This blog is intended to be a direct window into my workshop. It is intended to unveil the processes, joinery, and materials that are so crucial to the production of Five Fifths Furniture. Check back often for updates on current projects, future shows and expeditions to procure new and fascinating materials.
"Live" Edge
It is a misnomer that the liveedge we hear so much about in contemporary furniture naturally emerged out of the tree fully formed like Athena from Zeus's head. Unless you intend to just cake the bark with finish, and in turn be left with a lifetime of debris as bark and rotten weak bits fall off from use, a liveedge demands a lot of human intervention. However, like bad open mic night performances, there is nothing worse than an unnatural liveedge on a piece of furniture. A successful liveedge is an artistic dance with nature, utilizing many tools to mimic her lines so that the man-made and the natural appear identical even under the sharpest scrutiny. Every bit of bark and other weak parts must be removed so that only the most solid edge is left. The following photos are from a Redwood Table that lost, on average, 3-6" of material around it's perimeter from rot and cracks, most of the liveedge is a fabrication, however if I never would have told you, would you have known?
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