For lack of a better title I wanted to start a discussion topic on building "stuff" furniture, houses, etc. so that it can be reclaimed in the future without demolishing the materials. A good example is the use of Pocket screws which might be seen as woodworking heresy allows the material to be disassembled in the future. Why? Like electronic goods and Festool Tools for example, when they have served their lifespan, the materials can be recycled later. Most furniture is designed to last as long as possible... and for good reason as good piece of furniture should or could last for more than one generation. Like the reclaiming of old growth beams from long forgotten warehouses and mills, I was wondering if there are smaller scale methods? beliefs in building to reclaim materials at the furniture scale?... maybe a new design opportunity for a special kind of Domino?
Design and build to reclaim
- Thread starter Mark
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Chris Hughes
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I would have to say that you might not know carpenters very well. I understand the importance of the three "R"'s and use the principle daily. However, it is not in the nature of any carpenters that I know to build something that is to be undone later. The reason most of us move through the progression of joinery techniques to mortise and tenon and therefore the floating tenon is that we are always seeking joinery that last long into the future. Most of the carpenters I know would freak out if you asked them to deconstruct what they labored to build.
As a carpenter that got a huge jump forward in the preservation/restoration portion of our industry I learned that we should never build or restore anything with the thought that it might become obsolete. When we look at a project we should see it's use, who is going to use it, and how it will be used. We also should look for possible threats to the project and engieneer for all of the precieved threats. The same is true for buildings we want to have remain relivent in one hundred years as well as for furniture.
Botton line for me is, if I am building something my goal is to design and fabricate it to last until the glue breaks down and to build it in a manner that it could be easily be reglued. 100years.
As a carpenter that got a huge jump forward in the preservation/restoration portion of our industry I learned that we should never build or restore anything with the thought that it might become obsolete. When we look at a project we should see it's use, who is going to use it, and how it will be used. We also should look for possible threats to the project and engieneer for all of the precieved threats. The same is true for buildings we want to have remain relivent in one hundred years as well as for furniture.
Botton line for me is, if I am building something my goal is to design and fabricate it to last until the glue breaks down and to build it in a manner that it could be easily be reglued. 100years.
Chris, Right on!!!
My Dad tells a story.( He was never in the trades, but a very successfull business guy, at one of America's major retailers).
It seems that the company's president's office was being completely remodeled; paneled walls, the whole boat. The GC brought in a carpentry crew from Europe to handle the finishes. When completed, it looked like a million bucks, (and cost almost that much) but the president didn't like the look. He ordered that the carpenters remove the custom panels and trim, just to replace with another style and color. All at full cost and pay. The craftsmen left on the next plane. They are my heroes.
Dan
My Dad tells a story.( He was never in the trades, but a very successfull business guy, at one of America's major retailers).
It seems that the company's president's office was being completely remodeled; paneled walls, the whole boat. The GC brought in a carpentry crew from Europe to handle the finishes. When completed, it looked like a million bucks, (and cost almost that much) but the president didn't like the look. He ordered that the carpenters remove the custom panels and trim, just to replace with another style and color. All at full cost and pay. The craftsmen left on the next plane. They are my heroes.
Dan
EcoFurniture
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Mark,
You are asking a very valid question!
Building/designing sustainable furniture/cabinetry is my daily business. I have done a lot of reading and thinking on that topic.
My conclusion:
There is no 100% sustainable way to build furniture or cabinets.
The only thing we can do is to keep the impact on mother earth as low as possible. Starting with the origin of the components, the way they are produced (just think of the toxic waste while producing water based or other finishes!).
As you mentioned, the way we fasten pieces together is also very important. I like to use pocket holes and dominos combined. Some times even just some metal brackets or plain screws. On some pieces it's very easy to hide those fasteners on others it isn't. There are even times where there is no way around of using glue. After all you don't want your pieces to fall apart after a year... But our goal is to construct them to be recyclable!
Another very big aspect is the way we deliver/ship our products. Shipping over far distances there are not many options... But for deliveries that are carried out by us, we never use any disposable materials. We have about 30 moving blankets on hand. By keeping them clean we make sure that they will last for many years!
My dream would be to deliver and transport goods with a truck/van that either runs on electricity or compressed air (don't laugh they exist in France!)
Anyhow, I hope I answered your question!
Cheers,
Andreas
You are asking a very valid question!
Building/designing sustainable furniture/cabinetry is my daily business. I have done a lot of reading and thinking on that topic.
