Workshop Time With Whisky Barrels

We've had a busy bit of a time recently, busy doing paying work then busy doing the non paying work.  The non paying work being coming up with ideas for different pieces of furniture, using all the leftover bits of materials to get some prototypes done. No one told me that you don't get paid for this stuff, I should have been told!!

It's been good fun and we've been using different materials where possible, one of the interesting materials we have been using is whisky barrel staves. We managed to get some retired whisky barrels and instead of them going to landfill or being used as firewood we thought we'd try and incorporate them into some furniture. I didn't know that they were oak, its not that I didn't know, I had just never thought of it. So anyway once they're all planed down they look great and the workshop smells of whisky after a day of planing and cutting. 

An idea was a whisky tasting table, you could probably use it as a hall table too, it was to match the stool that we done a while ago. 

Theres going to be a 6mm sheet of glass sitting on the top so its nice and flat to sit yer whisky, theres still to be a shelf added to the bottom section, thats for sitting even more whisky. I like the way it turned out but adding the glass will change it again, the other thing to happen was to stain the legs with a dark oak stain.   

A shot of the top, the front is a full size stave, thats the curve that comes straight off the barrel. After it was done the idea of putting a stave to the back of the top then sitting it up on its side and it could be the side of a table. Like when you're doing anything like this and coming up with ideas, loads of stuff flies through your head, you need to keep on track before you end up with 34 unfinished projects lying about the workshop.

Heres a close up of the top before the glass gets fitted. The thinking was to keep as much of the makers marks and dates as possible, I'm pleased the way it turned out. While working on it and putting it together, the idea of whisky barrel wall panelling popped up, I think its a goer so that will be tested out in the next 'product development' session. I like the idea of flooring too, not all planed down though but obviously flat on the bottom and the bit you walk on is like this table top, it might be a bit up and down but I think it'd work. It's another project on the big ideas board!

Keeping on going with the whisky barrel furniture, the idea for a clock popped up. Nothing fancy just an oak frame and the staves inside. There was oak lying around so we put it to good use. This clock was given to the local mums & tots group for their raffle on Saturday. The idea is to get enough pieces done and set up an online store, it should be ready over the next few weeks and we'll be shipping worldwide, everyone loves whisky right?

Anyway once this clock was finished I put it on Facebook and said that it'll be one of the things going in the online store and it would sell for X amount but if anyone who knew me wanted one, get in touch and I'd do it for Y amount. I should have charged more!! It's cool though, I got about 6 orders and they're going to good people. If I become a famous actor or fashion model I'm sure they'll go up in value.

Keeping on going with the clock idea and the online store, here's two other clocks that were made. Something for the hipsters out there, birch ply and formica and birch ply endgrain. Simple but nice, I love the birch ply endgrain piece. When making this the idea of a bar top done from endgrain popped up, maybe a full cabinet done from endgrain, who knows where it goes. Another project for the 'product development' sessions. 

So thats a small selection of what will be quite a big range, all will be on the online shop in a few weeks for you to buy if you like. A lot of the pieces can be customised to suit, best thing to do is to get in touch and we can talk about what you're planning on wanting down.  

One last thing that we did with the whisky barrels was beer fonts. These are 3 samples for a brewery, if your geography is good you can tell what brewery asked for some samples! Their tap clips fit into the space to tell you what beer is on offer. Who knows, they might make an order. To give you an idea, number 1 is the outside of the barrel, number 2 is the charred inside thats been sanded back but still showing the die of the whisky and number 2 is a stave planed down to reveal the oak. Hopefully coming to a pub near you soon!!

So thats all for now, remember to support your local woodworker and if you have any mental ideas that you want made, get in touch and we'll work something out. I think we're going to start doing cutting for whoever needs it on a Friday afternoon, bring your sheets or timber and we'll cut them to size for a couple of pounds for as many cuts as you need. Unless you turn up with a lorry and need 463 cuts, it might be a bit more.

(Sorry for the big pictures, I like you to get the idea)

Over and out!