Splinters Woodworks

"Rock a Bye Baby".............PART ONE

2009-10-28T10:00:00.003-06:00

This will be a project of love in the creation of a family heirloom.

It all began a few weeks ago with a phone call from my youngest daughter, and it went something like this:

After searching on the internet and asking around, a LumberJocks friend said to me, you need to check out my buddies website. He said this guy is great and if you need help with his plans, he will be more than happy to help.

Once I started going through his site I knew I was in the right spot. As luck would have it, as we were talking, he said he had just completed plans, DVD and a template set on the very chair I was asking about. He said however, they won't be ready for several weeks. This was alright with me because of an upcoming trip to the Midwest and a list of pending project orders once I returned. I told him my plans and asked how much wood I would need for this project. He gave me my answer and then said being we would be passing right by his place near I-90, to stop by and check out one of his works in progress. Unfortunately weather took over and we were unable to stop on the way home, but a visit is in my future.

During the trip scheduled to the Midwest to visit family and considering the cost of hardwood lumber here in Montana compared to the price where it is grown and harvested in the Midwest. I decided to check out what there was to choose from.

During a conversation with another woodworking buddy from LumberJocks who happens to live in the Midwest near where I was headed, made this comment. "You have to go check out these guys. They are great and I really like them and their setup". He provided me with directions, but was unfortunately unable to go with me because of previous plans.

With my brother driving (whom we were visiting) and my wife, we were off to find the sawmill. Not really knowing what to expect, but trusting my woodworking buddy, I was excited.

As we pulled into the drive the first thing we saw was this sign. I knew then everything was going to be great.

Simpson & Son is a small family run business in Northwest Missouri and as soon as we started talking with the folks there I knew we were in the right spot. They took the time on this cool crispy morning to chat with us and hear our stories, and tell us a few of their own. They obviously were very knowledgeable about the wood they worked with and were very patient with me as I went about selecting just the right pieces of wood for this project.

Eyeing all the lumber stacked in sheds, and this was just one of them, I knew it would be a tough job, but one I was willing to take on.

Now the fun began, trying to pick the right pieces of walnut, which is the wood chose by my daughter and I.

I had been told I needed to get 8/4 lumber (2 inch thick) and that I would need about 50 bdft. Hopefully I picked up enough extra pieces just in case the saws make some miscuts.

My next problem was to not try and load up all the wood that I had to chose from. Putting me in this place was like putting a kid in a candy store. Oh my!!!!

I did behave for the most part and only got the wood that I needed along with a few other pieces of various other types of wood.

This is the pile of Walnut that I chose for this project. It is now acclimating to the inside of my shop and waiting for the project to begin.

I am trying to catch up on pending project orders and stock for up coming shows, while I wait for the plans and templates for this project.

Once I begin the building of this project, I plan on doing a blog as to this whole process and the trials and tests I go through. Scott the designer of these plans said, "no problem, you should be able to get it done in 1-2 weeks"

Stay tuned!!!

Glacier National Park Fund Sign Project

2009-10-20T12:20:00.008-06:00

A while back I was approached by Kelly of the Glacier fund in Columbia Falls, Montana to see if I would be interested in doing a project for the park. How could I say no to a group that does so much for Glacier National Park.

Having lived in and around the park for the last 15+ years, I have a lot of great memories both personal and professional about the park.

Work has begun on this sign which is made out of a local harvested fir from RBM Lumber and is 29 1/2 inches wide by 16 inches tall.

The lettering on this sign was done by Montana Pine Treasures using a CNC router system

My little shop elf assisting with a bit of letter darking.

Here is the sign with a coat of golden stain applied.

The signs will be headed to the Echo Lake Cafe in Big Fork, Montana to be part of a display there.

The smaller board is being created to be displayed along with the larger sign and has slots along the bottom to hold business cards.

This sign is also made out of a local harvested fir from RBM Lumber and is 18 inches wide by 9 inches tall.

The lettering along the top will be lasered into the wood using a Epilog laser system.

More to be added as this project progresses.... Back to work for me....

Giant pizza peel being created for The Wander Inn in Long Island New York.......UPDATE

2009-10-20T12:14:00.001-06:00

Very soon it will be preparing those large 28+ inch pizza's being created at the Wander Inn in New York.

This large custom Pizza peel is being created for he Wander inn in Long Island New York. It measures in with a over 28 inch square paddle and a two foot handle.