My conclusion:
There is no 100% sustainable way to build furniture or cabinets.
The only thing we can do is to keep the impact on mother earth as low as possible. Starting with the origin of the components, the way they are produced (just think of the toxic waste while producing water based or other finishes!).
As you mentioned, the way we fasten pieces together is also very important. I like to use pocket holes and dominos combined. Some times even just some metal brackets or plain screws. On some pieces it's very easy to hide those fasteners on others it isn't. There are even times where there is no way around of using glue. After all you don't want your pieces to fall apart after a year... But our goal is to construct them to be recyclable!
Another very big aspect is the way we deliver/ship our products. Shipping over far distances there are not many options... But for deliveries that are carried out by us, we never use any disposable materials. We have about 30 moving blankets on hand. By keeping them clean we make sure that they will last for many years!
My dream would be to deliver and transport goods with a truck/van that either runs on electricity or compressed air (don't laugh they exist in France!)
Anyhow, I hope I answered your question!
Cheers,
Andreas
WarnerConstCo.
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I hope I don't live long enough to have to update a kitchen of bathroom that I did 30 years prior.
The poor saps that have to take my work apart will be cussing at me like I did the man that did it 50 years before me!!
The poor saps that have to take my work apart will be cussing at me like I did the man that did it 50 years before me!!
Chris Hughes
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Here in the midwest we don't have housing stock much older than 100years. As I rebuild a facade I think about the carpenter that built this beautiful piece of work and hope that in another 100 years that someone will be there to appreciate the work that I handed to them...
Within the last few years I did work on a very nice old building manchon that belonged to a promenate family. The place was built to the hilt, SOS hinges, a fortune in very nice hardware, well built built ins everywhere. Well my customer wanted to modernize their masterbath and that meant everything must go. So in the demo stage I stripped everything, I kept almost all of the hardware and the doors and cabinet parts I did not keep to build into new cabinets and built ins ended up at our local architectual resale store. I believe this is the best way that we can reduce, reuse and recycle, build things that are valuable beyond the worth of its materials and when the time comes people with an eye for value will find a way to incorperate the old and the new.
Within the last few years I did work on a very nice old building manchon that belonged to a promenate family. The place was built to the hilt, SOS hinges, a fortune in very nice hardware, well built built ins everywhere. Well my customer wanted to modernize their masterbath and that meant everything must go. So in the demo stage I stripped everything, I kept almost all of the hardware and the doors and cabinet parts I did not keep to build into new cabinets and built ins ended up at our local architectual resale store. I believe this is the best way that we can reduce, reuse and recycle, build things that are valuable beyond the worth of its materials and when the time comes people with an eye for value will find a way to incorperate the old and the new.
Dave Ronyak
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Thanks for launching the subject of this thread. In the past I have made several built-in cabinets and book cases of cherry, oak, etc. with high end features including crown moldings. fluted columns, etc. My wife was not happy when we moved and had to leave those items behind. So... in my present home I am about to build some "built-in" book cases, but this time I am planning to build simple base platforms that correspond to the height of the baseboards, then place removable bookcases on those bases. The base platforms will be trimmed out to match the baseboards and the original baseboards will remain in place behind them. And for the larger bookcases, I am considering assembling them with Connector Bolts and embedded threaded metal members. That will enable them to be easily removed and used elsewhere, and facilitate storage and transport if needed. As others have proposed, I also use Domino tenons as location devices to aid in assembly and for further strength.
Dave R.
Dave R.
WarnerConstCo.
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Built-in's and such add value to a home. If I was buying a home and the realtor told me the built-ins, book cases and such were not included in the price,
I would walk away.
I would walk away.
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My opinion is that built-ins can add value to a home if they are designed to accent the home and are not way out there or too specialized. Middle of the road OK. Way out - no.
For my house they will be removable. My taste is different than many. If a buyer wants to buy them and pay an appropriate price for them, then great - lets make a deal. If not - I would remove and then let's make a deal.
Peter
For my house they will be removable. My taste is different than many. If a buyer wants to buy them and pay an appropriate price for them, then great - lets make a deal. If not - I would remove and then let's make a deal.
Peter
Dave Ronyak
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WarnerConstCo. said:
When I sold my home with the built-ins, they were all included in the price. The images are of very poor quality because they were produced by scanning 4x6 photo prints into a Word Perfect document on a fax machine back in year 2000 then later "recovered" from that document into separate digital image files.
Dave R.
