Celebrating 25 Years of Woodworking

This month marks 25 years that I began my woodworking career. Fresh out of high school in 1987, I applied for an apprentice position at Sway's Wood Products in my hometown of Brooksville, FL. Since that time, I have built cabinetry and furniture in Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Colorado. While working in those states (for other woodworkers) my craftsmanship has been shipped to homes in several other states. The majority of my tenure has been spent in Colorado, with my work going into homes in Aspen, Snowmass Village, Telluride, Ouray, Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Buena Vista and several other small towns in Colorado. I have just been commissioned to top my Long's Peak Gun Cabinet by a gentleman in The Lone Star State. Look for pictures and details about this signature piece in the coming months! It is an exciting new year with a lot of opportunity for The Knotty Woodworker to put heirloom quality furniture into the home of my clients. Thank you for dropping by my blog and checking out the happenings. If you are looking for custom one of a kind heirloom quality furniture, I would be flattered if you called me and discussed your needs. Happy New year!

Fall in LOVEland Sale

It is the time of the year in which my clients start placing orders for their loved ones' Christmas presents. Whether it is a cutting board set with trivets and a lazy susan for Mom or a wall mounted fishing rod holder for Dad or a dining table for your wife or a gun cabinet for your husband, The Knotty Woodworker has the gift and price to make this their best Christmas Ever. We can even keep your surprise gift in our shop until late December!
The sale percentages run from 5% up to 25% depending on how much your total bill is. Multiple pieces count as one total, so it is actually a great time for renewing an entire room.
The Knotty Woodworker not only offers an unheard of 5 year warranty, but our pricing during this sale delivers the utmost quality but also helps your dollar to stretch out and go further in these tough times. Go ahead and call and start being Merry about Christmas now! 303-246-4766

A bedside chest

I was asked to build a small chest to sit between the two beds featured in my blog post below. It is a simple design, yet the quality is impeccable. Solid wood construction, even in the drawers.
Using some of my choice pieces of Beetle Kill Pine, the chest has a lot of brown in the grain, giving the piece an overall darker tone.
The drawers are made from 5/8" thick solid Beetle Kill Pine and features Blumotion undermount soft closing slides. They are full extension, meaning that the drawer comes all the way out of the cabinet for access.
The handles were cut from small limbs and burnished so that they looked whittled but feel very smooth in the hand.










Whatever your need is; picnic table, what-knot shelves, bookcases, etc., The Knotty Woodworker has over 20 years experience in woodworking and a plethora of fresh ideas to help make your house a home. Give me a call at 303.246.4766 to discuss what I can do for you.

The Difference

The difference between manufactured furniture and handmade furniture from The Knotty Woodworker is phenomenal. That leaves out the fact that a piece of furniture handcrafted with The Knotty Woodworker's more than 20 years experience is available at very affordable prices. My pieces are more costly than the warehouse items, but that is only in the initial purchase. The stuff you buy that comes from factories will not last, so you will have to purchase the same items again in the future. With my 5 year guaranty on materials and craftsmanship, you can rest assured that what you have me build will belong to your grandchildren one day.
It is all about consumer wisdom. You can pay $600 for a dresser at a retail outlet and in 2 years it will fall apart. That is after you "settled" for what they had to offer.
Or, you can have me build a dresser to your exact specification in wood species, dimensions, and finish and pay slightly more. Not only will the furniture be an expression of who you are, you will never need to replace it. It will be a family heirloom and last for generations. Also, since it evolved from your imagination and my craftsmanship, it will be the only one like it. That is an incredible value.
I know in these times we have to look at the bottom line and scrutinize it, that is just smart spending. However, if you look down the road just a little, you will see that the best value for your dollar along with the most satisfaction for each dollar you spend, the only intelligent answer is in a handmade, heirloom quality, ne of a kind piece of furniture from The Knotty Woodworker. Before you spend your hard earned money on less than desirable furnishings, just call and talk to me. You will be amazed. Really. 303-246-4766

Open Shop

I do suppose that it will take months settle in to the new shop. There is always a need for shelves, storage, cleaning, organizing, etc. The shop is functional, even if it could be more efficient in time. I do still have some items in boxes and somethings have left me with no clue as to where their new home in the new shop will be. But I am up and running and I am very glad and thankful for it.
If anyone would like to drop by and say hello and see the new set-up, just call me and come on by. I would be glad to meet you and show you around the shop! 303.246.4766

Pandemic Provenance

That is the new line of Beetle Kill Pine furniture from The Knotty Woodworker.


The pandemic is the catastrophic infestation of the Mountain Pine Beetle killing millions of acres of Pine trees here in Colorado and Western North America.


Provenance is the History of how something has come to be.


Thus, the name of the new line in furniture.
The first piece offered for purchase in this style is a handmade coffee table. The overall dimensions are 17 1/2" wide x 44 1/4" long x 20 1/4" high.
The table's legs are the main feature. Beginning with solid stock of 2 3/4" square, I inlaid fluted mullions on each outside face of the legs.



