When Parker Converse II of Sarasota Rocking Chair needed to turn an Amboyna burl into a high-end rocking chair, he needed someone who could dry this rare and expensive raw product. PCS VacDry Kilns custom kiln drying turned the burl into enough usable product for him to produce two rocking chairs!
From his website:
"I am now offering an Amboyna Burl rocker. At $32,000 a chair these are the most expensive rocking chairs I've ever built and certainly the most interesting and beautiful. The process starts with my friend Russ from Global Wood Source who harvests the burls and brings them to CA from Laos. I then select one for color, figure and dimension then have it milled while I am in CA. The wood is then shipped to PC Specialties, Inc. in Jersey Shore Pennsylvania. They dry the burl in a high-tech vacuum kiln cutting up to three years off the normal drying time. The wood is then shipped on to me about 6 weeks later. At that time construction of the rocking chair begins and slender laminates of either Rosewood or Curly Bubinga are used in key areas like the middle of the rear legs, the center of the back braces and in the rockers to add strength and stability to the burl. The seat, arms and headrest remain solid Amboyna stock. These chairs take about three times longer to make and the cost of materials and handling is about 10 times that of one of my lower priced rockers. The extra time, effort and cost are worth it, however, and the final product is simply magnificent. As with all my chairs a number of different arm, leg and headrest styles are available and each chair is custom made to fit you perfectly."
From The Forestry Forum:
Read more here, at the original Forestry Forum discussion!"Just wanted to thank you all for your input on drying my burl. At this point I don't feel as though I could have found two more knowledgeable people than Dennis and Garrett Socling. Garrett sent me a few photos after a week in the "chamber" and the degrade appears to be non existent or minimal at best. Gotta love this technology. I can't wait to see the finished product. If it holds together (and I expect it will) this process will stand as a real milestone in drying technology. Not that I know much about drying but after talking to at least a dozen experts and getting an equal number of conflicting opinions, if we are successful, this will effectively set some new standards in the drying world. I can't imagine why anyone would want to use traditional methods of air drying for several years then kiln drying for several months if vacuum drying can be so effective with such quick turnaround. Thanks again Dennis. - Parker"
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