Workshop No. 04 · Bridgeport, CT Lead time 16 weeks · Eight pieces a year EST. 2014
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Workshop · Stock list · Four hardwoods on hand

Four woods,
racked & rotated.

We rack twenty-two thousand board feet of FAS-grade hardwood — kiln-dried to 7%, stickered and rotated quarterly. Walnut is our default; white oak handles wet rooms; cherry catches afternoon light; maple does the bench work. The data sheets below are pulled from the rack as of last week.

If you want a wood we don't stock — ash, mahogany, sapele, holly — ask in the inquiry form. We'll quote a milled-from-billet upcharge.

A · Total stock22,400 bfAcross four species · kiln-dried
B · Avg moisture7.4%Measured weekly · digital MC pin
C · Rack rotation90 daysOldest stock prioritized first
D · Sourcing radius600 miPA · NY · VT · OH · WI · MI mills
Wood No. 01 · Default Black walnut grain detail
Janka 1,010 lbf · 38 lb/cuft · Source PA / OH

Black walnut

Juglans nigra

Our default for nearly everything. Deep chocolate heartwood with creamy sapwood; straight grain with frequent figure on bookmatched tops. Walnut takes hardwax oil like nothing else — the first coat alone deepens the color two stops. Patinas warmer over a decade and never gets tired.

SpecSHT.W01
Janka hardness1,010 lbf
Density · 12% MC38 lb / cuft
Stock thickness4/4 · 8/4 · 12/4
On hand9,800 bf
SourcePA / OH kiln · 600 mi
FSC chain of custodyYes · cert # 0427
Dining tablesSideboardsBedsCoffee tablesBookcases
Wood No. 02 · Wet rooms White oak grain detail
Janka 1,360 lbf · 47 lb/cuft · Source WI / MI

White oak

Quercus alba

For desks, vanities, kitchen islands, and anything that lives near water. Closed-pore grain with water-resistant rays — the same reason it built whiskey barrels. Fumes beautifully under ammonia for a deep, slightly olive tone we use on commissioned kitchens. Quartersawn oak shows ray fleck like a fingerprint.

SpecSHT.W02
Janka hardness1,360 lbf
Density · 12% MC47 lb / cuft
Stock thickness4/4 · 8/4 · 16/4 quarter
On hand6,200 bf
SourceWI / MI kiln · 800 mi
FSC chain of custodyYes · cert # 0428
DesksVanitiesKitchen islandsBenchesFloors (custom)
Wood No. 03 · Light-catcher Cherry grain detail
Janka 950 lbf · 35 lb/cuft · Source NY / VT

Black cherry

Prunus serotina

Sideboards, beds, anything that lives in afternoon light. Pinky-orange when fresh, deepens to a rich amber over six months — UV exposure does most of the work, no stain needed. Soft enough to hand-plane, hard enough to keep a crisp dovetail line. Cherry's why we use the slate accent on every page.

SpecSHT.W03
Janka hardness950 lbf
Density · 12% MC35 lb / cuft
Stock thickness4/4 · 8/4
On hand4,400 bf
SourceNY / VT kiln · 220 mi
FSC chain of custodyYes · cert # 0429
SideboardsBedsDining basesCoffee tablesHand-tools
Wood No. 04 · Bench & bracing Maple grain detail
Janka 1,450 lbf · 44 lb/cuft · Source NY / PA

Hard maple

Acer saccharum

Workhorse wood. Dense, blond, takes a polish that walnut can't — every grain line stands. We use maple for benches, drawer slides, butcher-block tops, and the internal carcass on case work that has to stay rigid for fifty years. Curly and birdseye when the figure cooperates.

SpecSHT.W04
Janka hardness1,450 lbf
Density · 12% MC44 lb / cuft
Stock thickness4/4 · 8/4 · 12/4
On hand2,000 bf
SourceNY / PA kiln · 200 mi
FSC chain of custodyYes · cert # 0430
BenchesButcher-blockDrawer slidesCarcass interiorsHand-tools
How we source

Within 600 miles, every board.

P · 01

Direct from kiln

We buy from five kilns within a 600-mile radius — three of them family-run for over thirty years. Every order ships kiln-dried to 7%, stickered, and arrives on a flatbed within a week of being pulled.

P · 02

FSC chain of custody

All four species are FSC-certified chain-of-custody. Each board is tagged at the kiln, logged to a shipment, and rack-stamped before it joins the racked stock. The certificate numbers are published on each spec sheet.

P · 03

Quarterly rotation

The rack rotates every 90 days — oldest stock pulled first. We over-buy by about 30% each quarter to keep moisture levels steady through the New England humidity swing. The pile is the heartbeat of the workshop.