The Bunkhouse Nightstand

Where we live in the high desert of the ION country(Idaho, Oregon, Nevada) has always been pretty empty and isolated. From our house in the town of Jordan Valley it is 62 miles to the grocery store. There are a lot of ranches as much as 40 miles farther out. Back in the old days these ranchers wasted nothing. Nails were pulled and straightened and hay wire was saved to fix fence. In those days new farm machinery came in wooden crates. The new purchase was carefully uncrated and the lumber saved to make some thing for “Mama”. We still see some of this packing crate furniture in the hills in bunkhouses and barns. I helped a lady load a cupboard to take back to the city. It was covered with dirt and she thought it was a treasure.
This piece is in remembrance of those old boys who perservered in this harsh country.
I was given a bunch of 1×12 pine boards which had a dark stain on one side. Not too different from packing crates. I had some old lumber I made a top from and Carleen wanted to do something with a green wash or sand out or something. The top got put ion a corner and one day I looked at it and the boards and decided I need to clean out the shop. I glued up the end panels and then took a plane to them to get rid of some of the stain. I used the same pile of boards for the whole piece. I tongue and grooved the bottom panel and made 1/2 shiplap for the back panel. the panel is 1/4 birch. I worked it over with keys, awls and other assorted tools to get a used look. Then for fun I ran a spur up one side. Now how would a spur track get on a night stand????? You figger it out. I think I used gel stain and then glazed with leather antique to get the dirty old look. Sold it to a store in Ketchem, Idaho and it went to some ladies house. I got a call that she wanted two more and I put it on the list. Got another call 10 days later wanting to know where the night stands were!!!! Go figure!!!

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon