Small Talk

Happy Birthday to Us!

2012-01-16T09:16:00.001-05:00

January 2012 marks Speke Klein's 13th birthday!

We have weathered some pretty serious storms (literally) and are happy to reach this milestone.

Thank you to all our customers, colleagues, friends and family who have helped us throughout the past 13 years. We could not have done it without you!

With best wishes for the year ahead,

Robin & Thomas
Speke Klein

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T11:24:00.008-05:00

Putting the Mo in Movember

2011-12-01T14:54:00.002-05:00

So all of our employees did their part for Movember, sporting a little facial hair for a good cause. Here are a couple of pics to prove it.

A Shout Out for MimiTENS (and a visual plug for Speke Klein)

2011-04-15T15:04:00.001-04:00

Lovely entrepreneurial mom, Anna-Marie of MimiTENS, got a huge boost to her business when celebrity style guru Gwyneth Paltrow raved about the fabulous children's mittens in her popular lifestyle newsletter GOOP.

Here, Anna-Maria is interviewed about the brush with celebrity. Why is Speke Klein interested? Not only do we like MimiTENS, but the walnut table she displays her wares on is one of our Quinn tables! Check it out!

Our New Bedroom Furniture Collection Launches in Halifax

2010-11-22T13:29:00.074-05:00

We were delighted to travel out to the East Coast as our new Bedroom Collection was launched this weekend at our retail partner Statement in Halifax. Roger and his team hosted a wonderful couple of days for us in honour of the new collection.

The new Highland Half Dresser in natural beech in the showcase window.

Two of the new bed designs (the Stirling and Argyll) on the showroom floor.

On Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking to aspiring design students from the Nova Scotia College of Arts and Design (NSCAD). I spoke about our company's creation and the evolution of our design language over time.

On Saturday there was a lovely launch party. Peach and Champagne Mimosas and tasty organic treats tempted all the visitors who browsed the collection and Statement's beautiful showroom space.

Guests chat in the showroom. Our Touch coffee table serves as a cocktail table for refreshments.

Another image of the showroom. Our Rowlands coffee table acts as a play table for a young guest.

Our solid wood Rowlands Bed on display.

Speke Klein and the Statement Team - from l to r - Ray (Design Director), Robin, Mark (Store Manager), Roger (Owner and host extraordinaire), and Thomas (holding our daughter who joined us for the trip).

Week 46: The machine is up and running!

2010-07-12T11:20:00.060-04:00

Our CNC router installation continues. We have been joined by technicians from Homag Canada who are fine-tuning everything, training us in the machine's operation and making sure things run smoothly. Here is the crew posing in front of the machine. From left to right: Ian (Homag), Bruce, Chad, Thomas and Nelio (Homag), with Kai (Homag) perched on top.

Here are images of the machine running its first test programs.

Thomas and Chad discuss the set-up of a part on the machine bed. You can see the computer console that runs the programming in the forefront of the image. The black mat at the front of the machine is a safety feature and contains sensors that will stop the machine immediately if someone steps on the mat (on the side where the part is being machined) when the router is in operation.

Chad positions a test part on the machine bed.

Here is the test part (the side of a drawer box), positioned and ready to go. It is placed on "pods" and is held down by vacuum suction.

Here is the same part getting machined. You will notice the router bit on the right side of the wood piece notching its side. The large hood over the router head deals with dust extraction.

Everyone watches as the machine runs the program to mill the part. From left to right: Kai and Nelio (Homag), Chad, Ian (Homag), and Bruce. You will note that Chad is holding a control console as he watches the operation. This allows him to stop the machine if he has a concern about the program running correctly.

Week 44: Special Delivery!

2010-06-28T14:47:00.080-04:00

After much anticipation, we finally took delivery this week of our brand new 5-axis CNC (computer numerically controlled) router. The beautiful BMG 511 from Homag, Germany is the very first of its kind in North America. We cannot wait to explore all that it will do for us!

Here are some images of its delivery to the workshop.

The rigging company needed 2 trucks - one for the machine itself and one for the special heavy duty forklifts and equipment needed to offload it.

The machine bed gets off-loaded from the truck...

...and manouevred through the workshop to its final position.

Kai, the technician who is going to install the machine for us, oversees the final positioning. When the workshop floor was poured, we had to create a special area with extra thick concrete to support the machine, so the accuracy of the positioning was crucial.

The machine gantry is readied for off-loading.

