Wooden Surfboard Classes

Due to popular demand; Bywater Design are very proud to introduce their Wooden Surfboard Classes intensive course.  

In the space of three days you will be able to make, shape and complete your very own wooden surfboard.

All ready to glass

Dates for this class are  Ekka Week ;  August ; 13, 14 and 15.

* June Special; Enrol this month  to receive your complimentary new fins for the board you are making

What are you waiting for  ??

Positions are limited, so contact us now to reserve your position.

Surfs Up !

*conditions apply

The Dovetail - A 30 second history

The dovetail is one of the most integral parts of furniture construction. The word dovetail dates back to the 16th century. It's from dove (n.) + tail. So called from resemblance of shape in the tenon or mortise of the joints to that of the bird's tailfeather display.

The dovetail dates back to the Egyptians of the First Dynasty(3000 to 2800 BCE) and was used for entombed royalty and wealthy nobles with handcrafted furniture using the dovetail joint.

Archaeological finds in Chinese Emperor tombs dating BCE also reveal the dovetail joint in use in this oldest of existing cultures.

Brisbane City Hall Restoration

Bywater Design are extremely proud to be the official heritage  furniture restorer for the Brisbane City Hall Restoration Project.  During the past months, we have been very busy restoring the wonderful furniture in City Hall.  Many of these pieces date back hundreds of years and carry with them so much history and character.

A wonderful slice of history involved in  the  restoration project, was the repair and re-gilding of this wonderful gold mirror.

Dating back to the 1800's, the 24 carat gold mirror originally from Europe was bequeathed to City Hall and now after a detailed repair and restoration this commanding and majestic piece, which incidentally stands over 2 meters high, now takes pride and place in the newly refurbished Media Room in Brisbane City Hall.

Also included in the many facets of this project was The Restoration of The Coronation Chair for Queen Elizabeths II's visit to Australia in 1953.

We look forward to sharing more photos and stories on the Brisbane City Hall Restoration Project, including the wonderful refurbishment of the original Shingle Inn Booths.

Creating a Nook /Eckbank

An Eckbank is a German phrase for Corner Bench or Seat.  This functional design is a smart and stylish way to have a dining setting when space is comprised.  

By using Solid Hoop Pine , Stuart designed a contemporary corner setting for this Inner Brisbane Home.  With the addition of a wonderful contrasting fabric, the Eckbank stands as a stylish yet practical addition to the dining room.

Inner City Bedroom Suite

Bywater Design recently completed work on a very modern, functional yet stylish bedroom suite for an inner city home. The clients wanted a minimalist design but to house special features such as; The bed to appear as if it was floating Runway lights along one side of the bed A pop up tv at the foot of the bed (where it can easily be hidden or used at the flick of a switch) A rich dark timber to accentuate the clean lines.   The clients were ecstatic with the finished product and loved the choice of timbers - Cambia and European Beech.  Cambia is a highly practical timber; its thermal modification process ensures its longevity especially in humid conditions such as Brisbane.   Ash that has been treated this way is an ideal choice given that it mimics many tropical hardwood species yet not at the cost of rainforest timbers.

Student Work - After Hours

It's great to see students working on their projects outside of class hours... Bruce recently completed this wonderful Silky Oak Bar.

Congratulations Bruce - it looks great. We will be over for drinks soon ...

Wooden Surfboard Restoration

Combining his love of both surfing and woodwork...Stuart was very excited when approached to restore an Australian classic  1950's wooden hollow surfboard... The board as shown below was in a fairly bad state of disrepair and needed  significant restoration and restructuring.

This fantastic retro board is an Okinuee .  The Okinuee, is the Australian version of the iconic Malibu Surfboard.  These surfboards were first made just after The Melbourne Olympics in 1956, when Aussie surfers, unable to source Balsawood used Hollowed Plywood instead and so the Okinuee was born.

 The only distinguishing future on this particular Okinuee is the name Babs ;inscribed on the front....   The name is most likely to have been a tribute to the maker or the surfer for his  girlfriend /wife... lucky Babs !!

