Projects From Our Readers
“Surpassing Expectation”
Hal Shearer, Orem, Utah
Shearer went beyond the traditional “box” shape to create this lectern using cherry veneer on MDF (box), Baltic birch (shelf), solid cherry (molding, corner posts), and alder, maple, walnut, oak and Baltic (medallion). Finish is natural Danish oil.
Time in Wood
J.R. Beall, Newark, Ohio
An original design, Beall’s 24" clock is powered by laminated wood bows made of ash, cherry and ebony that work through a series of pulleys. The one-of-a-kind clock has shop-made plywood wheels and pinions, a grasshopper escapement and a compound pendulum.
Wood Plane Leapfrog Be Fun?
David P. Gendler, Ypsilanti, Mich.
This one-piece carving in mulberry features two frogs on a log that double as handles of a convex plane that uses a Microplane rasp blade. It placed second in a Wharton Esherick Museum competition.
“Riddle Me This”
Aurele Delaurier, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Crafted from African blackwood as a gift for a friend, this 2½" tall jewelry box features a secret drawer unlocked by a hidden key. An accompanying riddle gives clues to the location of the key and how to use it to open the drawer.
1930 Duesenberg Model J
Sonny Varisco, Coral Springs, Fla.
Maple, walnut, mahogany, padauk and teak blend to give this replica of an early American automobile a handsome look. Varisco’s 18" long (1/12 scale) model has 387 parts and features an authentically detailed interior. The finish is clear lacquer.
Army of Lanterns
These 23 lanterns were made as door prizes, using a variety of hardwoods, as well as poplar colored with various stains, diluted paint or both. Green made his first lantern from cherry, using project instructions included in the March 2005 Woodcraft Magazine.
“Midnight at the Oasis”
This 336-piece segmented bowl crafted from curly maple, walnut and walnut veneer stands 5" tall and measures 14" in diameter. For contrast, Lanham used walnut and lacewood pieces to form the 6-point star at the center.
“Sculpted Comfort”
Richards designed this solid mahogany sculpted rocker to fit himself as a Marc Adams class project. He did all the shaping in the 130-hour project by hand, using a series of rasps, carving chisels, and an angle grinder. Dye, stain, grain filler, toner and lots of lacquer created the deep red finish.
Miniature Shaker Portable Desks
Walden, a member of the International Guild of Miniature Artisans, made these tiny Shaker portable desks of 1/16"-thick cherry, mahogany and maple. They measure only 13/16" high and 1-1/2" long, while the box joints at the corners are 1/32" wide (about the thickness of a sheet of veneer). Except for the hinges and drawer pulls, every box joint, dado, rabbet, and bevel was made with a miniature model-maker’s table saw.
“Chester County Chest”
Griessmann crafted this handsome chest using tiger maple as the primary wood and poplar for anything not visible, such as drawers. He finished it with three coats of golden amber stain, sealed it with shellac and added a top coat of lacquer.
Ornaments by Chesser
Asked to teach a class in ornament construction a few years ago, Chesser could not find instructions to make what he had in mind so he began improvising, using a commercial kit and other products. The result was a collection of ornaments like the ones shown here.