Preparing for "the marriage": the gantry gets positioned over the machine bed with only 1mm of space between the components so there is no room for error.

More images of the installation to come!

Week 36: Still Settling In

2010-05-04T11:08:00.018-04:00

It has been a while since an update, and we just wanted to say that we will be posting more infrequently now as our re-start is nearing completion. We are focusing on ironing out the wrinkles as production returns to normal and then we will be setting our sites on designing and introducing new products to add to the collection.

Please check back in the coming weeks as more details emerge.

Week 28: Back in production!!

2010-03-08T23:44:00.025-05:00

Finally, after 28 long (and somehow very fast) weeks, we are starting to build furniture in our new workshop!! The road to get here has definitely been up and down, but we are so excited and very much relieved to be finally producing furniture again.

Here is our first large load of wood, delivered and ready to go.

John doing some panel dimensioning on the new table saw.

Some walnut panels that are in the process of being finger-jointed.

Here are a number of prepared finger-jointed panels that are awaiting glue-up to become a batch of our very popular Touch benches.

And here are Thomas and John putting parts for our Petits Fours Bed through the sander.

Week 27: All the final details…

2010-02-28T13:44:00.015-05:00

The organization of the shop is continuing. Even though it would be nice to just get production started, it is important to get everything in place so that when we start making furniture again it can happen efficiently and effectively. Here are some images of the fine details that have been keeping us occupied.

Creating shelving and cupboards for all our supplies and small power tools. This wall of storage is awaiting doors to close it all in and keep it dust free.

Organizing our assembly area so all our hardware (door hinges, drawer runners, etc) are easily accessible.

Finalizing airlines (blue), dust collection piping (silver) and creating hanging racks for long sand paper belts.

John making shop carts.

Salvaged clamps that have been scrubbed off and are all set, ready to go.

Week 26: Taking the plunge with new machinery

2010-02-22T10:33:00.014-05:00

Well, this week saw us take a very exciting step to push our business to the next level. After much planning and deliberation (that began long before the tornado took place) we have invested in a 5-axis CNC (computer numerically controlled) router! Our machine of choice is the Homag BMG 500, an amazing German-built machine that is considered one of the best in the industry.

While the business person in me is continually scrutinizing the cost vs return on investment, the designer in me is giddy with excitement about the possibilities this machine has to offer. Not only will it improve the accuracy and speed of our production, it will allow us to open up our design scope to incorporate curves and angles in a way that we never could produce efficiently before.

The order is in and the machine is expected in the summer. We cannot wait to get it into the workshop and put it to work for us!

Week 25: Adding return air to the dust collector

2010-02-05T13:20:00.029-05:00

Just when you thought we could not add any more piping to the workshop, we have gone ahead and installed a return air system on our new dust collector. This allows the air that gets sucked out of the shop with the dust system to be returned back into the workshop dust free, saving on heating costs and improving general ventilation. It is a small opening (as you can see below in the foreground), but makes a huge difference.

One of the hazards of fine wood dust is that it is extremely explosive in the right (or perhaps I should say wrong!) circumstances. All dust collection units are equipped with blast gates that allow the force of an explosion to release outside of the building and not blow back into the workshop through the collection piping.

In light of this, a dust collector with a return air system requires an essential feature called a spark detection system. It operates to detect any possible flammable material (a minor spark) and sprays it with water before it reaches the main dust container, avoiding an explosion. You can see the attachments for the spark detection (waiting to get wired in by the electrician) on the main out-feed pipe below.

The other element necessary is an abort gate on the return air unit, which will automatically shut if a spark is detected. In the case that an explosion does occur, this would prevent any of the fire being forced back into the shop through the return air piping.

Here are some images of the guys installing the outside section of the return air to the main dust collection system on a grey snowy day.

Week 23: The building is complete!

2010-01-31T11:23:00.002-05:00

Although the work continues apace on the inside, we are so excited to see that the outside of the building is finished! Here are some views of how it looked on a recent bright winter morning.

Week 22: Freshening up

2010-01-23T15:29:00.009-05:00

While we continue to focus most of our energy on the set-up of the workshop, we also started the face-lift of the office, including some nice bright paint there and in the foyer to help keep us awake on dark winter days.

We also took delivery of our new front door, and the exterior light fixtures were put into position. Looking good!

