How We Ship Things
We get quite a few questions that start out something like “How in the world do you move that?”
Great question. Now you can see the answer.
All of our pieces are built to easily assemble and disassemble for shipping, moving and storage. This shows one of our most popular pieces, the Sleepers coffee table, both crated for shipping and set up for showing.
Double Track Credenza
This is a beautiful piece of heavily distressed white oak. It had such a prominent feature in the knot that we simply had to make it the focal point of the piece.
We call it a credenza, but it works great as a hall table, behind the sofa or as a sleek media center for a flat screen TV.
The four legs slide out of the base to make for easy shipping and assembly. The whole thing ships in a box about 60” long, 30” wide and 8” tall and takes two able-bodied people about 5 minutes to assemble.
Just following the old design philosophy of KISS - Keep It Stupid Simple.
Streamliner Conference Table Assembly Video
Here is the previously promised video of us assembling the second conference table we created in conjunction with FME Architecture and Design. They designed the building and commissioned this table for the new Stacy & Witbeck headquarters in San Francisco, CA.
It had to be easy to ship, so you can see the vegan redneck and me putting together the conference table - we even get one rail in the wrong place and still make it happen in under 10 minutes. Not too bad for a couple of old guys.
Streamliner Conference Table
This is the second of the two conference tables for Stacy & Witbeck as directed by FME Architecture + Design. Both of the tables are nearly ten feet long, and you can find the other conference table here.
This was a collaborative effort with Eric and Callie from FME asking for some revisions to the original design that quite frankly, I was hesitant about at first, but I wound up really liking the result.
We used some beech and hickory timbers and a dark stain to give this its distinguished look and strong profile. As with the other conference table, it is built with an extensive system of cable runs to conceal all of the hi-tech AV system.
The whole thing breaks down into 11 pieces and assembles in such a short amount of time with just two people that you have to see it to believe it. Speaking of which , I should post the assembly video next.
Wine Racks
A sample of some of the different styles of wine racks that we have made. These three are far and away our most popular with the slivers of century old rail to cradle your favorite vintages.
Left to right, we have our 8-Bottle Rail Yard model (Sycamore timber), the 5-Bottle Rail Yard model (White Oak) and the 4-bottle Wedge (Elm). The split on the top of the 5-bottle in the bottom photo has a butterfly to hold the split and provide a little more to the conversation around this one.
Wrong Side of the Tracks Assembly Video
On seeing our furniture, many people remark “It must be heavy,” and it is. Just like any piece of high quality furniture meant to last for generations to come.
But we make them easy to ship and assemble and then disassemble to be moved again.
This nearly ten foot long conference table was made for Stacy & Witbeck, a west coast light rail engineering firm in San Francisco. Check out how we built it to be easy to take apart and ship and reassemble. It was put together by just me and the vegan redneck in under 10 minutes. This was the “how to” video they used to assemble it.
We shared the studio shots and other details in an earlier post.
Shot some video that shows how our work gets assembled. We gets lots of questions about how we move these pieces and people have concerns about how to install them in their home or office. Truth is, the vast majority of what we build can be easily assembled by two able-bodied people in a matter of minutes as this video shows.
This one is our very popular Sleepers Coffee Table. We ship it out in the pieces just like this along with a video telling how the piece is assembled. We can also have white glove service install it on site at the client’s request.
This particular table is headed for the west coast to a client in San Francisco for their new corporate headquarters.
Atlanta - you like us! You really like us!
Got some great press while we there.
Thanks to The American Craft Magazine (Feb/Mar 2012 edition)!
First time taking copper and adding patina to it. Started out with a clean sheet - well almost clean.
Used a lemon and a bit of salt to clean the top. Surprising how shiny it got.
Then took a salt and vinegar mixture and brushed it on.
Left it overnight - and oh my, it got green. Wound up with a thick spidery coating on it. Within 48 hours of applying the salt/vinegar solution it was fairly well dry.
Took it outside and washed it off with water to stop the reaction and get a look at it. Got it to the last pic within 48 hours.
It continues to patina and change just a bit, but have not sealed it yet. Letting it run its natural course now for a bit longer until the client says it’s gotten to where they want it to be.
See finished pieces on our web site and keep up with what we are doing via Facebook.
With a demand for authenticity, we insist that only railroad materials be integrated into a design. Furthermore, all of our products are completely “Made in the USA” and are crafted in large part by the same hands that work the railroad on a daily basis – honest, hard-working blue-collar laborers.
About the Designers
Robert Hendrick, Rail Yard Studios founder and designer, learned about wordworking and carpentry on the weekends from his father Jim. Together they are the father and son team responsible for the creations that come out of the studio.
Robert was inspired to create Rail Yard Studios after seeing century-old materials being scrapped by his railroad maintenance and construction company.
He received his undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from Auburn University in 1990 and his Masters of Art in Industrial Design from The Ohio State University.
