This is an added section on 1/1/07.
We will expand and update this section as time permits.
We take control of our product from the ground up. From the start, we control the quality. Our product is first purchased as logs…..as we move them directly to the sawn for processing. After the sawn, we spray the timber for bugs. Mahogany and other sap-rich wood may harbor powder-post beetles in the whiter wood. The white wood is full of vitamins that the beetles find tasty. We kill their taste!
After the chemical treatment, we move to the kiln for stacking. These simple, but important steps are completely under our responsibility….we don’t outsource it and we don’t take someone’s word that they did it. We know the only way to guarantee the job was done proper is do it ourselves.
The mahogany is checked along the way for proper moisture content. We have four moisture meters including Wagner (pinless) and Delmhorst (pin). We prefer the Wagner because it always gives a higher reading than the Delmhorst….so we know if the Wagner reads good, then we are good to go. The Wagner uses an average of the ‘sensed’ wood. The Delmhorst might be a bit more accurate, but measures the wood at its pin tips. The point is this simple step, which is highly neglected by all others, is meticulously monitored by us.
Although we are not an expert in kilning wood, we have attended the basic and advanced course held by Gene Wengert at the National Hardwood Lumber Association. And although Gene is a freak of nature….we are just a freak. We probably learned .0025 of what Gene knows.
After the kiln doors open and the fresh smell of roasted wood hits your face, the wood is then stacked according to its thickness. From here the wood waits until machine processing.
We do attempt to pull the wood from the kiln at its lower end of 5-6%….so as the wood rises to reach equilibrium, we still have wood at 7-8%. Wood is an ever-moving object. It never ceases to reside in a permanent state. Granted, furniture construction is technically not high-tech, but a bit more complex than gluing blocks together. Expansion and contraction are of highest importance when ‘planning’ construction.
Our glue is imported from the US. We don’t take any chances with foreign glue or epoxies. There’s no chance of getting a KY Derby Winner in our glue!
All components are machine-cut for a precise fit. You must understand that many people may sell a similar bar design, but their joinery is rough-cut and glued. What does this mean? Well, the joints may be mortise and tendon, but are just hacked and then glued together. Imagine cutting a round peg and fitting it in a larger square hole…then add glue. In Indo, that fits! The joint will be loose and full of glue.
Honestly, 90% of the imported furniture shipping out of Indonesia is constructed and ‘planned’ as we have discussed. There are some factories that exceed our level of quality and many that fall far below our quality level. We don’t have the best quality in the world, but we make every effort to provide you with a reasonable product at a reasonable price.
I also like to say ‘Indo’ized’. This is when someone in Indonesia takes an idea or product and royally screws it up. One example is a new pizza establishment here called Papa Ron’s Pizza. They took the Papa John’s name and logo and turned it upside down. How original?! Their pizza is whatever…..and everything is half-assed. Just a perfect example of how Indonesia takes something and Indo’zies it. This is also done in all their furniture. They take beautiful designs and great ideas and find some way to cut enough corners and destroy the idea/product. Then the local importer claims, ‘old world techniques’ to hide behind the fact it has been ‘indo’ized’.
I get sick and tired of reading people’s BS on ebay…mortise and tendon construction, plantation wood, kilned dry, and so forth. I think 90% of the sellers on ebay (that buy from an oversea supplier) don’t know shit!
8.5 out of 10
This is our work in progress. This is where we are concentrating our efforts of improvement.
7 out of 10
The ranking number is just an arbitrary number we are giving ourselves.
573 Angliana Avenue
Lexington, KY 40508
(859) 255-4700