A little too much rain ...

 

Whilst the rain was lovely and well needed , the after effects of torrential downpours can and will play havoc with timber furniture.

You might have noticed in the last couple of days, drawers  and doors not opening properly/easily/ and they almost seem to have increased in size.

This is due to the increase in humidity in the air swelling the delicate timber fibres. 

 Timber acts like a sponge around water absorbing or releasing moisture at any opportunity.  Very few timber finishes will be 100 % water tight, and there will always be some form of water intake .

What to do about this ?? 

 One of the best things is to give it time to dry out; if possible turn on the air conditioning (not on extreme cold) and not directly in front of the furniture  ] this will encourage the drying process.  

Never ever expose the furniture to direct sunlight as this will just compound the problem ! (drying out  not only on the surface but aslo  being hit by the sun causing it to cup or bow and even split  ) 

With a little patience your furniture should return to normal, but if the problem does persist, please do not hesitate to call us on Ph;  07 3256 9000 and we can help you …

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:::::Australia Day ::::

Wherever you are in this great country, whatever you are doing, we wish you a very Happy Australia Day ! 

::Happy Chinese New Year::

                                      Kung Hei Fat Choy            Happy Chinese New Year.  

Celebrating New Year

In this the Year of the Dragon, we wish you peace, prosperity and health

Lord of the Forest...

The Kauri Tree is one of the most  hardy and enduring  tree species known to man.  It  is native to Australis (Aus and NZ) This pine tree is an excellent source of timber and is used extensively throughout New Zealand in both residential and commercial projects.

On a recent trip to New Zealand we were lucky to visit the  Waipoua National Forest, on the westcoast of Northland, home of  the oldest known kauri tree in existence.

This ancient beauty is known as Tane Mahuta 0r Lord of the Forest.   This tree is said to be between 1500 and 2000 years old .

It stands at an enormous 51.5m or 169 feet

The width is; 13.77m or 45.2 feet

Diameter is 4.38m or 14.4 feet

Height of first branch: 9.45m – 31 ft

Total height: 51.51m – 169 feet Girth: 13.77m – 45.2 feet Diameter: 4.38m – 14.4 feet

 It is an Agathis Australis of the Araucariaceae family, a variety of tree that is second in height only to the Sequoias of North America. Its massive smooth, grey-white trunk rises 31feet before a branch appears.

 The gigantic specimen is a remanent of the tremendous ancient subtropical rain forest that once grew there, a survivor of 2000 years of intensive logging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we visited and took these pictures it was evident that this tree is slowly   dying, there was only a few branches that showed signs of green live foliage.

 When this tree does eventually fall it will severely impact the surrounding flora and fauna but will also allow a lot of sunlight into the forest encouraging saplings to grow skywards

And so  the cycle continues ...

 

 

Lets Begin ...

Welcome to 2012 !!

Its going to be an exciting year for Bywater Design.  New adventures, new products , new learning !

Watch this space !!!!!

Another Fine Example of Student work...

As a very special Birthday Present; an enterprising  student thoughtfully made a stunning display case for   the Australian Diamonds Netball Team signed ball that was arranged for his daughters' birthday.

As you can see, the finished product looks fantastic and will take pride of place for many years to come  !!

Some TLC for your Timber Furniture...

Timber furniture is known for its durability, longevity and above all its beauty.  If you treat your timber furniture with a bit of  tender loving care it will reward you for many years to come.. We are often asked for care and maintenance tips for furniture and we would like to share our knowledge ,know how and experience in maintaining your precious timber furniture...

First of all  today we will highlight  Some Dont's !

These are easy to remember and are important  factors to remember; -

Please keep away from....

*Furniture can fade and age prematurely so please keep furniture out of direct sunlight !

Keep furniture away from temperature extremes; those blasts of cold air may be refreshing but not so healthy for your lovely dining room table.

