Plants, Beer, and Comiccon

With the warmer weather finally here, we just want to be outside! But since we can't be at Clocktower enjoying Wil Wheaton's new beer, we'll settle for adding a little 'greenery' to our store. We now carry air plants!

What is an air plant? 
Well if you don't have a green thumb, these plants are ideal. They require basically no maintenance as they are airborne plants. As "Better Homes and Gardens" say, they 'thrive on neglect'!

Just spritz some water on them occasionally and they will survive. (Are you now humming "I Will Survive"? I am... great...)

For more information on how to grow them, click here to read a great article on the BH&G website.

Cathy had some fun displaying some various types of air plants in a unique Maple Burl we have on display. Next time you're in the shop, come take a look!

And here are a few pics of some *cringe* fake plants for inspiration on how to combine wood & greenery.

While you're at Comiccon this weekend, don't forget to stop by one of our customers booths, Ben from Elkasha Arts. He designs incredible Intarsia work in a variety of your favourite characters!
Give him a 'like here at www.facebook.com/Elkashaarts

Our new showroom, from start to finish!

The last few months have been quite the journey for us at KJP! It started with an idea, then a couple dozen sketches, and then the talented Derek from Within The Grain brought our visions to life! We could not be happier with the final outcome and highly recommend Derek for all your building needs. He is fantastic at renovations of any type. He can even create decorative wood turnings & carvings to display in your home. 

Drop by the store and see the new showroom in person! And feel free to share... you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kjpselecthardwoods

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kjpselecthardwoods/

Here are pics from start to finish. (Please excuse the iPhone photos) 

Looking back, it's hard to believe there wasn't always a hole there!

And voila, we are excited to say "IT'S DONE!"

In our new showroom, you will find hundreds of live edge slabs, serving trays, and live edge boards. We also have a section at the back dedicated to barn board, rustic timbers etc.

You can pick your board, select your legs (we have wood and hairpin available), choose your finish, and wood glue. A one-stop-shop for creating beautiful, custom furniture! 

Wood Identification Contest

A few weeks ago, we were fortunate to attend and exhibit at the Woodworks Conference held in Perth. It was a fantastic weekend. So much knowledge and enthusiasm all under the same roof! 

We thought it would be fun to have a 'Wood Identification' contest. We poked around our store searching for really interesting woods that would make you really think! We'd like to thank everyone who took the time to play our little game. A big congratulations goes to Andrew Strome, who is the winner and received a $250 gift certificate to our store. 

Thought we'd post the answers just for fun....

#1 - Black Limba

#2 - Willow Burl

#3 - Apple

#4 - East Indian Rosewood

#5 - Katalox

#6 - Red Zebrawood

#7 - Buckeye Burl

#8 - Verawood

#9 - Amboyna Burl

#10 - Spalted Maple

Woods of our store

There are others, but these are the most popular woods! Below the images is also a list of all our woods. Enjoy...

From the truck - to the showroom

Our showroom is FULL of wood. But it's not as easy as dropping skids with a forklift.... here's a peak into what KJP does to provide all this beautiful wood for our customers! 

Our most recent shipment. This was about 2/3 of what was on the truck. 

Skid by skid, lumber that is 8ft or less in length is brought into the warehouse by forklift. Note: the warehouse, not the showroom. 

Generally everything else is brought in by hand... 

These Zebrawood 'cookies' are huge! Glad we had the forklift for bringing these into the warehouse..

Each board is brought from the warehouse to the workshop (by hand), then individually planed so you can see the grain. (skip dressed) The final step: bringing the new wood into the showroom and individually pricing each board. 

4/4 and 8/4 Nogal - Just in

4/4 Padauk & 8/4 Yellowheart - Just in

Visit our What's New page for the rest of this shipment. We added over 25 tons to our inventory - your next visit will certainly be different! 

Follow our Facebook page for the most current KJP updates!

Livos Products - What to use when

We have really expanded our Livos line-up! Each product is a little different so we decided to take a minute and summarize the benefits of each one.

All Livos products have these facts in common, so I'll summarize that now:
- Environmentally & ecologically friendly
- Low odor
- High coverage ability
- Very simple to apply
- Simply wipes on, goes a long way

If you haven't worked with Livos before, we also have a post on "How to apply Livos: Tips & Tricks"

Livos - Kunos 244
Available in 50ml, 250ml, 750ml, 2.5L and 10L
- Approved for food contact according to German standards
- Used in furniture & flooring
- Seals & protects
- Bring out the natural grain and figure
Ideal for: furniture, cabinets, mantels...



