eco made

Repurposed Storage

2011-08-14T09:56:00.010-04:00

These cabinets came from the warehouse of a metal scrap yard. They were used for years as sorting bins for various gears, pulleys, and vicker valves (whatever they are). My friend Tony owns the scrap yard and brought them to me to turn into cabinets for his man cave.

The face frames are stained reclaimed pine. I dug through my "collection" to find the various doors, handles, and decorations.

The "yellow" cabinet has a spalted maple bar that folds open. Beside it is a lens that magnifies whatever precious tchotchke is placed behind it. A sand casting pattern is used as a door on the bottom right.

The "red" cabinet has a large door with the rough hewn exterior of a reclaimed pine joist. I veneered the pine to a plywood substrate that I painted red, so the color would show through the gaps in the book matched panel. One of my favorite parts of this cabinet is how the circle in the top door is off set against the "x" of the shelves behind.

The "white" cabinet has a bamboo door with salvage iron handle. The two bottom doors are reclaimed pine and we thought it would be cool to cut the corners around the gear profile.

2011-07-01T14:00:00.013-04:00

Elliott & Jean's Bed

We were recently given the opportunity to create this beautiful custom cherry bed for our wonderful clients, Elliott & Jean. The natural edge cherry headboard had spectacular grain patterns and large cracks on each end, which lent itself to inlayed bowties. We chose (with their help) walnut as the accent wood. Nice choice, guys. The Japanese pagoda served as the inspiration for the shape of the walnut finials and bolt caps.

I once made a similar bed for two other clients - Bill & Liz. They later told me how inspiring it was to wake up in such a thing of beauty. Thanks again to Elliott & Jean, I hope that your experience is the same!

KO Angotti

2010-12-07T12:20:00.003-05:00

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with Kara Angotti of KOA. She posted a nice little write up of us on her blog which you can view here. Thanks Kara!

Examiner article!

2010-11-10T11:01:00.009-05:00

Adam Rung Woodworks was recently interviewed for an article on Examiner.com. You can view what we had to say here or simply continue reading. Many thanks to Bettie St. Ours!

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"A third generation woodworker who transforms wood into amazing beauty."

Meet Adam Rung of Adam Rung Woodworks, LLC; an amazing artisan who creates the most beautiful furniture ever.

What do you like the most about your craft?

My craft is about connecting with nature. Wood is a wonderful, organic material. It is always different and always changing - just like nature. I appreciate the diversity in every piece that passes through my hands. In our modern society we have lost our connection to the natural world. Working with wood reminds me on a daily basis that we forget our roots, and it’s at our peril.

What’s your process for designing and creating a new piece?

I, of course, begin with the practical needs of my clients. My designs have always been functional first with aesthetics following suit. I take cues from the natural world as well as established styles throughout history. Traditional woodworking techniques enable me to shape and caress a piece of wood to realize its final potential.

I believe that we as a society have lost our appreciation for hand work and the amount of time involved in the creation of things. Most of us look for the lowest prices and the best deals which usually don’t reflect the true cost of everything that goes into making a product. Most things on our store shelves were made by exploiting natural resources and the workers who made them. At the end of their usefulness they are discarded.

I take strides to ensure that my work is reflective of the efforts and resources that go into it, and to ensure that is it produced in an environmentally and socially conscious manner.

What’s unique about your business? What sets it apart from similar businesses?

I view my business model differently than those of other businesses. I look at the impact of every decision, both negative and positive and how it affects our natural world, local community, and my employees’ quality of life.

In regards to our materials and products, we make every effort to ensure that the products we create are fabricated with the utmost concern for the environment; the goal being that throughout the life of the product it has little or no negative effects on its environs and at the end of its life it can be biodegraded or up-cycled into new materials.

Our relationship with our community is of utmost importance to me. I have frequently donated our work to fundraising events that have benefited local arts organizations, food banks, and community groups. We are currently in the process of developing a training program to teach woodworking to people in need of a skilled trade.

