Here's My Woodworking!
by Steven Durkee
Click on any picture to see a larger version.
When I was 28 I got a job as a finish carpenter, of which I knew nothing, but I loved woodworking. My employer knew very quickly that I didn't know much, but he saw that I had a lot of drive and love for what I was doing. I worked for him doing finish carpentry for 32 years.
When I was about 32, my daughter asked me to build her a table with a butterfly on it. I told her maybe someday when I learned how to do it. I retired 6 years ago and decided to teach myself how to do wood inlay in order to finally make her that table. Everything I have done up to this point is learning, which has lead up to my next project of finally creating her a full dining room table and 8 chairs set.
"The Rose In Bloom" below is my latest project. It is made from pieces of Paddock cut from same board just turned a little with each inlay to reflect light. The stem is Eastern Maple infused with acrylic color. The background is Tiger Maple. The finish is 2 coats of Shellac, and 5 coats of Minwax wipe-on Poly.
This shelf below is made from American Elm wood with an inlay of an American Elm branch on both ends. The inlay branch is Ipe, and the leaves are Eastern Maple infused with acrylic color.
"Daisy Bouquet" - This is the face for a raised panel door to my granddaughter's Jewelry Box. Each flower is 9 separate inlays of Purple Heart. The center is Yellow Heart. The stem is Eastern Maple infused with acrylic color. The ladybug is Padouk with Ebony dots.
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Interior of the jewelry box.
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This dresser set below is made from Red Oak, which was milled down from 8/4 and 5/4 slabs. The vines on the drawer faces are Black Walnut with Douglas Fir leaves. The inlays have 8 coats of shellac. The cabinet has a Cherry stain, with 8 coats of wipe on satin polyurethane.
"Single Palm Tree" wall hanging. The frame is Black Walnut. The sky is Douglas Fir. The sun is Yellowheart. The seagulls are Bass wood. The palm fronds are Eastern Maple stabilized with acrylic and green dye. The palm trunk and the coconuts are both Pecan. The water is Eastern Maple stabilized with acrylic and blue dye. The sand is tempered hard board.
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"Double Palm Tree" wall hanging is made of the same
materials as the single palm tree.
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This jewelry box is made of Tiger Maple and Purpleheart. My 2 grandsons are on the top, hand painted on glass and then turned upside down and installed in the top of the box.
More photos of the jewelry box below:
Below is another jewelry box made of Black Walnut. The top inlay rings are Eastern Maple, as well as all of the interior drawers. The drawer faces are Quilt Maple. The inside of the boxes is coated with nylon flock. The earring holders on each side will hold a total of 142 earrings. It has 2 secret compartments in it as well.
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