A new beginning.

So you might have picked up from my last post that our house was on the market. Well it finally sold on the weekend. Now we can focus on our move to the country. When we originally thought of doing so, it was with a view of a small land holding where we could all spread ourselves out, big farm house, plenty of water, fruit trees, veggie garden, chooks, various other stock and a ridiculously big workshop! So we've bought a block half the size of our current block in the main street of Kyneton. Crazy? We hope not, there's method in the madness but more on that later....

I thought I had listed pretty much every wood I could think of in my rack to make my drawer fronts from. What did I choose? Something else of course, Black Heart Sassafras. Pretty much my favorite Australian timber. In fact anyone who's been to my house will attest to that, nearly every piece of furniture I've made for it, built in and free standing has been from Sassafras. I love the stuff. Goes very well colour wise with the Poplar too. Here's all the fronts stacked up.

Here is a small sample of one corner. These pieces were all off cuts from the same table I've mentioned previously. I probably spent a good hour arranging the pieces and trying to match the grain, colours and flow so it appears that they have all come from one very large board. I've got it close, as close as I can using scraps. This is straight from the jointer, so it's a bit rough but the photos ( & fluro lights ) don't do the grain and colour justice. Should be nice when french polished. Here's a few more Sass. pieces from around the house..

Little hall table with book matched top, made for my wife Lisa....

Built in hall cupboard. Combined project made by Ian Rasmussen and myself. Ian built the carcasses and paneled doors, we both put it together/installed it and I made the 10 dovetailed drawers with Messmate Burl drawer fronts. Ian is a brilliant furniture maker, wine maker and jeweler each of which he accomplishes with amazing accuracy, skill and attention to detail. He also is my source of all of the Sassafras I've ever used, all of which came from far East Gippsland, where it can no longer be sourced.

Last but not least a baluster style arm, in spalted Sassafras, on a Sassafras and Huon Pine chair I'm working on. Next blog I'll be going through the process I follow in making and fitting a hand cut dovetailed drawer, as shown to me by a bloke who's a bit of a master at it!