Week 21: Some notes about our machinery

2010-01-17T12:43:00.029-05:00

Ever since the tornado happened, Thomas has been working night and day to make sure that the workshop will be back up and running as soon as possible, and most importantly that our machinery will be repaired or replaced in time to coincide with the completion of the building. I have to say that he has done an amazing job so far!

We were very lucky in the grand scheme of things, as although there were a few sad casualties that needed replacing, much of our machinery was salvageable. Here are some specific before and after photos to give you a peek at what has been happening on the machinery side of the recovery operation.

Our table saw received a lot of damage, as it was situated close to the overhead door and when the tornado struck, the force of the wind sent the sliding table to its furthest position and then some, almost ripping it clean off the body of the machine. Needless to say, this was one of the machines that needed replacing.

In searching for a replacement, Thomas finally settled on a Format4 tablesaw from Austrian machinery manufacturer, Felder. With over 50 years of manufacturing experience, their machines are known for precision performance.

The other major casualty of the tornado was our wide-belt sander. We are very fortunate to be able to replace it with a larger, more complex machine, by Butfering. This German-built machine weighs 7 tonnes (!) and was a beast to get into position, but we are excited by the opportunities it will provide us in terms of functionality and finish quality.

And here are some other before and after shots of our ripsaw, moulder and planer.

Week 20: Installing the dust collection ducting and air lines

2010-01-10T14:15:00.007-05:00

Thomas has been kept very busy this week installing the duct work for our dust collection system and the air lines (in blue) for our machinery and tooling. Here are some images of the new network of piping.

The large wide pipe is the main line that feeds directly to the dust collector, and the narrower pipes branch off to each individual machine. You will notice our new sander (more on this next week) in the bottom image with its very elaborate pipe system coming out from the top of the machine.

Week 19: Our NEW dust collector

2010-01-02T12:53:00.015-05:00

Although our old, faithful dust collector survived the tornado relatively unscathed, we have decided to invest in a new dust collection system in order to accommodate the larger scale machinery that will be installed in the new workshop.

Here is the sequence of everything coming in on the flat bed truck, and all the parts being hoisted into the air and placed in position by the crane on the new concrete pad on the west side of the building.

Week 18: Moving in begins

2009-12-28T11:39:00.002-05:00

With the addition of the man doors on the side of the building and our temporary front door (all lockable and secure) we were able to start moving our machinery and equipment from storage into the new space. You will notice the large moving van parked at the overhead door, which we used to transport everything to the new building.

Here are images of all the bits and pieces of machinery, office files, and inventory as they await placement and installation.

Week 17: Siding gets started

2009-12-20T11:13:00.020-05:00

This week saw the siding installation begin. It was a bit of a challenge for the construction crew, seeing as we wanted them to install the corrugations running horizontally on the walls of the building (rather than the standard vertical), but in the end they did a fabulous job.

Week 16: Its all in the details (Part 2)

2009-12-13T14:53:00.041-05:00

More snow fell this week, but thankfully work on the inside could continue quite happily, particularly with the delivery of the overhead side door. It is painted in the same “Regent Grey” to match the exterior siding that should be getting installed next week.

We also received delivery of the interior overhead door, which will divide the main workshop from the assembly and finishing areas.

The workers continued with the insulation and the application of the interior metal siding. Here are a few views of the siding as is got applied. It is amazing how much the white colour brightens up the space, even without any lighting installed.

You will also notice how the drywall has been applied to the office walls and the dividing wall between the shop and the office. It is so exciting now that the walls are almost complete as it means that all the major elements of the building will be finished, and we will be able to progress to the small details.

And now we climb up to the office on our new staircase.

Here are images of the office as the drywall is getting installed on the walls and ceiling. You will notice how the pot lights are left dangling until the taping and painting has been completed. It is so nice and bright (and toasty warm!) up here, I cannot wait to move back in!

Week 15: That's a wrap!

2009-12-06T14:54:00.005-05:00

Just as predicted, Old Man Winter decided to finally make an appearance and it looks as though he is here to stay. So, it was perfect timing that the workers got the final windows in place and the building wrapped in preparation for the final application of the siding.

Here are a few images of the process of wrapping. Our building now looks all nice and snug, and with the red taping we can imagine that it is a very large Christmas present just for us!

In two of the photos above, you will see the van from our trusted electrician, Wayne’s Electric. They are taking care of all the lighting and wiring for the building, as well as getting the machinery hooked up and ready to go. This week, Doug installed the main electrical panel in the workshop utility room and a step-down transformer for the machinery.

