Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Monday, July 02, 2012
Forklift for sale.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Spring Update
Many, many apologies. Without further ado...
With the Georgia heat descending upon us with a quickness, Darwin and I opted to take a rainy Monday and get together an actual list of all of our inventory. It took the greater part of a day to chalk, number and picture all of it, but it was well worth it. There were a lot of pieces that Darwin and I had forgotten about and even more pieces that we knew about but didn't realize quite how many or how stunning they actually were.
I've finally managed to get all the pictures up. Both on our photobucket page - here - and our Facebook page - here. If you haven't had a chance to see the pictures, I highly recommend taking a peak. Not only are the pictures of our inventory, but they are also of our finished furniture projects.
The National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, TN contacted us about doing a dining room table top for them. Darwin and I jumped at the opportunity to work with them. They have made some amazing pieces and we knew the base they were building wouldn't disappoint. We went back and forth on which slabs would be the best, and we finally settled on the last of the Sinker Cypress slabs we had. The first one turned out beautifully and we knew this one would hold it's own against whatever base the metal museum created. The slab finished out beautifully and Darwin and I are anxiously awaiting pictures of the completed product.
Speaking of furniture, we've got some new pieces in the works over at Urban Reclaimed. Now that we've got an inventory list, the ideas are blossoming quite rapidly. Two pieces we have recently finished are the Vintage Surfboard Coffee Table as well as a pair of Foldover Side Tables. The website has recently been revamped and the blog is getting an update with the stories behind some of our more unique slabs.
Moving away from inventory and furniture, we fall into Darwin's territory. Milling. Emory University has kindly sent us some more trees from their campus to get milled into lumber. The tree Darwin milled out of one of their trees that fell in front of one of, or the oldest, dorm on campus, has come to the final stages of drying and will soon be on it's way to be made into an amazing conference table to be placed in the dormitory for the students to use. The kiosks we made for them have been assembled on campus and are a big hit.
As always let us know if we can help with anything. Please check out both of our Facebook pages - Mississippi Wood Trader and Urban Reclaimed. If you tweet follow Urban Reclaimed. And look for our updates on the blogs. Yes, this means the rambling has ended...
Until next time,
Dot and Darwin
Speaking of furniture, we've got some new pieces in the works over at Urban Reclaimed. Now that we've got an inventory list, the ideas are blossoming quite rapidly. Two pieces we have recently finished are the Vintage Surfboard Coffee Table as well as a pair of Foldover Side Tables. The website has recently been revamped and the blog is getting an update with the stories behind some of our more unique slabs.
Moving away from inventory and furniture, we fall into Darwin's territory. Milling. Emory University has kindly sent us some more trees from their campus to get milled into lumber. The tree Darwin milled out of one of their trees that fell in front of one of, or the oldest, dorm on campus, has come to the final stages of drying and will soon be on it's way to be made into an amazing conference table to be placed in the dormitory for the students to use. The kiosks we made for them have been assembled on campus and are a big hit.
As always let us know if we can help with anything. Please check out both of our Facebook pages - Mississippi Wood Trader and Urban Reclaimed. If you tweet follow Urban Reclaimed. And look for our updates on the blogs. Yes, this means the rambling has ended...
Until next time,
Dot and Darwin
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
New Projects
Well folks, it's been a minute. Darwin and I have been running around since Thanksgiving trying to get everything squared away. We've been diligent with some things and not so with others. The blog has been one of those things. And for that we apologize.
Some of you may know and some of you may not, we've started a furniture company - Urban Reclaimed. We looked around one day and thought, we've got all these beautiful pieces. Why don't we make something out of them. We can start basic, see how they sell and then move along from there. In the past we have been approached to do custom pieces and everyone seems to love the turnout, so why not turn that into a furniture side business.
As of right now we are in the process of promoting it and seeing where it takes us. We are navigating the waters of becoming a furniture business and I think (read: know) Darwin and I are both excited about the potential of where it could lead. Keep your fingers crossed! Check out our website, spread the word, and if you want to see some of the pieces in person, head on over to I.D. Lab (off Huff Road) and speak with Chris Hagen.
If you know of anyone that is looking for a custom piece please tell them to e-mail us (urbanreclaimed @ gmail.com) and we will see what we can't figure out. We appreciate any and all input you all may have.
