Friendly Harvest starts out
life as high quality hardwood logs from managed forests in Africa. Timber
experts roam the forest to hand select each tree, choosing no more than one per
acre. Only fast growing Obeche and Koto are harvested from Africa and supplemented
with plantation grown Italian Poplar.
Once harvested, the trees
are sawed to length and then debarked. The prepared logs are then mounted on a
lathe, peeled into rotary veneer, and clipped to 25" veneer leaves. They
are then dried, stacked and dyed.
Dyeing is the key to the
remarkable color consistency of Friendly Harvest veneer. The veneer
leaves are selected according to the color and pattern they are intended to
create. Then they are stacked in a steel cage and is submerged in a heated,
pressurized vat which contains a water soluble dye. Once the dye has completely
penetrated the veneer leaves, they are removed and dried.
Glue is then layered between
each leaf to create a sandwich which is then pressed using a high pressure
press to form a large rectangular block. The glue serves two important
functions. It not only bonds the layers of veneer together, but by adding dye
to the glue, it enhances the grain and adds character to the veneer.
Creating the Grain Pattern
The dyeing process ensures
color consistency while the shape of the laminated block and the angle of cut
control the grain pattern. The end result is a beautiful, look-a-like to
some of nature most treasured species while maintaining a "Friendly
Harvest".