Finally, I believe that a happy employee is the single best tool that a business can have. A good work environment enables a worker to be more productive and care about the progress of the company. If you look at a company as a team everyone becomes vested in a successful outcome. By paying a living wage you give people the ability to provide for themselves and their families and the respect that we all deserve.

What do you do for fun when you aren't woodworking?

I also enjoy designing and creating small scale gardens and landscapes for myself and others. Much of my skills in woodworking can translate to garden design. The aesthetic eye that I use in designing furniture also applies to the planning and layouts of outdoor spaces. Working in the garden also helps me to become more in sync with the earth and its ecosystems. Those connections alternatively influence my woodworking.

What do you find is the biggest benefit to running your own woodworking shop?

Woodworking is both my craft and my passion. Owning my own shop not only allows me to use my skills as a means of sustaining myself, but it also enables me to put my ideals into practice. The way I interact with customers, how I treat my employees, and the manner in which I run my shop are reflective of my personal philosophies and principle concerns – those mainly being concerns for others and the environment. I am able to use my business as a platform to encourage others to gain a greater understanding of the world and the people around us and to use that understanding to promote positive actions and decisions. In short, I am able to do what I love, support positive thinking and development, and create things of beauty and usefulness."

Take a Seat.

2010-05-20T14:27:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago Adam Rung Woodworks took part in the 27th annual Immaculata Art Show. On display were our recently completed reclaimed pine benches. As was previously mentioned, the pine we used for this project was salvaged from old buildings and homes in Philadelphia.

It was a pleasure working on these benches for the past few weeks. It's always a joy to see the product of your hard work. Why don't you try it for yourself? Here are the directions to assembling your very own reclaimed benches, in three easy to understand steps:

First, grab your wood. Any wood. Well, any reclaimed wood that is, and go to town.

Second, start assembling, keep assembling, and continue assembling.

Third, grab a friend, call your dog and enjoy!

Okay...So there might be a little bit more to it than that. We invite you to stop by the shop and showroom to check them out for yourself. While you're here, if you feel that you need to take a seat, don't worry. We've got you covered.

OrganiMetrics are here!

2010-04-29T11:13:00.000-04:00

From Adam Rung Woodworks comes the recently completed "OrganiMetric Series."

Celebrating the concurrence of organic, natural edge tops with very geometric bases, the OrganiMetrics line is available in all domestic hardwoods and reclaimed woods. And as always, all tables featured in this line are highly customizable.

The first table is fashioned out of walnut and poplar with a painted black base.

The second table is a combination of walnut, cherry, and curly maple, with an inlay of dogwood flowers.

The final table, the "Z" table, has a maple top and reclaimed pine base.

You can visit www.adamrung.com for more information, or for inquiries regarding the OrganiMetrics series contact adamrung@gmail.com.

Breaking News!

2010-04-16T16:28:00.000-04:00

Adam Rung Woodworks is proud to announce that we are now officially a member of Philadelphia's Sustainable Business Network! Although, if we are being honest, this isn't QUITE breaking news.

"What is this Sustainable Business Network?" you may be asking yourself. Well, let's leave it to the experts to explain:

"We are SBN, the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit network of local triple-bottom-line businesses and social entrepreneurs. We are local business people, professionals, social entrepreneurs, investors, not-for-profit leaders, and government representatives who are committed to building a more socially, environmentally, and financially sustainable local economy."

You can visit SBN online at http://www.sbnphiladelphia.org. While you're there, feel free to check out our page in the Marketplace. Here's a little preview:

Speaking of Benches...

2010-03-30T14:13:00.000-04:00

My friend Bob Bauers recently sent me these pictures of a new bench he designed. The bench has a metal base with stone top.

You can check out more of Bob's work at www.bobbauers.com.

New Reclaimed Pine Bench Renderings

2010-03-27T15:15:00.000-04:00

We're developing a series of benches utilizing reclaimed pine for seats. The salvaged joists come from demolished buildings and homes in Philly. Minimalist and sleek, the bases will be available in all domestic hardwoods or painted in a variety of colors.

The process....

First, we scan the joist for nails, screws, etc. with a metal detector.