You can also see the boiler on the wall for the in-floor heating system (the grey box on the right wall). It is amazing to me that such a small unit can heat this whole building. And here is a detail of the various pressure valves that control the 3 heating zones (main workshop, finishing/packing area, office).

Week 14: The interior continues

2009-11-29T12:06:00.043-05:00

This week saw more of the interior details get put in place, and a few more additions to the outside too, such as the bollards for the edges of our loading door.

The main transformation this week came from the application of the interior steel on the ceiling. Here you can see the piles of steel and trim pieces for the final finishing.

And here are the workers applying the steel and a view of the completed ceiling.

They were also able to get the insulation into the walls.

This will be a very welcome difference between the new and old workshop, which was a little bit on the chilly side during our long winters.

We also made progress in the office space with the installation of the pot lights. Here you can see them being put into position.

You will also notice that most of our windows have been installed, another important step towards fully closing us in before winter sets in. The weather forecasts say that things are going to start getting more seasonal (read: snow!) next week, so these final additions to the outside have come none to soon.

Week 13: It’s all in the details

2009-11-21T13:59:00.039-05:00

Now that the main structure is up, the work begins on the details. While I am aware that there is not the same soul-stirring delight that I felt when the walls were raised, I still sense an internal bubbling excitement as every new piece of trim gets added, bringing us one step closer to moving in and getting back to “normal” (if there really ever is such a thing?).

This week saw the beginning of the exterior wrapping, and the addition of the soffit and fascia. As with furniture, it is these final details that really give a sense of wholeness to the structure.

Interior walls were also continued. Here is a view from what will be our spray booth/finishing area, looking outward to the rest of the shop.

It was also exciting to see that our windows were delivered, ready for their installation next week.

Week 12: Raising the roof

2009-11-15T11:50:00.006-05:00

In just 12 weeks we have walls and a roof. I never knew how fast these things could happen, but these guys are busy as bees. We have also been extremely fortunate with the unseasonably warm and beautiful weather, which is all the more amazing seeing as by this time last year we had already had a few winter storms and about 1 1/2 feet of snow on the ground.

The first step this week was to get the roof trusses up and to close in the areas under the peak with plywood. It took about 2 days for all the trusses to be added.

Once the trusses were up, the roof became a hive of activity with many workers adding strapping to accept the steel cladding. I loved the fact that now that we have walls, the workers actually need to use the “doors” to enter the building.

The steel roofing arrived in sheets that needed to be drilled in preparation for affixing to the strapping. Once the metal was drilled, it got screwed down to the wood quite quickly.

It is amazing how much the roof transforms the structure. It can now be recognized as a building, rather than just a shell. Entering the space creates a completely different emotion in me. The roof gives substance to the entire process to date and is a major step towards completion.

Here you can see how the whole internal area has been defined with the addition of the roof. I can now visualize how the final space will look with the walls clad, lighting hanging, and machinery in place.

So we put up a roof and then cut a hole in it? It’s all for a good cause - this is the exit point for our new spray booth ventilation stack.

And here is our complete, beautiful roof! Hooray!

Week 11: Show me some skin

2009-11-07T20:47:00.027-05:00

After last week’s snow, we were a little concerned about what the weather had in store for us, but thankfully, the whole week was sunny and beautiful - perfect for more construction progress. The next project on the agenda was to skin the framing with plywood, which really helped to give the building’s skeleton a feeling of three-dimensionality.

In addition to the plywood on the walls, you can see how the floor joists for the office level have been installed. Plywood is then laid over top in preparation for installation of the concrete flooring.

Here is a view from our front vestibule, looking up at what will become our staircase to the office level.

Here is another view from the vestibule, looking toward the entrance to the workshop and beyond. I find it so enjoyable to see these spaces taking shape.

This image is taken inside the workshop from the northwest corner, just outside the utility room. You can see how almost all the walls have been completed.

And here is a view from outside the southwest corner at the end of the week. Next week – roof!

Week 10: We’re framed!

2009-11-01T14:51:00.050-05:00

Even though we got our first few teasing snowfalls this week (I suppose it is inevitable being in the snow belt), the framing started going up. We thought the foundation and floor were exciting, but this really makes us smile!

In just a couple of days, one side and the back were up. I love seeing the openings for the windows, as they make the abstract planes of these stick-frame walls more tangible.

