Imbler Senior Bryce Sullivan to sell Senior Project
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Monday, April 11th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
IMBLER – (Information provided in its entirety by Bryce Sullivan in coordination with his FFA Advisor) This table was a dream and aspiration of Walter (Walt) R. Sullivan who was a school board member for the Imbler School District and advocate for youth and education. He had always wanted to build a juniper table and had been searching for nearly two odecades to find a sizable juniper tree and slab that would suffice. In 2007, with the help of friends in Harney CountyOregon, he was able to secure a slab of juniper that came from a centuries old tree. Soon after he became too ill to construct the table, but his grandson, Bryce Sullivan, knew of his grandfather’s desire to complete this project. Sadly in 2017, we lost Walt, and soon after Bryce (in junior high) set out to complete his grandfather’s project for him.
Bryce is a very active and involved Imbler FFA member, and when it came time to select his senior project (a keystone project for graduation requirements at Imbler HS), he knew that this table would be ambitious, but he wanted to do it for his grandfather and to benefit the Imbler FFA. The only changes to his grandfather’s project was that he was going to invert the wood and create an epoxy river table. After months of research and consulting, Bryce started his project in2020.
The project required him to prepare the wood slabs, sand, clean, straighten, and hone the surfaces down in order to createa level, square, and true table. The work with epoxy was timely due to the chemical nature and curing of resins compounds. His senior project research paper was on the various methods and products that are used in resins and epoxies and their uses and benefits.
Bryce has invested close to 300 hours in the past two years at both his home and school shop, as well as thousands of dollars in materials and tools that he has personally used from his after school and summer employment. Bryce wants to give back to this community that he and his family has loved being a part of over the years, and to a program (Imbler FFA)that has invested so much growth in him as well. This project is also very important to Bryce, as it is a project he hadhoped to complete with his grandfather and will help him to bring closure upon his passing.
The table is over seven (7) feet long and three and half feet wide. The table slab is 3” thick, and due to the weight of the table, it is built into two pieces. It easily could sit eight around the table. The legs are constructed of 2” square tubing with sunburst rays of metal support under the table. The epoxy resin was poured in four layers that were blended with silver metallic and pacific blue coloring that contrasts the vibrant white and shades of peach in the juniper wood. It is a strikingpiece that would be a great addition to any home or business.
The table is being raffled for the benefit of the Imber FFA Chapter during the 2022 chapter banquet on April 23, 2022. Bryce and the Imbler FFA will deliver the table to the winner in Union, Baker, Wallowa, and Umatilla counties. A winner outside of the four listed counties, would be responsible for the logistics of retrieving the table.
To buy tickets contact Bryce Sullivan via Email at any time at sullivan.ranch04@gmail.com or call after 6pm any day at 541-786-6068. Payment will be explained in the conversation. If Bryce is unavailable you can contact JD Cant atjd.cant@imblersd.org or during school
hours at 541-534-5331. Price of tickets are 1 ticket for $10 or 6 tickets for $50 dose stack so for $100 you get 12 tickets, $150 for 18 tickets ect…
