Woodworkers Challenge 2021-Page 1

The Woodworker's Challenge (the club contest) was held on November 3rd. Below are half of the photos and descriptions of projects entered by members in this event. The second half can be found HERE.

Best in Show 2021

Terry Dote won Best in Show with his cherry drop leaf. Terry created all the paterae and string inlay before installing them, all by hand. Prior to apply a shellac and wax finish, Terry used a hand scraper - not sandpaper - to create a smooth surface.

Furniture - 6 Entries

First Place - Terry Dote
Terry entered this cherry drop leaf table that has a shellac and wax finish after smoothing was done using a hand scraper.

Second Place - Mark Anastas
Mark entered this apple dining table that he designed and constructed with a little help from Charlie LaPrease. The apple was milled in 2019 from trees he, his father Frank, and Charlie harvested from the Anastas estate. Mark used epoxy to fill various spots on the top. His final finish is Osmo and Beeswax.

Third Place Tie - Federico Meira
Federico entered this black walnut and tiger maple side table he designed and constructed in one week. The final finish is four coats of shellac.

Third Place Tie - John Anderson
John's entry was this black walnut live edge bench. John engaged a local artist to wood burn the image to the top of the bench.

Bill Keller
Bill presented a contemporary candle stick table he designed and built. The table's top replicates a Mariner's compass using maple and wenge veneer on an MDF substrate. He used cherry for the legs which he then ebonized using the technique discussed by Popular Woodworking entitled How to Ebonize Wood. To ebonize he used vinegar, #0000 steel wood, Quebracho bark powder, and water.

Kevin Rawlings
Kevin presented this hickory bench which he finished with orange shellac.

Large Accessories (pieces bigger than 1 cubic foot)- 2 Entries

First Place - Terry Dote
Terry built this 1790's era replica Dressing Glass from mahogany and tiger maple. As with most pieces Terry makes, he added string inlay and paterae he created. The piece includes three drawers with curved fronts plus a secret compartment in which he got a few secret items stashed. On the back, he added a vector drawing of his face on the back. As with his table, he did not use sandpaper to create the final surface before finishing with shellac but rather a hand scraper. The finial is one of his first turnings which he covered with gold leaf.

Second Place - Mark Anastas
Mark built Dad's ambrosia maple bench, adding a cherry bow tie (his first) and maple legs. The finish is Osmo.