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FROM THE YARD TO THE LIVING ROOM

Recognise these? Most of the items I develop use electric cable reels. These are purchased directly from the electrical wholesaler, instead of them being sent back to the cable companies or chopped up for firewood. Sometimes a customer may place an order and provide the reel they'd like me to use. Scaffolding boards are purchased from reclamation yards, or from the scaffolding companies themselves. They’re all transported back to the workshop where they’re left to dry for at least a few weeks.

Once the wood is dry, the reels are prepped based on the item they are being upcycled into. The reels themselves tend to come in set sizes, typically 55 / 59 / 69 / 79cm diameters. Preparation at this stage may involve reducing the diameter, cutting them into semi-circles, or removing the centre to make mirror frames.

The wood is initially sanded using an angle grinder with a coarse sanding disc to remove the bulk of the rough wood, and smooth over nails or staples. A pad sander with a finer grit is then used to smooth the wood and remove scuff marks from the angle grinder.

Two coats of wood treatment are applied, with 24 hrs drying time after each. The wood is then given a final light sand to make sure it's as smooth as possible. Depending on the product, some alterations will be made, e.g routing out holes to sink in wine rack frames, or setting in mirrors.

The first coat of wax is applied, left to dry for an hour, then buffed. A second coat of wax is applied, buffed, and left to set for 24 hours. The item is assembled, with the addition of any other features ( e.g. the now-painted black washers and bolts on the top of the table, wine glass holders, bottle holders, etc). One final buff, and it's good to go.