Asheville Business Summit
Today I attended the Asheville Business Summit and had a fantastic time meeting new people, running into acquaintances and learning about other local businesses. Some of the attendees shared their story about how they started and I am inspired once again.
Jeff Makey started out in the construction trades before he found his calling training and instructing fellow employees. He works with businesses to create tangible training programs and literature to standardize the new hire process.
Victoria Hensley works with All Souls Counseling Center, a not for profit therapy center dedicated to providing mental health therapy to anyone. They work on a sliding scale, use donations, and grants to provide these services to those in need.
Rebecca Morris is a trained actor that found her calling alongside her husband installing solar power for industry/commercial clients across the Carolina’s.
No matter the avenue people choose in the business world locally I am still inspired by the passion each person brings to their area of expertise.
Wood Plates
Recently I began working with new tools to create wood serving plates. These plates are made from local species in the region collected and dried prior to carving.
Making Furniture
One of the larger project I did was a renovation of a 1930’s home. Before selling I did a built-in armoire for the master bedroom. Cost was an issue at the time so this was built out of pine and had two shelf units and main hanging closet. In addition to the armoire we refinished all the hardwood floors, trim, and solid doors. Stripped and refinished vent covers and rewired electrical switches.
Mediation Volunteers Needed
The Asheville Mediation Center is accepting applications for volunteer mediators. There is a need for volunteers in Henderson and Polk county. Mediation is a great opportunity to help those in the community work through their conflict and witness successful collaboration.
https://mediatewnc.org/
Mos Way Project
Over the course of six weeks I took an old rental property from disarray to what I feel is a solid built home.
During the original walk thru I was asked my opinion on how hard it would be to renovate the house for some friends. My response, this is a lot of work. It needs to be done before moving in. After a few weeks I decided I need a project and had the skills to pull it off.
The original house had a list of issues that needed addressed immediately. These included; new water pipes, new furnace and ductwork, partial wire replacement, full gut of the carpets and flooring, jacking up both the floors and main level ceilings, adding new interior walls, modifying the kitchen, new appliances, new bathroom fixtures, and a flooring replacement and full painting of the space.
By tackling these projects one at a time over the course of 3 months I was able to transform a run down barn apartment into a two bedroom home, vacation rental, and ultimately investment property.
Woodworking is Art and Science
I love growing as an artist and learning processes that are methodical like science. By creating new projects and refining skills I can create artistic and one of a kind pieces of art.
Below is an example of sculpture that I’ve refined over time. Each photo was taken over a course of 15 years. As I became more experienced I was able to refine this piece of art to the current state.
Sniffspot Dog Park
We recently built out our fenced in property for people to rent by the 1/2 hour. Its a great space with a pond, sun shade, seating, .5 acres, toys and water. In the future we are looking forward to having a wildflower garden with a 2 person seating area for a romantic theme for engagement photos, a champagne toast, and other fun things for couples with dogs to do together. We love our pets and so should others. Click on the photo to book time to let those dogs cool off and unwind.
A beautiful secluded spot for dog lovers to let their furry friends swim in a secure fenced in field.
Get Involved - Our Voice Board Application
Recently Our Voice has started open applications for board members. To be on a board is to help grow the success of an organization and provide oversight and expertise when needed. Our Voice has an amazing team from the director level down. If you may be interested in supporting the outreach, education, and advocacy of both trafficked humans, or survivors of sexual assault please reach out on the website. www.ourvoicenc.org and fill out an application.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing
How hard is to refinish your hardwood floors? Preparation, preparation, preparation
The hardest part of finishing flooring is removing all of the dust from the surface prior to finishing.
Today is easy to rent the proper equipment including floor sanders, vacuums, and scrapers.
Patience is critical to vacuuming all the surfaces in a room, removing all potential dust, hair or fiber sources in the house. Closing off sections of the house is critical to minimizing debris from getting into the final finish.
The cleaning process I use is to sweep, vacuum, water wipe, and then use a solvent wipe to remove any residual dust, debris, waxes or oils. All of which can cause failures in your final product.
In addition using dust free tools, coveralls and shoes will help prevent contaminating the surface.
The photos below I used a hand orbital sanders for the entire floor. Holes from wall removals were wood filled and then three coats of semigloss finish resulted in a professional result.
Stairtreads
Over the past ten years I’ve worked on multiple projects to refinish stair treads to bring back the beauty of a space. Treads have a tendency to take more abuse than floors in general. This is to the constant use, movement of the structure, and typical bumps and banging of moving heavy furniture up and down.
The first process is to repair and replace any damaged railings, posts, or tread edges.
One set I repaired on a 1930’s were loose, had damaged edges, paint spills and staining. In between tread boards had shrunk and opened as well.
To start the process I removed hundreds of carpet staples, then cleaned out and debris from the tread surfaces and cracks. This then followed by a deep scrubbing remove any wax, liquid residues or oils.
