The Art of Woodworking

Every piece of outdoor furniture begins with the material.  At Tofino Woodshop, the process starts long before a chair is assembled. It begins at community forests and other trusted suppliers throughout British Columbia, where each old-growth Western Red Cedar log is carefully inspected and selected according to the standards required for our products.

Once the logs arrive at our shop, we mill each one in-house using the quarter-sawn method, which is shown in detail on our Milling Process page. Only clear, knot-free lumber is used in our products.  Controlling the process from log selection through to milling allows us to maintain consistency, stability and quality in every piece we build.

Selecting Logs For Clear Lumber

Not every Western Red Cedar log is suitable for our furniture.  Before purchasing a log, we inspect it to determine whether it is likely to produce the clear, knot-free boards required for our products. 

Branches extending from the trunk create knots within the lumber, including knots that may not become visible until the log is opened on the sawmill.  For this reason, we look for old-growth logs with the characteristics needed to produce long clean boards with uninterrupted grain.

Making these decisions before milling reduces uncertainty and waste later in the process and helps ensure that only lumber meeting our standards moves forward into production.

Why We Quarter-Saw Every Log

Once a log has been selected, it is milled entirely using the quarter-sawn method.  Rather than cutting straight through the log in parallel passes, quarter-sawing positions the growth rings more vertically within each board.

This method requires more planning and considerably more labour, and produces less usable lumber than conventional flat-sawing, but it gives us greater control over the material.  Quarter-sawn boards generally have straighter grain and improved dimensional stability, making them less prone to cupping and excessive movement as moisture levels change. 

For outdoor furniture, where the wood is repeatedly exposed to changing temperatures and humidity, that added stability matters. Milling every log this way allows us to begin each product with lumber that is better suited to maintaining its shape and appearance over time. 

Why We Use Only Clear Lumber

After milling, each board is inspected. Boards that meet our standards are moved to our lumber kiln for drying before being used in our products. We use only clear Western Red Cedar, meaning the finished lumber contains no knots.

Knots form where branches grew from the trunk. Although they are a natural feature of wood, they interrupt the grain and can create weaker areas or even holes within a board. For furniture components that must remain strong, stable and visually consistent, we prefer uninterrupted grain.

Using only clear lumber also gives each finished piece a cleaner appearance and allows the natural grain and colour of the cedar to remain the focus. It requires more selective log purchasing and careful board grading, but it is a standard we maintain across every product we build.

From Lumber to Finished Components

Once the lumber has been kiln-dried to a suitable moisture, each board is cut into the individual components required for the products currently in production. We use established templates for every part, helping us maintain consistent dimensions and fit across each product.

The components are then shaped, drilled and sanded, with inspections throughout the process. Once complete, the parts for each Adirondack chair, footrest or side table are organized into kits containing everything needed for assembly.

Because our furniture is shipped unassembled, accuracy at this stage is especially important.  Each component must be made accurately so that the customer can assemble the finished piece using the supplied instructions or using our Assembly Videos.

Craftsmanship Begins with the Wood

For us, woodworking is not limited to shaping and preparing furniture components.  It begins with selecting the right cedar log and continues through milling, grading and preparing every part that goes into a finished product.

By controlling the process from the log yard to the packaged components, we can maintain the material standards that define Tofino Woodshop. The result is outdoor furniture built from clear, quarter-sawn, old-growth Western Red Cedar and prepared with consistency at every stage.