Fir slabs & steel

A few years ago I had the opportunity to acquire several 3″ thick by 6″ wide pieces of clear fir.  Now, I’ve always been a huge fan of clear fir. In fact it’s the only type of wood I used when trimming out my house several years ago.  Fir cabinets, fir base, fir windows, etc.

I think it’s the near engineered look. The consistency and regularity of the grain as opposed to the more popular “knotty” wood treatments.  Anyway, fir has a rich and timeless look, and I just couldn’t pass when I had the chance to grab some.

I’ve also long been an admirer of Scandinavian design and styled furnishings. Staring as the small stack of wood, i knew this was my chance to design something gracefully slender and elegant. It should be sleek and beautiful and delicate and utterly functional.  Unfortunately, nothing occurred to me.  These were massive sticks of lumber weighing 30-50 pounds per 6′ piece. Pick one up and the last thing you think of is sleek and delicate.

I eventually stumbled across some engineering designs of radically cantilevered buildings being built in the south of Spain.  The engineers went on and on about the strength required to achieve the elegant and seemingly floating creations.  Ahhh, the spark.

I poked a few ideas around on paper and then got out the welder.  By creating a “backbone” our mild steel, I was able to use a single vertical upright and “float” the individual shelves.

Presto!  What you see here are a couple of the pieces from my “Can’t” Collection.

Like all my work, these pieces are available for purchase with prices starting at $600 for the three tier side table.  like all my work, this stuff is heavy, and shipping is considerable expense.  The pieces will be packed into a custom built container in a “knock down” condition.  Assembly takes a few minutes with a standard 1/2″ wrench.