These bed platforms are made to look like they are floating (no legs–right?). They will have the traditional hanging ropes at each corner of the bed to appear like they are hanging from the ceiling, but the client was unsure of the ceiling structure, so I welded steel bases for them. This was challenging because the bases had to be small enough not to be seen, but large enough to support the bed. Here is what I came up with:
Look Mom! No Legs!
Posted in Beds, Furniture with tags Hanging Bed, suspended bed on May 30, 2013 by benridderingMaiden Voyage for the Dehumidifier Kiln!
Posted in The Shop, Tools with tags D/H kiln, dehumidifier kiln on May 16, 2013 by benridderingI 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.
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!
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!
Made from reclaimed pine planks.
To see other wine related projects click here: Wild Coyote Winery , Zaca Mesa Winery
Reclaimed Chair
Posted in FOUND: Objects with tags Photography, reclaimed chair on April 11, 2013 by benridderingDumpster 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. 
Hanging Bed Highlighted by RealLife Magazine
Posted in Beds, Press with tags Hanging Bed, Photography, suspended bed on April 9, 2013 by benriddering
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]“.
UPDATE 04/14/2013:
Shannon and I went to Wild Coyote on Sunday for a little wine tasting. Here is a snapshot of the bar in use (below). 
