Storm Aftermath Provides Opportunity for Woodworker - Bayne Custom Woodworking | Nashville Woodworker

Saving Cedar Logs from the Burn Pile

It was Christmas week 2021 and our household was getting ready for the celebration. The anticipation of grandchildren arriving soon was on our minds. But it was time for rest before the chaos began.

So off to bed we went with our heads on the pillow and covers pulled tight, it was time to settle in for a quiet, restful night.

NOT —

We heard quite the clatter and ran to the windows to see what was the matter;

The rains came down, the winds howled, and cedar trees, all over our development were scattered.

The weather had other ideas for us as it decided to kick up a storm that turned into something just shy of a tornado and we were thankful nothing flew through our windows to make them shatter!

Cleaning up from the storm

Okay, enough with trying to rhyme this thing and get to the real story. We all started to clean up the mess and were thankful that our house did not suffer any damage. Others in the development were not so lucky but have since recovered.

As I was leaving the development to pick up some last-minute items on Christmas eve day, I noticed that one of our neighbors had cut some of their down trees into logs.

I never pass up an opportunity for free wood. Fortunately, my son on law was in the truck with me so we called and talked to my son who had just arrived with his family. I asked him to grab the chain saw and come find us. Between the three of us we were able to load the truck and get them to our house.

Slabbing the Cedar Logs

January of 2022, I slabbed the logs to allow them to dry

Two years later the cedar slabs are ready to use

Fast forward to fall of 2023 and the rounds you see in the above picture have become small plant tables that were given as Christmas 2023 gifts. Or in this case “Grandson” Stand

Creating furniture with available resources

Now fast forward to June 2024 and I am really tired of looking at these slabs in my garage so it’s time to do something with them.

What started out as three console, entry way or sofa tables, ended up as two large live edge benches, two small live edge benches/coffee tables and one very nice live edge entry way table.

However, I did not have material for the bases so off to Grant Cedar Mill I went to purchase cedar 2 x 4’s to create the bases.

These will be on our product page and sell as interior benches, entry way tables and live edge benches/coffee tables

Adding the custom furniture details

Notice that on the longer benches and the console table there are wooden bow ties inserted into the tops. These are to prevent the tops from splitting over time. Wood never stops moving whether it’s standing tall as a tree or laid out with a wonderful Christmas meal set upon it, the wood is always moving. So, when I see any type of crack, I prefer to add wooden bow ties to ward off splitting.

We finish all our furniture to give it long-lasting value

All of the items will be finished with an interior, homemade wiping polyurethane. We apply at least five coats to give the furniture protection it needs to last a long time even with little ones around. How do we know it’ll last? Our six grandchildren have tested it for us!

The smaller bench in the first picture has been sold and is on its way to Florida by way of Murfreesboro, TN.

Small Bench/Coffee Tables – The one on the left is already sealed with the polyurethane and is sold, the ones below are still raw wood but will look like this one soon.