Hillcrest Woodcraft

Back to the console table (or whatever it is).....I think I'm done. I'll stare at it for a few more days to see if there are any flaws that are addressable. This was an interesting challenge to find the proper balance between structure and art and I'm hopeful I have not compromised structural integrity in pursuit of aesthetics.

The legs are ebonized (black) Oak with a Walnut face. The split lower shelves are Walnut and help lock the structure together via hand cut mortise that captivates the legs.

It's still sitting in my shop so obtaining a nice background was not practical. In the meantime we can enjoy an old stained moving pad.

Here is an update on an earlier project, Display Case/Valet that resides in Austin and houses a collection of ball markers from courses around the country.

It's not overflowing so we'll assume that is reason enough to get to a few more courses.

Drawer front is complete with a finger pull complemented with some Wenge; it has a dark chocolate appearance. I kept with the horizontal flow of the piece but broke up the symmetry. I added in a drawer liner and a black felt bottom and then fine-tuned it for a nice piston fit. When you close the drawer you can feel the air whooshing out - very satisfying.

The top has been refinished to remove the blemish I saw earlier. I still need to add stops for the sliding panels but I'll do that much later. I want to remove the sliding panels and store them while I work on the stand so as not to damage them.

This is effectively complete and I now move on to the stand. I've a couple ideas so I'll make a mock up or two before I select the wood and start making saw dust.

The two sliding panels have been sized and fit and seem to work well so I'm happy with that. I'll need to be a bit careful because the papered panels are a bit fragile as you can imagine.

I'm turning my attention to the center drawer and the preferred look of the drawer front. Any drawer pull needs to be flush with the surface to allow the sliding panels to get past it. I have a solution that I used recently on a valet/display case but for some reason it does not look right in my mind's eye for this application. Staring at it for a couple of days will probably lead me down a path.

The carcass is coming together nicely so I turned my attention to the back. I used to ignore the back, assuming nobody would see it but I learned that this may not be the case. And spending time on something that may not be seen can be just as satisfying in an odd sort of way.

I obtained some guidance from one of my favorite artists Sawyer Design. The back is three panels that slide in from the bottom. I removed a strip of the bottom and then reattached it after the panels were in place to give it a finished and mostly unblemished look.

Note: There is a small shiny area on the top. At the last minute I hand sanded out a small blemish before applying the wax/oil. It took the finish differently and all I see when I look at this is the shiny area. So the last thing I'll do is sand out the entire top and refinish it. It's annoying but easy.

Time to turn my attention to the two sliding panels and the center drawer.

The box/carcass requires precision to ensure the end pieces and two dividers are aligned properly and square. Doing so ensures the center drawer can be fit precisely and the two sliding doors work well. So....lots of layout lines, templates, and plenty of anxiety as I start producing saw dust.

The initial test fit seems pretty good.

I want to incorporate a pseudo shoji screen design for the end panels and front sliding doors. I used a raised panel construction method with frame/shoji paper as the panel. It turned out nice. The walnut frame was originally treated with an iron oxide but the reaction didn't get it as dark as I wanted so I supplemented it with ebony stain. I think the white paper, black frame, and walnut outer frame contrasts well.

The path is now established so we'll keep plowing forward....

Saw several furniture pieces over the past year and then decided to try out a few ideas I've had in mind and see where it leads me. This is something I saw on facebook which lead to this early mock up of the front view....

This is what they look like when they are completed. They are about 10" high and serve quite well as a personal Butsudan for your home. These kits will be shipped to Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Virginia for our annual Eastern Buddhist League Conference later this year. During the conference weekend, there is an optional activity in which you can obtain these kits and build them - Hope there are none left after the conference.

A few weeks ago, I completed the last of 25 Butsudan kits. It's an old design of mine that has been modified over the years but seems to work out quite well; it is fairly easy to assemble and looks pretty nice when it is complete.

There are eleven primary pieces along with 30 screws, washers, & hinges to complete the assembly. I've also included a small screwdriver and a small vial of glue.

It's all Oak with a Urethane finish. It's been fun to create the kits including the instructions while at the same time trying to make it not so obvious that I'm and engineer :)

Went to our friend's place recently and hung her new artwork. Looks better hanging out in a home with a lot of other interesting pieces of art.

Some weeks ago, a friend of ours requested a piece of wall art in memory of her husband that had recently passed. Although she granted full artistic license there were a few guidelines. Wood should be the predominant material, it needed to contain the Japanese Kanji representing the phrase "Forever Young," and her tendency to "gravitate towards the more unusual."

I'm not sure where exactly my personal inspiration came from but it was likely all influenced by her deeply empathic soul.

This piece entitled "Forever Young" is a 24" x 14" pseudo-parametric design. Each of the 28 Walnut slats were individually crafted and assembled to form what you see here. The Kanji was tipped with Cherry to make it stand out without overwhelming the appearance.