Then we find each nail and pull it out. Here, Jeremy makes friends with the antique nail puller.

After that we cut the timbers to width on the tablesaw. Ugly, old wood becomes beautiful again! More to come.......

Case Study: Ardmore Kitchen

2010-03-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

We finished this beautiful kitchen a few months ago. We worked closely with Phillip Ivory Architects , who designed it.

We used formaldehyde free maple panel goods for the cabinet bodies, so no nasty off-gassing. The hardwood cherry & curly maple were all sourced locally. The counters are granite chosen by the homeowner, the colors blend perfectly with the different woods. The stainless steel handles really give it a contemporary feel.

The base cabinets have cherry doors with flat panels. Each curly cherry drawer front is a continuation of the ones beside it.

The island has cherry doors with book matched curly maple panels and drawer fronts. It's designed with a breakfast bar on the other side.

The hutch has matching cherry fronts with fantastic figure. The counter is curly maple.

Our Little Helpers

2010-02-14T17:31:00.000-05:00

At Adam Rung Woodworks our finishes aren't actually HAND buffed. Thanks kids!

The Modern Kitchen Simplified

2010-02-01T21:21:00.001-05:00

I'm totally into the movement in kitchens to become less complicated. This kitchen from Toronto architect Donald Chong does just that. Canning, pickling, and growing your own veggies are the direction that we need to go. Local food, fresh ingredients are what it's about. We don't need huge amounts of prepackaged, chemical laden food taking up our spaces. Simple, clean cabinetry and storage will make our lives better!

What Are We Breathing?

2010-02-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

Check out this website www.planethazard.com

This website uses the EPA records to identify polluted sites around the country.

You, too can be appalled at what you're breathing.

The Possibilities of Plaster

2009-11-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

The New York Times (once again) has a feature on a renovated riad (courtyard house) in Essaouira, Morocco. There is a great slide show as well.

These pictures got me thinking about the possibilities of plaster. I think I need to build some plaster shelving. I love the soft edges and how it looks modern and ancient at the same time.

More Folk Architecture

2009-11-05T10:10:00.001-05:00

Check out the article and slide show about "tree architect" Roald Gunderson at the New York Times.

Recycled Houses: Dan Phillips and Phoenix Commotion

2009-09-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

There's a great slide show and article about Dan Phillips and his recycled construction business over at the New York Times. His products may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the folky craftiness of his work is intriguing.

High Line

2009-06-10T10:06:00.000-04:00

I can't wait to get up to NYC to check out the newly opened High Line. The NY Times online edition featured an analysis of the first phase of the project by design critic Nicolai Ouroussoff accompanied by an excellent slide show. The initial renderings displayed a sensitive transparency that allowed the wildness and picturesque decrepitude of the old rail viaduct to intriguingly burst through the planned pathway. The final realization of the design by Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro is even more stunning in its interplay between new and old, wild and tame.

OK, Philadelphia, what's the plan for the Reading Viaduct?

Vauban, Germany - a car-free suburb

2009-05-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

Check out this interesting article about Vauban, a car-free planned community in suburban Freiburg, Germany. The article also notes trends toward reducing car use in other communities.

love your mother

2009-05-07T14:55:00.000-04:00

Brady Dale posted this video about a deep shale gas extraction project in Northern Pennsylvania. Keep in mind where your resources come from. Resource extractors should compensate taxpayers appropriately for environmental damage and remediation. Better yet, let's reduce our use and exploit alternatives.

Low-tech Magazine

2009-04-29T11:37:00.000-04:00

I've been enjoying Low-tech Magazine lately. I especially like this article on timbrel vaulting, an interesting and attractive construction technique.

sweet hinge action

2009-04-07T19:27:00.000-04:00

I recently finished this built in and vanity for a bathroom. It was my first time using the BLUM Aventos door system. It was relatively easy to install the hardware and once everything was lined up it worked perfectly.
The cabinets were walnut with cherry panels. The top panels in particular had a great dark streak through them that sort of flowed from one to the other. Now, if I could just get my bathroom done....

canyou canoe?

