When men were trees and stood upon the fields of battle,

They rose from the earth and were rooted to her,

They towered above the evil that threatened the world,

They stood steadfast and resolute against the enemy,

They fell when cut down, yet grew anew because good renews,

They shielded us with their strength and resiliency,

They fought with honor even when bent, splintered and broken,

They sacrificed and were sacrificed with just cause and resolution,

They did this in our days of need and to right the wrong of War,

They are the forest of our freedoms and the dreams of our democracy,

They are the hope of future humanity as we form our present humanity,

They are planted like worldly woodlands of protection against wickedness,

They now sway in the gentle breeze and await our call to action,

They shade us with their presence and shield us with distinction.

When men were trees and stood upon the fields of battle,

They prevailed.

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Copyright 2009 by Randy Goodhew. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Reproduction my any means is prohibited without written permission.

I make of my own finishes based upon my family’s traditional Appalachian recipes. My favorite finish is an oil-based recipe that uses a secret ingredient not found in the common finishing products you find at the big box stores – skunk oil. This single ingredient produces a finish that is not only fast drying and durable, but it will wear better than any name brand factory-made product that you can buy.

I start with a blend of pure linseed oil and rendered possum fat. I’m from Kentucky, so there is always some left-over possum in the refrigerator. Just save the fat and let it naturally render in the sun in the middle of July. After a day or two of sun-rendering, scrape off any dead flies and strain the fat through an old sock.

Mix equal portions of linseed oil and rendered possum fat. To the oil and fat mixture, I add a few drops of skunk oil. Voila! The final mixture takes on characteristics that are magical. You are now ready to apply one of the best kept finishing secrets of traditional Appalachian woodworkers.

I like to hand-rub my skunk oil finishes. I generally work outdoors at the request of my family. My neighbors aren’t always appreciative of my craft but no one can deny the quality of the final finish. I have a coffee table in my living room that I made a few years ago and finished with my skunk oil recipe. It still looks as good as the day it was finished and appears hardly touched.

If you would like to try my skunk oil finish, you’ll need to stop by my studio in Kentucky to pickup a bottle. Federal postal regulations forbid shipping this product.

As with many internet arguments, extreme positions are usually the result of individual bias without considering the personal preferences of others. I prefer to think in terms of tradeoffs. When it comes to finishing wood, I use a personalized set of criteria that while remaining honest and focused, allows me to mix and match tradeoffs to varying degrees. My way of thinking doesn’t take an extreme and unbendable position. Instead, I make choices based on practical, convenient, economic and even artistic merits. Others, with dissimilar perspectives, may come to different conclusions. As long as they are honest about their opinions and respectful of mine, then that’s all right with me. I don’t claim to be perfect, just human.

When I set out on my journey to make rustic furniture I chose to maintain my family’s tradition yet not be afraid inject my own artistic license. For me, that means adding Japanese tool techniques, Arts and Crafts era style, Native American (especially Cherokee) ascetics, some East African design and even a little Scandinavian modern influence. Those are things from my worldly experiences and they have become acquired preferences. My designs are Appalachian-based and influenced by my life with no apologies. Hey, I’m just being honest.

Most discussions about finishing rush to dunk the brush. I’m not going to talk about detailed finishing techniques. Instead, I want to examine those elements that lead to the desired type and quality of finish. I like to think about finishing in terms of The Four P’s:

• Perspective

• Patience

• Practice

• Preparation

Perspective is a personal choice, but it must be an honest choice. We all view the world differently. How you see your woodworking project is unique to you. Your perspective is also a result of your skills, materials, tools and location. Choose what is appropriate for your intended projects and for your end-users. Let reality be your guide.

Patience is a requirement for developing good finishing techniques. Start with a plan and stick to it. Be sure you understand each step and its requirements. While time is always a concern in our busy world, shortcuts and rushing a critical step may result in a bad finish. Generally, most commercial finishing products come with complete instructions. They may also refer you to additional information, such as websites. Read all of the instructions and make sure you understand the time, tools and skills needed to properly apply the finishing product you have chosen.

Practice is always a good idea. Why would you spend tens or even hundreds of hours of your time on a woodworking project then attempt a first-time finishing technique that might ruin it? Start by setting aside some extra wood from your project for practicing the desired finishing techniques. This will this allow you to correct mistakes “off-line”. Also, you can save the successful experiments as examples of the finishing styles that you have mastered. I a growing collection of my best practice boards that I use to show perspective clients the kinds of finishes that I offer.

Preparation is never wasted. When done well it helps to assure a successful finish. It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Well, an extra ounce or two of preparation may be worth saving your woodworking project from an incurable finish. Preparation techniques such as planning, scraping, sanding, sealing, priming, scuffing and polishing all have their place in a good finishing routine. What your finish shows at the end is what can be seen. Bad sanding, blotchy stains and irregular varnish detract from your workmanship. While you can’t hide your finish, a bad finish may hide your woodworking skills.

Now that I’ve started you thinking about finishing, it’s up to you to finish the process of perfecting these important skills. Applying a finish to your woodworking project is not just the last thing you do. It’s the beginning of taking pride in a project well done.

It’s a little late in the season (August 2008) to be collecting tree bark. Most of my bark collecting is done in the Spring and early Summer when the sap is running and the bark slips easily from its wood. However, the rustic mindset requires me to take opportunities as they occur.

This weekend, while clearing some brush in an over-grown thicket, I found a young cottonwood tree that needed to be culled. It was about 5” in diameter at chest height and it was tall and straight as an arrow. After I cut down the tree I checked to see if I could remove the bark. With a test incision in the bark, I found I could coax the bark off with a simple pry bar and my bare fingers.

I carefully stripped off the bark and cut it in to sections that should yield, after drying and trimming, about five pieces that will be approximately 12” by 18”. I flattened the five pieces and stacked them on an outdoor work bench. I used several short logs as weights to keep the bark flat during the drying process. I’ll construct a makeshift tent over the bark stack with a plastic tarp which will keep the rain off and act as a crude solar kiln. I should be able to use the bark this winter.

The bark from our young Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoids) saplings makes an excellent rustic appliqué material for my woodworking crafts. I like to harvest this bark when it is just slightly furrowed and about 3/16” thick. I glue it on to flat wood surfaces using hide glue and generally frame it with split twigs. I finish the bark with sealing shellac and varnish.

I saved the cottonwood pole. After it is dry, I’ll give some of the wood to a local wood carver.

• Utility
• Simplicity
• Honesty
• Discovery

Above all, rustic furniture must have utility. If a rustic chair is not useful as a chair then it is not rustic. The real beauty of rustic furniture is that it serves a real purpose. While primarily a craft, rustic furniture doesn’t necessarily exclude artistic contribution.

Rustic furniture is simple by design. It blends modest materials and available tools, with uncomplicated techniques. Modern power tools are not ruled out, but hand tools prevail. Rustic furniture makers are more high touch than high tech.

Rustic furniture is honest in its construction. There is no need to hide nails, screws, and pegs. After all, they are a part of the design. Modern woodworkers go to great extremes to hide connectors. Whereas, rustic furniture makers celebrate nails, screws, and pegs as a visible part of the creative process.

Lastly, rustic furniture can lead to discovery. Look at rustic furniture, study its construction, and most importantly, use it and you will see Nature revealed. You will learn more about the truth of natural things and gain an insight into your rustic self.

Now you know why I say: “In twigs we trust.”