Once the surface is cleaned I use a quality sander to remove all polyurethane and finish. After this is complete I separate and save the dust captured from sanding down surfaces to flatted, create proper roundovers, etc. This dust is used to create filler that matches the wood species perfectly
Any severe damage is replaced with similar wood species and grain. Then all holes, cracks and gaps are filled with a wood glue dust mix.
Finally a sanding is complete to 400 grit sandpaper before finishing with either an oil or polyurethane.
Public Speaking
They say more people would rather be buried alive than speak in front of people. I remember that quote from my college speech class. I cant say I fit into that group but I do get nervous before speaking in public.
When I know my talking points and feel connected to the topic it is much easier to stand up and speak. Recently, after joining the local chamber group, I have been able to get over my fears and nerves to do more public speaking. Getting to engage with people from different walks of life also allows me to speak to my audience better each time.
Standing up the other night in front of friends, coworkers, people that I have an obligation to represent and people from the community I was able to personalize the message, communicate the talking points and hopefully not seem to nervous asking for money.
Nothing happens until you start.
Ordering Wood for Projects
It’s always interesting to see what kind of raw lumber is available on the local forums. People have a weird sense of value when it relates to green lumber. a few things to understand before purchasing any lumber for woodworking projects.
Moisture content can be the most important value to consider when looking at lumber available from local mills, sawyers or vendors. Moisture loss does crazy things to wood grain. This in turn results in cupping, warping, twisting or cracking. 6-10% is acceptable and can only be known by testing. If a seller will not let you test for moisture it’s not worth buying. Moisture should be checked inside the wood at least 2” from the edge.
Dimension loss during the finishing process will remove a significant amount of total bd ft. A loss of 1/8” per side is nominal for most lumber. This removes lumps, slight imperfections etc from the surface. If there is cupping or twisting there could be even more lost thickness. I estimate an extra 20% for all dimension to account for cracking, twisting etc to end up with a sellable product.
The milling process used makes a huge difference in how stable a piece of wood will be in the long run. Live, quarter, rift, or plain are common examples of mill process used. In addition to the stability of a piece of lumber the process used can make a big difference in the wood texture and chatoyance.
Take these all into consideration the next time you have a woodworking project and enjoy the best quality result.
Our Voice Sponsors
I want to thank the sponsors that stood up and brought the Our Voice 50th Annivesary event to life. Thank you to Cassie Dardenne and Patton Allen for taking a personal role in supporting such an amazing team and organization.
Our Voice Event
What a fantastic 50th anniversary event at OurVoice. The turnout and support were amazing. I was honored to speak during the event. I was able to share how sexual assault and human trafficking affect all of us in the community and with support we can make an impact on numerous lives. We were able to raise much needed funds to provide counseling, outreach, and advocacy services to those people in need.
Donate to this amazing organization today. https://www.ourvoicenc.org/donate/
What a fantastic 50th anniversary event at OurVoice. The turnout and support were amazing. I was honored to speak during the event. I was able to share how sexual assault and human trafficking affect all of us in the community and with support we can make an impact on numerous lives. We were able to raise much needed funds to provide counseling, outreach, and advocacy services to those people in need.
It was great to share the night with our friends Mike and Denise with Fernwood Massage and Wellness.
Donate to this amazing organization today. https://www.ourvoicenc.org/donate/
Screwdrivers Everywhere?
Easy organization and skills challenge for the CNC. What do you think?
Updated Tool Rack
Ran out of space for my drill bits. Learning new skills on the CNC machine.
Workshop Groundwork
A huge shout out to Sellers Electric. Not only did they do an amazing job updating my homes electrical system but he let me borrow his heavy equipment to prepare the site for a new workshop buildout.
Amazing Shared Space West Asheville
Zach at GoPrime Mortgage needed a custom built coffee station for his ready to work share space. Let me know what you think?
Does it fit the decor?
Board Positions Available
Our Voice is accepting applications for board members in the Asheville area. Talented people with a dedication to stopping sexual assault and human trafficking apply.. What does it mean to be on a board? What is required? How can you make an impact?
I have been experiencing it first hand over the past six months. My personal approach to being involved at this level in an organization is to share with those I come in contact with the great work the organization does on a daily basis. Through connecting with other I can spread the footprint of Our Voice programs and services across the broader business community. The first step to being a strong organization is to be known for the work you do.
In addition I am involved with the operations and financial sustainability of the organization. By increasing awareness I can help increase donations and funding. I personal donate to the organization because I believe in the work being done by the team. Oversight of operational finances is also a significant opportunity to provide solutions, brainstorm ideas, and ensure all aspects of the operations is being utilized effectively.
Supporting with expertise is a key role of a board member. Specialized knowledge of a market helps increase the ability of an organization to be efficient while having resources to support. Accounting, law, or a trade skill help to offset costs by tapping important human resources.
If you are interested in getting involved reach out to team via the website. OurVoice.Org
Another Happy Customer
I truly enjoy making people smile with their woodworking projects completed. Thanks for choosing my workshop to complete your mudroom space. All solid oak, hand picked and crafted to fit your space. How do you think it turned out?
