Oregon Burls recently received 9 large slabs exclusively for F2. These slabs were hand chosen by Greg Dahl. They are rare and beautiful. More importantly these redwood slabs were ethically harvested. F2 takes pride in only working with sellers who use ethical harvesting methods. Before any wood purchase, sellers are vetted to ensure they are using the highest of environmentally responsible harvesting practices.
These diamonds in the rough will be turned into the most exquisite works of functional artwork!
This is what high quality redwood looks like finished.
What an amazing week! Other than the rain and wind, Orlando was everything we hoped it would be and more! Here is a glimpse at our first ever home show.
Greg Dahl, our lead artisan, worked many 18 hour days leading up to the IBS show, perfecting a handful of pieces of functional epoxy resin and wood burl furniture to showcase F2’s craftsmanship. We fitted the trailer with hooks, straps, and braces to stabilize the pieces for the long trek from Oregon to Florida.
This event was intense, to say the least. As the new kids on the block, we were thankful to the Freeman staff who sent supplies and muscle when we needed it, taught us the ropes, and helped us navigate the red tape.
The conference center was like a small city. In fact, we each clocked over five miles of walking on day 1! We were blown away at the vast array of businesses participating in the event. Attendees of the event spent three days participating in networking opportunities, presentations, and touring the vendor exhibition hall..
A few of our neighbors really stood out in our memory and we hope to work with them in the future.
Next door: Residential Elevators – they set up two working elevators in the middle of the exhibit hall! It was incredible to ride up to the virtual second floor and see the expansive event from that vantage point.
Across the aisle, our new friends, World Coppersmith, with hand-pounded copper sinks, bathtubs, fire pits and more. We couldn’t help but dream of our countertops with their sinks. Perhaps for IBS 2023?
Down the lane were Stoll Industries, who we found to be like-hearted in the sense that our business model is to honor God before anything else. In addition to their kind and generous staff, their enormous booth served as a lovely lounge area!
It was a treat to also see our friend and Oregon neighbor, Dominique Main, representing her company Epcon Communities at the event.
We spent our days meeting creative inspirational contractors, designers and builders. We spent the evening bonding as a team and getting excited about the future.
It was truly an honor to participate in such an incredible event and we look forward to next year in Las Vegas!
On his way home from the show, Greg personally delivered a few large custom furniture pieces to their new homes, spending time with our new friends and making future plans. This beauty was delivered to Georgia.
The conference table and bar are now a part of a new home design in Nashville, TN.
Tennessee was a very happy ending to the IBS adventure. Greg had an up close and personal experience with these exotic animals thanks to our new friends at the Nashville Zoo!
The trip left us full of excitement and anticipation when looking toward the future.
I can’t tell you where the story started, but the magical rebirth began the day she arrived at our shop. The raw burl wood was beautiful from the start for sure, but her true magic has been revealed a little more each day as our artists have worked to expose her inner beauty.
In a world of beauty centered on symmetry, this piece refuses to comply. Her raw, natural edge will never align with the ordinary. We measured and mapped her unique dimensions to find her balance, carved space, and gave her legs to stand on.
Sanding her rough exterior laid bare her imperfections. Meticulously filling her cracks with epoxy resin, the artists transformed her vulnerabilities into strength.
Applying the finish was the last step before her coming out. Mysterious patterns emerged. Our team admiring this burl wood epoxy table as a finished product were like children spotting creatures in the clouds on a summer afternoon. A genie! A whale! A dinosaur face! A unicorn! What? Oh yes. The last character to be discovered on the surface of this great table established her name as “The Unicorn.”
I can honestly say that it was difficult to say good-bye to this piece (she would have looked perfect as the centerpiece in our office), but the best part of the this story was yet to unfold – the face of our client as she gazed upon her vision in living color for the first time.
Your vision, just as every creation F2, will be a labor of love, evolving creativity and very hard work. Let’s begin.
Step One: Secure Project Calendar Slot
Each burl wood table or countertop piece is unique, but we schedule a minimum of two months for any epoxy project. We match your timeline with our availability in our project calendar to ensure we give the dedication and priority each furniture piece deserves.
Your one-of-a-kind heirloom epoxy wood functional work of art will surely be treasured for generations, so catching the vision is an integral part of the creative process. We begin by asking you questions, drawing the vision out of you so that our artists can dream up a way to realize it. Are you drawn to straight lines or curves, glamorous or natural, rich or light color? As we discuss your style, the purpose also becomes clear. Is your vision an entryway furniture piece that creates a sense of awe upon guests’ arrival? Or is it a live edge wood conference table that sets the stage for group inspiration. Perhaps we are creating a unique looking bar whose story you can feel with your fingertips, or a bedroom headboard so mysterious, no one can guess her origin.
Greg Dahl, Fusion Flatworks Lead Artisan
Step Three: Find the Perfect Piece of Burl Wood
Your treasure may be one we have onsite, cataloged and waiting patiently for it’s turn to be transformed into an unforgettable piece of functional art. Maybe the slab meant for this project is still waiting to be discovered, sourced by our own, “Burl Hunter,” unearthed by a land developer in northern Idaho, or dragged from a riverbed in Humbolt County, CA. Those “once in a lifetime” pieces are thrilling to hunt for and we love to adventure on your behalf. We abide by strict responsible harvesting practices which means the trees we choose to harvest must come down because they are required by law, deemed a nuisance, or because they are already dead or dying.
Step Four: Create the Blueprint
The project preparation varies, of course. A live edge river table requires first building a tightly sealed mold. An island table’s mold would be routed with a CNC machine. A slab takes years to dry out in nature, or six weeks in our kiln. Burl wood is particularly temperamental as it dries, some more than others. Madrone burl, for example, must be secured and clamped as it dries. Our Chief artisan says, “Train up a piece of wood in the way it should go and it will not depart from you.”
Step Five: Get to Work
Natural edges are sealed, epoxy is custom mixed and poured, sometimes in layers. After curing, surfaces are leveled again and sanded to desired grit that maximizes the desired look. Next, we CNC recesses and install hardware. Then, comes the finishing process which varies from a one-day process for a natural finish to a four-day process for glassy shine. The top quality epoxy we use takes 28 days to cure to perfect hardness, so we store and protect the project while we build a fortified crate for shipping.
Step Six: Document the Story
If you are choosing F2 to produce your project, then you value the uniqueness of the wood you chose, responsible harvesting, artistic journey, integrity in business, and the majesty of the finished product. We document the story of each as it unfolds for you to pass onto your children and your children’s children.
With every functional work of art, our goal is to exceed your expectations.
“F2 is a wonderful team of hard working honest people. Their custom tables and projects are truly stunning! Greg the owner and Chris the sales manager are both so kind and genuine, it’s been a pleasure doing business with them. I encourage you to check them out!”
“Greg and his team are very professional. They really listen to what you want and they deliver! It was wonderful working with them.”
Imagine a yacht, your dream yacht, a sight to behold. Streamlined hull working in concert with functional design, color coordinated schemes and feel good eye appeal enhanced by fine F2 throughout, a combination of exotic burl woods infused with clear and colorful epoxy resins.
Now Imagine the skill and artistry it takes to make your unique prized yacht a reality. A one of a kind piece from F2, a conversation centerpiece created by Greg Dahl. Fusing the best burl woods the world has to offer with lighted epoxy resin. Imagine it, see it! F2 can add to your dreams from tables to the countertops to the railings or one single breathtaking masterpiece for yacht, RVs, resorts or home. Durable functional art of timeless beauty! Treasures created by Greg…a step above!
