Editors Choice
Sheraton Tea Caddy30 cm x 23 cm x 20 cm
William Francis Brown
Forest in Virginia
William Brown’s Sheraton tea caddy won the grand prize. This project showcases skill in rope edging and parquetry inlay. Figured walnut is the primary wood, while tiger maple is used for the inner boxes. Williams’ 30 years of furniture-making and study experience has helped to create the harmony in this design.
William started his career as an apprentice at the Darling, PA shop of E. Townsend Moore. He was influenced by the legacy of Welsh, English Quakers and Dutch settlers in the area. William is a stickler for the local hardwoods, cherry, maple, and walnut, with the exception of a few special cases. You can find his work in James Madisons Montpelier or historic Jamestown.
Sheraton Tea Caddy
Theres an exquisite amount of detail in this small, traditional box form.
Readers Choice
Dragonfly and Lily Cabinet
28 cm x 56 cm x 140 cm
Mark Bellonby
Mason Neck, Virginia
Marks dragonfly and lily cabinet was voted as the Readers Choice. Cabinet is made from cherry, ebonized maple, and various marquetry veneers including abalone inlay and mother-of pearl inlay.
Mark stated that Marquetry design can be difficult. The hardest part of designing the artwork was critical to its impact. Following concept sketching, the cabinet on stand was developed in AutoCad and SketchUp, and the artwork was computer illustrated in cartoon fashion. It was crucial to choose the right background veneer. In this case, ribbon mahogany was plain enough for the backwater scene with dragonflies and foliage. However, it also had a subtle shimmer that was appealing. The scroll sawing of the veneers (bevel-cut technique) and inlaying mother-of pearl and abalone was easy, but it took a lot of time to apply and rub out multiple coats of finish.
Mark’s favorite aspect of the build was its composition and painterly aspects.
Bookcases, Cabinets And Casework
Pixel
41 cm x 46 cm x 132 cm
Scott Grove
Canandaigua, New York
Scotts Pixel shows the amazing visual interest veneer can bring to a piece. To give the illusion of seamlessness, the redwood burl has been bookmatched at all corners. Scott said that it was difficult to ensure the sapwood edges were in line with each other in three dimensions. The pyrite sphere that lives in the arch between the legs contains a magnet that opens the door.
Scotts mantra- find the line and then cross it-reflects his desire to push the boundaries of veneer work.
Tables
Greene & Greene Thorsen House Inspired Dining Table
191 cm (expands to 343cm) x 160 cm x 75 cm
Bob Cherry
Pipersville, Pennsylvania
Bob’s interpretation of Thorsen House’s dining table is made with quarter-sawn sapele and pommele sapele veneer. The elliptical roof can be extended to nearly double its size. It is carefully recreated with Greene & Greene details. The elliptical shape of the top means that the segments around it have different angles. The templates were made on a CNC, then they were pattern routed. Bob says his favorite feature is the pommele grain in the slip-matched top veneer.
Bob said he wouldnt use shop-sawn veneers if he were to build it again. The job could have been done with commercial veneers.
Seating
Federal Parlor Chair
53 cm x 46cm x 86cm
Seth Capista
Conway (Massachusetts)
The form and carving caught our eye when we came across Seths Federal Parlor Chair entry. The shellac finish is applied to the mahogany and oak woods used in the chair. Seths favorite part of the build was turning the legs, and he spent a lot of time practicing the Samuel McIntire carving style.
Seth said about the carving, It took a lot of practice pieces to get it where it is, which is miles behind Samuel McIntire who did the carving on the original circa 4,575 cm
Boxes And Small Items
Frame Saw
84 cm x 41 cm
Scott Turner
Reston (Virginia)
Although the frame saw is stunningly beautiful, it was designed to be used. Scott made the saw’s ends from African mahogany and the stretchers from hard maple. The ends feature acanthus leaves and scrolls. The secondary end has a flower motif. The drivers end features an inlaid compass rose in cherry and holly thats intended to guide the cut of the saw. Turner applied satin polyurethane to the finish using boiled linseed oils.
Scott says, This is my working frame saw, and I like that it embodies the same dedication to beauty and craftsmanship I try to achieve in finished pieces.
The Best Beginners
Mixologist Briefcase
36 cm x 46 cm x 4
Gwen Feher
San Jose California
This case was built as a gift and has more than 200 hours of engineering and building invested in it. The walnut case is average in size and has mitered joinery with dowels. After experimenting with various configurations in a 3D model, every piece of the cocktail set was custom fit into leather-lined compartments and kept in place with magnets. The case is finished with Odies oil.
Gwen completed her first woodworking course in October 2017. The case was originally intended to be a Christmas gift for her boyfriend, but it ended up being a June birthday present.
We are grateful to all who took part. Till next year!
With 21,000 Pages of Woodworking youll get hundreds of furniture plans, step-by-step instruction and drawings, shop projects, essential setup and technique advice for hand tools and power tools, and more! This collection will teach and inspire you.
Product Recommendations
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. Although we may be compensated for sales made through our links, these products have been carefully chosen for their utility and quality.
