Adventures in Slabbing...
The urban logging adventure continues and has become quite exciting! My patio storage space is almost filled to the brink and it's a sight to see. Friends and clients alike are participating in the hunt, emailing or texting when they see downed trees in their areas. I think some are even beginning to share my thrill of the hunt itself, in hopes of finding a tree that can be saved.
I recently salvaged a very large Pecan tree from East Texas that had to be cut down as it was encroaching on the original owner's home. Due to overall size, the tree had to be cut into two sections: one at 10.5ft long by 25-32" in diameter and the other at 5ft long by 32-43" in diameter. With a bit of ingenuity, or mostly luck, my buddy and I loaded the 1000+ pound logs onto a trailer and hauled them back to my shop. Upon arrival, I had reinforcements waiting to help unload these beasts.
Using our same ingenuity, a lot of man power, and one sturdy old Ford, we unloaded both logs into the yard for milling. The process was a sight to see! Even the neighbors stopped to watch and get a little afternoon entertainment.
New Designs
Walnut and Red Oak cantilevered coffee table
Book-matched, live edge Walnut top with Walnut case and sculpted White Oak legs.
Humble beginnings
The Gudde Co story begins nearly 50 years ago, from necessity—as almost all good stories do. It began when the Gudde family needed a desk.
My grandfather, Floyd Sr had an unstoppable work ethic, a plan, and a handy helper in his nine-year-old-son (my father). He bartered for the finest solid wood, spending long evenings cleaning a cabinet shop in a cloud of sawdust. It took longer to assemble than the flat-packed, faux-wood desks you see today and it was hard work. But the desk came together.
Growing up I loved this desk for different reasons than I do today. I cared far more about the contents stored within those drawers, than the hard work invested or the craftsmanship itself. This was the place I tracked my childhood hero, Mark McGwire, on his quest to break the all-time home run record. Back then, it was just a desk.
That same desk is still standing today, after 50 years of daily use by three generations of Gudde's. The desk my grandfather and young father built together. It is stronger and more beautiful than ever!
Gudde Co exists because of this desk. It's why I build handmade furniture. It’s why I work tirelessly to source only the best wood. It’s why your Gudde Co furniture will serve your family faithfully as it grows, as this desk has served mine.
It seems I also built a chair, by pure happenstance, that matches the desk beautifully.
