Stoneline's office will be closed from December 22 until January 4. Whether you set your holiday table with a tree, a menorah, a kinara, or even an aluminum pole, we hope you have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!
We recently made a couple of special pieces for an orthopedic surgeon in Pullman, WA: a large custom designed display cabinet, and matching credenza with Blue Pearl granite top. We consulted with the client extensively to design furniture that would be perfect for his office. We just received this message:
Hello Diana and Monte,
I just wanted to get a quick note off to let you know that the credenza and display cabinet arrived just fine yesterday. It was delivered on a truck with the lift gate which allowed it to be deposited at our front door. With the installer who helped during our office construction we managed to break down the extremely well constructed shipping crates which withstood the vigors of the cross country trip with no damage. The quality of the crates was an indication of what was to come.
All the pieces were free of any damage including the specially requested granite top for the credenza which is just beautiful. The media cabinet required the muscles of a couple of electricians who were working on another suite in our building but with their help we got it into my office without incident. We got the shelves and doors installed and they all fit perfectly. The lighting in the cabinet works just fine and the glass shelves are beautiful, and with the mirrored back, will show off the Steuben glass to maximum effect.
The brushed stainless steel is flawless and has a very nice crisp appearance which is just what I was looking for. It contrasts very nicely with the light stained ash. The sizes of the pieces look excellent in the office, not being too big or too small. Monte, I appreciate your judgment call on the hardware. The sandblasted lock looks great with the door hinges and both complement the look of the stainless steel side panels very well.
You have been super people to work with throughout this whole project. Everything was extremely professional and I appreciated your patience as we worked out all the details as to dimensions and finish. You obviously take great pride in your work and have every reason to be what with the outstanding quality of the materials you select and the skill with which you fashion them. Thank you very much! I'm very glad that I came across your site on the internet while looking for furniture for my office. --Charles
Thanks so much, Charles. We're glad you came across our site too! We hope you'll send a photo so we can see the credenza and display cabinet in their new home.
A flash of inspiration is sometimes described as a "light bulb moment." In some cases the light bulb isn't just a metaphor.
As part of our commitment to sustainable manufacturing principles, Stoneline Designs is working to reduce our total power consumption by 30%. We reached a big percentage of that goal in 2009, thanks to light bulbs.
This past spring we upgraded all light fixtures in our manufacturing facility. We replaced all the old fixtures and installed high efficiency fluorescent bulbs. With this one change, we've seen our electricity use reduced by over 20%.
A good idea doesn't have to be radical or strange to work. Sometimes improvements are as simple as changing a light bulb.
In this photo, Stoneline artisan Dave continues work on the desk he and Chuck glued up a few days before. Dave uses a chisel and sandpaper to remove imperfections like dried glue marks, and make the tiny adjustments necessary to be sure every inch of the desk meets our quality standard. He will spend many hours on this step of building the desk.
Every wood table, desk or credenza we make receives the same care and attention. These are traditional woodworking techniques and do not involve trade secrets or unusual tools. Just precision, patience, years of experience and the desire to do the job right. When Dave joined Stoneline almost twenty years ago, he made it clear that he didn't want to work in a place where he'd be slapping pieces together without concern for quality. He wanted to build furniture he could be proud of. We're proud too, that all our artisans share that satisfaction in their work.
In wood furniture construction "gluing up" is the crucial step when all the parts come together and the finished piece takes shape. In these photos, watch as Stoneline artisans Dave and Chuck glue up a Cessina desk.
Metal angle brackets are used as splines in the corner joints, where strength is critical.
Each corner joint has 2 metal splines. The pieces of the desk are labeled inside the joins, for a precise fit and so the pencil marks will be hidden when the desk is assembled.
Chuck applies epoxy to the corner joints where the splines will be fitted.
At the same time, Dave applies wood glue to the rest of the joins.
Continue reading How a Desk is Made: Gluing Up.
This conference table is from very recent history: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates at the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA), 3 September 2008. Secretary Gates expressed support for defense ministers throughout the Americas to work together "while also respecting and honoring the sovereignty of each nation." He also spoke on the need for cooperative disaster relief: "We still do not have a comprehensive, hemispherewide mechanism to channel outside assistance to disaster areas effectively." 
This Cessina desk in maple has just been glued up. Stoneline artisans Dave and Chuck measure every angle of the desk before the glue dries, to make sure the desk has been properly fitted together. The desk will be finished with a Wenge stain.
We received this question from a reader:
Q. Today a Zimbabwe granite counter was installed in our kitchen. It was thereafter cleaned by a house cleaning company, I presume with regular cleaning material. Afterwards it showed stripes which we can't get out anymore. We only tried with water, as we did not dare to use any strong material. Please advise if and how we can solve this.
A. You will need to ask your stone fabricator as they probably used a sealer on the stone and you will want to make sure that the cleaning products you use are compatible with their sealer. On stone finished with our sealer, we use a glass cleaning product (Windex) for difficult streaks.
This four inch diameter hole in a granite conference table will be fitted with a wiring grommet which holds 2 power and 2 data outlets under a removable cover.
Even the inside of a wiring hole, which is not seen by anyone once the wiring is in place, receives the same attention to detail as every aspect of our furniture. The inside of the hole has been sandblasted, beveled on the edge, and polished to match the top.