Here is the initial glue up as the project begins. using pieces of a local birch they are biscuited together and clamped for 24 hours to achieve a strong bond.

Here is the backer board being sized up prior to glue up.
With the weight of a 28 inch pizza the handle and back of peel is made stronger by adding a strip of one inch thick wood.

This is gluing the backer board to the handle and a portion of the paddle.

The blue tape marks the edges of the valley which I put in each board to ensure the pizza has a smooth transition valley to slide into the oven.

Now the handle has been cut to shape and the planing and sanding begins to shape the handle and paddle to the final shape.

More to follow later...now back to the shop for me.

Back in the shop.....................

2009-10-15T11:27:00.008-06:00

Trying to get back in the swing of things here after a much overdue visit to the midwest. Meeting our three granddaughters was most definitely the highlight of the trip. Photos to be posted soon on my facebook page soon...

In the process of reorganizing projects and straighten and clean the shop. Prior to leaving rather left the shop in a mess to say the least...trying to get orders out...etc...

I was able to pick up some much needed equipment while in the "Big Cities" will post more on that when things quiet down a bit...

One good thing about the midwest is the abundance of very nice hardwoods at a reasonable price. Yes I was able to pick up material for a very special project which I will blog about once it gets into motion, waiting on plans and additional supplies. I wish I had more money and room while there I would have totally stocked up on hardwoods. I am not saying that hardwood dealers here are overcharging for their wood, but I certainly was impressed with the prices I paid in the midwest.

Large Hard Maple Lazy Susan..................Delivered and Loved

2009-09-24T07:00:00.008-06:00

This large Lazy Susan will be used to place condiments and serving plates on for many years to come. It was recently delivered to its new owners and received welcoming raves by them. They were very pleased with the end product.

The top will be a 23 inch diameter circle with a metal mechanism attached to a smaller 13 inch base. This photo shows the top being glued and clamped.

This is the top board with the clamps off and after being cut out using a CNO router.

This is the base which will be attached using the metal bracket below.

Here is the top after being sanded and awaiting the first coats of poly. Polyurethane was used to allow it to be cleaned in case food was spilled on it while being used.

This is a 12 inch metal fitting to allow the top to turn. It has stainless steel ball bearings inside a sealed unit. It must first be attached to the base and then two holes were drilled to allow access to screw positions on the top part.

This is a side view that shows the height of it and the metal bracket between the two.

And here is the final product with it polyed surface.

This was picked up by the client and they loved the fact that a need was met. They had looked everywhere for a lazy susan this large and had been unable to find one this size until meeting me at a local Arts show.
I am sure this will grace the table of many family/friends gatherings and will serve them well for years to come.

Pair of Hard Maple in counter cutting boards have shipped.....

2009-09-16T08:30:00.007-06:00

I am creating two large cutting boards which will slide into the counter top when finished.

They are being created out of hard maple and will be 24 inches long, 23 1/8 inches wide and 3/4 inches thick. There is a finger slot being cut into each end on opposite side to enable to client to pull the board out to use.

Multiple clamps and boards are used in gluing to ensure the boards dry level while being joined.

These boards are in the first glueup phase and are proceeding nicely.

On each of the the ends I will now glue and biscut a board the opposite direction to help stabilize the board. This is also where the finger pull is placed.

Board one after food grade mineral oil has been applied...

Board two after food grade mineral oil has been applied... The boards have been completed and are on there way to Minnesota

Post updates........

2009-09-10T09:18:00.002-06:00

I will continue making regular posts once my new software arrives for processing photos. Thanks Microsoft for being so user friendly....and making older software so incompatible with new operating systems.

Back to the shop for me...... Thanks have a great day :-)

09/09/09 at 0909

2009-09-09T08:46:00.002-06:00

Welcome to this numerically special day(?)

Sorry for the lack of posting here in a few days. Had my main computer decide that it was tired and didn't want to work right. So needless to say I have been structuring a new laptop and organizing and streamlining it. Moving old files and reloading software is a very time consuming process, but a very necessary one. I still have a lot to go, but I am heading back to the shop and continuing on with current projects. All clients awaiting projects will be updated here soon.

Thank you for your understanding - Splinters

Giant Dark Walnut Cribbage board.....

2009-09-09T08:09:00.002-06:00

Here is a giant Dark walnut cribbage board which was recently delivered to its new owner.

It was around 32 inches long, 9 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick.
I routered a slot on the back to hold the custom metal pegs that came with the board.

