Reclaiming Cedar

We took down our old tool shed which left us with a whack of 3rd grade old growth cedar that the lumber yard was having a hard time giving away.  I was thinking firewood or fencing when one of my clients asked me for a bench for his outdoor shower. It seemed like a quick and easy job I could knock off before we left for our paddling trip so off to the cedar pile I trundled.

I selected one piece and ripped the wane off on the table saw and thought, "Hmmm... edge grain!". A pass or two through the thickness planer uncovered a beautiful piece of wood with lots of colour and variations in the grain. All of a sudden I'm in a quandary. The client wanted a rough bench but the wood demanded something more finished. That jump crosses the line from charging per hour to charging for a finished art piece.

While I'm sure that they will like the bench, I don't feel right about charging them for a piano bench when they asked for a beach bench. As my good friend, Albini, points out, the first one always takes the longest and serves as a prototype for successive works. I think I'll chalk this up to a learning experience, take the lumps on the extra time I spent, charge for a rough bench, and just feel proud of my work.