The new overhead door took shape with the positioning of the reinforcing i-beam across the top of the opening.

At the front of the building you can see our new concrete front stoop and the beginnings of the structure for our second floor office. The area sectioned off with the i-beams will be a new workshop area that has been created under the office level, a more efficient use of space.

While pouring the front door pad, they also poured a concrete slab for our new dust collector. Even though our old blue workhorse (seen in the background) survived the tornado hostilities, we will be adding a larger system to deal with the increased volume of our new machines. I will add some details of our recent additions soon.

At the end of the week we had walls! All the walls, aside from the second floor of the office (awaiting the floor joists) were up and ready for the next step.

Week 9: Smooth as a baby’s bottom (part 2) – definitely!

2009-10-23T12:18:00.003-04:00

The beginning of the week brought good enough weather for the pouring of the concrete floor. It seems amazing to me that all the work of the previous week, the tubes, the mesh and the insulation, gets covered over with what now looks like a concrete skating rink.

I thought these polishing machines looked like bumper-cars at a fairground. I wonder if they are fun to drive?

The surface is beautifully smooth with just a few reminders of the work below, such as the plumbing piping and heat manifolds.

The end of the week was wet and rainy and the workers took a break. The roof trusses and lumber for the walls was delivered, but looked lonely against the grey sky. We cross our fingers that next week’s weather will be more cooperative.

Week 8: Hot, hot heat

2009-10-16T21:15:00.018-04:00

The next step on the construction ladder was to lay the insulation and wire mesh for the new in-floor radiant heat system. This is one of the exciting changes we have been able to make to our workshop as a result of the whole tornado experience. One has limited options when heating a wood shop, due to concerns about dust, so radiant heat is the perfect solution. It is very energy efficient and will keep everything at a comfortable working temperature during our cold, snow-belt winters. Here are some images of the process.

Rigid foam insulation was laid onto the compacted soil surface of the new addition and directly onto the concrete of the old foundation. Next, a layer of thick wire mesh is added which will allow the piping to be anchored flat.

During this phase, the groundwork for the plumbing also needed to be completed before the final concrete floor was poured.

A portion of the old concrete foundation was removed to accommodate our new CNC router, which needs to have a special thickness of foundation underneath it to help limit any possible vibration. The construction crews cut out and lifted the section of concrete, insulated the hole, and then laid the heat piping so that it dipped down into the hole and out again.

The snaking grid of in-floor tubing is quite a sight over the entire surface of the foundation. Another check mark achieved on the construction to-do list!

Week 7: Smooth as a baby’s bottom (part 1)…well, almost…

2009-10-08T13:39:00.008-04:00

The next task was to lay insulation against the foundation walls and backfill the trenches.

The in-filled surface needed to be compacted and smoothed out as much as possible, to prepare for the next step – the laying of the concrete floor.

I know it does not look like much, but just seeing this smooth surface and knowing what is coming next, has made us so happy with our progress.

Week 6: Shaking the foundations

2009-10-02T16:42:00.011-04:00

It has only been 6 weeks and the rebuilding has started! We are thrilled with the progress we are making. Now, if only Mother Nature will cooperate - I think she owes us one, don’t you? Please keep your fingers crossed for a dry autumn.

The first job was to get the ground excavated for the new addition and to have the footings poured, as well as some minor touch-ups to the old foundation. The excavators that took down the remainder of the old building were a little over-zealous at times.

The week started off with rain on Monday (very disheartening), but luckily Tuesday cleared up enough to start the work on the footings. The trenches were dug and the concrete forms created.

I was not sure how long this whole process would take, but in only three days the forms were coming off and the new foundation footings were complete!

Week 5: Getting ready to put shovels in the ground

2009-09-26T22:13:00.003-04:00

Thomas and I had a pleasant surprise visiting the building site today (Saturday) when we found Frank Domm busy marking out the foundation in preparation of the start of construction next week. Walls were laid out and annotations about what was to stay and what was to be removed helped to make us feel like this building may actually start taking shape!

We were particularly pleased to see this next image, the markings for the machine pad for the most exciting new addition to our workshop - a new CNC router. More on this in the coming weeks!

Week 5: The building contract is signed!

