I wanted to share some photos

While I'm waiting to show you more progress on my house full of doors, I thought I'd share some interesting wood related photos.
    I was walking on the back of my land and noticed the Redwoods needles, from 2 springs ago, was starting to turn brown as it does each fall.  As the winter winds come,  these clumps of Redwood needles blow out of the trees and blanket the earth with a golden brown layer of retired branched needles.  The Pomo Indians say that each winter the Redwoods cry and they call these dead branchs of needles, Redwood Sorrow.

 

Instead of snow, our Coastal forest is blanketed with the Redwood "Sorrow" that returns to the earth to become mulch and nurture our beautiful Redwood forest.

  

Speaking of Redwood, our cousins to the West continent grow a third variety of Sequoia.  It is called The Dawn Redwood.  Wikipedia states "Although the least tall of the redwoods, it grows to at least 200 feet  in height. Local villagers refer to the original tree from which most others derive as Shui-sa, or "water fir", which is part of a local shrine."

   About 20 years ago I planted a dawn Redwood on the edge of our garden and today it is about 35ft tall.  Every fall it looses all of its' needles.  

All of the needles will yellow then fall off and it looks like the tree has come to a fatal end until spring comes and life and foliage returns to this nobel tree.

  We have a western Maple that grows along the Pacific range.  Its' latin name is Acer Macrophillum, Pacific Maple, or Big Leaf Maple.  And this is why.........

These leaves turn yellow, not red or orange, and then turn into this tan shell of a leaf before they return back to compost and nurture the earth.


Another cool picture that I would like to share, is a very thin slice of old growth Redwood.  I cut it off the end of a board and noticed it was so thin you could see light through it......... so I took it outside and shot a picture of this slice held up to the afternoon sun in the Redwood forest.

A simple detail you should know ......... this end cut is 5-1/2" wide by about 1-3/4" tall.  Each line you see, indicates 1 full year of growth.  Part of this trees life grew in such a dark primeval forest, that it took 45 years to grow one inch in diameter.  Imagine these magnificent trees grow up to 20 feet in diameter, and have been on this earth since before the time of Christ.


So, one day my friend Sunray was sawing a 6ft cant (block) of curly Redwood into thick veneers for beautiful panels in our doors. Well it was so heavy that he decided to saw it in half to make it easier to re-saw the thick veneers.  And believe it or not (you really should) when he sawed this 6ft by 8 inch square cant of Redwood in half, he found this......

Yup ......... that is a bullet.  But look carefully that is a bullet that was shot into a young tree, maybe over 100 years ago.  There is no damaged wood behind the bullet and this piece of Redwood was over 120 years old before the tree was logged 40 to 50 years ago, and left on the forest floor for us to find and saw into beautiful veneer, like this

But I saved the the block with the bullet to tell its' story.  If your ever in the neighborhood ask to hold it and have a look for your self.  Can't wait to make "The Bullet Wood Door" for some nice (peaceful) folks!

I've shown this picture before, but take another look.  Here is a picture of the end of a board that was milled for me by a local sawyer.

 

This tree was originally fallen, by a man with an ax.  How very cool.  I'll bet he would be proud that we utilized his hard work and efforts to create a beautiful door to grace a home of a wonderful family.

Then, I'll end with this

This is a picture of some hand split curly Redwood and the cut end of a Buckeye Burl.  Not much more to say other then I love Natures paint brush.

Please visit Our Website to see more of this beautiful wood.

What Is Happening In The Shop ?

Many folks visit my “work in progress” page to see what I working on and what it takes to make a custom made door ............ so I thought I’d share some pictures of the current “traffic jamb” in the shop right now.  I have some doors completed and ready to ship out or to be picked up.  There are also some doors in progress along with some “self-commissioned” doors.  The “self commissioned” doors are doors that I’ve designed and to make available to folks who don’t have the time or inclination to wait for a custom door to be made.

Click on any image to Enlarge

Some of these doors are complete, some doors are curing between the 4 coats of varnish oil, while some are waiting for glass and panels.  One door is waiting for me to install the dentil shelf and eyebrow.  I guess it is safe to say, we have some work in progress.  I forgot to take a picture of a door on the bench to be glued up tomorrow, before the weekend comes.

