Woodology 101, LLC, De Soto, KS (2026)

03/27/2023

WOO HOO!! A new day has dawned at Woodology 101. I’m SO excited to take delivery of this vacuum kiln.

I now offer custom drying that produces furniture grade wood in a fraction of the time for typical kilns, & especially solar kilns. (Yes, I have 1 of those, also). But faster wouldn’t be better if the quality wasn’t there, & these kilns deliver.

Air drying wood takes a long time - the general rule is 1 year per inch of thickness. BUT, that will typically only bring the moisture content down to approximately 12-14%, which is not recommended for furniture grade. However, another issue remains; namely, insufficient heat to assure any microscopic bugs have been killed.

Then we get back to the time factor. If you’re using conventional or solar kilns to dry wood for your personal use, you either have a lot of space to keep the wood, or you have a limited supply. But if you wish to sell wood, then you are dealing with 2 issues … you’re either selling green lumber at a discount, or you’re drying cycles are longer. In either scenario you’re leaving money on the table. Dried wood is worth more money - that’s just a fact. & kiln dried wood is worth more yet because it addresses bugs - microscopic & otherwise.

iDRY generally produces a better quality product in less in less time … which means you either have better wood to work with …, or sell. It’s a win-win.

03/25/2023

Free-Standing Bathroom Cabinet:

This is piece constructed using re-claimed wood. While I was still driving truck over the road, I had another company build a floating vanity for our master bath remodel. I wanted to add a free-standing cabinet to provide some extra storage/organization, but I wanted it to match the vanity. So I purchased some of the same wood from the company that I hired to build the vanity.

Then I started designing the cabinet in my mind. It was going to be fairly small, so I wanted to give it some unique personality. Starting with the sides, I went with the boards on an angle. Then to continue, I brought the angle theme to the drawer faces. I needed to keep the scale in mind, so I started out drawing some ideas to scale to figure out how wide I could make the pieces & keep the layout in harmony. Once I had the layout completed, I needed to transfer it to wood. It took some work (alright, a Lot of work), but after I finished it, I felt it was worth the effort (tho I wonder how many people would be willing to pay for it)

The completed cabinet was placed in its location, & a piece of quartzite stone top was added to match the vanity.

03/24/2023

This sideboard was a project where I reverse-engineered a piece I had seen. It was intended to have a rustic style, & built from lumber yard materials. The cabinet doors were personalized using a cnc, & could be just about anything - this was a prototype piece, so I used artwork similar to my logo. A two-tone finish was utilized with the main framework in black stain, & the rest stained walnut brown. Wrought iron hardware completed the esthetic.

03/22/2023

The client on this project had an entertainment center in his entertainment room - complete with a bar & pool table. He loved the entertainment center, but he had a rather old - LARGE - big-screen TV. The picture quality was horrible, to say the least, & he wanted to get a new flat-screen so he could enjoy watching his favorite football team. BUT, due to the bulk of the old TV, shelf had to be considerably lower, & the esthetic of a new flat-screen down that low didn’t appeal to him.

So, it was determined to add a shelf at the same level as the 2 wings, with an intermediate shelf below.

While investigating the project, it was discovered that the 2 rectangles at the very bottom center were just poorly made covers for completely dead space. I proposed adding drawers for useable storage space.

The 2 wings had a piece of elaborate moulding, & given that this shelf for the TV was going to be located at the same level, I knew it was going to require finding that profile. It took a little research to locate a piece of moulding to match, but fortunately I was successful. Then the intermediate shelf need that little extra so it blended in with the rest of the unit. For that I incorporated 3 flutes across the frontal piece of the shelf.

The only thing remaining was the drawer fronts. It was determined that there wasn’t enough space to build them as raised panel to match the rest of the entertainment center, so a basic shaker style front was the choice, so that they would blend in without competing or drawing attention.

In the end I was very pleased with the modifications. My approach was to make them appear as seamless as possible, & I was satisfied with the end result. But the best part for me was knowing that the client was happy every week he got to watch his team on his new flat-screen TV … culminating with them winning the Super Bowl.

Not a bad way to initiate your new TV for watching football, eh?

