The light at the end of the tunnel…. Literally

Following up on the drama from the previous post, things are beginning to look up. Mother nature allowed some dry weather and Juan from Skylight Solutions took advantage of it over the beautiful weekend here in Dallas. As we patio hopped (cocktails in hand, of course), Juan and his crew began cutting holes in the dilapidated roof on Friday to house the curbs for the skylights… all 15 of them.

Chelsea (behind the lens), once again looking up to me...

... and me looking down on her : )

Once the 50 year-old pine ceiling dried out from the bad weather, the insulation was glued down. I decided to have the insulation glued down, rather than nailed down, for many reasons. The first being aesthetically, we wanted to make sure that you were unable to see any mechanical fasteners from the inside of the Studio. We also wanted to preserve the existing pinewood that was already there and the least amount of penetrations into the ceiling, the better.

Let there be light!

After the insulation was glued, a special cement/composite board was laid and the curbs for the skylights and roof access were put in. Finally, the TPO roof was added and skylights were set into place. Tada!!! New roof accomplished.

Making progress!

Construction begins… And so do the problems

The first step in turning this shell of a warehouse into a functional Studio space is replacing the roof and adding some skylights. The reason for the skylights is since we are in a warehouse; we have no windows and no natural sunlight. I ended up designing a space that would require15 skylights in all.  Nine for the Studio, six for the Loft, and one roof access door. We sought out our new neighbors in the design district, Skylight Solutions, to begin the first stages of construction.

Wednesday, March 14th, marked the first day. The skylight crew began measuring and installing the internal bracing for the skylights. Things were going smoothly for a whole 24 hours. On the 15th, all the materials needed for the job were loaded into the warehouse, completely filling both bays.  Of course, 30 minutes later, the forklift gets delivered but can’t be moved into the warehouse on account that there is 6000 square feet of roofing material and equipment in its way. It is a good thing that we hired our neighbors because they were able to drive the forklift over to their warehouse a couple blocks over. Crisis adverted.

6,000 sq feet of roofing materials in our loading bays

But wait... roofing then gets delayed due to inclement weather for a few days. The following Wednesday brought some better weather and I agreed to begin roofing to make up for the time lost due to weather. That same day, the shipment from Baileigh arrives with all the equipment. Now I have no roof, no space and no forklift to accommodate this delivery. I have to add the new equipment to the forklift in Robert’s warehouse, along with another surprise delivery of a massive compressor. Everybody’s patience has been officially tested.

The new Multi-Hammer in a warehouse down the street...

That same night after the roof was ripped off, a surprise storm makes its way through Dallas. It rains… and it rains a lot. The warehouse is flooded. By the time I arrived the next morning, the weather had cleared outside but it was still raining on the inside of the warehouse. Oh, and I forgot, the roof to the bathrooms caved in. Disaster is an understatement.

No quite what we had in mind...

Then another delivery arrives from a picker in Connecticut, I have to call on Robert, AGAIN. While tensions are high, I am grateful for the first forklift problem because none of the new equipment and materials were in the warehouse as it flooded.  We are crossing our fingers for dry skies and better luck so that we can get on with the roofing process.

Ready to get Dirty!

Now that I have your attention... The concept of using upcycled and reclaimed materials presents quite a challenge. The prowl for materials that can be incorporated into functional designs began.  My designer and I have spent numerous hours, even days, looking for the best materials. We've been to auctions, flea markets, run down warehouses, salvage yards and much more. As a result, I have been covered head to toe in centuries old dust and grime. We can barely wait to repurpose these materials into something new and fresh. Enjoy some pictures of materials found.

Reclaimed flooring and beams (and Chelsea)

On the left, is 5000 square feet of South American wood that we saved from a warehouse. It had been twice laid and its last known use was in an automobile assembly plant in South America. It then sat in a warehouse for almost a half a century before we acquired it. It is dirty and full of nails but cleans up beautifully. On the right, is solid center cut pine beams taken out of an old grain mill.

Close up of the center-cut pine beams from an old grain mill

... and a collection of other random items that we have in our possession including pulleys, insulators, wheels, egg preservers, and much much more.

Chelsea and her cart of goodies

A rusty gift box

Trip to Baileigh Industrial

Time to geek-out on equipment (again)!  In this case, we are talking about metal forming…
I picked up a few things from Baileigh Industrial this week for the studio.  A big combination shear/brake/roll, a really cool magnetic box and pan brake, and the most-awesome-thing-in-the-universe MH-19 Multi Hammer.  This should make quick work of anything I plan on doing with stainless, aluminum, mild steel, and copper.  Sheet metal equipment could have been bought over the phone, but not the Multi Hammer... 

My new Multi Hammer

After talking with Shane Henderson at Baileigh, he was able to set up some time with Chris Rusch at Rusch Machine & Design who actually invented the MH-19.  I figured who better to give me a crash course on how to use the thing?

Little did I know that upon my arrival in Wisconsin, I would be welcomed by a blizzard.

Risking my life for the chance to hang out with Chris Rusch

After driving for a couple of hours, I finally reached Chris at his shop.  There we spent a few hours going over the design of the MH-19 and a hands-on walkthrough on how to shape metal.

This machine is awesome!  It makes short work of shrinking and stretching metal.  The bowl we were working on only took about 20 minutes to create.  If you’ve ever hammered metal before, you know what an advantage this means to the studio.

After only 20 minutes of hammering!

