My name is Steven and crafting bespoke live edge wood products is my passion in fact “obsession”.
Based near Dorchester, Dorset – UK a sole crafter of character live edge natural waney English Wood.
Learning my trade as a trainee general estate worker to wood crafter began some 40 years ago working on Historic Country Estates.
In those days my seasonal years consisted of planting trees, fencing, charcoal burning, firewood production, cutting hazel with billhooks for thatching spars, coppicing ash, oak and sweet chestnut for cleft post and rail fencing felled through the winter.
In our milder Spring season surrounded by wild garlic, beautiful wild orchids and waves of bluebells coupled with natural intoxicating aroma we would make up thatching spars, wattle hurdles. This all sounds romantic but! Mother Nature steps in with her seasonal elements to scold us and bring us Land Workers back in check through the harsh winter!
Working with horses to extract timber in sensitive forests is one of my most memorable times.
I progressed in experience over the decades to become a competent tree climber, woodland tree felling and extraction, Countryside management, crafting products from the gnarly timber I lived with.
Over the years my obsession for creating functional usable natural character furniture resulted in Artful Shelves. Bespoke Cottage wood crafting business.
How is it created?
Natural
Charisma
To produce your bespoke unique wood furniture, Artful Shelves require to purchase boards with the most natural character, cavities, knots, heavy grain, cracks, splits, pippy burrs and most important a gnarly natural wavy, waney live front edge. All our timber is air dried; this allows the timber to naturally acclimatise seasonally by stacking with stick spacings for air flow releasing its tensions naturally for a few years.
Drying it
To Perfection
Usually this air-drying process is based on 1 inch per year thickness of the live edge natural board. After natural air drying these timber boards are placed in a kiln to reduce further the moisture content to suit interior home and office environments of 7-12%. It is important to only purchase kiln dried for internal use, if your timber has air dried for years outside it will contain far too much moisture and more than likely cup, twist, “Warp”!
Natural
Charisma
To produce your bespoke unique wood furniture, Artful Shelves require to purchase boards with the most natural character, cavities, knots, heavy grain, cracks, splits, pippy burrs and most important a gnarly natural wavy, waney live front edge. All our timber is air dried; this allows the timber to naturally acclimatise seasonally by stacking with stick spacings for air flow releasing its tensions naturally for a few years.
Drying it
To Perfection
Usually this air-drying process is based on 1 inch per year thickness of the live edge natural board. After natural air drying these timber boards are placed in a kiln to reduce further the moisture content to suit interior home and office environments of 7-12%. It is important to only purchase kiln dried for internal use, if your timber has air dried for years outside it will contain far too much moisture and more than likely cup, twist, “Warp”!
Bespoke, Custom-crafted Art
The work we do is typically bespoke, custom-made working closely with our customer
All of our woodwork is hand-crafted to perfection, to suit your needs explicitly.
If you are interested in a custom-crafted character live edge or square edge pigmented resin inclusion wooden shelves. please contact us with a personal query.