2009-09-21T16:46:00.002-04:00

Let the fun begin! I cannot believe it is only five weeks since the tornado struck and we are taking the plunge and signing on the dotted line. We have hired a local company, Domm Construction, which has been in business since 1985 and is well known in the area for their quality construction. Frank has agreed to make it part of the contract that we will be able to start accessing the building in December to move in and set up machinery, so we feel extremely relieved to have a target date in our sights. Construction will start next week, weather permitting!

Week 3-4: Plans for the new building

2009-09-15T10:31:00.000-04:00

We are getting excited because plans are being finalized for the new workshop. We have decided to look on the bright side of this whole experience and take the opportunity to build a larger building. We are adding 1500 sq ft and will also get a chance to implement the many improvements that we have been planning in the past few years. Here are some of the working plans.

The outside of the building is utilitarian (it is a workshop, after all) with a nice array of windows to let in natural light. The walls and roof will be clad with dark grey Galvalume corrugated metal.

We decided to move the overhead loading door to the east side of the building for easier access. Although I must say, I was always impressed at how the various freight and supply company’s drivers were able to manouever their large tractor trailers back to our old loading door. You can also see the 2 man-doors (that’s builder-speak for a regular hinged door) that will allow access to the main workshop area and the new back addition.

This is a plan view of the main workshop floor. You can see the new rear section that will house a separate finishing room, assembly and pack/ship area. We are particularly excited about the new finishing room as this will really improve our efficiency and ensure an even higher quality product. We have also gained some valuable storage and work space in the northeast corner of the shop.

This is a plan view of our office. It is quite similar to the layout we had before with a large open plan space, a small kitchenette and bathroom, and an added window on the east wall to help with air circulation.

Week 2: Tearing down what remains

2009-09-01T10:45:00.006-04:00

While it was hard to see the damage done to our building by the tornado, for some reason it was even harder for me to see the remains of the building being taken down and hauled away by the debris removal company. While I know that we could not salvage what was left, the high-hoes and dump trucks had a certain finality about them.

We always thought it was fitting to have a log building, seeing as we specialize in wood furniture, and so we were sad to see that chapter of our company’s history close. It was important for us to keep focused on the fact that once all the debris was removed, we had a clean slate on which to build our new workshop.

The following are a series of images as the high-hoes took down the last remnants of the building on a beautiful, blue-sky day.

The ironic thing is that our dust collector, the blue tower-like structure in some of the pictures, is the one thing that appears to have survived the tornado unscathed, even though it was located outside the building - strange how these things play out.

And here is the site, with all the debris taken away, a blank slate on which to move forward.

Week 1: Salvaging continues, Day 2

2009-08-27T15:37:00.027-04:00

Salvaging continued for the second day. Machinery was top priority for day 1, so now the task was to remove everything else that looked like it was worth saving. Here is a view down to the shop floor from the office level where you can see how much has been cleared away.

Another view of the shop, with all of the machinery removed.

It is pretty obvious to say that the office level received a heavy blow (no pun intended)! The amazing thing is that a lot of our important paperwork and office equipment was saved. Things were looking quite the worse for wear as we went up to remove the computers, desks, chairs, etc.

The one sad victim of the tornado was our reference library. Much of it was destroyed by water damage. Thomas had some wonderful old irreplaceable German reference books on furniture and cabinet making, handed down to him by his architect father, that have been plagued with mould and are beyond repair. It will be a sad day seeing these thrown away.

A happier story in the office, and one that I find quite incredible, is that all of our computers survived, even after being out in the rain for 2 days. There was one monitor that was smashed, but all the other units were taken from the building in one piece. One of our computer towers, a Mac G5, fell from the 2nd floor to the ground, was left in the rain, and when we pulled it out, we plugged it in and it fired up right away. We were very impressed! You can see the computer as we found it, buried in the debris, circled in blue.

On day 2, the building inspector said that some of the remaining walls would need to be taken down, in order to make the building site more secure. So, in came a couple of high-hoes that worked in tandem to knock down the back walls of the shop. The ease at which the drivers move these enormous beasts is like watching some strangely choreographed ballet.

You can see how one of the buckets is supporting part of a wall (in the centre), while the other machine tears down the section where the overhead door was located.

The skilled operators managed to pull the walls outwards so everything that remained inside the perimeter was left unscathed by the demolition.

And here we are, the motley salvage crew from Day 2, all looking the part in hardhats and safety gear. Back Row (l to r): Dave, Milan, Jim and Thomas. Front Row (l to r): Ann-Marie, Richard, Martin and Robin (that's me).

