SWWA’S WOODWORKER’S CHALLENGE

NOVEMBER 6, 2014

he November 6th meeting of the Sawdust & Woodchips Woodworking Association

was our 9th annual Woodworker’s Challenge. For those who don’t know, this is our annual meeting that showcases our member’s projects in seven (7) categories –

furniture, accessories, turnings, scrolling, carved & sculpted, toys, and what-not. From the projects presented, this year we also awarded a Best in Show winner. Awards are

based on votes by members and visitors present at the event. This recap presents the results of this great event for 2014.

The first category awarded was What Not. This category catches pieces that don’t

really fit in other categories. This year we had 7 entries in the category. Winning the category was Susan Allen with her 125 piece sugar shack picture. Second was Barbara Raymond-LaPrease with her bead embellished leaf box of

maple and panga panga. Bob Casey’s fancy cherry, maple and walnut cutting board received 3rd place honors. A curly

maple uniquely shaped mirror with walnut accents by Jason Wrench received 4th place. Three members received honorable mention honors. Jonas Rodriguez’s candle holders received the award along with a request from his wife for

15 more to use as gifts. The wood duck house built by Tony Baleno also received honorable mention. Tony used a Ducks Unlimited plan to guide his building process but modified it as he saw fit. He’s built 12 in trade for a load of stone.

An Argentine non-tarnishing silver disk turned on a rose engine lathe by Jeffrey Cheramie also received honorable mention status.

The second category announced was Toys with six (6) entries. Mike Shuron won with his maple and walnut crane.

It is based on the plans published by Wood magazine but with modifications based on past history. The walnut, maple, and cherry fire truck created by Wilbur Chatterton took 2nd place. Wilbur used plans published in Woodworker’s Journal as the basis for his truck, modifying it as he felt it needed and adding firemen. Our 3rd place winner, Norm Thomas, has shown dollhouses but with a new grandson he wanted to build a toy more relevant for that young man.

Thus, Norm’s entry was a toy dairy farm barn, complete with milking equipment that emulates the real stuff! One of our

newer members, Ken Landon placed fourth with his maple and walnut front loader. Honorable mention ribbons were issued to Charlie LaPrease for his ash bat and Mic Jenkins for his cherry and maple doll bed which will be given to his

1 year old grand niece.

Our third announced category, Carved & Sculpted, is our newest and only had three entries. First place was won

by Jason Wrench with his cherry jewelry box with insert. Much of the carving for this box was done during Jason’s time

in our club booth at the 2014 New York State Fair. Second prize was awarded to Jim Yonkers for his carved and decorated fish. During the summer, Jim sits on a picnic bench at his summer cottage making carvings like this. He uses

Designers Gouache paint, an opaque watercolor paint which is available at stores like Commercial Art Supply on Erie Blvd. Charlie LaPrease received 3rd for his willow chalice which he sculpted on the lathe but then added copper paint and a

substance to create the aged patina look.

The Turned category has eight participants. First place was won by Greg Kubinyak with his cherry, spalted birch,

and ebony bird house. Mel Taber’s manzanita burl hollow vessel took 2nd place. The burl is from an evergreen type tree

grown on the west coast of North America. Another burl, this time big leaf maple burl, was used to create the urn which

earned Jim Yonkers a 3rd place. A unique sapelle desk lamp turning by Jason Wrench received 4th place. The lamp’s light is imbedded into the long thin part of the turning which represents a trumpet. Four honorable mentions were

awarded in this category. Bob Casey received one for his maple, walnut, and cherry rolling pin. Jeffrey Cheramie received an honorable mention for the hollow form which he stained with aniline dye and then used lyming wax to

accenuate its wood grain. A set of three ash bowls were Charlie LaPrease’s entry for which he received a honorable mention. A turned cherry bowl with a wood burned edge garnered John Ruttan an honorable mention.

Five members entered the Scrolled category. First place was won by John DeWane with his multi-layered dragon

plaque. John used orange washed red oak, black walnut, swiss pear, spalted birch, maple, spalted maple, and holly to create this plaque based on a pattern from South African designer Sue Mey. The plaque was not finished by John’s

choice. Second place went to Barbara Raymond-LaPrease with her canary occassional table which is finished with Tung oil. Mike White’s red oak Christmas card holder took 3rd place. A Corian (solid surface material) serving tray

garnered 4th place for Tony Baleno. Tony increased the size of a pattern by Sheila Landry to a size that would fit the

piece of solid surface he had. A stacked cherry and walnut bowl using the technique resurrected by Carole Rothman earned Bob Casey an honorable mention.

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The Accessories category had the most participants, ten, and produced a hat trick for its winner, Jason Wrench.

Photos of each entry fill page 9. Jason created another unique jewelry box of curly maple and walnut. The hinge pin was a small dowel and the latch uses a rope combined with a carved pin. Either Jason’s wife has a lot of jewelry since this is

his 3rd distinctive jewelry box in 3 years or others are reaping the rewards of his young talent. A butternut

and spanish cedar wall cabinet earned Bruce Meissner 2nd place. This cabinet is a wedding gift and was shipped to his nephew in Florida following the meeting.

