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The wood for WV Woodenware products comes from a farm in Greenbrier County, WV. The farm grows a variety of hardwoods, including wild cherry, black walnut, yellow and black locust, red and white oak, white ash, hickory, butternut and maple. Some of the boxes and trays are made of softer woods such as catalpa and sassafras. Trees are harvested that are standing dead, blown over, or damaged.
Most of the logging is done in the winter and the horses bring the logs in by sled. The logs are cut into slabs with a portable band saw mill. The slabs are then air dried either in the barn or in covered stacks.
After two or three years (it takes about a year per inch of thickness), the slabs are brought into the shop for additional drying.
Bench legs and rungs get dried in the cabin loft above the cookstove.
The piece of wood determines the product made. Benches and stools are made from hardwood slabs with natural edges.
The legs and rungs are made with a draw knife on a shaving horse and fitted together with mortise and tenon joints. Machine sanding produces a smooth finish.
For spoons, a blank is cut on a bandsaw and then hand shaped with draw knives and carving knives. The bowl of the spoon is carved out by hand gouges. Serving Bowls are also hand carved. Trays and boxes are fitted together with dovetails. Coatracks are made from natural edge slabs with natural "bark on" hooks.
Woodenware products are made to be used! Benches, boxes and trays are finished with a mixture of boiled linseed oil and turpentine, and then two coats of Waterlox (a mixture of tung oil and resin that permeates the wood surface to provide protection from moisture). Spoons and bowls are finished with a mixture of mineral oil and beeswax.