Going custom and going green!
Thankfully, the inhabitants of our world have started to realize the impact that our day to day routine is having on our planet. The last decade has brought an enormous amount of environmental awareness, and more and more people are going green. Some bring reusable bags to the grocery store rather than using plastic ones, others convert their cars to run on vegetable oil or forget the car altogether and take a bicycle to get around. Point is, human beings are, and hopefully will continue to be more cognizant of our responsibilities as residents of the speck of dust in the universe that we call home.
These Contour Bar Stools by Infusion Furniture at CustomMade.com are made of reclaimed southern yellow pine, salvaged from a building in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston.
Just like the average citizen is doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint, woodworkers everywhere are doing their part and turning their wood shops into an environmentally friendly operation. Woodworkers everywhere, including a bunch of our own CustomMade.com subscribers, are starting to buy local, use non-toxic lumber (ditching formaldehyde plywood, etc), using natural finishes, and even constructing pieces keeping in mind that they may be recycled down the line. Some woodworkers are finding their lumber under water, using fallen trees, or using wood from existing furniture or buildings. Even something as simple as having bamboo flooring as opposed to traditional hardwood, reduces the dependence on our already over harvested timber resources.
The countertop for this Reclaimed Lumber Vanity by Scott Pennington Woodworking at CustomMade.com was made using pine studs pulled from the house it now resides in. The walnut case and door were made using veneered plywood from an entertainment center.
At CustomMade.com we love to hear what are artists are going to go green. Artists like Scott Pennington, Quentin Kelley, and Jerry Van Vleet are setting a precedent and leaving a legacy for future woodworkers to take on as they learn the skills of the trade. If you have any tips to going green, please share them! If you would like a mention in our next blog about going green, let us know you have an ec0-friendly shop! If you are looking for a good site to find more information about going green as a woodworker, try checking out the website for the Sustainable Furnishings Council.
Few people realize that custom woodworkers were actually the early pioneers in the movement towards sustainability – certainly with respect to forests. In the late 1980s a not-for-profit group called W.A.R.P. (Woodworkers’ Alliance for Rainforest Protection) was founded to find ways to protect endangered rainforests.
Recognizing the need for standards development to determine what, exactly, constituted responsible forest management W.A.R.P. later joined forces with groups such as Greenpeace, The Sierra Club and World Wildlife Fund to found the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1993. FSC has since grown to become the high bar of sustainable forest standards – against which all lesser standards are compared and measured.
Having said that it goes without saying that any woodworker interested in going green should focus on using FSC certified wood in their work. Bamboo is also considered by many to be green, since it is a grass and not a wood, but this material has met with some controversy in recent years due to concerns over growing, harvesting and processing methods. These questions have since been addressed with the introduction of FSC certified bamboo ply into the marketplace.
FSC certification means that chain-of-custody tracking is in place to ensure that sustainability claims are, in fact, legitimate.
In addition to looking at the green aspects of the material itself, also consider how panel stock is made – for those who are using plywood, MDF or particle board. Panel technology has come a long way, and NAUF (no added urea formaldehyde) panels are now readily available which also meet LEED and CARB2 requirements.
Woodworkers interested in going green should also look at what glues they’re using. My own preference is a non-UF glue produced by Titebond. There are also a variety of low VOC finishes available in the marketplace, including linseed oil and tung oil. For those requiring a more durable and protective finish there are some excellent low VOC water based products from companies such as AFM.
At the end of day custom woodworkers should keep in mind that it’s not just their customers’ health they are protecting – it’s their own.
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