If you like the finish but need to change or enhance the colour of the wood, we have 24 colours to select from.
50ml available in all 24 colours
250ml available in:White, Black, Walnut, Dark Walnut, Cocobolo, Intensive Cherry, Black Bean, Elm Dark Brown, Smoked Oak, Mahogany & Rosewood
750ml available in: Cherry, Walnut & Black Bean


Livos - Kunos 243 - Clear Countertop Oil
Available in 50ml, 250ml and 750ml
- High waterproof ability
- Approved for food contact according to German standards
- Thicker viscosity than the Livos 244 however has an equal appearance
Ideal for: kitchen table, kitchen counters...

Can also be applied as a topcoat on KUNOS 244 increasing its waterproof ability.



Livos - LINN - Bathroom Furniture Oil
Available in 250ml and 750ml
- Designed for solid wood furniture subjected to high humidity levels
- Increased waterproof ability and higher sheen
- Superior resistance to toothpaste stains
Ideal for: bathroom counter, any where there is high humidity or moisture

Livos: Gleivo Beeswax
Available in 250ml
Ideal for: perking up existing furniture

Livos: Svalos 222 - Tool cleaner and Thinner
Available in 1L
- Clear, colourless, with a pleasant orange odor
- Very efficient tool cleaner
- Use as a thinner with oil based products
- Removes fresh stains
Finally a pleasant smelling cleaner that does the job!

It's time to get organized

The holidays are over and the guilt has sunk in. The extra belly fat and the 'being nicer' is already on your 2014 to-do list, but what about a clean shop?

A clean shop is a safe shop! Here are some great organizational projects that will help keep your shop organized and maximize space. Your spouse will no longer be able to say, "hunny you have no room for that". In comes the new bandsaw....

1) You can take down the 2013 Maxim calendar and replace the empty space with this. Space effective and smart. Instructions and materials needed can be found on The Family Handyman's website here.

Photo courtesy of The Family Handyman

2) Tray for holding your blades. Rockler has already done a great post on how to build one. Click here for the direct link.

Photo courtesy of Rockler

3) Don't want to ruin your nice work bench? This is a great idea to prevent glue/paint/finish spills.. here is a direct link to an article on Wood Magazine for how to make it.

Photo courtesy of Wood Magazine

4) Tired of tripping on wires? Take a few minutes and build this.... great idea!

Tip found on Wood Magazine

If you’re tired of tripping over extension cords and accidentally kicking them loose from the outlet, hang ’em high using the simple suspension cable shown. When you’re done for the day, the whole cord system slides back against the wall.

Begin by driving two screw eyes into a ceiling joist to hold the clothesline. Fasten the clothesline to one screw eye, slip the metal shower curtain rings over it, and attach the other end to the other screw eye. Space the rings along the clothesline as shown, slip the extension cord through the rings, and secure the cord to them with wire ties.

—Buck Nall, Alma, Ga.

Photo courtesy of Wood Magazine

5) Penturners - organize your bushings in a dollar store plastic tray. A $1.00 investment is well worth the headaches of losing/misplacing bushings.

6) Do you constantly trip over wood you forgot you already own? Keep it organized with a multiple compartment, rolling cart. I found this genius idea at Shop Notes, here's the link.

7) It's simple, but it's smart. Picture says it all.

8) Ever lose a sock? Perfect. You have just built a "safety glasses organizer". Now the only way it will work, is if you actually use it.... you'll be surprised what you can actually see when your glasses aren't covered in sawdust.

9) A quick trip to Walmart and you are all set to keep your sandpaper organized. And when you have outgrown that method, the 2nd option will ensure you stay organized. Here is the link to Lumberjocks website for the instructions and materials needed.

Photo courtesy of Lumberjocks

10) Does your spouse enjoy cooking?

Last tip: Print out all your favourite *complicated* recipes and put them in a binder. Keep it unlabelled, but in a safe and memorable spot. When your spouse enters your workshop and gives you a "honey-do" project, remove a recipe from your binder and make a deal. Win/win for everyone!

Hope you enjoyed todays post!