Now, aside from the furniture business we have been trying still to get everything set up at the new shop. Yes, still. It's a long process. We've got it mostly set up. Slabs have been lined up on walls (well the new ones at least), the tools have been mounted or shoved away, the mechanics room has been mostly built out, and the solar kiln, well the solar kiln is in process. For the most part, it is a fully functional wood shop/work shop. It's out in the country and it's lovely. Darwin and I are content because we found a Moe's and a Home Depot. What more does one really need?
We are still milling away - chainsawing milling that is. That has been keeping Darwin pretty busy and tired as of late. However, the rain that we have been getting has been proving to be a bit of a hindrance. Mainly the is it going to rain, is it not going to rain game.
We hope everyone had a splendid Thanksgiving and is prepared for Christmas (which is quickly approaching). Until next time...
Dot & Darwin
Some of you may know and some of you may not, we've started a furniture company - Urban Reclaimed. We looked around one day and thought, we've got all these beautiful pieces. Why don't we make something out of them. We can start basic, see how they sell and then move along from there. In the past we have been approached to do custom pieces and everyone seems to love the turnout, so why not turn that into a furniture side business.
As of right now we are in the process of promoting it and seeing where it takes us. We are navigating the waters of becoming a furniture business and I think (read: know) Darwin and I are both excited about the potential of where it could lead. Keep your fingers crossed! Check out our website, spread the word, and if you want to see some of the pieces in person, head on over to I.D. Lab (off Huff Road) and speak with Chris Hagen.
If you know of anyone that is looking for a custom piece please tell them to e-mail us (urbanreclaimed @ gmail.com) and we will see what we can't figure out. We appreciate any and all input you all may have.
Now, aside from the furniture business we have been trying still to get everything set up at the new shop. Yes, still. It's a long process. We've got it mostly set up. Slabs have been lined up on walls (well the new ones at least), the tools have been mounted or shoved away, the mechanics room has been mostly built out, and the solar kiln, well the solar kiln is in process. For the most part, it is a fully functional wood shop/work shop. It's out in the country and it's lovely. Darwin and I are content because we found a Moe's and a Home Depot. What more does one really need?
We are still milling away - chainsawing milling that is. That has been keeping Darwin pretty busy and tired as of late. However, the rain that we have been getting has been proving to be a bit of a hindrance. Mainly the is it going to rain, is it not going to rain game.
We hope everyone had a splendid Thanksgiving and is prepared for Christmas (which is quickly approaching). Until next time...
Dot & Darwin
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
happy fall.
A lot of things have been going on around Mississippi Wood Trader. Some you may have heard about and some you may not have heard about. For starters, we have moved the shop. Darwin and I made the decision to move out to the country for some quiet and fresh air. So far it is going amazingly. Since we have been here we have managed to finally start to build that solar kiln we have always talked about. It is taking shape nicely; once it is completely finished I will make sure to get pictures out of it.
It's amazing how much you can get accomplished when you are left to your own devices and have no distractions. We are much better at planning things out now. And by 'we,' I clearly mean that I am much better at holding Darwin to plans that have been made. That is not an easy task in itself if you have ever met him, but then again I'm not much better.
Aside from the solar kiln, it's mainly been a process of reorganizing and repurposing. Packing 17,000SF of space was daunting enough, but unpacking 17,000SF of stuff into a space not quite that size, causes some serious creative thinking. We are making it work though. We have as much space as we need and we are beginning to realize that more isn't necessarily always better in certain areas.
We've also sold 'Grover,' our beloved CNG truck. He made the move with us, and then we decided that he just wasn't practical anymore. He has gone to a good home in Oneida, TN and we hope he has many happy years out there. It was a tough decision to let him go, but I am sure Darwin will find some sort of replacement for him. In the meantime, we carpool in my diesel jetta. Ya know, keeping it a diesel family around here.
If you would, stay tuned for a venture that Darwin and I are undertaking. It's current name is URBANgreen. Keep a watch out on Facebook and this blog as I get more done on the project and can give updates.
We hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather and had a great Halloween! As always, don't forget to 'like' us on Facebook (Mississippi Wood Trader) and check back soon as I hope to have more updates for everyone!
It's amazing how much you can get accomplished when you are left to your own devices and have no distractions. We are much better at planning things out now. And by 'we,' I clearly mean that I am much better at holding Darwin to plans that have been made. That is not an easy task in itself if you have ever met him, but then again I'm not much better.
Aside from the solar kiln, it's mainly been a process of reorganizing and repurposing. Packing 17,000SF of space was daunting enough, but unpacking 17,000SF of stuff into a space not quite that size, causes some serious creative thinking. We are making it work though. We have as much space as we need and we are beginning to realize that more isn't necessarily always better in certain areas.
