AB Wood Worx bolsters nature’s unique creations
By Mark Pavilons
The marriage between form and function is a delicate balance. It takes a keen eye and a lot of creative fortitude.
Preserving wood and transforming it into every works of art with a purpose is the mantra of Caledon's AB Wood Worx.
Led by Brandon Armstrong, Wood Worx embraces the natural beauty of wood, bringing out the best of Mother Nature.
Armstrong fell in love with wood in the past few years, having spent almost a decade in sheet metal fabrication.
"I spent so long working with metal and using an Arc machine 1 and decided that I needed a change. I started to look elsewhere for inspiration and came across woodworking. I fell in love with the look of wood and steel together creating one-of-a kind pieces of furniture.
"I believe that working in this industry has given me the knowledge and confidence to turn that dream into a reality. It has now been a little over a year working with different wood species and materials, and the passion I have for this craft grows every day."
It shows. The company custom-makes their products for their clients. Right now Armstrong is concentrating on custom table tops and wall art, but he's worked on projects varying from charcuterie, butcher block cutting boards, bar tops and arch ways for photography.
"I welcome every challenge thrown at me and do endless research on the best way to approach the project. I genuinely believe what makes my products unique is the fact that all the material is sourced from local mills and hand crafted specifically for each client. This means no two items will ever be alike. Using raw material gives me the advantage of preserving the original qualities of the wood while still focusing on the clients vision."
The process can be intense, but it's well worth it in the end. Armstrong said when they've given a project, they head down to local saw mills in search of the perfect raw material to create the look. Once they get it, they go through the debarking, cutting and shaping to size as well as grinding out any imperfections in the material. This includes dead wood or rot that will compromise the integrity of the wood. They then fill the wood with a clear or coloured epoxy depending on preference and allow that the proper cure time. Once this is done we then move to the sanding and oiling portion of our build.
"Everything we create is done specifically by hand," he said. "This means countless hours and care go into each build. Every build per client is commissioned, except the builds we create as show pieces or portfolio pieces."
Not surprisingly, the response from customers has been "overwhelmingly positive."
"Our creativity and manipulation of the raw material has been praised, as well as our ability to merge different epoxy colors into the wood with our art pieces. Our clients seem to enjoy the creative, and the classic, which has given us the confidence to always push the envelope and create new builds not only for our clients but also for ourselves."
Armstrong admits that a lot of their creations come from playing around in the shop and feeding off each other.
"We (father Grant and girlfriend Ayisha) have very different styles and are extremely different on our ideas of art and creating. So far our work has been purchased by locals, but our last build was purchased by a business owner for personal use and we could not be more thrilled."
Wood Worx relies heavily on social media to showcase their work, and even more so via word of mouth.
"Our perfect vision for the future is to keep creating beautiful wooden pieces and potentially showcase some of our art in a local gallery."
It's really a labour of love and Brandon points out they love the work and the finished products. What they love most is preserving the authenticity in the wood, while still transforming it into art.
"When we manipulate the colors or shapes of the wood to create these pieces our number one priority is to make sure it still looks organic. Wood is a beautiful part of nature and that is something we really want the client to feel when the build is in their home. Whether it's a live edge table, or a colourful art piece hanging on your wall, the main objective is for you to feel a connection to the individual pieces just as we do while we create them."
In what's become a disposable society, preserving natural elements Wood Worx's job. It's a responsibility they don't take lightly.
For more, visit their Instagram: ABWoodWorx or Facebook: Abwoodworx.ca. You can also email them at abwoodworx@gmail.com
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