"ROLL OUT THE BARREL....we'll have a barrel of fun..."
 

Hello ! My name is Dwaine McNeil. Have you ever wondered how that song came into being ?

 From what I've been able to find out, old whiskey barrels that the whiskey industry can no longer use, were commonly purchased by ranchers and farmers living in the prairies. They would pour a few gallons of water into these barrels, and every day would "roll out the barrel", or SWISH the water inside. After 21 days or so, the residual alcohol left in the wood would be absorbed into the water and it was time to have "a barrel of fun" ! The "swish" would be consumed, and...the barrel was thrown out into the field to rot away. Some thrifty folks would cut the barrel in half and make planters, feeders, burn them as fire wood, or use one for a rain barrel. For the most part, however, this beautiful wood, THE FINEST QUALITY OF OAK IN THE WORLD, was abandoned.

Today, finding quarter cut white oak for sale is extremely difficult. Known in the industry as a rare wood not generally used on today's market, IF one stumbles upon a board or two, the cost, ($14.95 per 12" x 12" x 1" square section), is priced way above even an upper class income.  Quarter cut oak, called ("Tiger Wood") by some of our seniors, was used in high quality antiques for centuries. Today, those antiques sell at auctions for many thousands of dollars to avid collectors. Today, as in the past, only the worlds wealthiest people could afford this kind of quality...until now!

McNEIL OAK BARREL ART brings the antique 150 - 200 year old wood, the quality, and the affordability to the average household. Artist and creator, Dwaine McNeil wanted to work with not only quarter cut oak, but with oak that had been well aged and had seen other uses. That's where the "barrel" part comes in. All of our HANDMADE furniture uses wood from 150 - 200 year old whiskey barrels. Using his own creativity and knowledge of the "heart of the wood", Dwaine developed a process for straightening the staves. A process which has taken 25 years to develop. (patent pending). It is only with the eye of an artist that Dwaine could possibly see the finished product in the oak staves when they arrive at the shop. The staves, measuring from 2" x 31" and up, are covered in charcoal. First he carefully cleans, sands and restores the finish to uncover each piece's unique character, then he sets about to immortalize the wood as a functional piece.

From toothpick holders to magazine racks, from arched hope chests with hidden compartments to delightful deacon benches, from saloon tables to gorgeous grandfather clocks, each of McNeil's creations is unique.

Where does Dwaine come up with the design for each piece? "From my head. I make them up," he explains. From a wide variety of items, what is Dwaine's favourite piece? "Oh, it's always the last one I finished. Right now, it's this, " he smiles, running his hand over the well polished wood. "There's always a new favourite".

CRAFTSMANSHIP: All of our furniture is OUR OWN ORIGINAL DESIGN, HAND-MADE in the manner as the high quality antiques were constructed 200 years ago. No veneers, press board or MDF is used. Each piece is individually handmade, using mortise & tenon joins, dove tails, finger joins, tongue & groove, dowels, glue, and screws. No nails or staples are used in our construction. A high quality Danish Oil is then applied to the pieces, with the final sanding process done by hand. Each piece then receives a light coat of lacquer, hand scuffed between coats, and a final application of "The Original Beeswax Furniture Polish."

Our Certificate of Quality accompanies each piece.