Sukrat Gupta:
Table For DaliTable For Dali by Adam Kessler
A few competitions held all over the world showcase masterpieces in the field of carpentry created by amateurs. The “Fresh Wood Competition” based on the works of high school and college students across North America was held at the annual trade show organized by the Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers (AWFS). Here are some projects that got attention of visitors and critics:
1. Anne Boleyn’s Writing Desk
Anne Boleyn’s Writing DeskWriting Desk by Anne Boleyn’s
Created by Lance Smith from the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport ME, Anne Boleyn’s Writing Desk got a place in the finals because of the presence of all elements one usually yearns to see in a furniture design: inspiration, expressiveness, beauty, material and other things. The desk manages to achieve elegance through simplicity and choice of material. According to Lance Smith, the desk is meant for a woman who wants to write. It has a smooth, gentle curve at one end, with a drawer. The legs are long and curvy as well, complementing with the main structure. The top of the desk is made of birch plywood, and covered in shop-sawn thick veneer and burl veneer. The drawer is made of Birdseye maple, and legs of hard maple core. The whole craft is covered in Macassar Ebony. The use of various qualities of wood and various techniques gives finishing touches to the beautiful masterpiece.
2. Bombelicious
BombeliciousBombelicious by Elias Schultz
Bombelicious reminds the observer of the curves of a beautiful woman. The use of curves in furniture is the inspiration of the creator, Elias Schultz, a student of Cedar Ridge High School, Hillsborough, NC. The design is highlighted by the extensive use of curves, which adds to the complexity of the furniture. The design is made of solid maple and poplar, mahogany, curly maple veneer and veneered maple and birch plywoods. What makes Bombelicious different from the traditional Bombe chests is the presence of corner transitions in the sides created by making a coopered, solid maple turning. The structure is balanced with the case sides by proportioning the top’s weight with the heavy bottom piece. The drawer face dimensions have been drawn up by using the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci series. The solid finish is given by hand-rubbed Danish oil and polyurethane mix.
3. Miss Peaches
Miss PeachesMiss Peaches by Bonner Armbruster
Created by Bonner Armbruster from College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, CA, Miss Peaches is a cabinet coated with the orange-brown hues of Kwila. It was created with the sole purpose of storing servingware and silver. The patterns on the door are used to emphasize the use of outward curves. While shop sawn veneer (Douglas Fir and Maple, Apple ply, plywood, solid tan oak and doussie) is used to cover the furniture, four-sealer coats of blond shellac and two coats of oil varnish are used for the finish.
4. Katana Bench
Katana BenchKatana Bench by Candice Groenke
Katana bench, at the very first look, appears to be eccentric. It is inspired by the concept of the Windsor chair, with simplicity in form and versatility in function. Candice Groenke, student of College of Redwoods, For Bragg, CA, created this bench by using different techniques, such as steam-bending and bird-cage. Due to the unconventional style, the chair required intense imagination and precision of dimensions. The look may be simple, but the work behind it required meticulous detail and care, the most difficult part being the arm joinery - the stage in which a carpenter has to take all of points in space and create a tangible reference throughout the mortise and tenon of the arm joint. The wood used here is the Eastern walnut, and was finished with Liberon Danish oil and four coats of Epifanes varnish cut 50/ 50 with mineral spirits.
5. Evolving Bench
Evolving BenchEvolving Bench by Joshua Carson
Unlike other crafts, the sole aim of this art, according to Joshua Carson of Miami University, Oxford, OH, is to check the adaptability of the furniture to its usage. As the goal is more of a study than a product, its creation required the use of objects in knowing, inventive and precise ways. Fiberglass ice-fishing rod blanks are used as a catalyst for the movement of a wall shelf. The elasticity and elegant profile of the fiberglass rod complimented the static nature of the walnut, cherry and maple. The most challenging component of the shelf was resolving the connection between individual walnut fingers. The connection required control in axis with the rod that forced against it. The connection also had to adapt to either side of each walnut finger. An interlocking network of pegs and grooves eventually solved this dilemma.
6. Love Rocker
Love RockerLove Rocker by Christopher Gagnon
Built by Christopher Gagnon, a student of Sultana High school, Hesperia CA, the Love Rocker is the product of every woodworking skill and ability Gagnon learned from the school. The biggest challenge was to create the two-seater without adding the middle rocker or extra support on the seat, which may use up more wood and time. The chair is made of maple and walnut, and is finished with natural Danish oil and tung oil. It won the first prize in the ‘reproduction’ category.
7. Comb Back Windsor Chair
Comb Back Windsor ChairComb Back Windsor Chair by Collin Barker
This project started with the simple goal of making a reproduction of a comb-back Windsor chair. For this, Collin Barker, student of Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, used traditional tools and building techniques. It is usually avoided due to high prices of these tools. This added to the workload, as Barker had to make his own tools like smoothing plane, before starting with the project. The seat is made of Engelmann Spruce, and legs of local Norway Maple.The legs are joined to the seat with a tapered through mortise that is also wedged, giving a self-tightening joint. The spindles are made of local ash due to unavailability of green oak, the traditional wood used. The comb and bow are bent from red oak. To give the chair the look of an original Windsor chair, finishes that give antique looks are used, such as of green, red and black mill paints, boiled linseed oil, and amber shellac.
8. Table For Dali
Table For DaliTable For Dali by Adam Kessler
Adam Kessler from Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY, made this unique table which failed to win in Tables Category but was the winner of People’s Choice. The design is inspired from the paintings of Salvador Dali, one of the craftsman’s favorite artists, combining elements from the paintings of The Birth of Man, The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory, and The Persistence of Memory, giving the coffee table a unique look. The usage of checkerboard pattern to enhance the illusion of melting paid off, complimenting well with the up-facing end grain of wood. The work demanded hardwork, especially while arranging maple and black walnut pieces for the checkerboard pattern. The best thing about the table is that it can also be used upside down, giving the feeling of anti-gravity. All these elements are sufficient to say that the work is surreal, complex, unique and durable.
9. Padauk and Ash Table Tennis Table with Paddles
Padauk and Ash Table Tennis Table with PaddlesPadauk and Ash Table Tennis Table with Paddles by Greg Moore
Greg Moore from Appleton City High School, Appleton, MO, took the idea of a table-tennis table to create this craft. Solid wood padauk and veneer core ash plywood are used for the table. Catalyzed lacquer finish is used as the finish, and sanding was done to give a smooth finish.
10. Ebony and Ivory
Ebony and IvoryEbony and Ivory by Brett Stickler
Brainchild of Brett Stickler, Rolla Technical Institute, Rolla, MO, Ebony and Ivory is inspired by benches. The type of wood used here are wenge and maple, a choice Stickler explained, made to give the design an exceptional look. To achieve the final effect frames and veneered panels had to be created, along with the arms and feet. Sanding is done to individual pieces to make it ready for finishing when assembled. For finish, sealant and coats of polyurethane are used.
No comments:
Post a Comment