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Think Small, Win Big Mini Clock Contest: and the winners are...

The time has come to announce the winners in Woodcraft Magazine’s “Think Small, Win Big” Mini Clock Contest! Entrants submitted photos of their completed projects containing one mini quartz clock movement from Woodcraft. Finished size was to be no larger than 3" x 3" x 7".
Judges first picked the Top 20 Finalists in the Adult Division and the Top 8 Finalists in the Youth Division based on photos. Ties resulted in the selection of 28 adult finalists and nine youth finalists, who were then asked to send their projects to Woodcraft Magazine for final judging. Their creative work appears on the following pages.
In choosing winners, judges looked for excellence in design, craftsmanship and degree of difficulty in each piece. All finalists will receive a one-year subscription to Woodcraft Magazine, a frameable certificate, and a copy of this issue of the magazine.
So little time, so many clocks … Here are our winners and finalists!

1st Place

Tim Teel - Lehighton, Pa.

Teel designed this desk clock so the miniature guitar side greets visitors while the clock side is visible only to the owner who can discreetly keep track of time. Teel, director of instrument design for C.F. Martin & Co., crafted the guitar using jatoba (guitar body, side and back), Sitka spruce (top), Santos mahogany (neck), black ebony (fingerboard and bridge), and Brazilian rosewood (headpiece and rosette). The bindings, tiny heelplate and pickguard are celluloid, a very old form of plastic that is highly prized by guitar players. The entire guitar was sanded to a very fine finish of 40 micron and coated with Behlen Master-Gel clear finish.
PRIZE: Makita LXT 400 Lithium Combo Kit ($400 retail value)

2nd Place

David Bonde - Iowa Falls, Iowa



An industry technology instructor, Bonde designed this clock to be visually interesting from any angle and to create a sense of depth and movement. The main body of his project is bird’s-eye maple and walnut, held in place with two small walnut pegs that were turned on the lathe. The main beams are padauk, and the little foot is a walnut and oak bent laminated form. The finish is tung oil wet sanded to 600-grit.
PRIZE: $100 Woodcraft gift certificate

3rd Place

Don Fry - Charlottesville, Va.

This walnut clock joins two Pennsylvania-style ball-and-claw feet − the lower with a sphere forming the foot, the upper grasping the clock instead of a ball. Fry created the upper part by carving a traditional ball-and-claw, then removing all of the ball except the clock base. After sanding, he finished with five coats of Minwax Polycrylic for maximum high gloss to allow the grain to shine through without yellowing.
PRIZE: $50 Woodcraft Gift Certificate

Honorable Mention

Patrick May - Steamwood, Ill.

May’s leather-look watch is actually made of 5,000-year-old Irish bog oak. Tannins in the oak react with the acid in the water, causing it to turn black. It is finished with clear Danish oil and beeswax.  

Honorable Mention

Michael Shorter - Knoxville, Tenn.

Shorter created the illusion that a spaceship − the dogwood and cocobolo top − is casting down a beam of light through the clear acrylic support when actually a button at the top of the cocobolo base controls a small LED light that provides the illumination.

Honorable Mention

Wade Dalton - Hemlock, N.Y.

To craft this miniature church, Dalton used mahogany for the body, walnut for the base, and ebony for the columns, doors and finials. He chose Brazilian rosewood for the top spire and curly maple for the roof.

YOUTH WINNERS & ENTRIES

1st Place

Alex Moran
Lakewood, Ohio
Age 13

2nd Place

Jarrett Bell
Boise, Idaho
Age 14

3rd Place

Andy Smith
Saline, Mich.
Age 15


Honorable Mention
Chris Dalton
Hemlock, N.Y.
Age 10

Honorable Mention
Jeremiah Wolfe
Shippensburg, PA
Age 11

ENTRIES
Kyle Romick, Chester, N.H., Age 16 (below, top left)
Keaton Rickels, Iowa Falls, Iowa, Age 15 (below, top right)
Joshua Wolfe. Shippensburg, Pa., Age 15 (below, bottom left)
Nick Schram, Boise, Idaho, Age 15 (below, bottom right)

FINALISTS

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