The Art of Woodworking

Every cedar product I make begins with the material. At Tofino Woodshop, the process starts long before a chair is assembled. I source old-growth Western Red Cedar logs from community forests and other trusted suppliers in British Columbia, selecting logs with the characteristics needed to produce clear, straight-grained lumber.

Once the logs arrive at my shop, I mill all of the cedar lumber using the quarter-sawn method, which is shown in detail on my Milling Process page. Clear, knot-free lumber is used throughout my main cedar collection. Handling the process from log selection through milling gives me direct control over the material before I begin making the finished parts.

Selecting Logs For Clear Lumber

Not every Western Red Cedar log is suitable for the products I make. Before selecting a log, I look for characteristics that indicate it is likely to produce long, clear boards with uninterrupted grain.

Branches growing from the trunk create knots within the wood, including some that may remain hidden until the log is opened during milling. I therefore look for old-growth logs with the best potential to produce the clear, knot-free lumber I use throughout my main cedar collection.

Making those decisions before milling helps reduce waste later in the process and increases the amount of suitable lumber I can produce from each log.

Why I Quarter-Saw Every Log

Once I have selected a log, I mill all of the cedar 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, handling and labour, and it produces less usable lumber than conventional flat-sawing. In return, quarter-sawn boards generally have straighter grain and greater dimensional stability, making them less prone to cupping and excessive movement as moisture conditions change.

For outdoor cedar products that are exposed to changing temperatures and humidity, that added stability matters. Quarter-sawing all of my cedar lumber gives me the straight-grained material and stability I want before I begin making the finished parts.

Why I Use Only Clear Lumber

After milling, I inspect each board before it moves on to kiln drying and production. For my main cedar collection, I select clear Western Red Cedar with uninterrupted grain and no visible knots.

Knots form where branches grew from the trunk and can remain hidden inside the wood until a board is cut or machined. When a hidden knot is revealed during production, I set that part aside rather than use it in one of my standard products.

Clear lumber gives the finished pieces a cleaner, more consistent appearance and keeps the natural grain and colour of the cedar as the main visual feature. Producing enough suitable lumber requires careful log selection and board grading, but that material standard is an important part of how I build my cedar products.

From Lumber to Finished Components

Once the lumber has been kiln-dried to the moisture content I am looking for, I cut the boards into the individual components needed for the products I am making. I use established templates for each part so dimensions and fit remain consistent from one piece to the next.

I then shape, drill and sand the components, checking them throughout the process. Once the parts are complete, I organize each Adirondack chair, footrest or side table into a kit with the required hardware and instructions for assembly.

Because these products ship unassembled, accuracy at this stage matters. Each component needs to fit as intended so the customer can assemble the finished piece using the supplied instructions or my Assembly Videos.

Craftsmanship Begins with the Wood

For me, woodworking is not limited to shaping and preparing the finished components. It begins with selecting the cedar log and continues through quarter-sawing, drying, grading and preparing the lumber before a product ever reaches the workbench.

Handling those stages myself gives me control over the material that goes into each piece. The result is cedar products built from carefully selected, quarter-sawn old-growth Western Red Cedar, with decisions about the wood made throughout the process rather than only at the final stage of construction.