The Project You're Most Proud of?

[Michele Vespi]

As many know I am just getting my feet wet and with any endeavor there are joys & setbacks. Perhaps you can share some of your masterpieces with a little story about what it took you to get there. I'd love to see pictures too!

[Jim Matthews]

No Masterpiece in my portfolio, yet.

I'm proud of the stuff my kids use, on a daily basis.
Those things are painted garish colors, and buried under "kid shrapnel" -

but I made them, and they get used which gives me such naches,
disproportionate to my skill set.

Knowing that every joint, every surface was made by me -
without slaughtering electrons; that's satisfying.

[Brett Robson]

I wouldn't call anything I've built a masterpiece, although I'm usually mostly pleased with each one when I'm done. As I struggle to improve with each piece I make, the most current one is always a step above the last.

I suppose the last chest of drawers I built and a highboy I made a while back are probably the two pieces I'm currently most pleased with, although neither are perfect nor to the level of those here who are real cabinetmakers.

[Michelle Rich]

wow! Brett, you should be proud & estatic..these are gorgeous. Great job

[Stew Hagerty]

As many know I am just getting my feet wet and with any endeavor there are joys & setbacks. Perhaps you can share some of your masterpieces with a little story about what it took you to get there. I'd love to see pictures too!

Well Michelle, My favorite project and the one that I am by far most proud of, was actually my first major project. I made a rocking horse for my granddaughter's 2nd Christmas. I used 10/4 African Mahogany planed to a 2" finished thickness for the body (1" for the legs), Hard Maple for the rockers, Butternut for the hand-carved seat, and a variety of other woods for inlays and overlays.

The story of my build can be found here:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/w...odworking.html

And here are a couple of photo's:

Sally Horse 010.jpgRocking Horse - 016.jpg

[Bryce Adams]

This is a cherry cabinet I built for my son and his wife for a wedding gift.

DSC_4446-001.jpg DSC_4459-001.jpg DSC_4465-001.jpg

DSC_4468-001.jpg DSC_4469-001.jpg

I usually am critical of pieces I build and can see places where I could have done better. This cabinet, however, was the best piece of work I've ever done.

[Stew Hagerty]

Very nice Bryce! I love the grain matched drawers and the slightly bowed front. Great dovetail work by the way...

[Prashun Patel]

I see why you say that. Very nice.

[Michele Vespi]

You guys are a true inspiration! Clearly i've come to right place! Thank you all so much !!

[Jim Matthews]

Sure, you show off for the girls.

You've been holding out on us, Bryce.
Kudos

[Mike Allen1010]

Bryce, awesome cabinet Jim's right you've been holding out on us . Would loves to see more pics!

Seriously-a beautiful wedding gift for your son and Stew's a rocking horse for his adorable grand daughter - I declare we have Winners! I give can't think of anything cooler than those!! Well done men!

All the best, Mike

[Rick Moyer]

Not necessarily all that proud of this one as I made too many mistakes along the way, however it is one of my favorite's. I always liked grandfather clocks but didn't feel I was comfortable/skilled enough to tackle such a project yet, so I decided on a mantle clock instead. Cherry with only a shellac finish.

It has a mechanical movement (wind-up). Kit was from Klockit, drawings and hardware.

[Neal Clayton]

The three custom casements in the front of my house. I built a lot of pretty standard (for the early 1900s) double hungs, but these were meticulously done to avoid reproducing any other common muntin patterns I'd seen around town, and to make the joints as perfect as my tools are capable of.

Even sandblasted and re-patina'd the old brass hardware with acid to be reused. They have inside turn locks which recess into the casings (sorry for the bad cellphone pics ya can't really tell). The inside finish is shellac to match the old heart pine floor color.

I've not built anything else that I could look at and say "well, these joints are flawless", but these three windows are...the only time I've managed to do that.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Here are two projects I enjoyed giving away the most as they were memorably recieved .. a walnut bench and an elm, cherry & walnut mantle clock :

JacnBench#1.jpgmantle clock #6-resized.jpg

[Lee Reep]

My oldest daughter has two of the nicest pieces I've built, but I did build a pretty nice dog bowl stand for the younger daughter. (Married daughter has a home, younger daughter is still doing the apartment thing, and so she has told me she will collect from em later ...)

Here is a hanging corner china cabinet and a step stool for my oldest daughter. China cabinet is maple with purple heart accents. Step stool is walnut and sassafras. Both were challenging lots of angles on the first, lots of pieces on the second!). Last picture is my newest interest -- peppermills using laminated segments. The completed one, my first peppermill, went to wife's nephew and family for Christmas. The unturned one was just finished yesterday -- for my wife. She rarely gets any of my woodworking projects, so I thought I should change that.

china-cabinet.jpg china-cabinet-door.jpg

step-stool.jpg peppermill.jpg