American Heirlooms - October 2018

American Heirlooms - October 2018

302-653-2411

OCTOBER 2018

THE BUSINESS IS AN EXTENSION OF OUR FAMILY

For the Zimmerman family, custom cabinets and custom furniture isn’t just a job; it’s part of our family history. From growing up around the skills of craftsmen to spending countless hours in wood shops, we sometimes take for granted the artistry our family has. But comparing it to any other line of business we could be doing, we wouldn’t trade it for anything. In the beginning, the shop was started with Fred and Glenn Zimmerman, the sons of a building contractor in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The brothers took apart their mother’s kitchen chair. They examined the chair’s pieces and its intricacies. They then toured around different furniture shops, gathering up ideas and business approaches. Glenn and Fred took out a $5,000 loan from their father to purchase tools and lumber. Their shop was set up in a vacant farm building, where they began their furniture building career. They began

creating custom kitchen and dining furniture part time while still helping their father with his contracting business. And thus, one of the first Zimmerman furniture shops began.

Twenty-six years later, practice is making perfect for Ethan, and dialing in the skills has been of great interest to him, as he works daily to perfect the craft. It is just like target practice. When you are sighting in your gun, you shoot a group of shots, adjust your sights based on that grouping, and go at it again — getting closer to that bull’s-eye each time. A happy customer and a finely crafted piece for a home is the Zimmerman bull’s-eye. It’s what our shop strives for every day.

It’s our hope that the Zimmerman tradition will continue through future generations.

And part of that tradition continues through the pieces we create today.

Now, Fred’s son Ethan runs the shop in Delaware, an extension of that first shop.

We’re just family building furniture for other families. It’s what we’ve always done, and God willing, what we will always do.

Ethan began running around in the sawdust of his dad’s shop when he was just a child and from age 16 has been involved full time.

–Fred and Ethan Zimmerman

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A Craft for Grown-Ups: Clay Leaf Bowls These simple little bowls bring an elegant touch of fall to the indoors and can be used to hold candles, keys — or pretty much anything!

Summer is over, and when there’s a chill in the air, it’s tempting to stay inside all day. Don’t let your family hibernate in front of a screen for the next six months. Get active with these fun crafts, using the most abundant resource of the season: leaves! A Craft for Children: Leaf Critters With this fun project, the leaves in your backyard transform into works of art featuring your childs’ favorite animals.

Materials

• Air-dry clay • Leaves • Clay roller

• Clay scissors or craft scalpel • Aluminum foil

Directions

Materials

• Paper • Glue • Lots of leaves

3. Roll your clay out to a 1/4-inch thickness and place each leaf, vein side down, onto the clay. Run your roller over the leaf, pressing it into the clay and making your clay thinner at the same time. 4. Cut the excess clay from around the leaf to produce the desired shape. 5. Create a small bowl out of aluminum foil to cradle the clay leaf while it dries into a bowl shape. Remove the tree leaf and let the clay dry overnight. Be sure to flip the clay over at some point so the underside dries too. 6. Once the clay is dry, you can paint your bowls or coat them in a clear varnish to enjoy a minimalist look. Who says the fun has to end with summer? With a little imagination and a whole lot of leaves, your family can create amazing works of art together!

Directions

1. This project works best with leaves of different shapes and sizes. Does that big, round leaf look like a squirrel tail? Is there a long, skinny leaf that would be perfect for a butterfly's body? Let your children go through the leaves and think of what masterpiece they can create. 2. It helps to arrange all the leaves on a piece of paper first, then glue them down once your child knows how they want to piece their creation together. Cover the whole side of each leaf with glue and press it firmly onto the paper so that it lies flat. Repeat until all the leaves are glued down. Place the critter somewhere safe to dry before hanging it up for all to see.

When furnishing a house, the ultimate goal is to see it transformed from just a house into a comfortable and useful home. The warmth, comfort, and utility of custom cabinets or a piece of custom furniture can help you make that transformation. And since furniture helps set the tone for a house, personalized and custom pieces can give your home your own flavor. Ordering custom furniture doesn’t need to be daunting. These helpful tips make it much simpler to get that perfect piece that will warm and transform your home. When you order a custom project or piece of furniture, understand the principle of third-party eyes: where an unbiased observer is able to bring a new and fresh perspective to furniture or project challenges. Your vision is fleshed out in the download and discussion phase. Bring any sketches, magazines articles, or pictures that are part of your inspiration. Also, this discussion includes any related projects the craftsman has done — he can help you keep it functional and stylized just for you.

Going over the project and its details is not some necessary evil. It’s a completely normal part of the process. If you’re in too big of a rush, you or he may miss some important points. So the first step of the process is to download it from your brain to his. Next, review it with him, and then he draws it for your further input or approval. This gives you time and space to catch the critical elements, and it gives him a chance to lend his view.