Based on the unit on the cover of the February 2014 Fine Woodworking, Bruce created several jigs and

bending forms to correctly build the cabinet (see photo

below). Bruce added quilted bubinga veneer to the inside of the doors, turned the cocobolo knobs, and

obtained the latch from an artisan in California. A cherry band saw box nicknamed ophidian was Jonas Rodriguez’s entry that garnered him a 3rd place ribbon. Before cutting the box, Jonas glued together 7 layers of cherry. The curly maple, lace maple, and mahogany Little Priscilla clock received 4th place. John DeWane, its owner, noted that

the pattern was by Dirk Boelman, a designer that passed away suddenly earlier this year. A spalted walnut tree branch

Welcome sign by Tony Baleno earned him an honorable mention and will certainly please its planned receipient at Christmas. Bob Casey received an honorable mention for his tiger maple clock. He purchased the clockworks from

Klockit. A quartersawn sycamore night light was presented by Barbara Raymond-LaPrease and received an honorable mention. Jerry Sweeney’s walnut, cherry, quilted maple, and purpleheart end grain cutting board also received an

honorable mention. Wood from the St. Lawrence River that was over 119 years old combined with wood harvested from

the Skaneateles Creek where the former Erie Canal used to pass in Jordan formed Mel Taber’s band saw box which also received an honorable mention. Smelly pignut hickory in a design by Jim Yonkers formed a unique chair which included

a 12 degree steam bent back and earned an honorable mention.

The last category, Furniture, had six participants and the evening’s only tie. The winner was a jatoba and fiddleback

maple veneered side board designed and built by Terry Dote. As the photos on page show, this is a very complex piece

of furniture – even if not veneered. Fully veneered it is even more impressive. A cherry dining room bench using a slab for the sitting area and inlaid with his signature flowers was the 2nd place entry by Jason Wrench. The bench’s back

was created using bent lamination techniques. On the back of the bench back top, Jason added an outlay that mimics the decoration on the bench itself. Both special touches are show in the photos. A cherry and beech 3 legged stool was

entered by Charlie LaPrease. Receiving a 3rd, this stool’s legs were created on the spring pole lathe during the 2012

New York State Fair. Jonas Rodriguez tied for 4th with his cherry side table. Jerry Sweeney was the other half of the tie with his cherry and quilted maple shop stool. Our sixth participant, receiving an honorable mention, was Ron Frey

with his walnut stool. Ron used steam bent lamination to form the curves in the seat and in the stool’s base.

New this year, we presented a Best in Show award. Receiving

the first ever award was Terry Dote for his incredible side board.

Some facts about this year’s event.

23 members entered projects, one more than last year but

still less than the 28 members who entered in 2012.

44 projects were entered, 11 more than last year and the

most ever. One member entered 5 of the 7 categories, 2 entered 4, 4

entered 3, 4 entered 24, and 12 entered 1.

21 vendors provided over $800 worth of prizes for

participants with several new vendors.

As usual, this was a wonderful meeting with great participation. We adjusted the voting process so our vote counters could hear about

most of the projects during the Show & Tell portion of the meeting.

What Not Category

HM – Jeffrey Cheramie 1s – Susan Allen

3rd – Bob Casey

HM – Jonas Rodriguez

HM – Tony Baleno

2nd – Barbara

Raymond-LaPrease

4th – Jason Wrench

Toys

Category

1st

– Mike Shuron

2nd – Wilbur Chatterton

3rd – Norm Thomas

4th – Ken Landon

HM – Charlie LaPrease

HM – Mic Jenkins

VENDORS PROVIDING PRIZES FOR WOODWORKER’S CHALLENGE

he following vendors provided either gift certificates or product that were used as prizes for the 2014 Woodworker’s Challenge: Berry Basket, Craft Supplies USA, Flock It, Highland

Woodworking, Hut Products, Japan Woodworker, Klockit, Lakeshore Hardwoods, Lee Valley, Lie Nielsen Toolworks, Packard Woodworks, PS Wood Machines, Judy Gale Roberts Studio, Tools for Working Wood, Treeline, Wooden Teddy Bear, Woodline, and Woodpeckers. Please think of their generosity when you are buying.

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Carved & Sculpted Category

1st

– Jason Wrench

2nd – Jim Yonkers

3rd – Charlie LaPrease

2nd – Mel Taber

Turned Category

4th – Jason Wrench

HM – Bob Casey

3rd – Jim

Yonkers

1st – Greg Kubinyak

HM – Jeffrey Cheramie

HM – Charlie LaPrease

HM – John Ruttan

HM – Bob Casey

Scrolled

Category

1st

– John DeWane

2nd – Barbara Raymond-LaPrease

3rd – Mike White

4th – Tony Baleno

Accessories

Category 1st – Jason

Wrench

2nd – Bruce Meissner

4th – John DeWane

HM – Jerry Sweeney

HM – Bob Casey

HM – Mel Taber

3rd – Jonas Rodriguez

HM – Barbara Raymond-LaPrease

HM – Tony Baleno

HM – Jim Yonkers

Tie 4th – Jerry

Sweeney

2nd – Jason Wrench

Furniture Category

1st

– Terry Dote

3rd – Charlie LaPrease

HM – Ron Frey

Tie 4th

– Jonas

Rodriguez