03/20/2023

Custom Arbor:

This build was a little different. The client had contacted me because her existing arbor had a couple of posts that had already fallen down due to a rotted base. Upon inspection, it was discovered that at least 2 of the remaining 3 posts weren’t far behind.

What made this project particularly challenging was that there were 3 wisteria plants that had interwoven themselves throughout the lattice. & the client wanted to preserve the plants, as they were mature. It was explained & understood that once the existing arbor was dismantled & the plants were freed from the lattice, that the plants would obviously be laying on the ground until we could complete the new support structure. Once completed, then the only way to reestablish the plants on the new lattice was to zip tie them in multiple places as required, until the plant naturally attaches itself again. Then the zip ties can be removed.

Time being of the essence getting this completed to minimize the plant laying on the ground, no pictures were taken prior to or during construction. The pictures are after completion & getting the plants supported on the new lattice with zip ties … & as can be seen, we completed it just as the plants were beginning to bloom.

03/18/2023

Custom Pergola:

This client invited me to come look at the corner of his back yard to explore the feasibility of constructing a pergola. The orientation of his property made it unbearably hot & bright to relax in this corner, but it was the preferred corner based on access to/from the house.

1 of his concerns was to have access to his side yard, so a large gate was the solution. Another concern was to have the rear walls provide a “security fence”. AND, he wanted it built into the corner.

I was hired to construct the pergola, & a landscaper had been hired to complete the groundwork. Cedar materials, constructed with 6x6 posts, 2x8 rafter, & 1x2 lattice, employing premium connectors for a professional look, & solid as a rock.

The pictures represent the pergola during some of the latter portions of construction & completed. 1 of these days I may get back to get pictures with the completed groundwork.

03/17/2023

Conversation hearts valentines box:

This is a fairly large box, originally commissioned for storing valentines cards - both received or to give/send. It is roughly 16” x 16 1/2” x 5”, with an inside depth of approximately 4 1/2”. The intent was to loosely replicate conversation hearts candies.

03/15/2023

Camelback blanket chest:

Prior to the present-day suitcase, travel “luggage” was commonly a trunk of various styles, but commonly referred to as trunks. 1 of the styles is sometimes referred to as camelback steamer trunk, with the notable feature having a crowned or domed lid. (Think of a stereotypical pirate chest). During the period of time that these types of trunks were popular travel took considerably longer than we are used to today, so the travelers needed larger compartments to transport clothing & other amenities.

This client wanted a blanket chest, & it was determined to style it after a basic camelback steamer trunk. A set of plans for a smaller camelback steamer trunk was the starting point, then adjusted the length/width/height to make it more appropriately a blanket chest.

It was also desired to not look ‘new’ in its completed form. The initial step to achieve this was to contruct the trunk from reclaimed wood. Then I laid out the wood & assessed where as many of the imperfections or age-related features in the reclaimed wood would be integral to the finished piece. The final phase to the desired look was an unconventional finish, & in the end, while there was some risk trying this finish, it worked.

You always hope the completed project looks at least as good in person as it did in your mind … in this case, I can honestly say it probably exceeded what I envisioned the finished piece to look like.

This piece was custom-built for a client, & is not available for sale. However, you can commission me for a similar build.

03/14/2023

This table/small desk started when I acquired an antique Singer sewing machine base. The base is in excellent condition, with the treadle still operating smoothly.

For the top, I added a solid black walnut panel, selected for unique coloration & grain patterns. Then I created a complimentary profile pattern of a slight convex arch to each side, with rounded front corners easing into a concave arch across the front, giving pleasing lines to the esthetic. The back was kept straight for setting against a wall. The final step was applying a premium finish that provides excellent protection while maintaining a very tactile “wood” feel.

This piece can be placed in a variety of locations in one’s home to make a personal statement. One of its best is to be an accent piece displaying some sort of artwork, floral arrangement, classic books, etc. Or, it can be placed in a dining room to display some family heirloom china piece.

Whatever the case, you can be assured that it will enhance the visual value of whatever is placed on it, without robbing all the attention.

Comes with a complimentary sample bottle of recommended wipe on/wipe off surface care spray for regular cleaning/maintenance.

03/03/2023

Kiln-dried wood is the best choice for creating beautiful and long-lasting furniture pieces. Contact Woodology 101 for our wood drying services.

Woodology 101, LLC

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