Jeff Casper's Reclaimed-Shipwreck-Lumber-based Furniture

Posted by hipstomp / Rain Noe | 8 Aug 2012 | Comments (0)

Time for our annual check-in with California-based industrial designer Jeff Casper. For those of you working with reclaimed lumber, about the best you can hope for is to get some timbers out of a decommissioned factory; the lucky Casper recently got to work a more unique source, salvaging parts off of a shipwreck in Malibu (pictured above).

Commissioned by a Malibu-based friend, Casper created a shoe rack, a windowsill desk, a portable-heater/end-table cover, shelving, and a sofa/guest bed. The shipwreck, as well as scraps from Casper's various treehouse projects, provided the lumber.

With the exception of a few basic new items from Ikea (mattresses, sofa cover, storage boxes, led lighting, wiggly twigs), the entire project was built from scratch with disregarded scraps. There were a variety of hardwoods & softwoods used to construct this multi-unit assembly.

Initially, all the original hardware was removed, then the wood was milled & sanded. Star-headed woodscrews & glue were used to fasten the components together. These fastening points, which were visible, were countersunk & hardwood dowel filled (as were all the original holes). A bioresin epoxy was used on all the wood pieces to provide a glossy waterproof seal & enhance viewing the woodgrain without further maintenance.

Casper's also put together a video on the project. The frenetic editing and shaky camerawork make it a bit tough to follow, and you'll want to turn your speakers down if you're at work, but it does give you a better look at the pieces than the still photos do: