Our Process

Each vintage vessel is broken down from it's original barrel form. The individual stave is reviewed for length,width,thickness and then hand matched to assure uniformity in the final product. Staves containing barrel bung holes are set apart for use in creating our end/side tables.

The construction process really begins as each stave is cut to order, machine sanded and then hand sanded to a final smooth finish. When building a table, the original ends of the barrels are also removed and checked for the depth of cooperage mark and warpage. They may also be ran through a planer on the opposite side of the mark to assure a level surface. It is not unusual to take each of the planks apart, place in a press and insert dowels for added strength and durability. Due to the cooperage mark, the top is meticulously hand sanded to avoid any damage to the imprint. Depending upon your order, the finished surface may have a beveled edge applied to it for a more elegant, hand rubbed appearance.

The seats on all of our stools, are cut from solid white oak quarter sawn lumber, which we have shipped direct to us from North Carolina. This assures you a perfect match, from seat to original barrel staves. For swivel orders, only heavy duty 360 degree mechanisms are used, and installed prior to the staining process.

The bands are machine sanded to remove the many years of oxidation and deposits from the elements. Each band is then resurfaced and a Unique finish method is applied to your color specification, with the exception of the silver band, as this comes to you restored much as it had looked years ago, without additional finish. When adding your specific color to the band, we use a glossing process Unique to our company. When attaching band to stave, heavy duty hardware is employed to assure against slippage, whether your order is destined for residential or commercial use.

There are many different platform fastening plates necessary for each item, whether we are attaching the seat to the base, or the table top to the pedestal, just to name a few. All of our fastening plates are made from solid hardwoods, to guarantee that the furniture we create is as strong and durable as any product can possibly be. While these items may not be visible to you, they are an important part of our quality control.

Once assembly is complete, each order is stained to your exact specification, and then sprayed with a polyurethane sealant. For those who may wish to use these pieces outside, please advise at the time of purchase on the custom order form. We are more than happy to assist you in protecting your Unique items, by using a heavy duty water repellent verathane instead of the polyurethane sealer.

Upon final review by our Quality Assurance Inspector, your order is sent to our shipping department. Once received, you will see first hand the extreme care we have taken when packaging the items for shipment. Each leg is cushion wrapped, and protected from end to end with foam. Our table tops come packaged in a 1" foam from top to bottom, and a cushioned styrene on each side.

We know, with the time and effort we have taken in manufacturing your order, you will have many years of enjoyment!

As always, Live Well!
Mary and William