I build a separate web site for each client to watch the steps it takes to create their door ........ and in the end ...... the final results of their dreams for a custom made door.

All of the panels, dentil shelf, and an "eyebrow" are oiled with 3-4 coats of our varnish oil.  We do this before they are installed in or on the doors.  That way the door is truly sealed from the inside out.  That is the right way ........ the only way.

Thought I’d add a picture of 2 sets (doors worth) of panels being pressed in my vacuum press.  I keep the process proprietary, but I thought I’d include a cool shot

to see more please visit our web site at MendocinoDoors.com 

and make sure to check out our Current Projects

and thanks for taking the time to investigate my world.

there is more to ... Design-Your-Door ... much more !

This stained glass door panels, designed
by Zoleta Lee, portrays the Pacific Ocean
which is located about 100 yards from this door.

When my client starts making design decisions for their door, they not only consider the design of the door and the wood to be used, they also get to consider and use whichever style and type of glass that they may wish to use in their project.

They may wish to use stained glass to portray a scene they wish in their door. 

This stained glass by

Zoleta Lee of MendocinoStainedGlass.com

It portrays a clients painting of the Carmel Coast

These are Prairie Style stained glass lites.
They enhance a Prairie Style Door and
let in a nice organic light.

Or they may wish to allow lots of light into their home without sacrificing privacy.  If that’s the case there are many interesting styles of clear obscure art glass that can be tempered and insulates and used in doors, sidelights, and transoms

These doors have double satin-etched
frosted glass, to insure privacy and
let in enhanced light.

This art glass is called
Crocodile Hide and is quite
beautiful and interesting to view.

There is also clear glass, that when beveled, adds a degree of character and distinction to their doors and sidelights.  It is very affordable to have beveled glass these days, because it can be done with machines and not all by hand.

Here is beveled glass on an Old Growth Redwood Craftsman door with sidelights

Glass can also ad texture to a theme that is portrayed on a door.  The glass can look like water in motion and enhance a surrounding carving.

This is our new door called The Essex Entrance Door
It has an overlayed, cross-banded Redwood panel.
This panel was carved by Patrick Doyle of Mendocino, CA

Frequently I will create a “self commissioned” door to add to my
 Doors For Sale  section of my website.  I create these doors because I like their design and it is often the case that some visitors to my Site have discovered it late in their building or remodeling project and cannot wait the short time to make their door(s).  When I make a “self- commissioned” door, I often leave the glass loose or none at all so that the client has the opportunity to choose the glass to be used in the door.  I may show a door with a Frank Lloyd Wright style of Prairie Design Glass and the client may wish a different  hue or color to the glass or even a different design, or just a clear or clear art glass in the door.  Isn’t that the point of allowing the client to Design-Their-Door?

Design-Your-Door.com ............ For Real !!

Thought I’d point out that I really give my clients the time and opportunity to design the door for their home, store, or lodge.  We meet, usually over the phone or the web, and there is a series of questions to find out if I’m a real person or a factory rep.  They usually see a door on my SITE (link) that they envision on their home .......... but with a “few” changes.  I frequently draw 2, 3, or 4 versions of my clients ideas and slowly but surely we narrow down the design until “it’s just what they wanted”.  I am happy to draw and redraw versions until I come up with the fulfillment of the clients dream door, that is my goal.

and turn it into Custom Doors

I have an entire section on my Site to drawings that I have drawn for clients and not yet created.  .......... I think you’ll see that I’m happy to draw ideas for you.......... ‘till we get it right.

The theme and glass color in this door, was designed by my client in Alaska.

  The upper white and blue glass signify the sky and clouds 

above the setting sun on the ocean and horizon.

The gold rays were laid out (exactly) by my client,

 and only he knows their exact meaning

I realize now, that the one of the pleasures of  "going to the office" each day. is knowing that I can play a part in fulfilling my clients vision and dream for their home of office.

This is an idea I had for an interesting
custom entry door.
I make a few doors each year, just because I want to.
I call them ....... "self commissions"

I want each of my clients to see their dreams and “spirit” in their door.  My doors are designed and constructed to last 100 years.  I make a statement on my site, and I try to live by it.

                         "To sacrifice quality, is to deprive future generations of our craft"

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