Ben Riddering

Maiden Voyage for the Dehumidifier Kiln!

Posted in The Shop, Tools with tags D/H kiln, dehumidifier kiln on May 16, 2013 by benriddering

I just put the finishing touches on the new D/H kiln yesterday. I’m going to fire it up today (in a manner of speaking–hopefully there won’t be any real fire involved). Wish me luck! I used plans that I bought the plans online from Daren Nelson. Daren has been building these D/H kilns since 2005 and offers his plans and email technical support for $25. I’ll let you know how it works.

*UPDATE 05/17/13: The kiln has been running for a full day now. It’s working like a dream! I’ve emptied 10 pints (20 cups) of water out of the drain bucket in 24hrs–Not bad! I would like to elaborate on the details here….temperature and such. But out of respect for Daren Nelson, who’s design I used to build the system, I will refer any questions to him. If you are looking to build a small efficient kiln for yourself, Daren’s plans are well worth the money. See the link to his site above.

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Friday Morning Surf!

Posted in The Ridderings... with tags D/H kiln, dehumidifier kiln on May 3, 2013 by benriddering

Why didn’t I do this earlier in the week? Sheesh!

At the shop….I have a load of VG douglas fir that needs to be dried (for an upcoming interior door project). So today I am building my own dehumidifier kiln. This kiln will consist of a large box, a flood light (for heat), and a fan for circulation. The box will be about 3.5′ x 3.5′ x 12′ and should be capable of drying about 300 board foot in a batch (for about .05 per board foot in electricity). I’ll let you know how it works out.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Time to Wine

Posted in Built-in pieces with tags custom wine storage, Photography, Reclaimed lumber wine cellar, Wine bottle rack, Wine Cellar on April 26, 2013 by benriddering

I am excited about this wine cellar project that I started this week. I am using removable dividers in the bottle racks to allow for different patterning (“X” pattern, zig-zag, diamond pattern, etc…). The dividers can also be left out to allow space for wine glass storage or vertical bottle display (as you will see in some of the photos). The bottle racks will be inserted between rock pillars in the cellar and will be backlit as I did on this project.

Next I will tackle the cellar doors, and then the cabinetry, wine glass storage, and a large liquor cabinet. Stay tuned!

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Made from reclaimed pine planks.

To see other wine related projects click here: Wild Coyote Winery , Zaca Mesa Winery

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Reclaimed Chair

Posted in FOUND: Objects with tags Photography, reclaimed chair on April 11, 2013 by benriddering

Dumpster diving! I saw this beauty in the dumpster behind my shop and couldn’t resist. My brother, Abe, repaired it and added the mint green paint.Shop dog, Zoom, got in on the action.

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Hanging Bed Highlighted by RealLife Magazine

Posted in Beds, Press with tags Hanging Bed, Photography, suspended bed on April 9, 2013 by benriddering

Pages 58 and 59:

Check out RealLife Magazine (Spring 2013 Issue) online here.

For more photos of my hanging beds click here.

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Round Wine Tasting Bar — Wild Coyote Winery (Paso Robles, CA)

Posted in Brighams furniture, Built-in pieces with tags Photography, Round bar, Wild Coyote Wine Bar, Wine tasting bar reclaimed materials on April 1, 2013 by benriddering

On friday we delivered this wine tasting bar to Wild Coyote Winery in Paso Robles, CA. This is another project that I partnered with John Brigham on. The bar is about 15′ in diameter.

Wild Coyote winery is a great little wine country retreat! In addition to the winery, and wine club functions, they recently added a bed and breakfast. Check them out online at http://www.wildcoyote.biz/As the old saying goes, “It takes a lot of beer to make a good wine [bar]“.