Drip Edge Furniture

07/31/2020

Extraordinary maple burl. Table measured 48Lx24Wx14H finished with satin varnish

02/21/2018

Completed a two month long restoration of a Herter Bros dresser and mirror. It was a worthy undertaking and one that I got considerable pleasure and gained valuable restoration experience. I came across the piece while volunteering at Habitat for Humanity’s Restore in Lawrence.

Available for sale: $850

A dresser and mirror by the New York City firm Herter Bros., built circa 1880. Wood is likely a white curly walnut from Europe. The finish is garnet shellac. The dresser is relatively small and measures, 24” deep by 44” wide and 30” high. The mirror is 44” wide by 48” high. As the premier furniture maker in NY at the time, this is an excellent example of detailed inlay, banding and craftsmanship that was typical of this firm. Pieces come up from time to time at Skinner's Auction House in Boston.

Restoration Issues: Overall the piece was structurally sound. Low luster finish due to years of use and accumulated grime and dirt. The top was badly sunburned and as a result the figured white walnut was discolored and grain had shown separation. Due to hard use over the years, the piece showed wear marks, minor dents and on the lower drawer chip out and missing veneer. Casters were in good shape but the legs had been damaged to the extent the casters would fall out easily. Mirror was in excellent condition albeit showing years of grime and dirt.

Restoration: Thoroughly cleaned piece, careful not to remove its natural aged patina and shading. Top responded well to hours of French polishing using blond and garnet shellac. The old shellac rebounded and the cracked veneer/grain separation filled in. A very good color match was achieved. The entire piece was re-shellaced. The chip out and missing veneer was repaired. A wavy mahogany veneer was used and color matched with garnet shellac. Legs were repaired to hold casters.

02/19/2018

A commission to create an 11ft long sofa table that could also be joined to make a dining room table. A 10 ft spalted maple slab was obtained from a RI sawmill, ripped in half, hand planed and finished with a urethane clear finish. Legs were made of 1.5 x 2 inch steel and trimmed out in walnut. The glass insert adds 4 inches to the width of the table. Great project to explore TIG welding.

12/15/2017

Some spoons I've been working on while away from the shop for a couple days. It's great being able to take my craft wherever I go!
Follow my new Instagram account for more pictures of my work.

11/29/2017

Showing 7 pieces at Gallery Blink December show, http://www.galleryblink.com/upcoming-exhibition/

Continuing the MinMod series with the addition of a console table and two end tables.

The MinMod series is a fusion of western minimalism and eastern influences. It invokes a sense of balance and calmness. Adding to its simplicity, the live edge stretcher visually passes through the walnut legs uninterrupted.

Cherry is a wonderful closed grain wood. The perfectly smooth surface is achieved through a French polish technique that illuminates the grain and topped with an oil urethane for durability. The legs are hand rubbed with a mixture of beeswax, tung oil and linseed oil.

Illumination logs are also being shown. Hollowed out oak log segments measuring 30 inches tall by 12 inches wide. Center core is treated with gold metallic paint. High intensity light on dimmer switch provides range of radiant glow.

Maple burl writing desk being featured at the show. A functional form that exemplifies balance and harmony. Maple burl top with walnut legs.

09/16/2017

Unique hand worked walnut desk with maple burl top. Featured at Blink Gallery show on September 29th, www.galleryblink.com

07/17/2017

Exploration in minimalist-modern form. Hand crafted process illuminates the beauty in the wood through careful wood selection, hand planing, card scraping, adding texture and applying shellac in the 1800’s fashion of French Polishing.

05/07/2017

03/09/2017

A new furniture series designed by Jon Goplerud that melds strong rectilinear lines with nature's flowing wood. The pieces explore delicate legs that are reinforced with a unique spline and miter joint. The keys that fit into the spline were cut by a laser. The finish is a mixture of beeswax, tung oil and linseed oil that pops the rays and natural color. No stains were used. Pure to form, only wood joinery was used throughout.

03/09/2017

Industrial reversable top

One of a kind functional-art furniture using historic mill factory artifacts and reclaimed wood.

11/26/2016

A new paradigm in furniture design:
Tensegrity is a structural principle based on the use of isolated components in compression inside a net of continuous tension, in such a way that the compressed rods do not touch each other and the prestressed tensioned cables delineate the system spatially.

11/26/2016

One of a kind functional-art furniture using historic mill factory artifacts and reclaimed wood.