tin can lid to cover a hole in the wood to keep wild animals from getting in. Lonnie used that board right in the middle of the table, rusty lid and all. The table sold within a few days of setting it in the store. It’s so validating to watch others appreciate these tables and their differ- ences as much as we do. Michelle: My finish process takes from 5 to 7 days, and it’s proprietary. You won’t find splinters on our tables and most of the boards are never touched with a sander. Each board is hand waxed. Sanding the wood would ruin the beautiful grain and saw marks that make each board unique. These tables are meant to be used in homes. They are fully protected [and they make fabulous blanket forts in homes with chil- dren]. That’s why the splinters are all waxed out. Many of them end up in my fingers! I can’t tell you the number of customers, or people who have seen our tables sitting in stores, who say, “We don’t know what it is about this table but we just can’t stop touch- Opposite page: One of Michelle’s favorite fin- ishes, because of the red barn paint still left, on one of Lonnie’s Chevron designed tables. Top: Perfect for entertaining on a back porch too, the crew has made many tables for outside spaces also. Left: Lonnie’s distinct building techniques add character to each table.Right: Each ta- ble is different, not just with the finish and stain, but the way they are designed and the wood is laid. This table design incorpo- rates horizontal and vertical boards. VKC: What else do you give special attention to?
Many times the first thing I have to do is use tweezers to pick the livestock hair out of the beams that we use for legs. This comes from years of animals using them as a scratching post. We don’t remove rusty bolts, gate hooks, square nails. Those are left and we construct around them. I had to laugh. In the beginning, Lonnie struggled with me wanting all that old hardware left and incorporated into the tables. Now, one of the last tables he constructed, he used a barn board that the farmer had nailed a
table knows theirs is an heirloom that no one else will have. Lonnie and I have both used some creativity for tables, but we’re finding a few styles that most people are drawn to. It’s the wood that gives them their beauty and life. VKC: How selective are you in picking the wood? Michelle: Very. Once a table is constructed, I pick it up and bring it back to my house.
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