Factory Tour

Andy Wivell

Cut Off Saw

Meet Paul. He has been with us for 34 years. This work center rough planes all the lumber so the defects can be more easily seen when the lumber is cut. This is also the lumber storage area. The lumber must be stored in an area of controlled humidity. The moisture content of the lumber should be between 5% & 7% for the lumber to machine properly.

Cut Off Saw

Meet Mike. He has been with us for 24 years. Here is where all lumber entering the plant is rough cut to length and the large defects are removed.The lumber is inspected on both sides for knots, checks and splits which are cut out and sent to the wood hog to be ground for fuel to heat the plant.

Rip Saw

Meet Mike. Mike has been with us for 24 years. At this work center the lumber is ripped to width to make a single part like a drawer front, or ripped into parts that make up a panel like a top or end panel. When panels are cut we reverse each segment to prevent warping. We also match the grain figure and color of each board.

At this work center approximately 20% of the lumber we buy will be lost due to removal of defects for an overall total of about 40% loss.

Glue Clamp

Meet Richard. Richard has been with us for 36 years. At this work center the lumber is glued into panels to be used as tops and end panels or any part that can be made of segments. When panels are glued we reverse each segment to prevent warping. We also match the grain figure and color of each board.

Moulder

This is where we put on one of the hundreds of shapes that we use in our frames, drawer fronts, frets, rails and many other parts. Each mould is designed for the pattern as a whole and separate knives are ground for that pattern. We do not simply pick from a "standard" group of moulds. The reverse of the mould is also taken for later building of sanding blocks so that the mould may be accurately sanded.

Moulder

Meet Paul. Paul has been with us for 34 years. The lumber comes to this work center as rough solid or rough glued boards. This machine has 4 heads and is able to cut all 4 sides of the board at the same time.

Mould Sanding

Meet Mike. Mike has been with us for 22 years. At this work center Mike sands the shapes (moulds) that are cut into the lumber at the moulder or shaper using a block that has the reverse shape of what is to be sanded. He presses this block against a moving sand belt that has been folded and creased to fit the shape. We have several hundred blocks and continue to make new blocks with each new mould that is developed. Some shapes take as many as three or four different blocks to maintain a sharp edge.

Double End Tenoner

Meet Charlie & Tim. Charlie has been with us for 40 years and Tim for 30 years. At this work center we cut to length, tenon both ends or sides and cope or shape both ends or sides at the same time. Here is where we square and shape most of our tops, end panels and drawer fronts.

Computerized Router

Meet Brad. Brad, an expert on the bandsaw, has been with us for 32 years and has been cross trained on the computerized router (we call it the CNC). The CNC enables us to do complex work at very exacting tolerances. Here several operations can be done at the same time, such as boring, routing, shaping and with tolerances at the .001 of an inch level. The design of a program is an art in itself. They must determine where to start a cut, which cut to make first, how to eliminate tear out and a multitude of other factors. Brad and Carl (our programmer with 50 years wood working experience) bring their years of expertise in wood and furniture design to produce the exacting parts needed by our cabinet makers.

Chair Tenoning and Assembly

Donnie has been with us for 34 years and specializes in chair tenoning (shown here), boring, and clamping of doors, chairs, frames, etc. This machine allows Donnie to adjust the tenon to any shape appropriate for the design and strength of the chair. Donnie will then subassemble the chair back using the frame clamp. As Donnie likes to note about chairs, there is practically no straight part on any part of the chair. It is rather a dance of angles coming together in perfect union.

Widebelt Sanding

Meet John. John has been with us for 32 years. At this work center John sands flat surfaces on all parts while maintaining a high tolerance of plus or minus .001 inch and a high degree of polish. This machine can sand parts as wide as 48" and maintains an even thickness over the whole width.

Edge and Corner Sanding

Meet Larry. Larry has been with us for 13 years. The Statton line has many different shapes and surfaces to sand. Sanding is one of the primary keys to the depth and excellence of our finish. Not only flat surfaces, but corners, ovals, flutes, cutout areas--all these must be carefully sanded. Larry and the entire sanding team must sometimes come up with ingenious configurations of machines to get the job done.

Lathe and Tool Grinding

Meet Scott. Scott has been with us for 31 years. Scott designs and builds the heads for each of our turnings, such as bed posts, chair legs, stiles and other turned parts. Sometimes over 20 knives are needed on each head to get the precise shape that our designer calls for. Scott must construct these heads so that they are carefully balanced. This insures a smooth cut and, very importantly, a safe operation. Scott also grinds each of the knives for the lathe and most of the other machines in the factory. Sharp knives insure a smooth cut and ultimately a more precise shape and a better finish.

Variety Saw

Meet Scott. Scott has been with us for 31 years. Scott, like so many of our employees, is a professional woodworker capable of doing practically every job in the machine room. Scott specializes in mitering and dadoing. This is a precise art often dealing with less than 1/2 a degree of arc that insures a tight, closed fit. The complicated mitering on our corner cabinets and chairs, requiring miters sometimes on 3 dimensions, makes Scotts expertise and experience particularly valuable.