Labour of love (Recycling series #3)

Et voila, T's second chair is finished! Isn't it a beauty?

You can see how rustic the reclaimed oak chair looks next to the other one on the right. The first chair was made out of purchased oak planks and looks sleeker although it's over 6 years old and has lived outdoors all this time. I really love the way the older wood shows its age and character. The black smudge on one chair arm is where an iron nail was lodged for many years, and the tip of the other chair arm is uneven because of a knot in the oak. The grain is deeper too. I like that about it, the same way I like wrinkles on people because it makes them interesting and beautiful.

Both chairs are rock solid and not a single nail or screw was used to hold them together. Beautiful old-fashioned craftsmanship for someone who, apart from woodworking classes as a 13 year old, is largely self-taught. T builds freestyle, without designs or plans. I guess that makes him unorthodox as a carpenter. He rebuilds his vintage microphones the same way. I was half-teasing him that if he can't find a 'proper' job again he can always build his handmade Adirondack chairs to sell. Does anyone think there might be a market for them?

Anyway, I'm so darned proud of him, and I don't care if he goes beet red when he reads this. I look forward to us growing old together, in these chairs.


After this, no more chair blips for a while. Promise. But first, please have a closer look.