WHF Blog

Western Heritage - Wednesday, November 16, 2011

 

Last week, we had the privilege of creating a Presidential Desk for our friends at Valerie's Furniture and Accents in Cave Creek, AZ.   This is a pretty spectacular desk, one that we don't get to make every day.   Everyone who worked on this piece agreed that it was the most beautiful desk that we have ever produced, so I had to take some pictures and share with everyone.  Enjoy.

  

 The Presidential Desk is an executive style desk made with various species of reclaimed wood, including walnut, redwood, curly cherry, and Western Heritage's signature Ghostwood. 

 

 

 Along with using reclaimed lumber to build our furniture, WHF also reclaims architectural details, such as this molding.   This particular molding was pulled from a building here in Jerome, AZ.  

 

 

 Part of what made this desk so breathtaking were the panels on the top.  These panels were hand picked by Adam, our sawyer, for their ability to shine in an application like this. 

 

 

A closer view at the wonderful heartwood panels. 

 

 A bit of Ghosttown Copper was added in to the corner leg insets, and the top corner detail.  This corner detail is bordered in the curly cherry to really make it stand out.

 

 

Buffalo Nickel tacks were added over the leather trimmed edge for a fun Western detail.

 

 

Western Heritage makes file drawers that are easily converted from letter to legal per the customer's preference.   The central pencil drawer can also me made as a keyboard slideout for PC users.

 

 Hats off to the team at Valerie's Furniture and Accents (valeriesfurniture.com) and to our artisans who make each piece of Western Heritage Furniture special and one of a kind!

 

 

Western Heritage - Thursday, June 02, 2011

I get a kick out of this old cowboys take on life.

 “Life should never be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely, in a well preserved body but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of dust, thoroughly used up, totally wore out and proclaiming loudly, “WOW, what a ride!”

Well, I am pleased to announce that, to the best of my knowledge, I am nowhere near the end, but can proclaim “WOW, What a ride!” Fourteen years ago, on May 22, I was blessed with a beautiful baby girl Riley Claire McClellan. Five pounds thirteen ounces and all of 18 inches long this little angel changed my life. 

                                           

Riley and I, a few moons ago

A more recent pic of me and Riley

At the time, I had a small woodshop and was a one man show. Upon her arrival, I quickly realized that I could not, with just my two hands, generate enough furniture to afford the life I wished for her. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I had, in the past, had a difficult time hiring help. I just couldn’t leave well enough alone. But for the future financial security of Western Heritage (and thus Miss Riley) I was able to overcome this limitation of mine. I did have to make a pact with myself in order to fully embrace this new adventure.

The pact:  At some point in the foreseeable future I would build a new shop, just for me, where I could pick projects based on my desire to create rather than my need to pay the bills.

                                         

My new home in Durango

                                       

My new shop space

                                         

Unwrapping some new toys, I mean tools

                                      

Hard at work

                                     

A beautiful shot of Erika Roberts at the ranch

The story of Western Heritage is a long exciting tale that I will save for another time, but suffice it to say that we have surpassed all of my wildest dreams. I have been blessed again with a great building for my new shop. I am now almost finished with the build-out (an extension of WHF) in beautiful Durango Colorado. Attached are a few photos. I will attempt to keep everyone posted on the progress and projects of the shop as well as my endeavors to improve my fly fishing skills.

Cheers,

Tim McClellan

 

Western Heritage - Thursday, May 12, 2011
Western Heritage Furniture is going to be featured on AAA Presents Highroads with Dan Davis, on Saturday May 14th.   In Phoenix, the show will air on KPNX Channel 12 at 6:30 pm, and in Tucson on KVOA Channel 4 at 4pm.   Check the website for more details, http://www.aaaaz.com/highroads/index.htm

Also, take a look at clips from Robin Sewell's Arizona Highways Television.  Ms. Sewell has featured Western Heritage Furniture ("Furniture with a Green Heart") as well as Verde BioFuel ("Fry Grease to Fuel" and "Verde Biofuel").  All the clips can be found through this link, http://www.azhighwaystv.com/show-archives/green-eco-friendly/

Happy Watching! 






 

Western Heritage - Thursday, May 06, 2010

 

This is the second of four videos of the "Evolution of a Pool Table". In the video you begin to get a good sense of what the final table is going to look like. It shows what the old hand hewn oak looks like with the fine sanding and lacquer finish applied. Our unique Cayonland Copper corner details are installed on the table legs. The finely carved leather rails and leg panels created by renowned tooler Phillip Smith. Noah Pfeffer is the well known jeweler responsible for the hand cut turquoise sites set in silver bezels. He is also the craftsman who made the refined silver Western Heritage logo set into the end rail. I incorporated seven deferent species of wood throughout the the pool table. I used 200+ year old oak for the super structure, walnut on the top rails, poplar for the sub rails, reclaimed rosewood for the rail edge caps, 100+ year old pine barn siding for the rail aprons and 80+ year old douglas fir for the raised panels in the tables skirt. I believe the marriage of all these different woods along with the tooled leather, jewelery quality sites and professional grade felt form a perfect union.

 

Western Heritage - Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Custom reclaimed wood pool table from Western Heritage Furniture. This pool table's design is based on elements from our Teton Collection of Furniture. Inspired by the grandeur and beauty of the Teton Mountains in western Wyoming, this Teton table has a massive presence. It incorporates a combination of reclaimed wood beams, hand carved leather and copper details seamlessly married together in this one of a kind creation.

The Pool table's superstructure will be constructed using two identical hand hewn oak beams. The exact history of these beams is unknown, however we reclaimed them from a barn in Iowa a few years back. The barn was constructed about 100 years ago using Douglas Fir. These beams were salvaged from a much older structure then reused in the building of this barn.

In the video you will notice the nature of the ax and adz marks left by the original craftsman. One can tell a lot about the craftsman by these markings as well as the fact that both beams are exactly 7" x 7" square. This particular pioneer probably fell these trees 170 to 200 years ago, long before there were saw mills.

 

Western Heritage - Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Tim McClellan...hey I think I can hear the ocean.Well, another extraordinary year is winding down as we look forward to a prosperous new one. As you may know, over 130 banks did not make it through 2009, however, you are still here and so are we - a small victory - but still a victory nonetheless, because of you. Congratulations! As of 2010 Western Heritage has decided to quit playing the recession game. Join us in another prosperous new year.

-Tim & Tim

Holiday fun at the WHF Christmas party:

Tim McClellan...hey I think I can hear the ocean.

Jimmy Corrigan proudly displaying his new gun cleaning kit...although we're not sure if Jimmy should actually have a gun in his possession.

Neith Owens with a public service announcement: "Never operate woodworking equipment under the influence of alcohol."