Kath's Jewelry Box, 2001
Cherry. Shellac and wax.
A gift for my wife. She liked the leaf motif from my mom's jewelry box, so I revisited that.
Precious Box No. 1, 1985
Goncalo alves. Ebony handle. Tung oil.
Gift to my friend, Mark Gilbert, for his wedding.
Bass Guitar Case, 1981
Mahogany, lined with red velvet over styrofoam.
For my Kramer 4001 fretless electric bass. This was my very first project upon moving to California, and was built in my apartment spare bedroom. When I showed it at Guitar Center, a crowd gathered...
Mom's Jewelry Box, 1981
Mahogany, oak leaf. Tung oil.
My first attempt at dovetails and carving of any kind. I used my brother in law's tablesaw to resaw the lumber.
Bert's Jewelry Box, 1990
Goncalo alves. Ebony trim. Tung oil.
I designed this jewelry box on a commission from my girlfriend’s mother in 1990. It is the finest thing I’ve ever built, and is clearly a masterpiece.
Equestrian Tack Trunk, 2007
Birch plywood, red oak, brass. Varnished.
My wife needed a tack trunk to go with her new horse! This is built to take some abuse and a bit of weather.
Bug Boxes, 2020
Walnut and mahogany, 4x4x10. Tung oil.
Transport cases for semiautomatic morse keys (bugs). After an early 20th century design by Vibroplex.
Machinist's Chest, 2020
Goncalo alves, 26x17x11. Wipe-on poly.
Derived from a classic Gerstner model 2610. Everything was resawn and the grain wraps around the chest. Finger joints on the main cabinet and little thru dovetails on the side-hung drawers. Blue felt liners. After 40 years without such a toolbox, all my little precision tools finally have a comfy home.
Bread Box, 2021
Cherry, 15 x 8 x 9. Shellac.
A present for my sister. Made from a very old, nasty roughsawn plank that I thought might be walnut!
Blind Box, 2022
Various woods, 6 x 4 x 2. Waxed.
I made this little box for a blind friend. He has no idea what a dovetail joint is, so these are raised. Nobody has given him an assortment of different kinds of wood with identifications, so it's made of many species. His nose works fine, so the bottom is made of aromatic cedar. Surfaced with planes and scrapers, no sanding, so you actually can differentiate the textures. Finish is a light coat of Renaissance wax to keep it from getting dirty. His name, Dave, is in Braille. I use model rivets for the dots; their heads are 1/16” diameter, which is right on spec for Braille.
Wedding Box, 2022
Goncalo alves, 8 x 6 x 3. Shellac.
A gift for my niece on her wedding. The lid is carved from solid and grain is continuous all the way around.
Blanket Chest, 2023
Claro walnut, 23 x 47 x 20. Wipe-on poly.
A gift for my niece. Intended for use a seat for guests. Built from slabs of walnut locally harvested and air-dried.