Reclaimed Lumber Gets New Life On Dakota Shuffleboard Table

Like many of our styles or models at McClure Tables, they are often inspired by you, our customers. This was the case when we first started designing the Dakota shuffleboard, as we had a customer who wanted to buy just a standard table but thought they could decorate it with reclaimed wood their homebuilder had found. Instead of letting someone else do the work, we incorporated the wood into the new table ourselves and created our first table that utilized reclaimed lumber. We said we could make one for him, so we went about finding the wood and built our first model. After we build a table, we try to come up with a fitting name and choose Dakota. McClure Tables gets a lot of questions about our Dakota shuffleboard table and about the reclaimed wood that we use to complete the project. We love talking about our craft, so we thought we'd open the floor to a few frequently asked questions from customers.

It is a little more difficult to source, as you are buying wood from companies that salvage barns and other old buildings and then reclaim it. Some suppliers actually have the shop clean up the wood, remove the nails, and clean off much of the hay, dust, or dirt from years of build-up. Other times, we have to use sanding flap wheels to clean the wood ourselves. For past projects, we have used some practically extinct tree species, and you cannot legally harvest them if you find one. We have occasionally seen old Elm, Chestnut, and Oak from very old-growth trees, and you just can not buy wood like this new today. The biggest advantage of using the unique characteristics of woods that aren't around anymore. It ensures that no two Dakota tables are identical. There aren't many disadvantages, but nothing is exact, and no two pieces of wood are the same, so we have to work a little harder to select pieces that work together. Also, it's not like we can just pick up the phone and order more wood. We have to find the source. This is why we usually buy and stock enough wood to make a few Dakota models at any given time.

We only use the reclaimed lumber on the Dakota style and it is kind of a popular style with companies and retail stores right now. However, many companies use circular saws to take new wood and reproduce the old-looking wood. I would say that 80% of the store-bought products with that look are remanufactured fake reclaimed wood, not actual reclaimed wood. If you're a discriminating buyer, you need to look for smaller shops, like McClure tables, and learn to distinguish between reclaimed wood and fake wood. If you want the real deal with the story that goes behind it, McClure has the tables for you.

Most of the wood comes from old barns, but sometimes from old warehouses and buildings that have been torn down. We buy from one source based in Indiana, so most of our wood comes from the Midwest. However, another supplier is from Montana, but his father is in Michigan, and he brings us wood that sometimes may have come from the Midwest.

I think the trend will remain popular, but because we make so many models, the first consideration is the customization that the customer can receive. We can help create something really special for each individual home and will continue to do so in 2014. At McClure, we're extremely excited to see this trend continue to grow in the new year. Reclaimed lumber shuffleboard tables like the Dakota bring a unique touch to any home or business that features one of these beautiful game pieces. They truly say that you care about finely crafted woodwork and preserving a piece of history.