Always always remember to use a placemat, tablecloth, magazine etc before using your table as a workbench or beauty bar.  These sorts of spillages can be difficult and costly to repair !

Candles are a wonderful addition to any room creating ambiance and warmth but please have all candles supported by either a sturdy glass holder or something similar that prevents heat and wax from spilling onto the wooden surface.

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*For specific advice on repairs to your furniture we are happy to help you

PH; 3256 9000  or drop us an email

We would love to help !

::Bywater Design School of Fine Woodworking - A happy Graduate ::

With no  previous woodworking experience, Chloe began the Introductory to Fine Woodworking  Class with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. At the completion of this introductory course Chloe was able to take home  her very own gorgeous chopping/serving board.

Congratulations Chloe on your great achievement !

Entertainment Unit for City Apartment

Apartment Living  often means minimal space and downsizing  on items such as stereo, tv, audio and media components and having little space to display treasures, photos etc... But that need not be the case; In this instance Bywater Design was able to incorporate clever design with maximum storage resulting in a clean, modern functional entertainment/media unit that screams style

A sliding door ensures you can display your favourite treasures or if need be closed to hide what is behind

And on the left side housing all important visual compenents.

The Bottom half of the unit has a push to open dropdown drawer.

With 4 drawers this gives ample storage for dvd, cd, blu rays etc etc

All power points /cables are neatly and safely housed at the back of the unit .

This clever Entertainment Unit certainly delivers on the wow factor !!!

Everything Old is New and Beautiful Again...

 

This gorgeous 1940's Hutch, has seen many good times. In the 1970's it was lovingly given a coat or two of white gloss paint by its owner.   Fast forward to 2011 and this gorgeous vintage kitchen hutch was in desperate need of some major care.

We took it back to where it all began... stripping the gloss paint, inserting new mesh on the sides, installing new hardware and polishing it to a mid walnut colour to blend harmoniously with the clients' existing decor...

Voila...

:::Creative Monday:::

Monday; - time to share a bit of crazy...

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Making a Statement with Upholstry

Designing a lounge suite that is classic, yet modern, stylish but would not date and most importantly be very comfortable to spend hours reading,  were the important aspects required for our lovely clients. In collaboration with Stuart a design evolved that worked well with their decor, a design that would be enhanced by striking upholstry . Using recyled Tasmanian Oak these gorgeous lounge room furniture pieces now take pride and place in a very happy  home.

The solid timber construction coupled with professional upholstry ensures that these pieces remain in excellent condition for many lounging  years to come

Out of The Ordinary...

Something to brighten up the garden ??

We Have a Winner...World Skills Australia !

We are pleased and proud to announce that our hardworking 2nd year apprentice Shaun has won the  World Skills Australia 2011 Competition Brisbane Region - Cabinet Making Section.

Its Official - 1st Place

The  competition involved competitors completing  a spice rack ; - the finished piece was to include dovetailed drawers and a rebated back .

 Shaun impressed the judges with  his efficiency, professional use of machinery and  safe work practices.  The end result was a finished piece  that is testament to Shaun's  hard work and enthusiasm for learning that he has shown in the Bywater Design workshop over the last 2 years !!

Spice Rack - hoop pine with plywood back .

Well done Shaun - 1st place

Congratulations Shaun !!

 

 

 

 

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Designed and Made...By Students

The students  of Bywater Design School of Fine Furniture continually make us proud with their ongoing achievements.  We love sharing their journeys , their finished pieces as it is inspiring for both teacher and students... The recently completed Qld Maple Entertainment Unit by Bruce, highlights the construction techniques, dovetailing and finishing methods that Bruce has learnt in class...

 

Congratulations Bruce on Designing and Making your Entertainment Unit !

If you would like information on Creating your own beautiful furniture Have a look here .

 

Friday Chilling...

Its Friday, time to slow down.  Time to relax.  There is really no better way than shooting the breeze in a hammock...

