GARY STEPHENS, CHESAPEAKE, VA
Honoring our nations parks. Stephens modified our June/July 2019 cover project as a gift for his park-loving pals. In addition to gluing on dyed stars, he drilled holes to accommodate each commemorative quarter. The US Mint has a few more coins to issue to account for each park, but Stephens kept that in mind. For one final flourish, he attached an engraved nameplate.
RUSS SVENDSEN, OLEAN, NY
Uke-an do it. Russ liked Doug Stowe’s Box Guitar (Oct/Nov 2018) so much that he made this cigar box ukulele for his grandson. “Got to get them started early,” Russ says. We think he means kids playing music, not smoking cigars. Russ used mahogany for the neck to match the cigar box. The fingerboard is kiln dried granadillo that he got from a luthier supplier.
GREGORY MOODY, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
Handmade therapy. Woodworking is therapy for disabled vet Moody. This curly cherry hall table is his second project made using only hand tools. It features accents of end grain bamboo (from repurposed flooring) and mortise and tenon and miter joinery both pinned with handmade bamboo dowels. The top floats above a cross lapped “X.” Moody used Crystalac semi-gloss for the finish.
BRIAN BASS, BOISE, ID
Latchkey container. Boise boxmaker Brian Bass is obsessed with combining form and function. This cleverly designed box features a top with a dovetailed latch that locks with rare earth magnets. Bass finished this walnut and red birch box using Danish oil and wax.
