Glacial Wood Products

At Glacial Wood, we are always looking at the market to identify new trends. Here are a few I’ve noticed recently:

Trendspotting:
Wood never goes out of style, but the ways in which designers use it is always changing. Instead of following the latest trends, keep ahead of them and drive sales by offering your customers the latest in wood grains, stains and fixture styles.

Nothing but gray skies?: Furniture and design styles often find their spark in Europe. From Germany this year we see the emergence of gray woodgrains, both in light and dark tones. They not only were shown in panel samples, but also used by several exhibitors at recent trade shows. Gray works well with the modern design palette, working well with white and black elements, as well as bold colors – in place of lighter woods like pine and ash long favored by Scandanavian design. Grey tones highlight the grain of the wood, so turned pieces can be quite beautiful.

Everything Old is New Again: Rustic-looking woods are popular ¬– and not just for the cabin anymore. Woods featuring knots and worm holes create a warm, comforting ambiance, softening the hard lines and flat planes of super modern settings. Some of the species that offer wonderful burled patterns are Redwood, Maple, Myrtle, Madrone, Manzanita and Yew. The wood turning process enhances the already striking wood grains and knots of these species.

Extreme Finish: Look to the ends of the spectrum for finish styles. High-gloss finishes on boldly turned table and chair legs take a traditional look and give it a unique modern appeal. See the high gloss finish on this table from Eleanor Trend for a fine example.

Walk the Line: Designers continue to use woods with prominent straight grain lines, running either vertically or horizontally or even diagonally. Some lesser used woods with fine, straight grains are alder, cherry, walnut, and Douglas fir. The grain of the wood can be used to accentuate lines in a room, especially as part of a column or balustrade.

Dick
www.glacialwood.com

We’re about to launch a new Online Store and I’m pretty excited about it. It should make ordering and receiving some of our more common pieces- FAST! Glacial Wood Products specializes in custom wood turnings, but some of our clients have repeatedly ordered similar sized components for their furniture, cabinet and building projects. To answer that need, I’ve worked to create an online store that features table legs, posts, appliqués, bun feet, corner guards and half round moulding. Later this year, we’ll have some fun and add novelty items like wood plates, mini baseball bats and magic “Potter” wands. I’ll also use the online store to move some excess lumber and equipment.

This is a big step for me and my team. At Glacial Wood we pride ourselves in creating exactly what our clients want… and we’re able to make those components in over 30 wood species. We are not going to stop doing that- Custom work is our bread and butter and it’s what I love to do. The online store is being built to offer convenience. Online shoppers will be able to choose from four wood species in a handful of sizes. The components in the online store will be shipped within 5 business days of making the order. Our online shoppers will also be able to use PayPal for billing. Look for the Glacial Wood Products online store to open in March. You’ll be able to get to it by going to our website, glacialwood.com.

It’s been pretty snowy in the Glacial Ridge region of Central Minnesota this week. I had a hard time getting into the shop the other day because of the weather. To make matters worse, my office manager, Jeni, took off for a warmer climate and didn’t bring back much sunshine as a souvenir for me. I’ve been thinking of sunnier days and fun… like boating on Minnesota’s beautiful lakes. Here’s a nice shot of from one of our clients, Burger Boats. We did some work for their beautiful boats. Hope it brings you warm, sunny thoughts during this snowy time of year-

Dick
www.glacialwood.com

A trend in woodworking and construction is to use reclaimed wood. It’s not new, people have been using old wood to build new structures since the beginning of time. Reclaimed wood is particularly popular today because it adds an aged, weathered look to new construction and it’s also ecologically friendly. Builders like it because using recycled wood can save some money.

Popular ways to use reclaimed wood is for mantles, flooring and trim. There are a lot of other ways you can use reclaimed wood. I’ve been working with a company out of Minneapolis, Red Barn Reclaimed Timber Furniture. We’re taking timbers from barns, warehouses and other sources and making beautiful tables for Red Barn. Our team is turning the table tops, bases and legs. Glacial Wood is also assembling the tables for Red Barn. We coordinate the finishing with another Minnesota company. I hope you like their furniture. It’s truly an innovative way to use reclaimed wood.
Check out their website at www.redbarnreclaimed.com.

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The furniture industry overall is slowly moving forward during these tough economic times. I’ve been happy to see that a handful of American factories are reopening. I am encouraged to see that American companies are once again trusting domestic workers to make quality furniture at reasonable prices. Let’s hope the rest of the wood industry.. and the American economy follow suit.
Keep turning-
Dick

Prescription Glasses won’t cut it
Creating quality wood components is the primary goal at my wood shop- but we also make sure we put safety first, no matter how urgent the order is. One key element important for both the pros and hobbyists alike is safety glasses. It’s important to wear safety eyewear for every job. Wearing your everyday prescription glasses in the wood shop won’t cut it. You need safety glasses with strong frames and impact resistant lenses. Side screens on your frames are also important, you never know from which direction a piece of wood is going to fly.

