The Kubek Process

Our Timber's Origins

The main varieties of timber that we use are Quebec Yellow Wood, American White Oak, European Oak and Tulipwood. The timber is cut down and kiln-dried, to help remove moisture and reduce warpage. The majority of our timber comes from North America, which does not warp as much as European Yellow Wood. Furthermore, the timber we use is FSC-controlled wood, which supports sustainable methods of harvesting wood and fights unethical timber sourcing. We believe that furniture should be enjoyed with the knowledge that we are reducing our own carbon footprint through the re-planting of trees. For more information on this, check out the FSC website: www.fsc-uk.org/en-uk.

After being kiln-dried, the timber is left to air-dry in timber yards for extended periods of time. It is good to remember that each piece of timber may be different, and will react differently to each environment, even though it will go through the same process. Once the drying period is complete, the timber is shipped to us in the UK, where it reaches the final destination at our workshop to become the rustic furniture that we make.

The Quebec Yellow Wood is the base to a number of the items that we make, such as the Authentic and Artisan dining tables, beds and cabinets. We also make a number of items in European Quercus Oak, which whilst more expensive than Yellow Wood, is also a harder wood and provides a much different finish.

Our Products

Our standard dining tables are made entirely from Quebec Yellow Wood or European Oak, with a 50mm-thick top, a 25mm-thick frame and 4" x 4" square legs. Additionally, our beds are made with 1" thick slats and come with a Lifetime Guarantee, meaning that should your bed ever break, we will fix or replace it free of charge. By using real solid wood, our tables and beds are incredibly strong - we also use the strongest fittings in the industry. 

We pride ourselves on making quality Solid Wood products in our own workshop and every piece of furniture is made to order especially for you. We pride ourselves on using British Wadkins woodworking machinery, which includes band and circular saws to help us achieve a hand-crafted product and show all the characteristics of this process. The beauty of real wood means that every item is individual and will vary slightly with saw marks, strap marks used during transportation by timber merchants, knots, grain, colour and roughness of timber.

Our Finishes

Once our products have finished their construction process by our trained cabinet makers, they are ready to be finished in a range of styles. The most popular styles that we produce are known as the Authentic ranges. These are achieved with either one or two coats of our tried and tested Fiddes Wax. For our regular Authentic range, we apply a coat of stain to the wood before finishing with two coats of wax, leaving the furniture with a deeper, browner finish. The Authentic Light Wax range is finished with just a single coat of stain, without the need for stain, providing a lighter finish.

Once finished, the final product is buffed, due to the unpredictability of the natural timber. 

The Artisan range, whilst also only using one coat of wax, is achieved using a grinding process with the use of an angle grinder rather than traditional sanding. This means that the table is finished in an even more rustic and 'freehand' style than the Authentic products. 

Our last popular finish is increasingly fancied painted furniture. Once sanded, the timber is finished in a paint, the colour of which can be one of our popular colours such as grey or white, or it can be chosen by you, the customer. This adds variety to the more natural wood colour but also maintains the grain of the timber at the surface, providing a lovely contrast.

A Natural Product

Wood is a natural product and is subject to some natural defects. Each piece of furniture is therefore unique and will not match the showroom model exactly. We maintain the presence of knots in our furniture due to the nature of wood. Natural wood is also subject to shade and grain variations. Please be aware that sunlight, extreme temperatures and central heating or under-floor heating may affect the moisture content in the wood. Natural splits may occur but will not affect the structure or strength of your furniture item. If you would like to discuss the qualities of real wood with us at greater length, contact us through email at kubekfurniture@icloud.com or 01664668450 and we will be happy to help!