(c) 2011 - Log Furniture Wyoming Consumer Tips   About US We have shipped furniture to every state in the USA except for North Dakota and have customers in Europe and Asia.  Let's not talk about the export shipping and crating as that is usually more than the cost of the furniture.  We think that our full log design for the dressers and chest is the core of our customer satisfaction.  It's kind of hard to build square things out of round logs so many of the other log furniture makers have modified their designs to use half or quarter log trim on the corners and the usual square frames for the drawers and sides.  These products are OK but eventually the log trim dries and can have a tendency to warp and crack as they are not a full log section.  We don't cut corners on the drawer guides and use ball bearing drawer guides instead of the single wheel tray type guides. These type of guides have performed very well over the years and some of the second generation customers have admitted that they used them as ladders when they were younger-we see no reason to tell their parents. Yes, it costs more to do it this way but our customers seem to understand the difference as we have had some that have purchased both types. Some of these customers have come back to us after a few years and they tell us ours are just better and have ordered replacements.  Thanks for visiting our web site and your interest in our products-we hope that things are going well in your life HISTORY OF LOG FURNITURE The log furniture industry started with the early settlers who did not have much of a choice for Oak and the traditional hardwoods used in furniture.  In the 1800's several companies made log type furniture that are now on display in museums around the west. About 1975 the market expanded in the Western United States and several companies started making log furniture. Most of these companies were located in resort areas and the products were used in the condo's and homes in these areas. As the log furniture market continues to grow and develop, makers of log furniture manufacture several different types of products depending on what market they serve.  Over the years we have been asked by many of our new customers about the different "grades" of log furniture and thought we would try to help customers understand what the choices are in our industry. When we first started in 1986 we knew each of our customers because they came into our shop and could see how we did things. Now many of our customers do not "see" or touch our product until it arrives in their home.  Most of our customers want something special or different from the traditional furniture available on the market or what they might find what in our industry. TREES USED FOR LOG FURNITURE Most of the logs used to make furniture in the Intermountain region come from the Lodgepole Pine species which grows throughout the Western United States along the Rocky Mountain Range. This tree was used to make “Lodge Poles” for teepees by the Native Americans.  This type of tree grows with small size branches very little taper from top to bottom of the tree.  In the 1970’s there was a infestation of bark beetles in the lodgepole forest of the West that resulted in major sections of the forest with dead standing trees.  This “dead  growth” was one of the major factors in the forest fires that burned in Yellowstone National Park and other parts of the West in the late 1980’s.  These “dead standing” trees make excellent logs for furniture because they are dry, small in diameter and have small branches. Some specialty log furniture companies use Aspen or Ponderosa Pine trees for their products.  Aspen log beds will be a white type of wood with most people custom fitting the branches and trunks to make a rustic type product.  Ponderosa Pine is a large diameter tree so the corner posts usually are 8-20”  in diameter if this type of pine is used. TYPES OF LOG FURNITURE      LATHED AND SANDED LOGS      Lathe turned and sanded logs are centered and turned on a lathe to make them the same size overall and then sanded to give them a smooth surface finish.   Furniture from these logs will be smooth to the touch but still shows the knots and color streaking of the log.  Furniture made from these logs will be similar in "livability" of your standard furniture ie: it will be smooth and will not have the potential to snag clothing.      HAND DRAWN      Hand drawn logs are peeled with a "drawknife"  by hand.  Most of the larger knots and rough bark are removed by the drawknife but the general shape of the log remains.  Log Furniture made with hand drawn logs will be more rustic and will maintain the shape of the logs      ROUGH  MACHINE PEELED      Rough Peeled logs have the bark and knots removed by a "peeler". The peeler grinds off the outside of the log but doesn’t give it a true dimension because it is not centered on a lathe.  These logs are used in the ranching and farming industry for fence posts and rails with the best logs being sorted for log furniture use.  These best logs are sometimes sanded or left rough  depending of what market the log furniture maker is working with. Some machines are being used that give the log a planed surface  look that will have 8 -10 flat surfaces on the log. Machine drawn logs will have a straight line the complete length of the log. Hand drawn will have multiple flat surfaces and the lines do not go the complete length of the log.  WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT THE LOGS? The log quality used to make furniture is very critical. The logs should be aged 2-3  years to allow for the log to dry and take on their final shape and warp. All  logs will have curves, bends, drying cracks etc. in them. You can go down to the local wood products store and look at the lumber and boards they have in stock.  You will see some are twisted, warped or cracked. If green logs are used for furniture they can warp and cause failure of the product.  Green wood will cause drawers to not open and can “warp out” of tolerance and cause the product to be unbalanced.  As green logs dry the cracks will become larger. All log furniture products will have some cracks or checks in the wood.  These cracks are a natural part of log furniture and if you buy from a good manufacturer you will not have any significant changes in the furniture after you receive it. NUMBER OF LOGS IN A PRODUCT There is a direct cost in the finished product depending on the logs that are used.  There is the cost of the log preparation - lathing and sanding,  draw knife or machine peeled. The number of logs in a finished product will directly impact the cost and weight of the product.  A log is defined as a seven foot long section of a tree and can range in size from 8 to 15  inches in diameter.  Just like there are different grades of cars on the market, there are multiple grades of log furniture to select from.   If you are starting to evaluate log furniture it is quite difficult to tell what the difference between the grades and types available. There are three main items to look into: A) Case goods (dressers and chest of drawers);  B) Beds and C) Finish of the product.  