Wood Working By Design

What follows is a summation of some of my work. Much of what you will see were commissioned pieces, some were not. Some I still have in my possession. None of the items that I still possess are for sale. However, it is possible to have a replica made if interested. Some pieces may have commissioned pricing. You may reach me by using my Contact form.

Note! You can click on any title below to go to that piece. You will also find a blue arrow at the completion of the piece which will zip you back to the top of the page.

Gallery categories will be as follows:

Spanish Colonial Furniture
Doors
Gates
Planters
Napkin Rings
Jewelry Boxes
Bowls
Utensils
Tables
Candle Holders
Crosses

Spanish Colonial Furniture

Description

Image 1 shows my recreation of a New Mexico Territorial Table of the 17th century. This is reminiscent of furniture that I recall seeing in museums as a childhood. I grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and have vivid recollections of this style of furnituer, so this may be a table that I saw during those formative years. The dimensions are purely mine.

The wood I used for this table is obviously very old ponderosa pine. I purchased an old barn many years ago from a gentleman in Northern New Mexico and used that wood for all of these tables. He told me the barn was probably fifty or so years old at that time. Regardless, the wood was still quite usable and its antique worn character was precisely what was needed to construct these tables with.

Construction

Construction was done using the same hand tools that the old carpinteros (woodworkers) used in those days: Saw, chisels, axe, hammer, adze and an old wooden plane. Edged tools were deliberately left in rather dull condition to more accurately leave their marks as they undobtedly did in those days.

Mortise and tenon joinery is used throughout in one form or another. No metal fasteners were used in the construction of these tables. A small wooden cleat was screwed beneath each drawer while it was being displayed in the gallery. Its purpose was to keep the drawers from being accidently pulled completely out and falling on the floor. These were removed after the table was sold is the client so desired.

Drawers are joined using hand-cut dovetails. Glue (as we know it) was not available in the 17th century so dovetails were used because they did not rely on glue to stay together. Hide glue was most likely available in those days, but whether or not this was used by the carpinteros I do not know. Dovetails constructed with a tight fit are sufficient to hold these drawers together for their intended purpose.

The gallery that this particular piece was in sold two earlier versions of this table. Unfortunately, the ower's decided to sell and move, so this table was never sold. It is however, not for sale.

Image 3 is a closeup of the old wood and the through-tenons used to join the table rails to the table sides. The drawers were fastened together using hand-cut dovetails.

Image 4 shows a keyed mortise-tenon joint. The 'key' (peg) is driven into the mortise in the rail to hold the table legs together. This joinery method is still in use today and is very effective.

Image 5 shows the other side of the table displaying the same joinery. It also shows a detailed view of the old barn wood used for this table.

Image 6 shows some of the hand-carved detail in the table. It also reveals the texture of the wood as well as the drawer dovetails.

Image 7 shows the wedged-tenon joinery that joins the legs to the table top. When driven in, the wedge forces the tenon sides against the mortise in the table top bonding both together.

Commission Price: $3500

Plus shipping/handling/insurance where applicable.

Note 1. Commission acceptance dependent on availability of proper stock for the piece.
Note 2. Design nor dimensions will be altered in any manner.
Note 3. Craftsman requires 50% of commission price to begin work. Remainder to be paid on completion.

Doors

Salt-Cedar Doors

Image 8 above shows a cherry stained sliding door whose upper panels have been inlaid with hand-picked salt cedar branches.

Options

Commission Price: $3000

Plus shipping/handling where applicable.

Note 1. Commission dependent on availability of proper salt cedar to complete the project.
Note 2. Commission price based on door no larger that 80-inches by 36-inches.
Note 3. One-half of commission required to begin work. Remainder to be paid on completion.
Note 4. Fitting and hanging included in price if commission is local.

Gates

Miss Camille's Gate

Image ## above shows a custom un-finished gate made of old wood.

Wooden gate made from old reclaimed wood — Image 10

The image above shows the same gate freshly painted. The gap between gate and sidewalk was necessary because the sidewalk rises towards the house.

Options

Commission Price Full Gate (old wood): $2200

Commission Price Full Gate (new wood): $1500

Plus shipping/handling where applicable.

Note 1. Commission acceptance dependent on availability of proper stock for the piece.
Note 2. Commission price based on gate no larger that 80-inches by 36-inches.
Note 3. One-half of commission required to begin work. Remainder to be paid on completion.
Note 4. Fitting and hanging included in price if commission is local.
Note 4. Price does not include painting.

Planters

Miss Kate's Planter

Under Construction!!!

Phasellus rutrum quam ut nisi. Aliquam ornare. Ut scelerisque feugiat magna. Nullam ipsum mauris, posuere ullamcorper, laoreet et, facilisis in, arcu. Nullam pellentesque commodo orci. Aliquam erat volutpat. Nam tempus turpis mollis tellus. Suspendisse et leo at ante rhoncus condimentum. Vestibulum et elit. Phasellus sed diam. Proin vel justo a lorem semper venenatis. Cras sapien diam, consectetuer sed, consectetuer quis, mollis ut, turpis.

Napkin Rings

Hand-carved Napkin Rings

Under Construction!!!

Jewelry Boxes

Walnut Jewelry Boxes

Under Construction!!!

Bowls

Sub Title

Under Construction!!!

Utensils

Hand Carved Spoons

Under Construction!!!

Above images shows five different hand-carved spoons. Wood used beginning from the left - Walnut, maple, apple, maple and maple.

Above image shows the figure of the wood and some ornamental carving as well.

Options

Above image shows the spoons freshly oiled with walnut oil.

A Note About The Figure In The Spoons
The figure in the spoons each reflects how the stock for each spoon was cut from the tree trunk. If you can mentally picture the end of a tree truck you will seevisualize the concentric circles that the growth rings

Commission Price Full Gate (old wood): $2200

Commission Price Full Gate (new wood): $1500

Plus shipping/handling where applicable.

SHOWCASE