Each side features "bookmatched" inlays, meaning I took one board, split it on the saw, and opened it up like a book. The result is two near identical pieces. I did this mainly because the stock I had on hand for the legs displyed very little of the "blue" graining caused by the MPB.





The bottom of each leg has a 15 degree bevel on all 4 sides to create the illusion that the table is hovering just above the floor. This design for the legs came solely from my imagination. They are the only table legs that look like this, as far as I know.





I employed mortise and tenon joinery in the apron to leg fastening and on the lower runners. On the lower runners, I created a non traditional look by mortisinf the leg at a 45 degree angle so that the runners appear diamond shaped. The results are a one of a kind, heirloom quality table. Rustic in the wood choice, while the style is very contemporary. It creates a look that would be eautiful in a mountain cabin or big city high rise.














The boards use for the top were chosen for their uniformity in color. A color that reflects the Beetle Kill Pine's coloring. I sealed all the cracks that are natural in the knots with an epoxy to insure a very smooth top.





The Pandemic Provenance Coffee Table comes with The Knotty Woodworker's standard 5 year warranty on materials and craftsmanship. It will last for generations to come.





This can be in your home just in time for the Christmas Season. A gift that would say I love your uniqueness to that very special someone in your life. Each board is as unique as a fingerprint. And, this is the most environmentally responsible purchase in furniture that you can make. It has a triple coat of all natural Tung Oil. It doesn't get any "greener" than this blue table. Email or call today to make this one of a kind heirloom yours. Happy Thanksgiving from The Knotty Woodworker.

The Brother's Table

The latest Expression in Wood from the Knotty Woodworker is The Brother's Table. Born and raised in Florida, The Knotty Woodworker moved to Colorado in 1990. In Florida there remained four sisters and two brothers.
My youngest brother, Jason, recently moved to Colorado and for the first time ever, two Abneys have built a piece of heirloom quality furniture, hence, The Brothers Table.
It stands 31" in height, 40" in width and 82" in length. It has been fashioned from the heart of Beetle Kill Pine grown here in Colorado. This means it lacks the blue staining caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle. It began in Loveland, CO with the selection of harvested trees.
From there, I had the logs sliced into 4 x 4's for the legs, and into 2" thick slabs for the apron and top. Not many woodworkers are blessed with the oppurtunity to choose their tree, have it cut, and then bring it to life in the shop.
Although the trees have been cut and air dried for quite some time, I stacked the pieces in the shop with sticks to separate them to allow air drying to an acceptable moisture level.
The Brother's Table features a drawer on one long edge that is 24" in width, 3" in height and 18" in depth for silverware/board games, etc.
The top is crafted from four 10" wide planks and brought down to a thickness of 1 1/2".





The apron is 4" wide and planed to 1 1/2" thick as well. Each piece of the apron has a tenon that is 3/4" thick x 2 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" long that will fit into a corresponding mortise on each inside face of each leg.





Here is a video showing the strength of a mortise and tenon joint. My mortises are deeper and my tenons are longer and thicker than the average mortise and tenon joint, adding to the strength.





The solid legs are 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" finished thickness. The two outside faces of each leg is fluted down the center with a 3/4" core box router bit and on either side of that flute is a flute made with a 1/2" core box router bit, for a total of three on each outside face.





Simple. Sturdy. Hand crafted. Knotty. Heirloom quality. Guaranteed for 5 full years in materials and craftsmanship.
As a woodworker, I enjoyed crafting this table for my client. I wondered what would take place at this table besides meals. Certainly, many cups of tea will be enjoyed at it with lively conversation. The owners of this table are English.
How many nights of homework will be mulled over at The Brothers Table? Mother daughter talks about life, love and happiness. Family vacations might be discussed and planned at this table, built by two brothers far away from their homeland.
Will a young man sit at this table in a few years and ask a father for a young woman's hand in marriage? The craftsmanship, care and construction of this table is only the first step in achieving the status of heirloom quality. The family's gatherings will do the rest.
As a brother, having lived so far away from home, I enjoyed creating it with my brother by my side. Talking about life, woodworking, Colorado, Florida and the smiles that have occurred between the miles and years.













It's simply more than a table already. How would such a table be completed if it stood in your home? 303.246.4766

The Long's Peak Gun Cabinet

The latest Expression in Wood by The Knotty Woodworker is The Long's Peak Gun Cabinet. It is 53" wide and 74" tall and will hold 12 long arms. It features raised panel sides and lower doors, Glass panel upper doors, handmade pulls and knobs, and a tongue and groove paneled back.
A pure pleasure to create and build, I was allowed a lot of creative control to do a "Knotty Job." As has become the norm, my client was very satisfied, not just with the overall appearance, but with the quality of craftsmanship.



I made the pulls and knobs from a limb that was killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle. The burrow tracks are the texture and beauty of each one and each is as unique as a finger print. The door pulls and knobs are doweled into place through the face of the door and a set of smaller dowels are glued into those dowels from the edge of the door. Quality. Uniqueness.








