Phase I complete of our BIGGEST mill project yet!
Our AfterPlus mill has a great story: We take the trees we remove from our urban forest and give them a second life. We try to harvest as much millable wood as we can, but the logistics around it are not so simple.
This particular project is a 2-year project for the Irvine Company (the largest private landowners in CA!).
We removed 43 mature Redwoods from their development site in the South Bay, with the purpose to fabricate 90 custom-designed benches, and install them back onto the site after construction.
We won’t get into the MANY obstacles and design challenges surrounding this project, but let’s just say, it’s definitely not as simple as: mill, dry, make, repeat.
As an example: When working with Redwood that grows in an urban environment, most times they are well irrigated, which means they grow faster, which means their rings are larger, which means they twist and warp way more as they dry. So when making 14′ foot long pieces, the warping, twisting and sapping were a major challenge.
But, through every step of the way, Lloyd was determined, committed, and came through. He’s taken everything as it comes at him with grace, a smile, and maybe a little bit of anxiety.
Paul Tibbets was also clutch throughout many of the milestones and during the installations.
We victoriously completed Phase I of the four-phase project, which is on schedule to done by Q2 of next year.
And here are a few of the beautifully finished products, perfectly placed in the landscape.