2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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America’s most historical piece of furniture is actually British. The Resolute Desk has been used by many U.S. presidents, stemming all the way back to President Rutherford B. Hayes. The desk’s wooden planks were originally attached to a British warship, the HMS Resolute. In 1852, the ship was sent to the Arctic to search for Sir John Franklin’s party, who disappeared while looking for the Northwest Passage. The HMS Resolute’s crew eventually had to abandon the mission and the ship, and the Resolute wasn’t found again until it floated by a U.S. whaler ship in September 1855. The American government bought the ship for $40,000, fixed it up, and gifted it back to Britain and Queen Victoria as a sign of good friendship. In 1879, Queen Victoria gifted a piece of it back to the U.S. in the form of a desk as another sign of good faith between the two nations. The Resolute Desk first sat in the president’s office on the second floor of the White House and eventually moved to the President’s Study.

Franklin D. Roosevelt requested to have a panel on the desk carved with the presidential coat of arms, while President Dwight D. Eisenhower used it for radio and television broadcasts. It was First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy who instilled the tradition of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Her historic update of the White House unveiled the desk, and her husband, President John F. Kennedy, requested to use it in the Oval Office. President Lyndon B. Johnson used the desk in his office, and from 1964–1967 the desk was on exhibition tours at the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Library. President Jimmy Carter returned the desk to the Oval Office in 1977, and five months into his presidency, George Bush had the desk moved to his residence office. President Bill Clinton had the desk returned to the Oval Office, where it sits today. Still the sight of many historical pictures and scenes, the Resolute Desk is one piece of custom furniture that seems to have been just the right fit for a nation.

Throughout it’s time in the U.S., the desk has been passed between presidents, who have each added their history to it. President

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup candied walnuts • 1 bunch romaine, torn •

Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing: • 1/4 cup Mayonnaise • 2 tablespoon sugar • 1 tablespoon sour cream • 1 tablespoon milk • 2–1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar • 1–1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

•

2 cups halved fresh strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS 1.

In a large bowl, combine the romaine, onion, and strawberries. 2. Combine the dressing ingredients; drizzle over salad and toss to coat.

3. Sprinkle with candied walnuts.

4. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of the Snader family

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Brought to you by Kenton Chair Shop Builders of American Heirlooms and Penns Creek Furniture The Swiss Craftsman

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

P.O. Box 280 • Kenton, DE 19955 • Phone: (302) 653-2411

Inside this Issue

Our Family’s Crafting History Page 1

Fall Fun for the Whole Family The Custom Furniture Ordering Process Page 2 The History of the President’s Desk Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad Page 3 Get Decades out of Your Cast-Iron Skillet Page 4

Cast-iron skillets have been utilized almost religiously for a long time, but they became especially popular at the beginning of the 20th century. In some families, a cast-iron skillet is passed down from parents to children to grandchildren — and for good reason: When properly cared for, a good cast-iron skillet can last for generations. There’s nothing quite like a classic breakfast of bacon and eggs right out of the iron skillet. The problem is, once breakfast is over, you’re left with grease and other stuck-on food. But if you follow these steps, you’ll be left with a cast-iron skillet that’s good as new and ready for its next use. The best way to clean cast iron is to use heat. If you’ve let the skillet cool after cooking, start by heating it back up until you get a touch of smoke coming off the grease or stuck-on food. As the skillet heats up, turn on the tap and let it run as hot as possible. (Warning: Never run cold water over hot iron. You’ll crack the metal and ruin the skillet.) Rinse the hot skillet under the hot water. There will be a lot of steam, so be sure to lean back a little! Then, using a wood or silicone spatula (never metal — this will scratch the iron), remove all excess grease and food particles. They should come off like a breeze.

If any food particles remain, it’s time to break out the salt. Once the skillet is cool, add about a tablespoon of coarse salt and one tablespoon of water. With a soft sponge, scrub away the leftover debris. Once the remaining particles are gone, rinse and dry thoroughly. To make sure your skillet is completely dry, set it back on a hot burner for a few minutes so that all leftover water drops evaporate. To maintain the nonstick surface of the skillet, you’ll need to complete a few more steps. Remove it from heat and use a lint-free rag to gently rub a tablespoon of vegetable oil (coconut and peanut oil work too) into the surface of the skillet. Cover all parts of the skillet, including the bottom and handle, with a thin layer of oil, and when you see that dull shine, it’s good to go! Every time you use your cast-iron skillet, follow these steps. It may sound like a bit of extra work, but your skillet will reward you with decades of delicious meals!

4 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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