Introduction
I love a storm...
I'm not talking about the kind of storm described in Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, with hundred-foot waves and terrifying intensity. No, the storms I love are the ones that Mother Nature throws at us now and again that find all the trees -- trees that have had their roots undermined by heavy rains or have been felled by beavers. Mother Nature sweeps up all the debris with wind and rain into the world's largest washing machine: the lakes and oceans. She debarks the trees, removes branches, thoroughly cleans them, then tumbles them around for weeks, even years. At long last, with the arrival of the storm, they're pounded onto beaches for the final bleach-and-dry cycle.
That's where I come in. Almost five years ago, as I walked along the boardwalk of my favorite town, Goderich Ontario, I found my first piece of driftwood. It was silvery white, with a finish smoother than sandpaper could produce, so hard it was almost petrified and had such an interesting shape that my imagination was instantly ignited.
Since then, hundreds of trips to the beach have allowed me to create garden furniture and sculptures that are strong, artistically appealing in a rustic way and will last for years to come. Mother Nature is ruthless about determining what pieces survive that pounding on the rocks and beaches -- the survivors dull my tools with their incredible hardness and make assembly a little more challenging. The result is well worth the effort.
One thing I have learned after traversing the beaches for the last few years is that it becomes obvious that whatever sinks out there in the lakes and oceans invariably ends up on our beaches -- albeit in pieces. On our local beach I have come across parts of vessels that sank or were scuttled a hundred years ago. I've seen log beams 12-by-12-inches square with long 1 1/2 inch spikes through them.
During one particularly heavy storm last summer, there was a tornado warning. The result was a 5-foot rise in the water level of the Maitland River beside us. The floating debris that passed us the next day consisted of an assortment of driftwood logs, two picnic tables, a small overturned boat, dock remnants and an incredible amount of silt. All this material was swept out a mile or so into the lake, then picked up by the onshore waves and dumped onto the lovely sandy beach.
It was quite an eyesore. The beach had been so pristine and picturesque, but after the storm there was this band of tangled mess that stretched for miles along the shoreline. Now there was a race against time to retrieve some pieces of this driftwood before the "firebugs" got to it. In their haste to clean up the beach, town workers pile up the debris and burn it. Unfortunately, all the burnable pieces are usually those that are easily carried and, of course, are the nicest and most suited to my hobby. That day, though, I was quicker than they were and found some great pieces to add to my collection.
I hope to instill the enthusiasm I have for building driftwood furniture to my readers because, believe me, the satisfaction of finding your first pieces, putting your imagination in gear and making your first creation cannot be described. You will, I'm sure, catch the fever that I've experienced and will want to press on to your next project, and the one after that, and the one after that...
This book's purpose is to introduce you to a hobby that is not only absorbing and exciting, but the end result is that you wind up with some useful, long-lasting creations that you will enjoy along with everyone else. I have grown a passion for driftwood that borders on obsession. No, addiction is more the word. I can't resist the call to the beach, especially following a storm. I store the driftwood knowing that if I don't, someone will get to it first and burn it on a beach campfire.
On the following pages, you will find many ideas, information on ways to get started, production tips and detailed instructions for 19 driftwood projects. Great lengths have been taken to document the progress of some of the projects. Difficulty levels vary from nice and easy, right up to challenging and intricate.
This hobby can be enjoyed by the whole family or by any individual person. It is very economical, stimulating to the imagination and a thoroughly healthy outdoor pastime. The health benefits include the many walks along the beaches and river edges, the fresh air you get from working outside and the muscular activity required to achieve your results. I also think that the complete absorption of your mind while it's wrapped up in the creative process relieves you from the everyday stresses of world news, stock market fluctuations, housework, the kids' problems and so on.
It is true that you need somewhere to work and a bench. My workbench is my picnic table at the cottage, but you can scale down the size of any project to fit your available working quarters. The sun may be a factor to contend with if you work outside -- I had to buy a 9-foot umbrella to protect my fair skin. The tools required are covered in Chapter 3, but bear in mind that you can get away with just a few to start and as you get more ambitious you can expand your arsenal later.
If you live alongside or near a lake or river shoreline, then you are very fortunate and can begin almost immediately. Others will need to venture out when they can to find the pieces they need. Although I stress the source of wood to be off the beaches and rivers, I find that woodlots can also be loaded with interesting pieces. Weathered wood obtained from lightning-struck trees or those that have succumbed to rot invariably take others down with them, thereby making for some excellent supplies.
I believe this hobby provides one of the mose unfettered ways of building furniture for your home or garden. You have complete freedom to continually change your design (remember, almost everything is screwed or bolted together to enable you to do this) right up to the finish. You don't even have to worry about scratching any pieces, varnishing or painting, or even the odd hole drilled in error. Nothing can faze you in your endeavors.
It is hard to imagine that this might be the first book ever written devoted totally to this subject, but I'm sure from now on, there will be others. Building with driftwood is an entirely unique experience. And after all is said and done, there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that there is not another piece in the world quite the same as yours.
Have fun.