In 1621 the pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag sat down together to share a harvest feast. Take a moment to be thankful for all the good things in life, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
Stoneline Designs recently completed this lectern for CNN's "Inside CNN Studio Tour." The lectern is constructed of Stainless Steel panels riveted to a curved Black Ash form. Wiring and microphone access is concealed inside the pedestal. Click here for more information about this lectern.
Stoneline Designs is pleased to add the Bamboo Conference Table to our line of custom designed, hand built conference tables. The Bamboo Conference Table is sustainable inside and out: the top and pedestal feature bamboo veneer, a renewable resource. The substrate is low emissions MDF, made with no formaldehyde-based glue. And the table is finished with a water based, low VOC finish.
The Bamboo Conference Table is an excellent choice for businesses concerned about their environmental impact, who prefer sustainable furniture. Click here for photos and detailed information about our Bamboo Conference Table.
The Stoneline Designs team receives a shipment of granite for upcoming conference table orders. In this photo Brian, Rob and Mace guide a granite slab off the truck while Bart drives the forklift. 
Stoneline president Monte McDermed (shown here with Mace) personally inspects each piece of granite to make sure it meets his quality standard.
The entire stone surface must be checked for tiny imperfections. Here Brian, Monte and Mace work together to inspect a granite slab.
Nothing cheers up a cold day like a hot cup of tea. But it can be hard to get good tea when you're at your desk all day. The Tea Table Blog has an excellent post on how to make good tea at the office. Here at Stoneline Designs we have both coffee and tea drinkers among us. We agree 100% with the Tea Table Blog that facilities to make tea are all too rare in most offices, and that a coffee maker is no substitute. The residual flavor is so strong that your tea will taste like weak coffee, not tea.
Our taste in tea is not too refined -- no need for the gourmet stuff, we like tea bags just fine -- and we are always grateful when we find decent tea in a business setting. At your next conference, why not set up a hot water dispenser and some good tea bags on the table next to the coffee pot? It's easier to make than coffee, and you may be surprised at how many conference attendees choose tea.
Game designer James Owen Lowe incorporated Stoneline's Cessina coffee table into his design for a Half-Life 2 mod which appeared in the independent film Death In Charge. Lowe says: "The game itself is called "Blood Splattered Corpse Orgy," and will be set in a bright, cheery upper middle class suburban home. Then the player kills some zombies, and all sorts of parts fly hither and thither."
In Lowe's role as environmental artist, he designed 3D renderings of furniture for the home featured in the game. The first piece he designed was a coffee table based on our own Cessina table.
Thanks, James, for immortalizing our table. We can't think of a better setting for a Cessina table than a zombie attack. We only wish it was a real game that we could play! Next time you need a prop for a game, you might use an Axis table for your model: the steel I-beam would make an excellent weapon against zombies.
Our new bamboo conference table, the latest addition to Stoneline Designs' line of office furniture, features the wiring trough with sliding cover. The cover slides open to reveal wiring plates which can be fitted with a variety of power outlets and data ports. When closed, the cover conceals the power outlets.
Move the mouse over the image below to see the wiring trough open and close:
In this photo, Stoneline Designs artisan Mace sands the beveled edge of a granite conference table. Running water reduces heat from friction, and keeps the sander from clogging with debris. The water appears cloudy due to debris rinsing away from the sanding surface.
This granite will be used as part of a multiple piece conference table top, held together with a T-bar in between each piece of granite. Mace stops frequently and measures the bevel against the T-bar, to make sure the edge of the bevel and the edge of the T-bar line up perfectly. This takes time, but ensures a perfect fit and seamless appearance to the finished conference table.
This granite will be used as part of a multiple piece conference table top, held together with a T-bar in between each piece of granite. Mace stops frequently and measures the bevel against the T-bar, to make sure the edge of the bevel and the edge of the T-bar line up perfectly. This takes time, but ensures a perfect fit and seamless appearance to the finished conference table.
William Pickering, James Van Allen and Wernher von Braun of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory hold up a model of the Explorer 1 rocket. This news conference on January 31, 1958, announced the successful launch of Explorer 1, the first US satellite in space.
Our responsibility to you doesn't end when your conference table is made. We expertly crate and palletize your table for safe transport to your door.
Continue reading How a Conference Table Is Shipped.
The wiring grommet is our most popular option for adding wiring/power to a conference table. A 4" hole is cut into the table top, and fitted with a wiring grommet including 2 power and 2 phone/data jacks. The grommet includes a removable cap and is positioned over the pedestal so that wires can be concealed within the pedestal.
In these photos, Stoneline Designs artisan Mace uses a drill press with a diamond bit to cut a grommet hole in a granite conference table top. The table is a multiple piece top, so the grommet must be positioned exactly over the break between two pieces. Clamps hold the pieces secure so they do not shift during the cutting process.
Cutting each hole requires a steady hand, and takes 10-15 minutes for a granite top, longer for glass. Plus the time to measure and position the hole, and secure the pieces and tools in place.
Running water keeps the diamond bit cool as it cuts through the granite stone. Without water the heat generated by friction would cause the bit to expand and possibly shatter.
The finished hole! Even the inside of a wiring hole, which no one will see, receives the same care and attention to detail as all parts of our tables: it will be sandblasted inside, beveled on the edge, polished to match the top, and then fitted with the grommet.
