Mark Wolf
West Fargo, ND
No-elm Christmas gift. Inspired by an American Elm leaf he found near his rural home, Wolf designed and built this unique jewelry box as a Christmas present for a neighbor. Wolf laminated black walnut, cedar, and pine (but no elm) for the box body. After cutting out the leaf shape, he lopped off the box top and split it down the middle to add a 1⁄8"-wide leaf spine of pine. Then he attached the lid to a monkeypod backer and drilled it to swivel on a 1⁄4" dowel. After boring out and sanding the box cavity, Wolf lined it with black velvet. The box measures 5" long and 4" wide with a 2"-deep well.
Ernie Stutz
Wichita Falls, TX
Raising Cain. Second-generation woodworker Stutz designed and built this toybox/bench combo for his six-month-old grandson. The solid maple framework surrounds walnut-veneered panels and is assembled with walnut pegs. A pair of double-deep drawers designed to look like four separate drawers provide plenty of room for Cain’s toys. Stutz says he learned woodworking from his father and wanted to pass the fruits of that gift on to future generations.
Josie Vogel
Winston-Salem, NC
Getting the scoop. Vogel says she wanted to practice seat scooping and the Fireside Stool (Dec/Jan 2023) provided the perfect excuse. After drilling for the legs, she shaped the seat at her bench, using a curved spokeshave and card scraper. When her shaping accidentally revealed where the brad point of her drill bit went a little too deep, Vogel drilled shallow 1⁄2" holes and inserted plugs. Then she installed the legs with fox wedges. What started as a mistake became a design feature. And most importantly, it’s comfortable.
Dwayne Smyth
West Springfield, MA
Beveled and box-jointed. Longtime hobbyist woodworker Smyth merged the grain-wrapping tip from Issue 92 (Dec/Jan 2020) with an angled box joint learned from a woodworking family member to craft this unique keepsake box. The 5" tall box is made from birch, with a 4" square base and 6" square lid both made of mahogany. He says he loves the reaction he gets when people see the unique shape and joinery.
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