20_fused

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DSC_3531A few seals just catching some sun as we all scrambled to take their pictures.

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DSC_3578_tonemappedFinally back to our floating home for the week to board & enjoy one more night before returning to Orlando. A truly remarkable & memorable time to spend with my family & to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation.

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