We presented this to her yesterday and I was of course relieved when her response was positive. Interestingly enough, we sat and studied it for a while and looked at it from different angles and distances and realized that depending upon perspective and your emotional state, you may see flow & motion, or landscape, or music.....or maybe each individual slat represented various and unique pieces of their lives.

The Engineer in me just thought it looked cool :). Without a doubt, this piece has become my favorite.

I was informed yesterday that Shoji Table has been purchased from The Wood Bin and has found a new home in Madison, Wi. I think that is the third Hillcrest Woodcraft piece sold in the past 4 months so thanks to Adam Monat at The Wood Bin in Washburn, Wi. I'm looking forward to presenting some new pieces in the upcoming months.

Here's a cryptic preview of an art project that has been consuming me for several weeks and produced a good 10 gallons of saw dust and shavings. I'll share the background and the finished piece in the upcoming days.

This one may be my favorite piece so far. It's a display case for Challenge coins with storage for additional coins or whatever, so I guess it is a Display Case/Valet. This one took a lot of thinking and planning and I found myself staring at it a lot until it came together in my mind and I could capture it in a sketch.

One piece of walnut was used for the entire build. I did this so that the grain character and tone would match throughout the entire piece. I set aside a nice section for the drawer fronts and as you can see, the two fronts match with a continuous grain flow.

The top and bottom shadow lines are accented with brass. My first time doing that and it proved to be a little tricky. I wanted to avoid bulky drawer pulls so a recess with a piece of Purpleheart running through it worked out well while simultaneously breaking up the monotony of the Walnut.

I don't show the back of the piece here but I did use walnut veneer around a plywood core. Something I'm learning is that you can't assume the back of a piece won't be seen so it's worth it to spend a little extra time on it just in case.

The top drawer has an insert for displaying a few coins with storage underneath. The bottom drawer has removable inserts for keeping a whole lotta' whatever.

It's spoken for and will soon head South.

I made use of the table top that is the mate of that used for my Shoji Table. It's a beautiful piece of clear walnut with just a bit of the sapwood retained. I think it breaks up the surface and provides a bit of character through its asymmetry.

I had a concept in my head that used steam bent wood (I've been experimenting with that) but I just couldn't obtain the right look. So instead it developed into a Prairie Style look - And maybe a subtle tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright whose work I've always admired.

Anyway, here it is.

Three drawer humidor has found a new home in Seattle/Bainbridge. Here is an action shot in its new habitat. The Seattle-Bainbridge ferry makes a nice backdrop.

The Wood Bin hosted a Shop Local event yesterday. This one sold so that's cool.

Sold.

Earlier this week, we made our first sale through The Wood Bin. "Afternoon Tea" is going to a new home and hopefully it serves the new owners well.

Some very nice words from Adam at The Wood Bin. He has proven to be effectively inquisitive when inquiring about each piece and skilled at describing what he sees and observes.

One of my earlier efforts now being shown at The Wood Bin.

Here is the “Shoji” Table highlighted at The Wood Bin.

Some kind words from Adam at The Wood Bin….

These are three of the four pieces we are displaying at The Wood Bin.....

Cheral and I (& our dog, Shadow) made a trip to The Wood Bin in Washburn, Wi to deliver some pieces I had sitting in my office for some time. Adam, the proprieter of this small store front contacted me some months ago with an interest in displaying my work. After getting to know him a bit we walked out of there with a good feeling and and agreed that "this feels right." He has a nice story and an ambition so we feel really good supporting a small business and a good person. And it is nice way for me to step into public display of my work.

We are displaying four pieces, a console/entryway table, an end table, a serving tray, and a charcuterie board. The Wood Bin made a very nice introductory post....Thanks, Adam; you are so kind!

Made a new Kansho holder for our Twin Cities Buddhist Sangha. The design is loosely patterned after the entrance to the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, CA. The Kansho (bell), made from an old oxygen tank, was purchased several years ago by our Taiko group and used for many of our performances.

Waterfall Bench is on its way to a new home in South Minneapolis. Received a picture of it in its new environment - Looks like it belongs.

Shoji End Table is done.....

21.5" high, 26" long, 14" wide. Shoji screen is Maple, framed with Walnut, legs are reclaimed Oak, top is bookmatched live edge Walnut finished with Rubio hard wax.

Table surface solution for the "Shoji" end table....I had a remaining 2 inch thick Walnut slab that was too thick and too wide but I wanted to find a way to retain the live edge on both sides. I cut a seven inch wide piece, resawed (i.e., butterfly) and bookmatched it to create a piece that is approximately 14" wide with live edges on both sides. It's finished with a hard wax.

Side note: A new medallion makers mark inset on the underside.