How it's made
Six steps, every time.
Six steps, in order, on every piece that leaves the shop. The machines get the attention, but most of the hours are in the milling and the sanding either side of them.
On the bench
Start to finish
Milling
Rough lumber comes in twisted and cupped. It gets flattened on the jointer, brought to thickness on the planer, and left to sit for a few days to see whether it moves. Wood that is going to argue does it now, not after it is a board.
Layout and glue-up
Grain gets matched across the joint so the seam disappears, then everything goes in clamps with a food-safe waterproof glue. Overnight, always — a rushed glue-up is a board that comes apart in a year.
Cutting and carving
Shapes are cut on the CNC and detail is carved or engraved on the laser, depending on what the piece needs. This is the fast part and the part people picture, and it is maybe a tenth of the work.
Sanding
Up through the grits to 220, edges eased by hand so nothing is sharp, then the grain is raised with water and knocked back once more. This is the longest step and the one you feel rather than see.
Finishing
Food-safe mineral oil and a beeswax blend on anything that touches food, a hard wax oil on wall pieces. Multiple coats, buffed between each one.
Checking and packing
Flat on the bench, no rock, no rough spots, engraving crisp and square. Then it gets wrapped and boxed with care instructions.