Rustic White Oak Mantle with Shaped Corbels

A historic 125-200 year white oak Michigan barn beam made into a rustic fireplace mantle with shaped corbels.

The rough shaped corbels.

The unshaped beams , lightly sanded.

The orginal hand hewn beam. The wall mounted pictures will follow on the next blog.

Greene & Greene Mahagony Bookshelf

A few photos of the Greene & Greene inspired Blacker House replica Bookshelf with dovetailed drawers, ebony splines and inlay! Traditional breadboard-ends with ebony splines Ebony plugs,

Cloud lift apron,

& crafted drawer pulls.


On to the next project: A historic barn beam mantle with shaped corbels made of Michigan first growth white oak.

New and Past

Haven't posted in awhile. So, here's what I've been up to for the past few months. Starting with this stand made of black walnut with curly maple pegs.

Summer came and went in a flash! It's been a very busy one. I finished my 20"x10" for Three Pines Art Studio in Cross Village, MI. Here are a few photos of the finished project. Its a small wall mounted cabinet made of wenge and bloodwood. It turned out really nice. Two very beautiful woods, but very hard to work!

It's been a wonderful late summer and fall for foraging! I harvested many different varieties of wild mushrooms: chanterelles, black trumpets, lobsters, hedgehogs, king boletes and hen of the woods. The forest floor has been just covered with so many beautiful fungi. Outside of that, just got back from a trip to Jackson Hole, WY and Yellowstone National Park. I harvested a monster 30" mule deer buck, saw 5 grizzly bears, 2 wolves, caught-up with old friends and had a wonderful vacation. Now, its time to make more sawdust. I'm in the middle of a Greene and Greene inspired bookshelf made of ribboned mahogany with ebony inlay, and pegs, photos will follow soon. Til' next time.

James Krenov inspired walnut and spalted maple whiskey cabinet, chainsaw mill and the wild bounty

Here's a little progress report on the cabinet and a few other projects. It's been a very busy spring! The cabinet is coming along very nice. The door panels are made of spalted maple, and case and stand are made from the same 8/4 slab of walnut everything is grain matched and looks great! The stand has curvy long legs and double apron, the cross stretcher which hold the cabinet will give the appearance that the cabinet is almost floating on air. I will follow up with more pictures soon.

As far as other new things and new toys. I've just purchased an Alaskan Mark III chainsaw mill and cut my first tree down on Sunday. It was a very old pear tree with the most beautiful grain I've ever seen, it will make great door panels, and few other things when it dries.

The Michigan forest are starting to bloom, and that means wild leeks, fidddlehead ferns and morels soon to follow.

Greene and Greene Display Top Coffee Table

Display Top Greene and Greene Coffee Table in Quarter Sawn White Oak and Ebony Plugs and Splines " Ahhhh Sweet Success"

The Coffee table is now complete and crated waiting to be shipped. Here are a few photos of the finished table. Learned a handful of lessons on this project, ie. valvet lined drawers. The next build will be a Wenge Tansu Blanket Chest with sliding doors and a small bank of drawers. I'm very excited for a starting a new project.

The "BIG MOVE"

Sorry, for not posting for so long. But I've literally been tied up with so many projects that my head is just now starting to clear. First, I was building a new shop, which is just wonderful. Do you know just how amazing it is to have good lighting in the shop, and what good lighting does for your woodworking? Incredible. Don't worry there will be a nickel tour here soon! Anyway let's get to the good stuff: "WOOD" and "FURNITURE". I have just about completed the Greene and Greene coffee table I started before I left Washington. Assembled the carcass, constructed of Michigan quartered sawn white oak and real ebony plugs and splines, in tradional Greene and Greene fashion with cloud lift aprons, tapered relief craved legs, and lots of ebony plugs. The finished pictures will be published soon! Just an update for now. If anyone has any thoughts on the table please drop me a line. Thanks!!!