Shea Paul's Exotic Woodworking

We visited a friend’s workshop whose artistry and talent for working with

exotic woods was awe inspiring. Walking into the shop you see a table saw, small planer, cutoff saw, drill press, and some hand tools. It’s a small shop with the smell of wood and linseed oil in the air. The impression left us with the feel and smell of an artist’s loft.

We noticed a purple night stand on the workbench; and wanted to know if it was stained purple. The master craftsman explained that Purple Heart Wood is a natural purple wood that he finished with hot linseed oil then hot Danish oil. We asked why use hot oil and not a varnish or polyurethane? He further explained that hot oil is used rather than cold oil because it provides a deeper penetration with the added benefit of being able to reapply and rejuvenate the wood throughout the years. He said “It’s really all about what the customer wants for a finish or the type of wood used”.

We saw a half-round table against the wall and asked him what kind of wood he used. He told us it was “certified cherry”. We did some research; and found that certified wood and paper products come from responsibly managed forests as defined by a particular standard. With third-party forest certification, an independent organization develops standards of good forest management, and independent auditors issue certificates to forest operations that comply with those standards.

We were looking over the purple heart nightstand and opened the drawer.The drawer was easy to use and didn’t bang shut when we closed it. We wanted to know what was different about the construction and how his pieces of furniture were built. He explained that he uses solid wood construction with pinned mortice and tennon joints and dovetail drawer sides. We knew this was not your typical furniture store item. This was old school construction with a modern twist. He uses special Blum European Style Drawer Guides that gently close drawers without slamming.

We asked to hear more about the woods he uses. He told us most of the true exotic woods come from the rain forests of South America or Africa. Woods from these countries have strange sounding names like Bloodwood, Bocote, Ziricote, Bubinla or some not so strange sounding like Purple Heart, Canarywood, Teak and Zebra Wood. A lot of exotic woods are close to extinction; and as a general rule are not used. The biggest gripe at Shea Paul’s is the burning of the rain forests. This creates pollution, affects our oxygen supply, and destroys the woods themselves - a tremendous loss. He is angered and saddened that all the beautiful exotic woods are going up in smoke. He told us that if the loggers would clear cut before they burn, then the woods could be available for years. His wish is to at least let this beautiful lumber be harvested and used instead of burning it. We had to agree!

A strange feeling came over us as we were leaving. We felt as if we had just visited a great artist’s loft; and traveled back in time. We saw a glimpse into the “old world” of master craftsmen where quality, caring, and workmanship were important. For more information on how you can own one of these beautiful works of art, phone (510)-338-8749.