ABOUT ME

Woodworking shapes heartwood with steel.  My name is Jonathan Lyons and I’m the owner of Heartwood and Steel LLC. My workshop reflects my desire to explore woodworking primarily with domestic hardwoods. These pages contain both my creative exploration and my personal growth in the craft.

For a long time I’ve had an interest in the growing urban lumber movement. It seemed imperative, that I should be doing something for our environment and not just talking about it. So I created this business to make beautiful things from the trees that no one else wants.

According the the US Dept of Forestry, “In the United States over 200 million cubic yards of urban tree and landscape residue are generated every year. 1 Of this amount, 15 percent is classified as “unchipped logs.” To put this figure in perspective, consider that if these logs were sawn into boards, they theoretically would produce 3.8 billion board feet of lumber, or nearly 30 percent of the hardwood lumber produced annually in the United States.” (source)

In my mind, that kind of waste is staggering, especially when we consider the potential beauty of what can be done with the wood of urban trees. If you feel the same way, let me know if you have a tree that could be milled or if you want something made from urban and domestic trees.