ETI staff was lucky enough to be invited by the founder of Blue Ox Millworks, Eric Hollenbeck to view an Old Growth Redwood slab conference table that had just been constructed and coated with EnviroTex Lite. To see it in person is amazing. The wood is over 2000 years old.
Eric Hollenbeck with Old Growth Redwood conference table coated with EnviroTex Lite
Polishing newly coated table with paste wax
Overhead view of Old Growth Redwood slab conference table
Legs and underside of Old Growth Redwood conference table
Close up view of EnviroTex Lite coating
Milling the Old Growth Redwood slabs used for the table pictured above and the President's Table pictured below
The log pictured above being milled by Eric and his crew was felled in the woods of Fieldbrook, CA. It was left in the woods because the curly-figured grain was not suitable for lumber. When landowners found the log they donated to Blue Ox Millworks. Eric and his team constructed several tables including the table featured above and the President's table pictured below.
Eric Hollenbeck, Founder of Blue Ox Millworks
In 1994 Eric Hollenbeck was asked to testify at the Forest Summit in Portland, OR. The conference was held to discuss the current state of the National Forests and what to do next in regards to logging procedures. He spoke before then President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, 5 Cabinet members, 300 audience members and 800 members of the press. It was the largest concentration of power under one roof, outside of Washington D.C. since Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt was president. Everyone was so impressed with what Eric had to say that he was later flown to Washington D.C in 1994 to be honored in Clinton's Earth Day Speech (pictured below).
President Clinton's Earth Day Speech honoring Eric Hollenbeck
Eric Hollenbeck with President Clinton
In 1993 Blue Ox Millworks was to be visited by President Clinton. Following the tradition of Seth Kinmen, a famous trapper from Northern California, who in 1866 gave President Lincoln a chair made out of elk antlers, Eric made President Clinton the table pictured below as a welcome gift. Unfortunately, the President was unable to visit Blue Ox due to security reasons but sent Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt in his place.
Constructed from the Old Growth Redwood log pictured above the table is 4 feet wide and 14 feet long. The legs were hand forged by Eric and local Blacksmith, Don Butler. Eric hand-carved the six feet, the four corner feet are Grizzly bear paws to symbolize California. The center two feet are eagle talons to symbolize the Federal Government. The table edges were stained with hand crafted walnut stain and the surface was stained with Paduak stain.