Columns as decor
Where and how are you using columns in your work? We like to see our pieces used in new ways, not just in the usual places. One of our clients is using some of Glacial’s columns as décor in shelving and fireplace mantles. Columns are also great to define living spaces in open floor plans. What species are you using for your columns? If you are going to paint them, consider using a less expensive species like poplar. We have a variety of species to choose from. Fluting reeding, roping and caps can complete your look. Play around with Glacial Wood’s column builder for some ideas. http://www.glacialwood.com/products/columns-and-capitals/column-builder

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Celebrating the Holidays
What are you doing this holiday season? We are celebrating with a nice party in the GWP shop. I’ll hand out some presents and some well deserved staff awards. We’ll also enjoy great food and festive music and give thanks for another year of creating great wood turnings.
As we make merry this Christmas, we’re thinking of our great clients and suppliers. Everyone at Glacial Wood Products hopes your holiday season is safe and joyous. We look forward to a successful and productive 2010 with you!
Merry Christmas-
Dick

Inspiration can come from anywhere
Inspiration for a wood turning can come from almost anywhere, even an old trash heap. While digging around on my farm near Brooten, I uncovered dozens of old bottles. As I wiped the dirt away, I could see the old imprints of medicine and tonics that past residents on my land used. The bottles were round and delicate, yet sturdy enough to survive decades buried in the ground.

I brought the bottles into Glacial. We set up the lathes and created some wooden replicas of the bottles. I even sold some to craftspeople. They became pretty pieces of painted folk art. Now the market for wooden bottles has slowed, but I’ve heard there is a small comeback. Somebody saw some decorative ones on the Today Show.
My own wood bottles now sit with some of the original glass bottles next to our wooden plates, magic wands, mini baseball bats and other novelty items. We use them to show clients that we can create or re-create just about anything they have in mind. I like to have the bottles around as a reminder, inspiration can come from anywhere.
Mistakes aren’t always bad
We have a new style of post we’re showing off in the Glacial Wood Products sample room. Our office manager, Jeni, calls it the “Waffle,” I think it sort of looks like a “Pineapple.” While turning a 3 inch by 34.5 maple post, we crisscrossed some of the lines. Instead of the reeding we were looking for, it came out in a woven pattern. We’re still looking at it, studying how it was done. It looks like a something colonial, with a tropical influence.
Featured Product: Reclaimed Wood Tables
Glacial Wood Products has FSC certification. While we do use domestic, sustainable wood in our facility, there are other steps we take to be conscious about the lumber we use and its impact on our planet. We are working with a client called Red Barn Reclaimed out of Edina, Minnesota. Our team built amazing dining, bedside and side tables for Red Barn using reclaimed wood. It’s beautiful. Check out their website at www.redbarnreclaimed.com.
-Dick

As we head into Minnesota’s long winter, it’s already time to start planning for next summer’s projects and jobs. Most Midwesterners are trying to get the most out of these last warm weeks outdoors. We’re spending a few final days at the cabin; sitting on our porches, patios and decks. At the same time, many of us are taking stock of our surroundings, making plans for renovations and new construction projects for next year. Your clients are probably doing the same thing. So as we head into fall, I’d like to put some thoughts of wood species on the table to prepare you for next spring’s exterior work. Which species do you prefer for your outdoor projects? Do you go with Cedar or Cypress?

–Dick

Cedar vs Cypress

Both Cedar and Cypress are reliable and popular wood species for exterior use. Both are resilient to moisture and temperature. Cedar and Cypress are both used for outdoor decks, exterior furniture and building siding and shingles. At Glacial Wood Products, we use both woods to create porch posts, newels balusters, finials and corbels. Which one do you use?

Cedar

Cedar is considered lightweight and stable. It tends not to crack or wrinkle after exposure. Cedar’s actual cell structure allows it to dry faster than other wood species. Cedar is also the best for outdoor components and furniture because it is considered resistant to bacteria and fungus. Cedar is also considered naturally resistant to water and insects.

Cedar is considered a great wood for craftsmen because it is easy to use by hand or machine. Cedar is lightweight and can easily be shaped and cut.

Because of its durability, Cedar does not need to be treated. Since it is free of pitch and resin, it is considered easy to treat.

Cypress

Cypress is also considered excellent for exterior projects and furniture. The Cypress tree produces an oil that act as a natural preservative and makes it resistant to fungus, insects and weather. Cypress wood is resistant to warping, cracking and splintering.

Cypress is lightweight and is also considered easy to cut and saw. It’s been used as an outdoor construction resource in the United States for hundreds of years. It is easily recyclable, even from buildings that are well over 100 years old.

Cypress is easily painted or stained, but many craftsmen opt not to treat it because of its natural honey color. If left untreated, Cypress weathers into a light grey shade.

So which should you choose?

Cypress is often the less expensive option. But many designers and builders prefer cedar because of its appearance. Cypress is about 30 percent cheaper than clear cedar, but if you are going to paint your balusters and exterior components, knotty cedar is a about the same price as cypress. I’m curious about which you prefer and why…

Dick Johnson
President
Glacial Wood Products
Brooten, MN
800-804-6885
djohnson@glacialwood.net
www.glacialwood.com