We've also sold 'Grover,' our beloved CNG truck. He made the move with us, and then we decided that he just wasn't practical anymore. He has gone to a good home in Oneida, TN and we hope he has many happy years out there. It was a tough decision to let him go, but I am sure Darwin will find some sort of replacement for him. In the meantime, we carpool in my diesel jetta. Ya know, keeping it a diesel family around here.
If you would, stay tuned for a venture that Darwin and I are undertaking. It's current name is URBANgreen. Keep a watch out on Facebook and this blog as I get more done on the project and can give updates.
We hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather and had a great Halloween! As always, don't forget to 'like' us on Facebook (Mississippi Wood Trader) and check back soon as I hope to have more updates for everyone!
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Grover
As sad as we are to have to let the CNG truck go (dubbed Grover), it is something we must do. He has been a good truck to us and we hope to find him a loving new home. You will find below Darwin's loving description of Grover. If you have any interest or know of anyone who does please pass this along.
Hello,
Up for sale is "Grover", my 2003 CNG-powered ford F 150 7700 series 2WD. Grover began life at our airport, piloting around a supervisor on the runways. He never left Hartsfield-Jackson until last year. I absolutely love this thing, but its not made for towing, and I need something that is. No towing hitch, but there is a ball on the bumper. It is a perfect vehicle for light-duty running around the city all day. A/C is ICE cold - I mean it. even now, it'll run you out of the cab! I also am getting rid of this to attempt a CNG conversion on a regular car, which, provided it goes well, will be an available service in the future.
Now, for a quick primer on CNG vehicles: Their main advantages are 1) cheap fuel ($2.30ish commercially, $1.00 at home) and 2) environmental impact - very, very clean burning. Their disadvantage is that fuel can be hard to locate (stations that I use are on Whitehall street, and Riverdale Road - there is one on Sylvan road as well), and they don't have a very long range between fill-ups. This truck will only hold about the equivalent of 15 gallons of gasoline. It gets about 12mpg around town, and about 18-19 on the highway, giving you between 180-275 miles per tank. Not really a way around that, but the fuel savings are significant if you drive a lot. Also, not all fueling stations are created equal. The Riverdale road station (built to service airport) is a 3600psi system, which is good for the newer vehicles. This truck will hold around 3800psi. The PS energy stations are made for city and county fleets, and only go to 3200psi. (Whitehall street). A 3200psi fillup is fine, but it does not last nearly as long. You just can't get much fuel in these tanks at the lower pressure. With the 3600+psi fillup, it has almost a 300 mile range. With the 3200psi, especially around the city, its more like 150 mile range.
Now, the nitty-gritty:
The odometer currently reads 24,091.8 (yes, you read that correctly), but will increase slightly with daily driving. I use this truck around the city, and to get back and forth from work. 2003 Model, and ford FACTORY CNG powered. Truck qualifies for Alternate Fuel Tag, (yes, I'm that guy riding by myself in the HOV lane while the rest of you sit in traffic.....) and requires no emission testing. The best part?? $2.30/Gallon for your fuel, and its domestically produced!! No more funding the overseas oil business/taliban/whoever. Makes jobs right here in the good 'ol US of A.
CNG is available at PS energy (special card required - I can set you up with our rep), and in college park from Clean Energy. No special card needed at that one, just swipe the ol' VISA and go.
Grover is in good shape overall, with recent navy blue paint job, and an aftermarket stereo. I like music, so I needed to be able to plug my iPod in, and the AM/FM was not cutting it, cause lets face it, when 99X keeled over, there was not much left out there.....
Other than that, its a completely stock XL truck. Clean, basic, super reliable (look up CNG engines online, they routinely do 500K), the oil is still gold!
Fresh oil change, fresh tires, good spare (still has nubbies on it!!), brakes good, 4 speed automatic, long bed, short cab.
Everything works, just replaced a couple taillight bulbs, title in hand, etc.
$8,000.00 OBO. This is an EXCEPTIONALLY low mile and well cared for truck. No lowballers, I'm not desperate to sell.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Emory Slabbing
A little while ago, I told you all about Emory University contacting us about making a slab table out of a tree that fell on their campus. Now this tree apparently fell in front of one of their oldest dormitories (I think, don't quote me on that, but that's the rumor around town...). Today, on this blistering Tuesday, Darwin has been chainsaw milling the log. It is absolutely gorgeous! This will turn out to be a really beautiful communal table.
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