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I've been asked some questions regarding my products and most of the questions are the same. So rather than continuing to answer the very same questions over and over I've decided to get a little smarter... I know what you're thinking: "James, you couldn't possibly get any smarter - you're practically a genius - a god even!"... don't get me wrong, I completely agree with you, but there are perhaps some things I could do a little differently to make the lives of potential customers/interested parties a little easier. One of those being: write a "Frequently Ask Questions" section here for those of you who might want to know a little more about my hardwood creations, but were afraid to ask.
So, without further ado I present to you:
FAQs
1) What are your hardwood products made of? (I will answer several questions at once here)
This may SEEM like an obvious answer, but to some the question doesn't seem to answer itself, so I will go into greater detail for you. My HARDWOOD items are all made of various HARDWOODS - ranging from exotic to domestic, from South American to African to North American. All woods have very unique qualities including: texture; color; weight; density, etc... Some hardwood is harder than others, but all the woods I use were picked for their durabilty, color and sometimes availability.
Each wooden tankard is made of various hardwoods, waterproof glue (actually forms joints that are stronger than the wood itself), Spar Poly coating on the outside to protect it from the elements, and an FDA approved polymer on the inside that can withstand tempuratures up to 400F!! (the liner is a polymer that was developed to store large amounts of beer, wine and water for the food and beverage industry) The liner is 'force cured' - simply means heat-cured (this ensures a total and complete curing of all hardening agents and chemicals) The end result is a beautiful wooden work of art that can hold piping-hot coffee or ice cold beer in any type of weather!!
2) Do you use wood cut from old-growth forests, or from endangered species?
Simply "no" to both. However - and this is a very big "HOWEVER": The wood industry is not as well regulated as other industries. The paper-trail can get a bit murky sometimes - even when dealing with very reputable lumber yards and exotics dealers. I make EVERY effort to purchase only wood that has come from new growth or farms when possible or from naturally felled trees. I never purchase wood that taken from an area hit hard by deforestation or poachers - but again, it's sometimes difficult to know exactly where some wood comes from.
My hardwood of preference is Lyptus. Lyptus, one of the hardest of the hardwoods was developed by Werehauser to meet the needs of the industry. This wood is a cross between two different Eucalyptus trees - it's very heavy and can be confused for Mahogany if judging only by color and grain pattern. Lyptus is harder than hickory (what baseball bats are made of) and is extremely durable! I even used it for my kitchen countertops!! This incredible wood is grown on farms in Brazil and because of that fact you don't have to worry about deforestation - when one tree is cut it is replaced with another. Lyptus is typically the wood I use for the bottoms of the tankards as it will be able to take punishment better than other hardwoods. It takes only 14 - 16 years for a Lyptus tree to mature, making it a quickly renewable resource.
3) Is there any kind of warranty on your products?
Absolutely! All of my food-grade products come with a lifeteime craftsmanship warranty: If it starts to leak or the handle falls off I will repair or replace (at my discretion) your item. This warranty does not include owner abuse, i.e; driving over it; using it to pound nails; using it as a digging implement; putting in the dishwasher, microwave, convection oven, conventional oven, toaster oven, slamming it in a car door, dropping it in a vat of acid or ingniting it for use as kindling. As a matter of fact, owner abuse of any kind will not be covered by warranty.
I have never heard of a handle falling off, nor have heard of any of my tankards leaking to this point - now THAT'S quality.
4) How can I be certain the tankard won't leak when I receive it?
Each and every tankard is tested for leaks before being put up for sale. I fill each tankard with water and let it stand for 24 hours. To date I have not had a tankard leak on me during the testing phase or after the sale and this bodes well for my customers. I've used one of my tankards everyday for 9 months and have yet to experience a problem. It's used inside, outside, in the humidity, goes from cold to hot, I use it while I'm working and have dropped the poor sucker many times from tables onto cement and it has yet to break or leak.
5) Do you mass produce your items?
No siree/ma'am! Each mug is unique - there are no 'cookie cutters' here. Like any master craftsman I cut each piece specifically for the object it will be fit into. There are no EXACT replicas or TWINS here. Each is put together by hand and clamped individually by me. Each mug is then turned and handsanded to ensure the best possible surface finish and then the liner is applied by hand as well - I use no means of mass assembly. I firmly believe in putting all of my focus into the item I'm making at the time.
6) How many can you make a day?
Good question - I'm glad I asked! Because of the process I use I am limited only by space. The most I've ever assembled in one day is 20. I can assemble 20 a day for a week and have 140 by week's end (IF I'm only making tankards)- then I have to turn them, sand them all and attach the handles and apply the liner and sealer. I start with 80 grit to get rid of the glue and rough spots. I then go to 100 grit to get rid of the 80 grit marks, then to 220 to create a smooth surface, then to 340 grit for an outstanding finish, then finally 400 grit for a nice and shiny-smooth surface!! With my goblets I go as far as 1000 - 1600 grit to get a true mirror-like surface.
After the body has been sanded the handle is attached and the glue is allowed to dry for 24 hours.
The next step is applying the polymer liner. This is the most tedious part of the whole process. I start by appling the coating in thin increments (2 layers), letting the first coat air-dry for 24 hrs before applying the second. When the second becomes dry to the touch, the outer seal is applied - several coats actually. Once the tankards are ready to be moved I heat cure them for approximately 2 hours to ensure a total and 100% complete cure! This last step is the most important and must be done with patience (id est, DON'T RUSH!!)
A couple of hours later they're tested by filling them to the top with water and allowed to stand for 24 hours.
Upon passing the test a unique serial number is burned into each tankard and they are signed by me and put of for sale.
An item with a serial number beginning with an "S" mean standard stock.
An item with a serial number beginning with a "C" means commissioned
7) Do you have those mugs with LED lights yet?
Yes I do! I finished my first batch last week and have already sold many of them. I will bring a few to OKRF, but I don't plan to have many for sale there due to time constraints. I hope to have SOME available for KCRF, but they will be in limited supply.
8) Do you do custom work?
Yes I do! If you have something special you'd like to have made please feel free to shoot me an email and we can get together to discuss it.
9) Do you like answering questions?
Of course! Not only does it mean someone's interested - it's also an ego stroker to know there's a question out there I might actually have an answer for. If per chance I'm asked a question I don't know the answer to - fear not: Not knowing an answer has never stopped me from answering anway.
10) Do splinters hurt?
They're a tad uncomfortable for sure, but I can assure you I've never cried like a newborn in front of the neighbors after receiving a splinter - especially not in front of the neighbors to my right... just don't ask them, okay?
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