2009-02-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

There are some more canoe and surfboard pics up on flickr. Brad's boat is nearing the end of the strip gluing process. Notice the keel line in this photo. Adam is using different woods to colorful effect in his boat (see above). I'm enjoying the strip-laying portion of my surfboard build. I think we all like this part of the process. It's calm, quiet hand work.

Coffee, anyone, anyone?

2009-02-17T15:28:00.000-05:00

The older we get the more beautiful furniture we get to live with. Isn't that how it should be? I created this coffee table for our living room. The top is two bookmatched walnut slabs and the drawer front has a nice bit of figure. The base was sprayed with a black pigmented water based polyurethane finish. The top with tung oil and paste wax. Definitely, Nakashima inspired. Photo by Rick Ward!

dogwood-dig this bench

2009-02-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

I just finished this bench/coffee table. The natural edge top is cherry harvested from a yard tree. The base is FSC certified curly maple and cherry with walnut feet. The guys at Staack Woodworking used a Shopbot to carve the dogwood flowers in the top. Ahh, ain't technology grand?! Photo by the illustrious Rick Ward.

surf bulletin

2009-02-11T22:36:00.000-05:00

I've posted some updates to the progress on my surfboard over at Flickr. The recent warm spell is making me antsy for beach season.

2009-01-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

As Adam mentioned earlier, nos encantan con la idea of building with shipping containers. Over at materialicious, they just linked to this project in Kansas City, MO. I noticed two interesting things about this project: they are using 12' tall containers for parts of it, and it looks like they may have done some metal work to the containers off-site before placing them on the concrete foundation. There isn't much info on the web site, but there are links to a flickr set and a news story, but some of the information in the news story doesn't seem to jive with the evidence in the pictures.

killer rosewood desk

2009-01-26T13:57:00.001-05:00

This desk is just straight up gorgeous. I might be tempted to re-work the design with organizer boxes/drawers on the back of the work surface instead of below the work surface (I'm tall, so I hit my legs on desk drawers). The rosewood is amazing, but this would look great in walnut, too.

Made by Georg Pedersen Cabinetmakers, and spotted at The Modern Warehouse.

Container Condos

2009-01-13T18:50:00.000-05:00

Rick and I frequently covet the potential of the shipping container as an economical alternative to traditional buildings or getaway retreats. Used containers are plentiful and cheap. Build them out close to home and have them shipped to your sanctuary. Here are a few of my favorites.

leather sling chairs

2009-01-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

I've always loved leather sling-type chairs (eg, Marcel Breuer's Model B3 "Wassily" chair). Remodelista featured this Borge Mogenson-designed "Spanish Chair" today. I'd like to spend some time breaking one of them in in front of the fire.

whole earth worms

2009-01-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Whole Earth Catalog is one of my favorite sources of crunchy goodness. Materialicious just clued me in that the catalogs are now available online. Check out this article about the wonders of our friend, the earthworm.

houseboat in amsterdam

2008-12-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Check out this houseboat featured in the NY Times today. I love the sleeping berth (pictured above).

careful, they'll worm their way into your life!

2008-12-22T14:51:00.000-05:00

Sustainability is really about reducing consumption, but we have to consume, so we need to reduce our waste and make it as easy as possible for the earth to take it back. The more waste we stuff down our drains, the more taxing it is to our water municipal water systems.

My wonderful wife gave me a worm farm for my birthday. It's perfect for city dwellers that don't have room for a compost pile. Now we discard almost no kitchen waste. We bought ours from WormsWrangler. The GUSANITO Factory of Worms™ is a self contained system that houses up to 12,000 worms. If done right, there is no odor whatsoever. And you can harvest the best compost possible. We started with 1,000 red wigglers. They'll eat about a pound per thousand per day.

This particular farm has the added feature of a spigot to drain the liquid compost tea that is a bi-product of such a moisture rich environment. You can then use the tea for feeding plants.

All we do is put all our veggie scraps during the week into a container in the fridge. At the end of the week, we chop it up in the food processor. This helps the worms devour everything faster. In a day or so, it's all turned into black gold!

