Projects From Our Readers
16th-Century British Carronade
Michael Elledge, Cypress, Texas
This carronade is patterned on a British English cannon from the 1700s, and is mounted on a ship’s carriage from the same era. Made of 2x12 pine lumber, the barrel is 39" long and 101/2" in diameter at the breech. It is called a 12-pounder carronade, or “smasher,” as it inflicted terrible damage to enemy ships when fired at the waterline. Elledge makes a variety of cannons, including full-scale working models.
Queen Anne Table
Lawrence Killingsworth, Spokane, Wash.
Killingsworth made this Queen Anne table from Kerry Pierce’s project in the first issue of Woodcraft Magazine. Although the original was made of cherry, Killingsworth’s version is crafted in mahogany.
Intarsia Eagle
Bill Von Restorff, League City, Texas
Von Restorff started making intarsia projects in January 2004, and has completed well over 100 since then. This eagle measures 24" x 28", and is made from cedar, white aspen, oak, cherry and walnut. The pattern Restorff used for his creation is from the Judy Gale Roberts collection.
Spalted Maple Bowl
Steve Baum, Menlo Park, Calif.
Although this beautiful bowl in spalted maple measures a full 8" across and 3" deep, its walls are only 1/16" thick. Baum, a member of the West Bay Area Woodturners in Northern California, attempted the bowl as an experiment to see how thin he could make it after an accidental catch. He’s been making thin bowls ever since.
Fisherman’s Chest
Ken Bayer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Modeled after an old toolbox, this chest is made of walnut with a carved butternut panel in the lid, and was designed as a Christmas gift for Bayer’s son, an avid fly fisherman. The sides were made from a single piece of walnut for a continuous grain around the dovetailed corners. For a final finish, the 30" chest received four coats of amber shellac.
“The Tsunami Hope Chest”
Dave Shaw and Carmel Kenyon, Malanda, Queensland, Australia
The Woodworker’s Website Association commissioned Shaw and Kenyon of Australian Wood Art to build this piece, which will be auctioned and the proceeds donated to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. One wing of the intarsia dove in colorful native timbers serves as a handle for the door, which opens on wooden hinges to reveal five drawers. The top was carved from a single piece of rare jarrah burl, and the cabinet is figured black bean. Dimensions are 23"x14"x16".
Room Divider Screen
Steven Butler, Worcester, Mass.
The panels of this room divider consist of two layers of silkscreen material sandwiched together, which creates a Moiré effect when light shines on the screen. The panels are also fully articulated, allowing them to be rotated. Standing 72" high and 64" wide when fully extended, Butler made the frame in cherry, with exterior accents of brass and bronze.
1794 Desk and Bookcase
Brian Coe, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Based on an original piece made by Johann Krause of Salem, N.C., Coe’s reproduction is crafted of cherry and cherry crotch veneers. Although the original had five secret compartments, Coe upped the ante for his version with no fewer than 25 secret compartments and drawers. This piece is the result of approximately 850 hours of work.
Bombé Vitrine
Jeff Greef, Santa Cruz, Calif.
“I wanted to produce a cabinet that looked like it was about to get up and walk away,” Greef says of his bombé vitrine, made of claro walnut and kiln-slumped glass. Greef estimates that he put about 1,350 hours into the piece, which features multiple angled joints. Each piece of glass is a separate pane.
