The extraordinary science of the vacuum press
Much of my handmade furniture employs the use of exotic veneers to highlight cabinet sides, drawer fronts etc. In an earlier blog, I talked about how matched veneers can provide decorative opportunities not always available with solid wood alone. The system I use to lay my veneers down is called a vacuum press. It is a very simple device that consists of a large, heavy duty plastic bag measuring 4ft x 8ft with a flat platen inside and a venturi machine that sucks the air out of the bag. The work is placed in the bag, then the air is removed for as long as it takes for the glue to harden. It's that simple.
The part about this whole process that always leaves me amazed is the shear force that is applied through the use of a simple plastic bag. Atmospheric pressure, as I am sure you all remember, is 14 lbs per square inch, so, when you create a vacuum, that is the pressure you apply to a single square inch of surface. There are 144 square inches in a single square foot, so pressure applied to that square foot is approximately 2000 lbs or 1 ton! Therefore, the pressure over the whole 4ft x 8ft bag is a whopping 32 tons!!! No hydrolics, no clamps, no heavy weights, just Mother Earth helping us out.
The Pinnacle Collection
This Spring I would like to highlight some of the most popular custom handmade furniture I build in my workshop in Hinesburg, VT. Whether we work together to design a unique piece to act as the focal point of your living room, dining room, bedroom or office, or whether you desire a complete set, adapted from one of my JLCF lines of artisan furniture that I have developed over the years, my handmade furniture is always designed and crafted to your specific needs. These collections may range in price, but each piece of hand crafted furniture is made by me with the utmost care and attention to detail.
I would like to begin by sharing the most popular line of furniture I have designed, the Pinnacle Collection.
The Pinnacle Collection was duly named because I perceived it, at the time, as the most challenging line designed to date. I worked on it in Stowe, nestled under the Pinnacle peak. It started with a bedroom set — a curvaceous bed (pictured here), a tall 7-drawer chest, a long 8-drawer dresser and 2 bedside nightstands. The sweeping legs, exotic wood and detailing gave this classic, yet contemporary line a slightly Asian vibe. The book-matched, exotic curly Bubinga or Pomele Sapele drawer fronts with Wenge accents are the highlights of the collection.
Shortly after designing the bedroom furniture, I designed a desk in the same fashion. Today, it is my largest selling and most popular desk to date. Right now, I am working on other handmade office pieces, including a new bookcase, which features curly book-matched Cherry and Bird’s Eye Maple with Wenge detailing. More about this in an upcoming blog post.
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- Apr 10, 2020Politics as a Hobby.
- Feb 25, 2020 New President Of The Guild
- Jul 16, 2019Versatile And Timeless - A Coffee Table For Any Setting
- May 31, 2019A Touch Of Glass
- Apr 8, 2019Desk Boosters Take Off To Their Final Destination
- Mar 5, 2019A Poker Player's Dream Board
- Oct 22, 2018A New Look For An Old Favorite
- Jun 5, 2018The Design Potential of Matched Veneers
- Apr 2, 2018Working With Clients Is The Best Part
- Feb 2, 2018Ellipse, Oval or Racetrack and the Tale of a Pedestal Table.
- Dec 4, 2017Hurry Home to Mama!
- Sep 21, 2017Beautiful And Versatile Sapele
- Jun 27, 2017Elegant Shaker Style
- May 10, 2017Oak Pedestal Table
- Feb 13, 2017Linking Contemporary and Traditional - The New Trio Coffee Table
- Jan 24, 2017Happy in Stowe
- Nov 13, 2016Video Demonstrates Sideboard Inlay Technique
- Oct 3, 2016New Splay Leg Dining Table
- Jun 22, 2016Family Heirloom - From Tall Ship in the 1600's to Australia via England
- May 19, 2016Searching For Quartered White Oak
- Mar 22, 2016Check out New Special Project Page
- Feb 23, 2016A Bench of Many Woods
- Jan 4, 2016Antique Restoration
- Nov 13, 2015Adaptable Custom Furniture Design - From Dining Table to Server to Coffee Table
- Oct 20, 2015Dining Chairs - Simplicity and Complexity
- Sep 21, 2015Open Studio Weekend October 3rd and 4th
- Aug 2, 2015Bold Turned Legs Give a Fresh Look
- Jul 1, 2015Cherry Display Cabinet
- Jun 8, 2015Making a Curved Table Apron
- Apr 27, 2015A New Face On An Old Family Friend
- Mar 12, 2015Making A Bowed Door
- Feb 23, 2015Birdseye Maple Table Goes to Local Home
- Jan 30, 2015Walnut Drop-Leaf Sofa Tables Completed
- Jan 14, 2015Steam Bending Wood For Inlay
- Nov 21, 2014OFF TO CALIFORNIA
- Sep 29, 2014Chicken Woodworkers
- Sep 8, 2014Desk for Lake House
- Jun 23, 2014Pencil Post Bed
- Jun 6, 2014Custom Chest of Drawers for a Playwright
- Apr 28, 2014Simple Does Not Mean Easy In Handmade Furniture
- Mar 31, 2014The Challenging Winter Commute
- Mar 10, 2014What A Difference Time Makes in the Natural Aging Process of Cherry
- Feb 17, 2014From Shady Backyard to Bustling Dining Area
- Jan 27, 2014'Tis The Season For Sideboards!
- Jan 8, 2014The Deep Freeze
- Nov 22, 2013Hunting Season in VT - Where is Everyone?
- Oct 28, 2013Defiance Boards - Final Resting Place in the O'Brien's Kitchen - Part 3
- Oct 7, 2013Defiance Boards - From Bathroom Floor to Gorgeous Table - Part 2
- Sep 23, 2013Defiance Boards - From Bathroom Floor to Gorgeous Table - Part 1
- Sep 3, 2013It Was Meant To Be!
- May 10, 2013Middlebury College & the Founders Canes, a Graduation Tradition
- May 10, 2013Middlebury College & the Founders Canes, a Graduation Tradition
- Apr 30, 2013The extraordinary science of the vacuum press
- Apr 30, 2013The extraordinary science of the vacuum press
- Apr 22, 2013The Pinnacle Collection
- Apr 22, 2013The Pinnacle Collection
- Jan 30, 2013Letting The Wood Move You
- Jan 30, 2013Letting The Wood Move You
- Dec 6, 2012Give a gift of artisan furniture from one of Vermont's finest master craftsmen this holiday season, and save an additional 5 - 10%!
- Nov 7, 2012The Sign Is Up
- Nov 7, 2012The Sign Is Up
- Nov 5, 2012Locally Sourced Lumber-Exclusively Vermont Wood Products
- Nov 5, 2012Locally Sourced Lumber-Exclusively Vermont Wood Products
- Oct 30, 2012Vermont Furniture Maker Chooses GreenGuard Finishes
- Oct 23, 2012Veneering Versus Solid Wood
- Oct 23, 2012Veneering Versus Solid Wood
- Sep 27, 2012Used Machinery
- Sep 26, 2012John Lomas Custom Furniture Expands Chalford Collection
- Sep 20, 2012First commission
- Sep 20, 2012First commission
- Aug 10, 2012Building The Workshop
- Aug 10, 2012Building The Workshop
- Aug 1, 2012Welcome to John Lomas Custom Furniture
- Aug 1, 2012Welcome to John Lomas Custom Furniture
- Feb 26, 2012Magic-Vermont sailing on a calm day
- Feb 26, 2012Magic-Vermont sailing on a calm day