Week 1: Salvaging begins, Day 1

2009-08-26T23:48:00.009-04:00

Once we were able to assess the damage, the salvage operation needed to happen quickly. The building inspector, Brian Marcel, could have prevented us from entering the site due to safety concerns, but thankfully he let us go in and take out whatever we could. Thank you Brian!

Legions of friends and even some strangers joined in to help us take as much as we could from the building. Everyone scrambled to find hard hats, vests and safety shoes and certain friends improvised (you will see a bike helmet in there somewhere) in order to join in. We are incredibly grateful to everyone for their help and support. Here are some images of everyone in action.

Our wonderful neighbours at Johnson's Trim pitched in with their forklift and helped us get all of our machinery out of the building. A local truck driver, Ken Nelson, who we had never met before, stayed all day with his flatbed trailer and transported the machinery to the warehouse space we had arranged, donated very kindly by another local business, Interforest.

Here are Matt Johnson, maneuvering the forklift, and Ken Nelson, in the green jacket, moving our ripsaw. You can see the destruction of other neighbouring buildings in the distance.

Thomas and Matt discuss the removal of the moulder, while Ken waits by the loading door, his flat bed trailer filled with machinery, visible in the background.

We are still not sure of the state of all the machinery, but we think that a lot of it will be saved after some very thorough cleaning! We also managed to salvage some of our stock and materials, although items that got too wet, such as sandpaper, wood and tooling will have to be scrapped. It is hard to see things like this go to waste.

Week 1: Assessing the damage

2009-08-24T12:23:00.006-04:00

The next couple of days were incredibly frustrating, as we were not able to gain access to the building site, due to the unsecure hydro lines. We knew all our machinery and supplies were sitting there, exposed to the wind and rain, and could do nothing about it. We were finally allowed back in on Saturday, two days after the tornado had come through. Here are some images of what awaited our return.

The west side of the building as we approached from down the road.

The front of the building – both of our vehicles parked in front got badly damaged by falling roof debris.

Coming around the front - note the large cylindrical chunk of wood at the front which is what remained of the hydro pole at the front of our building.

The east side of the building looking to the rear of the shop and the remains of our spray booth and assembly area.

The front bench area of the workshop. You can see work in progress such as a walnut tabletop and a cabinet that was just getting wrapped for shipping, as well as various routers and hand tools that survived the storm.

Another view of the front of the shop and up to the office. The dark triangular space above the green door and under what remains of the wall, is where I lay down to protect myself from the storm. The wall fell down on top of me, but the cabinets on the right broke its fall. When I saw this again, it gave me shivers. I realize how lucky I am to still be standing!

A view to our back loading door and some of our machinery and wood supplies. You can see the damage to our neighbour’s roof in the distance. The corner of the building at the right of the picture is where our employee Mike crouched down when he saw the storm coming. Even though he said he could actually feel the walls lift up and down and saw the overhead door blow in, the corner remained strong and it was one of the safest places he could have been – another lucky choice!

Ground Zero: Tornado!

2009-08-22T22:45:00.037-04:00

There are lots of challenges to face when running a business, but no one could have prepared us for the day when a tornado tore through town. On Thursday August 20th, our workshop was devastated by a F2 scale twister that did damage to the entire region. In only 15 seconds our roof was ripped off and the walls came tumbling down around us. Thankfully, everyone got out of the building safely, including me, from what remained of our second floor office.

Here is our building, on a lovely sunny day in July.

Here is an image taken with my phone about 3 minutes after the tornado hit. The ladder to the second floor was put there by my partner Thomas, who went back up into the office to rescue my laptop and our back-up hard drives, without which we would be lost. You can imagine how unhappy the emergency crews were when they saw that Thomas had re-entered the building. The hydro lines were down all around us, gas lines were broken and the area was not safe. They wanted us out of there ASAP!

You can read more about our experience with the tornado, and how it narrowly missed our house too, in this article from the Kitchener-Waterloo Record.

Welcome to our new blog

2009-08-01T14:21:00.002-04:00

So we have finally taken the plunge and joined the blogosphere. We will be using our blog to provide you with updates on new products, details of special events and other news items of particular interest.

Why the name Small Talk? I thought it was a fun play-on-words with our name Speke Klein. The name "Speke" rhymes with "speak" as in "to talk" and "Klein" is the German word for "small"; hence "Small Talk".

Cheesy or fun? Let us know what you think.