Reclaiming History One Piece at a Time

2008-12-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

I built this bookcase completely from reclaimed wood. The body and shelves of the cabinet are broad leaf pine that came from floor joists. The redwood panels came out of the old Schmidt's brewery where they were use as treads for catwalks. Notice the center backboards, they were book matched to show off the holes that were drilled to run the electric wires throughout the house.

Why use reclaimed wood?

We only have so much new wood available-the more it's used the less there is

You're rescuing wood otherwise destined for the landfill

Reclaimed wood is old growth wood with tight grain and beautiful color

It can be book matched for really interesting grain effect

It has blemishes, yes, but that adds to the sense of history (which we too often forget)

When I use new hardwoods, it's always FSC certified. Check out the Adam Rung Woodworks web site for more reclaimed pieces among many others.

sticky

2008-12-20T08:44:00.000-05:00

I'm lovin' these vinyl wall stickers from Dali Decals. The trees are my faves, but there's alot to pick from. If you're looking for something more urban or poppy, visit the The Surface Store. They're are a local Philadelphia favorite.

surfboard glue up

2008-12-19T12:53:00.001-05:00

My adjustable rocker table worked out great when it came time to glue the internal frame to the bottom deck. Adam, Brad, and Paul were a HUGE help because I was fairly nervous about screwing up the glue-up. The deck is now trimmed and the chine strip is in place. I can't wait to get back and start work on my rails.

spice block

2008-12-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

Remodelista featured this mahogany spice block today. While it's hardly a necessity, this would be a handsome way to serve condiments, and it is fashioned from reclaimed wood scraps. The spice block is made by Domestic Aesthetic and is available from Branch.

cedar strip canoe construction (slideshow)

2008-12-04T17:45:00.000-05:00

wooden surfboard construction

2008-11-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

Skeleton on rocker table.

I spent a lot of time researching the various web sites devoted to surfboard construction, particularly hollow wooden surfboards. The first company one encounters during this process is Grain Surfboards. They manufacture finished wooden boards as well as kits for DIY'rs. They also offer workshops for those who would like a guided tour of the process. Long story short: I like Grain's process and product, but I don't think it's necessary to purchase their full kits to produce an excellent board. That is, *if* you have access to a well equipped wood shop.

Many of the surfboard designs you can find online are based around the concept of a hollow box with straight sides. The rails are then built up out of laminated cork or other lightweight materials, which are then sanded and shaped into rails. The key to the Grain/Blundell designs is that they rely on rails that are built using the cove and bead strip method, which is also the method used in the construction of cedar kayaks. This translates into less waste materials being produced during the shaping of the board as well as (potentially) cleaner transitions from rails to deck.

Rich Blundell, one of the founders of Gain Surfboards, maintains the extremely useful Tree to Sea Wooden Surfboard Builders Forum. I am working from Rich's 9' Wing longboard plan.

A Foot Powered Table

2008-11-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

I came across this treadle lathe and loved the eloquence of the legs. I don't usually find machinery bases that are so delicate in proportion. It was the perfect size for a large hall table. The top is a beautiful slab of maple with much spalting, worm damage, and feathering. It was a diseased yard tree that was harvested locally. I inlayed walnut bow ties in a few of the cracks. The natural, organic slab is in direct contrast with the industrial, man-made base but it all worked together to become one. The shelf was also spalted maple and walnut.

Here is the original antique lathe in it's hey day.

hello, world.

2008-11-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

Adam and I will be using ECO MADE as a forum for news about our projects as well as other items we find interesting. We plan on mining "the intersection of design, craft, and sustainability." What does that phrase mean? We both have a respect for materials and the products produced through human labor. We also have a healthy respect for the products of previous generations and the long tradition of creative re-use of those products.

Expect some posts shortly about our canoe and surfboard building projects. Canoe and kayak construction veteran Brad White is acting as our guide, and Adam's dad Paul has joined us on the excursion. Here's a teaser pic of Brad's canoe.