Wave Hammock - seriously cool

 

 

~~Tree Life ~~ Jarrah ~~

Stuart was thrilled and proud to be a part of the Great South East  Channel  7 feature on Recycled Timber  - September 4.  When asked  by presenter Martin Bowerman what was his favourite timber species, Stuart was quick to reply ..

".Jarrah ; -   for its many wonderful properties. It does everything right." 

A big statement, with so many wonderful species out there - some we know many we dont know.

 So in the spirit of learning, of informing, entertaining and enlightening we shall embark on disovering the wonderful world of trees...

1)   Jarrah or Eucalyptus Marginata is one of the most important hardwoods of Australia.   "Marginata" relates to the light colored vein around the edge of the leaf.  Jarrah is one of many species of Eucalypt.  The flowers have a magnificent scent and pollinate every other year.    The Jarrah tree is adaptable, using its long complex root and tube  system to store carbydrates and other nutrients thus enabling a young Jarrah tree to grow back after a fire and to tolerate and survive in a harsh drought climate.

The Jarrah Tree can live to an amazing 500 years.

 It is found principally  in the south West of Western Australia.  This versatile hardwood grows to an impressive 30- 40  metres in height and a mammoth 2 metres in diameter.  Jarrah produces a valuable dark durable timber.  In recent years,  natural strands of Jarrah have suffered serious damage from a soil fungus which attacks and destroys the fine feeding roots. 

The gorgeous deep patinas range form red to deep brown, the texture is course and generally straight grained.  Is is for these reasons that we favour using Jarrah in many instances.  Its versatilty, ease of machining and adherance to adhesives and  polishes and lacquers make this Aussie hardwood a Bywater Design Favourite. 

Renew, re use, Recycle...

At the Bywater Design Workshop, we always endeavour to use reclaimed or recyled timber.  This option offers so many advantages...  Offsetting and minimising our carbon footprint,

Using materials that would otherwise be thrown on the scrapheap and offering our clients aged timber that has been weathered, dried and shows character, charm and deep patina that is synomous with recycled timber.

Recently, a client requested a hall table for their coastal home... The brief was that it had to be; aesthitcally pleasing to the eye, fit within space constraints,  and most importantly  the timber sourced had to be of a recycled nature.

After design finalisation, we were able to source some recyled hoop pine that was salvaged from a 90 year old home in Paddington... in this instance the rafters of said home were saved from the rubbish pile and proved to be an excellent material for this particular project. 

 

 

The clients were ecstatic with their new Bywater Design furniture .   And new life was breathed into forgotten timber, giving further delight for generations to come...

The not so humble Ladder...

The Ladder is a practical yet stylish solution to many space/storage problems in the home.  With the clever addition of a solid ladder, additional space can be accessed from various floors.

Of course when your book collection increases , so does the need for a bookcase.  Solid bookcases are a masterful addition to any home, housing treasured collections, artifacts and antiques .  Coupled with a ladder for those hard to reach items ... the bookcase becomes the central point in the room

Of course, not all ladders need to be a big bold statement but no matter their size ladders ,create a style, a feel in a room that is truly unique...

The Art of Learning

Our very popular Woodworking Classes  are now in their  7th year  !  We enjoy seeing our students learn new skills and nurture their passion for woodwork .  Over the course of this time we have been lucky enough to teach students from all demographics and from all over Brisbane including The Gold and Sunshine Coasts . The high standard to which our students produce work is testament to their willingness to learn and the dedication to our craft.

One such student, who displays these qualities is Daniel.

Daniel is a vibrant and energetic gentleman in his 90's !  ! Daniel has been a student under the expert guidance of David for well over a year.

During this time, Daniel has produced work of a very high standard.

Apart form his love of woodworking, Daniel is a fierce golfer and enjoys learning Latin Dancing !!!

We would like to congratulate Daniel on his enthusiasm, joy and happiness he contributes to the class.  He is an inspiration .