CASE GOODS      Case goods are where the real differences will show. Just as there are wide differences in the cost of traditional furniture there are significant differences in how log case goods are manufactured.  Things to look for include number of logs used, tops, drawer construction, drawer guides and weight ratings. LOG CONTENT A good way to determine the log content of a product is to ask how many individual true logs are used to build the product. For example, a case good that is made from standard material and then "faced" with partial logs will have less than one log in it. A  true log case good uses the log as a integral part  of the product.  True log construction will use logs for the legs (or corners) and cross members in the frame.   TOPS There are many ways to build tops for case goods and in the last 20 years we have tried them all. The main issue is warping and cracking of the top. Recently, there has been a major reduction in the quality of wood used to make tops.  The standard grading system for the wood products industry has been adjusted for the structural ratings of beams and other support structures for this reason.    Tops can range in thickness from 3/4 inch to 3 inches thick. Moisture content and shrinkage is the main thing to be concerned about.  Thick tops use a wood section laminated together to make the top. Products that use log planks laminated together for tops must wait for the wood to dry and warp - this will take from two to three years. If the maker of the log furniture cuts this drying time short, the tops can crack and warp. In 1998 we found an acceptable laminated top from one of the major manufacturers of wood products that we thought we could use for some of our products.  It was guaranteed to be "dry and not subject to warping".  We tested these tops and they looked fine and seemed to be stable.   Unfortunately, we have replaced a number of these tops due to warping after our customers received them. Most of the tops did not fail, but there were enough problems to cause us to discontinue the use of this top. Log Furniture Wyoming uses Knottypine Armor Core 3/4 inch plywood trimmed with log sections.  We have used this design since 1989 and have not had product failures with it.  This design is solid and will not warp or fail with changing humidity and temperature. Many folks, including us, like the good looks and feel of the solid tops, but we have not been able to dry, finish and stabilize solid tops.  We’ll keep working on it. DRAWER CHOICES You can go into any store that sells furniture and look at the different ways drawers are made.  If you are buying something you plan on replacing in one to two years, just about any of the discount chain stores have inexpensive case goods that should work fine. If you expect the product to last a lifetime, however, you need to make sure you are getting what you are paying for.  You can find a 4 Drawer Chest of Drawers that sells for $89.00 or one that sells for $1200.00 depending on the type of wood and design type. Most of us have had drawers that stick, won’t open correctly, have clothes jam them, or just break and fall apart. Most failures in case goods involve the drawers and drawer guides. From the outside, it is hard to tell what you are getting when you look at log furniture.  Ask questions.  If someone does not want to talk about their product details or cannot provide details maybe you should do some more research into your purchase. Drawer Features Things to watch for: Drawers that are stapled together and use particle board are easy and quick to build and should be priced to reflect the manufacturing cost.  Drawers made from particle board, press board or other types of laminates will cost significantly less to build and will last for a shorter period of time.   If the side of the drawer is shorter than the back or front then clothes can fall out of the sides, when you push the drawer in and cause it to jam. Some manufacturer’s use low cost metal half size  drawer guides or sides that screw onto the face and back. If you don’t plan on filling the drawer up these will work fine. Good drawers will be made from solid wood and the corners will be routed and fitted then screwed and glued together.  The bottom of the drawer should be at least 1/4”  thick and should have grooves cut in all the drawer pieces. Sounds like more work doesn’t it?  Well it is.  The result is a solid drawer that will last a lifetime. As you can probably guess......this is how our drawers are made.  We could tell you a long story about long years etc., etc., but the simple fact is:  when we started we didn’t know any better and just made the best drawers we could.  Over the years we have had many people tell us how to build a cheaper and faster drawer-but we still believe in quality not quantity.  We usually consider these things on large projects, that want a low cost case good to meet their budget. Over the years we have lost bids on some large projects due to the cost of our case goods.  Unfortunately,  if the buyer had known about log furniture construction choices,  they would not have to replace or repair the product in the future. BEDS Hand Drawn True hand drawn log beds are a work of art and take a long time to build.  Beds from hand drawn logs will usually use a 2 X 6 or metal rails for the bed sides.  It is very difficult to get a hand drawn log running the length of a box springs to be flat from the head to the foot of the bed. In general, you will get a headboard and footboard log bed with some sort of standard method being used for the side rails.  This costs less than using logs for the side rails and bed supports. Milled and Sanded Log Furniture Wyoming uses milled and sanded logs for most of our products.   Over the years we have found that our customers like the “livability” of  sanded  logs that feature the grain and texture of each individual log.    Our beds are 100% logs.  For example the 4 Poster uses 17 seven foot long logs.   You can look in our product sections to see how Log Furniture Wyoming products are made and look in our settings.    Each product uses logs as the main element in the design. We strive to make “heirloom” products that will passed on from generation to generation.  We do not make “throw away” furniture. Our furniture is made to last a lifetime - period! We hope this attempt to discuss the options for log furniture has been helpful.  We are sure you can talk to other people that will have a different outlook on some of our thoughts on log furniture construction.  If we ruffle some feathers in the business it will only help you make a informed decision about your purchase. This is our objective. We worried about putting so much detail in this, but some of these lessons have been painful to us.  We want to make sure that you are satisfied with your decision to purchase log furniture and that the information we have provided has helped. There are many good makers of log furniture. Take your time and you will be satisfied for many years with your purchase. The folks are Log Furniture Wyoming - you should see what we SAW.