It’s been well over a year since I published an update to my website.  I’ve been continuing practice of my hand-cut dovetails, learning a couple of new skills (bent lamination and veneering), and also started to volunteer in Grand Teton National Park this summer 2 days per week.  I also upgraded my long-loved table saw to a new Saw Stop model (Professional Cabinet Saw with 3 hp motor and 36″ T-Glide fence – sweet), so that has taken a good amount of time to set up everything and make new jigs for its use (e.g., cross-cut sleds, etc).  So here is some of the work that I’ve completed in parallel to all of these activities and intend to post for sale in my Etsy shop or save for a future Arts & Crafts show.  Note that I also built a Mission-style bookcase for my wife that deserves its own post.

First is this simple wood basket in cherry.  There are several highlights that deserve mention:  first, the wood box has continuous, matching grain patterns along all four sides; second, all of the dovetails were cut by hand; and third, the handle was made through bent-lamination of thin strips of cherry wood in a reverse (S-type) curve pattern.  I love the simplicity of its design as well as all of these woodworking details!

Next, I made a couple of Meditation Altar Tables in cherry and mahogany.  This original design of mine has proven to be very popular and I regularly get requests for custom orders.  I’m not sure yet if I will post these for sale in my Etsy store or save for a local craft show I intend to participate in next summer.

Next up is a combination cheese-cracker tray with a small, removable cutting board.  The tray body is made from cherry (one has walnut inlay accent stripes) and the butcher-block style (end-grain) cutting board is made from maple.  This is not my design, I saw it in one of my woodworking magazines and I liked the way it looked; clever construction details were a bonus and I actually learned a few new things in making these!  

Finally, I’ve been working on a jewelry box with a fancy veneer lid.  It’s not quite finished yet so those pictures will have to wait for now….  My next post will showcase the Mission-style bookcase that I just completed.