Some folks might would consider the steps I take a waste of time. However, The Knotty Woodworker guarantees all of his furniture for a full 5 years in materials and craftsmanship. Five years! A brand new house is only guaranteed for 1 year.
It is not my intent to ever have to do any warranty work. The only way to avoid this is to build it right the first go around. My pieces are tomorrow's antiques, so I build them to be an heirloom your great grand kids will enjoy. I beg you to find such a guaranty elsewhere and at no additional cost.
The Beetle kill pine has a most unique beauty. Each piece is so unique and different than the next board. The result is not only extreme beauty, but knotty uniqueness. If you are not familiar with Colorado's Beetle Kill Pine, please see my blog entry located at Environmentally Responsible Furniture Making
When this wood is crafted into furniture by The Knotty Woodworker, each aspect of the grain is significantly highlighted through grain selection and board placement.






Here is a close up of the base of the Long's Peak Gun cabinet that shows the incredibly catastrophic beauty of this wood. The moulding used here is a piece 1/4" thick. The other half of the board, the "book matched" slice, is used as the molding on the top of the cabinet. Just one of many little steps taken by The Knotty Woodworker to display the elegance of this wood and to have your furniture exclaim "Colorado" to all who takes in it's beauty.


Here are a few more pictures of the Long's Peak Gun Cabinet.




























Please consider how a piece of furniture made from Beetle Kill Pine would fit into your home and how to get the best quality for your money by having The Knotty Woodworker be your furniture maker. A decision that you will never regret. The money you spend with The Knotty Woodworker today will continually spend itself into the future. 303.246.4766

Getting In My Groove

When it comes to the joining of cabinet sides, Many methods may be employed. Since my furniture is usually solid wood construction, I often fined myself unable to use screws for fastening because of aesthetics. My typical method is putting a corresponding groove on a piece in which a perpendicular component will sit in. In it's simplest terms, it is a dado joint. This is perhaps the best joint, in my opinion for a standard cabinet bottom to be joined to a side. I took some pictures of my current project to show you what you can expect when you allow The Knotty Woodworker to build your handmade furniture. The picture below shows a cabinet bottom and a cabinet side. The dado is in the side and is almost 1/2" deep. Furniture manufacturers will use this same joint, but theirs is calibrated and machined on a CNC.









As you can see in this picture, once assembled with glue, this bottom will be very secure for many many years. Stay tuned as I will be posting more pictures of this gun cabinet and sharing my methods so you can see why your best value is handmade furniture created by hand in The Knotty Wood Shop. October marks three years in business and I am running some awesome sales on furniture, particularly My COlorado Expressions style made with native Colorado Beetle Kill Pine. Let's discuss that special gift for that special someone this fall. 303. 246.4766

The Madison River Desk

I have been working on an executive desk. It is made from Beetle Kill Pine, one of a kind, and of heirloom quality. It was built in such a way that it will still be functional and useable and beautiful forty years from now and longer even. Here are the pictures of it in the client's home. I can build you almost anything out of this amazing wood - entertainment center coffee/end table set/ bed, dresser, etc. You can choose the rustic accents I incorporated in the desk, or I can build in contemporary or traditional styles without rustic accents - The wood itself is very rustic in appearance. View some of my earlier blogs to see the story behind the Beetle kill pine, my all natural, non-toxic finishing process and just why you should choose to order your handmade heirloom quality furniture through The Knotty Woodworker. Feel free to call me at 303 246 4766 to discuss your furniture needs. The quality will exceed your expectations, the beauty will captivate your family and friends and the cost will make your dollar go further than you imagined possible.


If you click on the images below, they will open up super size so you can see the rich detail.





The desk is 74" x 68" x 30" high





The drawer bank features hardwood dove tailed drawers. The pulls were handmade from a limb killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle.





When properly worked, end grain can be very beautiful.





There are three wire holes in the desktop for electronics. The wire chase continues underneath in the up right studs between the panels that comprise the wall. The wires then run behind the cabinet and out of the side of the cbinet in the toe kick.





Non-symetrical contours were added to replicate the natural edges of the wood as found in a log.





I had to chisel away the bark, exposing beetle burrow tracks in the "live" edge.





A beautiful knot on the live edge of the return side.





A Knot on the edge of the top. A nice contrast with the blue/black staining left by the Mountain Pine Beetles.





Mountain Pine Beetle burrow tracks in the live edge.





Doubled up "biscuits" used for alignment of the slabs and strength in the joint. Quality.





The drawer bank prior to installation.





Beetle burrow tracks in the handmade knobs.





You can see how the tracks are obvious on the sides of the handmade pulls, also.




The limb from which I made all the pulls.





I had some of the wood milled while I waited after choosing the logs personally. A sign of good working is grain selection and board placement. A step I NEVER overlook.





There is an Executive Desk and a gun cabinet in the back of the truck. I am not sure what else, but there is a lot of this wood available. What does your house need to Express Yourself?