About Dave & 'Wood-Designs'...
My woodworking was inspired by my Dad, and my woodworking journey started when he gave me my own saw as a child and I've been interested ever since.
Each piece is unique and handmade entirely of reclaimed wood* by me in my North-Somerset workshop.
I enjoy using my hand tools, including English and Japanese saws, jack, and block planes (my favourite is my number 5½ Jack plane!), and combine these with modern power tools to create pieces I am pleased to offer for sale.
Passion...
My passion for reclaimed wood means your piece(s) may include any or all of screw and nail holes, open grain, saw, tool, and hammer marks, scuffs, cracking, traces of previous paint or rust marks, and all kinds of charming details that give each piece its unique character.
I love how this adds to pieces I make, and the visible history of the wood. It takes longer and is not as easy as buying perfect timber ready to work with, but I believe the results and sustainability are worth it.
An approach...
Making (and buying) pieces made from reclaimed wood (including storm damaged trees) supports sustainable practices reducing my (and your) carbon footprint.
It’s been estimated each fully-grown tree’s annual CO2 offset is 21.8 to 31.5 kg CO2, meaning 1 tonne of CO2 needs 31-46 trees to offset.
Wood is an amazing, beautiful, strong, and flexible product, but there is a huge amount already felled and in circulation.
Sourcing Wood...
I aim to source all my wood as locally as I can, using wood recycling centres in Weston-Super-Mare and Bristol. I prioritise local community interest companies focused on providing work-based training for people struggling with addiction, mental health issues and long-term unemployment.
Reclaimed...
*Reclaimed wood includes storm damaged trees, which adds to the excitement of what might be available at any given time. Occasionally I need to use non-reclaimed wood to finish or create a certain piece; if so, I aim to source materials from suppliers of FSC and PEFC certified timber with Chain of Custody (COC) certification.
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