Proudest Wood Working Moment?

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PreacherJon

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Aug 28, 2019
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Rockler had asked what is your proudest woodworking moment. I got curious... what is yours? My thought: Although, I like a lot of the things I've made over the years. I'd say it came down to this piece I made for GAP Ministries (another missionary friend). Partly because I had never done a Fret/Intarsia work before this... but I think more because of the worthy cause I was giving. The base frame is African Mahogany, the earth is tiger maple, and the "GAP" is from Panga, Panga. Blue mirrored acrylic is set off the background to be the ocean and Sea's. (11" high by 19" long... 2 inch thick)
 

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leehljp

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Feb 6, 2005
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Tunica, Mississippi,
Two moments that were "interesting"
Lowest: When Living in the Osaka area of Japan (14 years there) A Japanese man knocked on my garage door one day as I was using a router. He said: I heard a router, and knew that you were a woodworker. (At that time there were not a lot of routers or router bits in Japan for commercial-home use). I was fluent in Japanese but on a rare occasion I would meet someone who was difficult to understand. He was. We talked as best as we could and he wanted to see my woodworking tools. I showed him my tools and some of my woodworking. After meeting him on three more occasions over the next few months, something just didn't add up. Finally I met his wife and I asked her, "What does he do?" She: "He is an art professor at a university in Osaka." Then I went to his house a few blocks away as was blown away at the elaborate, beautiful and artistic wood work in their house. THEN he was gone for a week and came back and asked me to read and translate into English a letter that Sam Maloof had written to him personally and signed in his (Maloof's) book as a gift to my Japanese acquaintance. (Look Sam Maloof's name up and his work). I felt terrible about what I had shown this man. I was in the presence of a master craftsman bar none and didn't know it. I later took part of a tour doing a minor bit of translation that the Japanese man put on for American master craftsmen.

Part 2, About 8 years ago, I was asked to make a 3ft tall cross that would stand on its own for a lady to use in her missions talks. I was not given but a couple of days. My wife is the one who told her I would before she asked me. I grumbled but did it, complained that I did not have the time to do it properly, but I made it out of walnut from a tree that I played under as a kid. Well, within a month it was placed on the communion table and is still there. People still ask me how I made one with joints so precise.
 
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Location
Wolf Creek Montana
My father in law is almost 97. Over the last 46+ years of marriage to his youngest daughter I've learned a lot from him. But he was a master wood worker and I mean master. Two years ago we moved my mother in law and father in law into an assisted living facility. My mother in law passed in February of this year but my father in law is still going strong. Sorry, I digress. When we moved them I was selected to sell off all his tools in his shop. I was working on his lathe getting it ready but noticed a partially finished bowl. I asked him about it and he told me he just lost interest and didn't finish. The wood was from a tree that came from my sister in laws yard. My sister in law passed away a year earlier than us moving my in laws, she was 63 and it was great shock to all of us, especially my in-laws. It was a pretty rough piece of Cedar but I figured worst case scenario I'd just end up blowing the bowl up. So I took it off the face plate and brought it back to Montana with me to try to finish it. I got it home, mounted it to my lathe and painstakingly got it turned and finished. It was their Christmas gift last year and prior to Covid it was being used as a candy dish. I haven't seen my father in law in person since October of 2019. I've done a lot of woodworking but this bowl meant the most to me. I finished the masters bowl...what a great honor.
 

bsshog40

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Oct 2, 2018
Messages
2,354
Location
Omaha, Tx
That is some awesome work Robert. Very beautiful! I have made a lot of things in my life but I think the one item I have always been proud of is this cedar chest I made for my late wife. It took me about 3 months to make. It is 3' wide x 2' deep x 2' high. It has 2 drawers on the bottom and a hidden compartment inside. I finished this in November of 2007 for her Christmas present. She passed of cancer at 44 yrs old in July of 2008. I remarried in 2012 and we keep it in our guest room. My wife loves it!
 