The extensive restoration and repair process included; repair and reglue centre structure, repair to centre rails, modifications to the crossbeam, nose and tail sections to secure the main frame.  Plywood panels were then fixed with screws and glue, and a draining plug added.

An extensive sand, and repolish completed the overhaul of Babs.

 

Caring for your furniture in Winter...

With the onset of winter, the temperature drops and so does the humidity.  With these changes, timber furniture can dry out and possibly split in various places...

You can avoid this by using a suitable furniture wax to promote and keep moisture in the grain.  Simply wax on with a clean dry cloth  and  then wax off any excess, doing this a few times during winter will noticeably enhance your furniture and keep it in pristine condition.

If you are unsure of which wax to use, or you would like to purchase some of our furniture wax please call us on

PH:  3256 9000 or e;  enquiries@bywaterdesign.com.au  and we would love to help you .

::Model no 14 :: Fast history facts

From the ashes of the Industrial Revolution , the Modern Age moved furniture production out of small workshops and into factories for mass production on a grand scale. Arguably, the first Modern piece of furniture  mass-produced was by Prussian furniture maker Michael Thonet (1796-1871)

After 25 years experimenting with bending steamed wood and producing innovative "bentwood" furniture, Michael Thonet and his sons created the No. 14 as the first mass-produced seating furniture on the market. Going into production in 1859 ,  this chair  has become a certified design classic, selling more than 50 million units between 1860 and 1930.. 

Today this iconic chair is produced in various styles, materials right across the globe.

 

 

2Pak :: A most versatile finish

At Bywater Design, we  proudly offer a wide variety of finishes  for both our  restoration and custom making pieces. Certain circumstances may dictate a particular finish, but in a number of areas especially with furniture production there is a wide range of options available. Most recently we have seen a big demand for 2pak finishes.  2pak polyurethane  This 2 part finish is a non yellowing finish with outstanding resistance to most elements,  and can take a considerable amount of wear and tear. It has excellent durability to UV thus providing maximum gloss and colour retention.  The fact that this finish can be made up in most any colour or hue  makes it ideal for colour matching existing furniture or highlighting focal points in the home/office/restaurant . Some outstanding recent 2pak finishes completed in the workshop  

...

For any questions or further information regarding 2pak finish please do not hesitate to call us on PH:  3256 9000

Its all in the detail ... Carving for Churchie.

Bywater Design are proud to participate in the  celebration of the hundred year anniversary of The Anglican Church Grammar School Churchie;   in addition to previous  work we  completed;   shown here  , we were delighted to have recently completed work on 2 Mahogany (plantation) Sideboards These sideboards would be made to match existing furniture and to include 16 traditional carvings.

Carvings are a wonderful addition to selected  furniture pieces, they highlight the design, create a sense of drama and formality and  their design can be based on a  coat of arms, heirloom, flora   etc thus evoking a  deep sense of history and character  within the piece.

Stuart was very happy to take up the wonderful challenge and opportunity of hand carving each of these 16 carvings.. .

 

 

 

 

 

Another wonderful example of Student Work !

The recently completed project by Chris, a wonderful long-term student; shows the amazing diversity of projects that our students complete... Incorporating the stunning native bird scene into this porthole like window, highlights both the rich colours of the stained  glass as well as the natural hue of the recycled silky oak timber that was used.

Well done Chris,  we look forward to seeing your next project.

Bathroom Love ...

This recently completed vanity is a real show stopper.  Blessed with not only good looks, this vanity is built for longevity and to withstand heat , humidity and other various elements that a bathroom experiences. This  styish  unit is made from Mahogany and finished with  black granite for durability and maximum visual appeal. 

Of course the tapware we use is Australian Made.  

::Bedroom Makeover::

 Frustrated at the lack of space and storage, some  lovely clients required bedroom furniture that was both highly functional, and incorporated classic styling to enhance and blend in with their existing decor...  American Ash was the timber  chosen for its superior grain, versatility, longevity and colour hue that marries perfectly with the colour scheme of the bedroom.

