Furniture making in Penticton, BC, Canada
Sam Hunt has built a following of 143K on the strength of his viral ASMR woodworking videos — one alone has racked up 6.5 million views — and on YouTube he pulls back the curtain further, walking viewers through builds like his Danish-inspired stool, recessed drawer pulls, and a floating coffee table, with a focus on the joinery and technique that define his style.
For Cordova Woodworking’s founder, though, choosing a finish isn’t about the camera. It’s a business decision. He relies on Osmo Polyx®-Oil to keep his shop moving without a bottleneck at the finish line: no dust-free environment required, straightforward application, and quick cure times. It’s the long-term promise that seals the deal for his clients, too — a finish that can be touched up or recoated right in their home, so a piece built to be used never has to be treated too preciously.
In this month’s Maker Feature, Sam talks chair design, working with North American hardwoods, and why repairability matters as much as durability.
Who are you and what do you specialize in?
My name is Sam Hunt. I design and make high-end modern furniture.
How long have you been practicing? How did you get started?
I’m a self-taught furniture maker with six years of professional experience. I started out in a shared workshop as a hobbyist, but after enrolling in some product design and drafting programs, I decided to focus that experience on making custom furniture.
What inspires your designs and choice of materials?
There’s an enormous amount of design inspiration right on Instagram. I try to include exposed joinery in most of my pieces as it resonates with people; it communicates quality and that it was made by a person.
I mostly stick to North American hardwoods – white oak, black walnut, ash, cherry, and eastern maple. Honestly, we’re pretty spoiled here in Canada with the quality of local timber. It’s amazing to work with and allow for a great range of tones to offer clients.
How do you choose your wood finishes?
For the most part, I use hardwax oils for nearly every piece that leaves my shop. In almost every case it’s Osmo Polyx®-Oil.
Aside from it consistently looking great and being durable for my clients, it’s mostly a business decision to use Osmo. It’s predictable – I don’t need a perfectly dust free environment for application, application is straightforward, cure time is relatively quick. I can get my orders out of my shop without a bottle neck at the finish line.
For darker woods like black walnut, I use Polyx®-Oil Satin 3043, and lighter woods like white oak and ash, I use Polyx®-Oil RAW 3051.
What do you value most in a wood finish?
Finding a balance between durability and a natural look is always a big win. Plus, making sure the finish is repairable is a huge relief for clients. Knowing that a piece can easily be touched up or recoated on-site in the future means they don’t have to stress about being overly precious with it. It’s built to be used.
What’s your favourite type of project to work on?
I love to design and make chairs and stools. It’s endlessly difficult and super rewarding.
We’ve asked you to share some of your favourite pieces finished with Osmo, can you tell us what makes them special to you?
Stools & Chairs: Making dining chairs is the ultimate test in furniture making. They have to be durable, comfortable, lightweight, and look good. Each of these these fight against each other so to come up with something that satisfies all 4 constraints is very rewarding.
Oak Credenza: Personally, I think this was my best design yet. I nailed it proportionally with a number of elements and I made some simple but high impact decisions like using quarter sawn material for the doors and flat sawn drawer fronts.
Retro TV: This is by far my most popular design ever. It’s a crowd pleaser, especially for the MCM diehard fans.
How do you feel about the upkeep and maintenance of your finished pieces?
It’s nice knowing if a customer needs a piece brought back to new in the future it won’t be a big headache for either of us. I can do that in their home or business.
What is your favourite Osmo product?
Osmo Polyx®-Oil Raw 3051 – keeps white oak looking perfectly natural for years.
Do you have any advice for someone entering woodworking?
I think you need to decide early on which direction you want to go in and stick with it to see how it plays out. For example, simple high production tables? Extreme high-quality/handcrafted designs? Custom Everything? Small Batch Production?
What tool can you not live without?
Combination Square
What is something you wish you knew sooner in your career?
Count your hours on everything you make. Make multiple pieces at the same time. Stay busy.
"Watch me build my retro TV design from start to finish. I've made a few of these custom modern retro TVs now for clients and it's the funnest project of the year whenever I get an order. It's also a piece of furniture that makes everyone smile.
Anyone that sees it always has a ton of questions and often has a story or two about a similar TV they had growing up. I make these from solid sapele to fit a 32" TV, with a dedicated lower section for a soundbar and ample space for game consoles and accessories.
The clean, minimal design paired with real wood helps it stand out as an original piece, while still feeling right at home within a mid-century modern aesthetic. I had a ton of fun making this one and I hope the video is a fun watch for you."
Where do you shop for finishes and materials?
I usually buy direct from manufacturers or quite often locally here at a place called Windsor Plywood.
What are you most excited about this year?
I’m working on making a lot of woodworking plans for a number of my designs. I’m getting good feedback from a lot of hobbyists so I’d like to keep that momentum going.
Do you follow any makers or brands for inspiration? If yes, which ones?
A few Canadian furniture makers that come to mind are: @loxleystudio, @jonwaynebrown, @nickmazerolle and @bennett_hand_made
Watch more from Cordova Woodworking on Youtube
Where can people find you?
In the Penticton, BC area? You can find Osmo products at the following locations:
180-1876 Cooper Road Kelowna, BC V1Y 9N6
Industrial Plastics & Paints - Kelowna, BC