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PreacherJon

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Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
650
Location
Ohio
Two moments that were "interesting"
Lowest: When Living in the Osaka area of Japan (14 years there) A Japanese man knocked on my garage door one day as I was using a router. He said: I heard a router, and knew that you were a woodworker. (At that time there were not a lot of routers or router bits in Japan for commercial-home use). I was fluent in Japanese but on a rare occasion I would meet someone who was difficult to understand. He was. We talked as best as we could and he wanted to see my woodworking tools. I showed him my tools and some of my woodworking. After meeting him on three more occasions over the next few months, something just didn't add up. Finally I met his wife and I asked her, "What does he do?" She: "He is an art professor at a university in Osaka." Then I went to his house a few blocks away as was blown away at the elaborate, beautiful and artistic wood work in their house. THEN he was gone for a week and came back and asked me to read and translate into English a letter that Sam Maloof had written to him personally and signed in his (Maloof's) book as a gift to my Japanese acquaintance. (Look Sam Maloof's name up and his work). I felt terrible about what I had shown this man. I was in the presence of a master craftsman bar none and didn't know it. I later took part of a tour doing a minor bit of translation that the Japanese man put on for American master craftsmen.

Part 2, About 8 years ago, I was asked to make a 3ft tall cross that would stand on its own for a lady to use in her missions talks. I was not given but a couple of days. My wife is the one who told her I would before she asked me. I grumbled but did it, complained that I did not have the time to do it properly, but I made it out of walnut from a tree that I played under as a kid. Well, within a month it was placed on the communion table and is still there. People still ask me how I made one with joints so precise.
That is a wonderful narrative. We are proud and humbled at the same time... thank you for sharing.
 

PreacherJon

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Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
650
Location
Ohio
My father in law is almost 97. Over the last 46+ years of marriage to his youngest daughter I've learned a lot from him. But he was a master wood worker and I mean master. Two years ago we moved my mother in law and father in law into an assisted living facility. My mother in law passed in February of this year but my father in law is still going strong. Sorry, I digress. When we moved them I was selected to sell off all his tools in his shop. I was working on his lathe getting it ready but noticed a partially finished bowl. I asked him about it and he told me he just lost interest and didn't finish. The wood was from a tree that came from my sister in laws yard. My sister in law passed away a year earlier than us moving my in laws, she was 63 and it was great shock to all of us, especially my in-laws. It was a pretty rough piece of Cedar but I figured worst case scenario I'd just end up blowing the bowl up. So I took it off the face plate and brought it back to Montana with me to try to finish it. I got it home, mounted it to my lathe and painstakingly got it turned and finished. It was their Christmas gift last year and prior to Covid it was being used as a candy dish. I haven't seen my father in law in person since October of 2019. I've done a lot of woodworking but this bowl meant the most to me. I finished the masters bowl...what a great honor.
Wow... thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you've not been able to see your father in law in some time. Prayers to you and yours.
 

PreacherJon

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Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
650
Location
Ohio
That is some awesome work Robert. Very beautiful! I have made a lot of things in my life but I think the one item I have always been proud of is this cedar chest I made for my late wife. It took me about 3 months to make. It is 3' wide x 2' deep x 2' high. It has 2 drawers on the bottom and a hidden compartment inside. I finished this in November of 2007 for her Christmas present. She passed of cancer at 44 yrs old in July of 2008. I remarried in 2012 and we keep it in our guest room. My wife loves it!
That is awesome! Has it kept the rich color over the years? If so, what did you do for a finish?
 

bsshog40

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Omaha, Tx
That is awesome! Has it kept the rich color over the years? If so, what did you do for a finish?
Actually I had to look at the old pic and then look at the chest. It has darkened a little over the years. here's new pics. I'm pretty sure I brush coated with polyurethane.
 

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jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
Messages
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Location
NJ, USA.
Love the scrolled piece because I do that kind of work and can always appreciate it. Proudest work is a tough one for me to answer but most memorable and hardest ones were my momentos I made and put in the coffins of my parents as they passed on. They always inspired me in what I did and thought it would be fitting to have something I made with them.
 
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