Recent Projects

Not having others things to share with you, I thought I'd post some pictures of recent woodworking projects. I love spending time in my shop, especially at this time of year. Working with wood seems like such a privilege. Each piece is unique, with fascinating color, grain, figure, and texture. Each species has its own special character. Also, since wood comes from trees, which are all unique and interesting and which were once alive, it always seems important to treat each piece with a certain amount of respect and to avoid waste.

The first thing to share is this little table, one thing I actually made for myself. The design is for a display table--one that has a small footprint and is a bit tall (~35 inches) and intended for use in an entry way or space where one might want to display an art object or antique. I made this one of walnut, added an extra shelf, and built it to solve a problem I have at my desk, which is that lots of electronics were cluttering my desktop. Now I can keep our Internet cable modem, Internet-based phone connection, DirecTV interface, and Sonos bridge tucked away. The table is also a good place for my lamp, and now I have more desktop space that I can clutter up with all my other "stuff." Someday, someone else can use the little table for a better purpose, perhaps. I should have taken a photo before I put it into place. This picture doesn't really show it off very well.

For Christmas and birthdays, I made a couple of small boxes like the one below. They can be used for one's "treasures", or you could use one as a jewelry box or for photos or whatever. There are lots and lots of designs for fancy little boxes. This design involves a 4" decorative tile in the lid. I made this one of a wood called purple heart, which really does have a purple hue, and the tile I chose features a hummingbird. I have made three so far, one each for Maia and Leo, each of a different kind of wood, but I haven't yet decided what to do with this one.

Then awhile ago, Jessica asked if I could make a French rolling pin for her like the one you see here. I turned hers from walnut and finished it by repeatedly rubbing it down with mineral oil until it would not accept more. I'm waiting to hear how it works.

Finally, Kathie has wanted luggage racks for home and also at the lake. This is the second one I have made. If you come to visit, maybe you can try it out!