I see some industrial lighting in my future…

Trip to Laguna Tools

Time to geek-out on equipment!  One of my favorite things.  In this case, we are talking about studio equipment to work with wood and composites.  More about my quest to find the right metal forming equipment later… 

Going in, I knew that I wanted to invest in some specialized equipment that would allow me to work with reclaimed materials more efficiently than I have been able to in the past.  The problem with reclaimed materials is, well, that it’s reclaimed.  Most of the stuff I find is embedded with foreign objects (usually metal fasteners) and it’s rarely straight.  About 20% of the time I can use a piece as-is with no rework.  This is great for preserving the original patina. The other 80% of the time, I have to square up and dimension the material, which can be really hard on equipment.  Chipped blades are the worst (and most expensive).

Enter Laguna Tools in Irvine, California.  I have been in discussions with them for some time about upgrading my CNC equipment for the new studio.  After a few weeks talking to Steve Alvarez, we went from a new CNC machine, to signing a deal for a whole studio full of Laguna equipment.  For a purchase this size, I decided to fly out and sit down with them in person.

Equipment staged for me at Laguna

When I arrived at Laguna I found they had pulled the equipment and uncrated it outside the warehouse so I could take a closer look.  This picture includes the jointer (16”), edge sander (139”) , widebelt sander (43”), and a planer (25”) in the back.  Not shown is the 24x24 band saw that Laguna is so famous for, a couple of huge cyclone dust collectors, and of course the 5x12 CNC machine.

Laguna ShearTec cutting head

This picture shows the internal workings of the planer and Laguna’s ShearTec cutting head used in both the planer and jointer.  This is perfect for the type of work I will be doing in the studio.  Now when I encounter something hidden in the wood, I only lose a row of these tiny cutting heads as opposed to an entire set of blades.  At only a few bucks a piece, with four sides per blade and easy to replace, these little guys are going to be a real life saver!

Warehouse Envy

This story would not be complete, unless you knew how I ended up where I am. I had the mission, the plan and the drive to start my studio but I was missing a crucial part. Space. I needed creative room to design a studio.  One that was both functional and inspiring! I’d like to say that I executed some well thought out plan, but that is far from the truth. One day my designer and I were shopping and while walking through the Design District in Dallas I was overwhelmed with thoughts that I had to be there. I felt inspired, creative and a sense of purpose as I walked through the streets and shops. I immediately began my search for warehouse space. The warehouse on Leslie was only the second property I toured. Immediately upon walking in, I knew I was in the space that would become Studio 217. At the time, the 6,000 square foot warehouse was being used for storage and I was barely able to look past the floor to ceiling towers of boxes. I was still able to see the potential past all the cardboard. Three weeks after the conception of my idea, I owned a warehouse.

Warehouse after the boxes are out

The warehouse needs a lot of work. It is basically a shell. No HVAC and barely any electricity or plumbing. It’s screaming attributes include a beautiful pine ceiling, a concrete slab, two over-sized delivery bays, and a killer panoramic view of downtown Dallas from the roof. 

Future location of a roof-top deck

Am I over my head? If I wasn’t then, I have decided that I was going to use this space to both live and work. In addition to making this Studio217, I am going to build a loft out the back of the warehouse to live in. Now is the time to call me crazy. Stay tuned for all the excitement and progress of this amazing space as it becomes a reality.

Adventures in Letterpress

I became fascinated with letterpress wood type long ago. Their beautiful end grain maple, color varieties, and different fonts were very intriguing to me as I appreciated their craftsmanship. I knew that I had to incorporate them into a design somehow, but first, I had to find some. And by some, I mean a lot. I began scavenging online for wood type and found myself a dominant place in the Ebay market.
During my research on letterpress wood type, I found a whole community dedicated to the preservation of wood type. As you know, each letterpress type is a piece of art in itself. I did not want to compromise or destroy the integrity of my new pieces in any way but had a desire to accentuate them into a beautiful, one-of-a-kind piece of furniture. This is where my designer came in. I explained to her my desire to preserve these vintage, letterpress wood type, as well as, incorporating them into a design. Chelsea came back a few days later with an idea to display and preserve them in custom tables. Now, I won’t give you too much detail for obvious reasons but I was immediately on board. Preserving the wood type, check. Making a stunning piece of furniture, check. Custom furniture design and finishes, check check. Creation commenced.

Chelsea's creative process... 

My favorite part of this process was watching my designer, Chelsea; sit on the floor assembling what could possibly be the hardest puzzle ever. She had over a thousand different shapes and sizes of letters, a pre-determined sized tabletop, no room for error, and a ton of patience. Eight hours later, the tabletops were complete. Time was carefully spent to create the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement while not comprising the letterpress any way. They will not be glued, altered, or damaged in the process. As vintage letterpress type continues to appreciate, so will these pieces of furniture. After Chelsea finished the second table top, she wrote the following description to help us stay true to the original design. Check back to see how we execute...
Letter Press Display Tables - These tables are handmade to display sought after European antique letterpress type. The letterpress type maintains its integrity, while creating a one of a kind piece of furniture. The table showcases 125-135 antique letterpress type. The wood type has been hand arranged and contains various rare fonts and punctuation. They are not glued down or altered in any way. They can be taken out at any time for letterpress use upon removal of the glass top used to preserve the type and make the table functional. It has a hand forged steel base that has been given an antique patina to match any décor. The table legs are finished off with a hint of twice-laid industrial flooring from South America that has been reclaimed once again and given new life.