The large chests of drawers,  and bedside tables included dovetailing and  soft close runners for ease of movement and will withstand constant use for many years to come

The Queen Bed with its large Slats is accompanied by 2 Bedside Cabinets.

The Bed side cabinets, offer much-needed personal storage space and complete the symmetry that is needed to give balance and flow to the room.

 

::Apprenticeship Achievements !!

Shaun, who recently began his 3 yrd of his apprenticeship recently completed his theory module learning new leg and rail construction and timber selection processes.

During this time Shaun successfully made a coffee table and chair, using New Guinea Rosewood, Shaun has put his knowledge to wonderful practical use,  constructing furniture of a high calibre

Well done Shaun on excellent craftmanship !!!

Student Restoration Project...

Few people have a vision of what an old worn out wardrobe can look like if converted into a bookcase   We have completed several conversion projects  like these for clients and they have always been amazed at the finished piece .

So we were delighted when one of our Woodworking Students, chose to take up the challenge himself and convert his old Silky Oak Cabinet into something new and wonderful.

David was not deterred at all by the processes and time involved to complete such a makeover.

With the expert guidance from teacher Dave, David then went about on his restoration journey of stripping the old finish, removing the old mirror ...

In addition new shelves were made and fitted

Then the cabinet was sanded and David polished the cabinet to match his existing decor.

The finished product looks absolutely amazing.

Well done David on a remarkable job and for persisting to achieve what you set out to do.

You should be proud of your accomplishments.

We cant wait to see you next project !!

~Top Shelf~

 

 

 

 

All of our gorgeous Serving Ware Accessories are FoodSafe.

 

Long lasting and just require a little TLC to remain in pristine condition.

 

Happy Entertaining !!

 

Not so conventional...

                                              Never boring,   out of the ordinary,   thinking outside the square, These phrases certainly apply to these amazing and unconventional items of furniture recently discovered on a quick trawl through the internet...

Restoring Churchie...

The Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie ) situated in East Brisbane has a rich history steeped in tradition and education.  Established in 1912 in  Toowong Qld  and moved later in 1918 to East Brisbane,  the School has been undergoing transformation and restoration as part of its' centenary celebrations.

 Bywater Design are proud to be associated with the schools'  refurbishment. 

The most recent work undertaken were the restoration of the Entrance Doors to the Darnell Building...

Constant exposure to the harsh westerly afternoon sun, heat and UV extremes have left these doors in poor condition.

The existing doors were completely removed for a complete restoration at the Bywater Design Workshop.  Temporary plywood doors were installed for security and practical elements.

Cleaning 100 years of grime, dust  oil etc was a very ardeous but rewarding task.

The doors were finished in  2 pak marine epoxy exterior grade, highly suitable for harsh weather conditions.

Restoration now completed the temporary doors were removed and the new and much improved Darnell Doors were re installed and will maintain their excellent condition for many many years to come .

:: 2012 ~ The International Year of Reading::

The worldwide web is a wonderful tool for learning and exploring  BUT you cannot compare it to holding  an actual book in your hands... To feel the pages, smell the newness of a just opened book and to flick through well worn pages is a booklover's joy.

In celebration of this wonderful year of reading we are going to share a few of our favourite books...

One of the most concise and informative historical books we have discovered is called (funnily enough)

FURNITURE ; - World Styles from Classcial to Contemporary  by Judith Miller ISBN; 1 4053 0654  8.

This exceptional book covers over 3,000 years of Furniture Design and incorporates over 2,000 colour pictures perfectly illustrating every style and form.

 From Ancient Greece, to the Shakers, Art Deco , to Pop Interior, 'Furniture'  takes you on a design journey through time.

This is a large book containing over 500 pages worth of informative reading and stunning pictures and illustrations. 

 As furniture designers this book  is a wonderful source of reference and information .

It is so fascinating to read and discover the wonderful talented makers from centuries ago...

This gem of  a book can be purchased /ordered through most good bookstores.

Happy Reading !