Selected Woodworking Projects

The featured image above is a Dry Bar and Glass Cabinet designed and built in July/August 2018.

Dining Room Cabinet/Buffet

In the Summer of 2021, we removed wall-to-wall carpeting, completely repainted the walls and ceilings, and installed hardwood (flooring) in the living room and dining room. We also removed a built-in unit in the dining room, which inspired new piece furniture: a cabinet/buffet for serving and storage to match the rest of the furniture in the room from early last century. August 2021, Original design. Materials: Quarter-sawn solid white oak top, drawers, and trim; oak plywood panels, shelves, and cabinet sides; special multi-step dye, stain, and finish procedure to highlight the flake.

Office Furniture for My Office, MU’s Tell School of Music

In August 2021, I returned to Millersville University as a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Choral Studies. Since my office is now my “home away from home,” I’ve designed and constructed the following pieces for warmth, comfort, and efficiency. (Listed in reverse chronological order of design and production).

Tall Shelves/Drawers (behind desk)

December 2020. Solid Cherry and White Oak, finished only with Bush Oil.

Rear Panel (behind desk)

November 2020. Solid Cherry and White Oak frame with Walnut panels, finished only with Bush Oil.

Twin Portable Shelves/Drawers (top of file cabinets framing window)

November 2020. Solid Cherry and Walnut, finished only with Bush Oil.

Tilted Shelves (top of large shelves)

October 2020. White Oak, dyed red and stained dark, finished with three coats of lacquer.

Arts and Crafts Lamps.

Design from Adams, John D. Easy-to-Make Arts and Crafts Lamps and Shades. This is a Dover edition publication (2005), which is an unabridged republication of Arts-Crafts Lams, published by Popular Mechanics Co., Chicago, 1911. My versions (3) are modified verions of the “One-Light Portable,” pp. 47-49. Solid Cherry, finished only with Bush Oil.

Prairie Spindle Chair

Design: Thiel, David. Popular Woodworking’s Arts and Crafts Furniture Projects (Popular Woodworking Books, Cincinnati, Ohio): 158-163. Constructed November 2019. White oak, dyed red, stained dark, lacquered. Cushion designed and upholstered by my wife.

Arts and Crafts Bookcase

Design: Uhl, Kara Gebhart. Popular Woodworking’s Arts and Crafts Furniture Projects (Popular Woodworking Books, Cincinnati, Ohio): 211-27. Constructed September 2019. Solid cherry with walnut pegs.

Mission-Style Desktop Book Rack

Design: Belke, Robert & Bob. Arts and Crafts Inspirations (Popular Woodworking Books, Cincinnati, Ohio): 30-33. September 2019. Solid cherry with walnut pegs.

Butcher Block-style 2X4 Workbench

Design: Family Handyman, https://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop/workbench/build-a-work-bench-on-a-budget/. Pine 2 X 4’s and Plywood. Vise: Walnut.

Wedding Reception Table Centerpiece Boxes

Original design. May 2019. Chestnut.

Entertainment Center “Towers” with Top Shelf

Original design. December 2018/January 2019. Built to match television stand constructed of solid cherry about fifteen years ago (!), as well as recently constructed dry bar, glass cabinet, and coffee table (see below). Towers and shelf are expandable in case we want to purchase a larger TV! Cherry w/quarter-inch cheery ply back panel in oak frame.

Updated “Towers” with Top Shelf, Panels, Lanterns, and Lightboxes

Original design. August 2019. Panels are Wormy Maple and Cherry. Lanterns are constructed from Chestnut and Walnut. Lightboxes are Walnut.

Book Shelf

Original design. December 2018. Built for a Christmas present! Maple.

Coffee Table

Original design. August 2018. Built to match the Dry Bar and Glass Cabinet. Quarter-sawn Cherry, Cherry Ply.

Dry Bar and Class Cabinet

Original design. July 2018. Quarter-sawn Cherry, Cherry Ply, 1/4-inch glass.

Updated Dry Bar and Glass Cabinet with Backsplash Board, Cutting Board, and Lightboxes

Original design. August 2019. Backsplash Board is Wormy Maple and Cherry. Cutting Board is Cherry, Walnut, Maple. Lightboxes are Walnut.