Steven Weber writes:

 

Groop,

 

Another example of the power of Groop and how Groop members can work together. Through Groop, Tim Puro and I have become friends. We have attended several industry events together and talk occasionally. Tim is in Bloomington IN, while our shop is 2 hours away in Louisville.

In May, Tim approached me with an opportunity to refinish 33 oak tables for Indiana University with a pretty quick turnaround. Are we interested?  What do you think?

Tim educated IU and helped them write the job specs. With the lighting speed of bureaucracy, IU moved ahead, both in issuing the request for quote and awarding the job. I thought several times this opportunity was going to die on the vine. I know Tim had to push/pull/inspire them to action.

Before our bid was submitted, I went to Bloomington to look at the tables. A unique dorm cafeteria, with oak paneled walls, upholstered oak chairs and the tables. The tables were in pretty rough shape. 7' and 9' solid oak tables with trestle bases. Multiple repairs with corner blocks, screws, and angle iron to holding them together. Due to the amount of repair required, we modified our bid. Well, I gave a number and Tim got stuck doing the paperwork and submitting the bid. Before my inspection, I was confident that we could do the job in the time given, after my inspection, I wasn't so sure.

Again, we waited for the bureaucracy to budge. In mid July, after a week delay they finally did. And of course, IU had an event date that the tables had to be back for. We got the job with an even shorter fuse, 32 tables in 12 business days. Tim was the GC, handling everything from the school to our shop door. Tim arranged for a moving company to transport from and to Bloomington. My shop has over 7,000sf with 2 furniture makers and 2 finishers. I led the stripping process and then stepped aside and tried to facilitate my guys so they could do their craft.

 

Key refinishing points:

-Shop theme was Production Vs Craftsmanship

--Durable/functional/appearance in that order

--Priority job, All hands on deck

--With 32 tables, 15 minutes spent on every table equals 1 man-day of work

 

-32 tables, 27 @ 7-1/2' x 3', 5 @ 9' x 3'

-12 business days (2.6/tables per day)

- Stripping. No real problem, a matter of table quantity and elbow grease.

 

-24 of 32 tabletops split and had to be reglued. Did I mention the corrugated fasteners throughout the tabletop undersides?

 

-Tabletops went to a cabinet shop for sanding with wide belt sander. A real labor and time saver. The tabletops were cupped enough that after sanding, 8 split at different joints and needed to be reglued and resanded.

-Specs called for filled grain oak tops. Magnamax was our finish of choice

--Surprising little reaction to contamination

-Storage. Where do you put 32 tables, tops, bases and brackets?

-Tables would be transported during the summer, on top of each other, in a semi. "How quickly does that finish cure? Are you sure?"

 

The tables were finished and picked up last week. Overall, no significant production problems or events. Tim managed the University, movers, delivery, and installation.

 

Business wise, work here is slower than we are accustomed to. With summer here, our backlog is not where it should be. This project was welcomed both as a production challenge and financially.

 

From the e-mails Tim has shared, IU is pleased with the tables and ecstatic with Monroe Furniture Restoration and the service Tim provides.  Tim is a not just a superb craftsman, but an excellent businessman.

 

Groop is Good!

 

Steven W.
Louisville