The grain in this board as you can see was really nice and loved by the client. It was given to him as a birthday present from his wife.

Custom LARGE Cribbage Board...............

2009-08-23T15:21:00.008-06:00

This is the beginning of a very large custom cribbage board. I created this layout on the computer using CorelDraw, then ran through an Epilog laser to burn the hole layout. I will now lay this over a piece of rolled steel and drill the pattern, which will be in turn used to drill the final board.

The final product will be about the size of a card table, roughly 30 inches wide by 36 inches long. It will probably be built out of a piece of local fir/larch.

It is being created for a client who will give it to a group of folks living in a retirement home.
Every day this group of six play cribbage on several little boards on separate tables.

This board will allow them to all play together. It is a real joy to be part of this project.

Montana shaped cutting board with juice catchers...

2009-08-23T15:05:00.007-06:00

This board is being created out of hard maple.

The shape is the outline of Montana, with the shape and groves being routered in using a CNC router.

This board is 22 inches long, 13 inches wide and 1 inch thick. I am sure there will be many meals served from this board.

The client request was to have a cutting board that would keep all the juices from running onto the counter or table once the carving of the meat begins.

As you can see there is a grove all the way around the outside of the board which drain into a pocket on one end. The center "tree" allows the juice to collect and also drain into the same pocket.

Pizza Peel for Truby's Woodfired Pizza....

2009-08-23T14:00:00.017-06:00

We are creating a custom pizza peel for Trubys Woodfired Pizza.

This first photo shows the peel in glueup with clamps.
Finished it will be around 3/16 inch thick, have a 16 inch paddle with a 9 inch handle.

It is being made out of a locally harvested birch, which was obtained at RBM lumber in Columbia Falls.

Here it is out of clamps, cut to shape and being molded to finished size and shape.

My wonderful sanding elf is sanding the beveled edge on the peel for the easy moving of the pizza's in and out.

Here is the finished product. Once completed I apply a generous coat of food grade mineral oil to help preserve the wooden pizza peel.

This peel was hand delivered and received well by the client. They liked it so much they are planning on ordering 5 more peels.

I work hard to create a quality product for all my clients.

Huckleberry Days 2009

2009-08-11T16:45:00.009-06:00

The 20th Huckleberry Days Art closed on Sunday evening and was visited by 100's of people. Rain and storms had been forecast for the entire weekend, but we made it through the whole time without a drop. Cloudy and cool seemed to appeal to the customers.

We used one of our tables to work on pending projects. This allows visitors to see us in action and to observe how things are done. Here Mara is sanding the edges of a Montana

This pond is in the center of the park and provided a peaceful aire to the festivities.

We were able to set up our booth so it could be entered from two sides. This view is looking toward the street.

UPDATE..........20th Annual Whitefish Huckleberry Days Art Festival August 7, 8, 9, 2009

2009-08-06T12:11:00.017-06:00

The festival was a successful weekend. Even though the weather forecast was for 90% chance of rain and thunderstorm...we made it through the entire weekend with out a drop. The crowds were large and seemed to have a great time just being there shopping for those special gifts or things they wanted. It was rewarding to me as a craftsman to have folks come back who had purchased something before share their happiness of what they gotten earlier and/or buy again either for themselves or as gifts for someone else.
Work in the shop is laying out and creating special orders taken during this show, as well as pending orders from my website

Please attend the 20th Annual Huckleberry Days Art Festival this weekend in the Park Side Credit Union Park. The park is located in the heart of downtown Whitefish, Montana near the O’Shaughnessy Cultural Arts Center and the Amtrak depot.

The fair is a juried event featuring hand crafted items by over 125 accomplished artisans from all over. Check the others out and then

Come visit our booth, say hi and buy your very own custom creation from Splinters Woodwork's. We accept custom orders and can take your ideas and turn them into that perfect gift. Start thinking about that special Christmas gift for someone you love.

Mention this post and receive a 10% discount on any purchase.

Show Dates & Times:

Custom boxes........Shelf....other shop activities

2009-08-06T10:31:00.018-06:00

My favorite sanding elf, quality assurance inspector and best friend diligently at work..... keeping me in line on the quality of the finished products.
Here she is scrutinizing items for an up coming show and sending back a couple of boards to be reworked.

This is the first set of two custom birch boxes being created for a client in Maryland.

This custom corner shelf is on its way to a client in Washington State. to being installed to hold trophy's as well as other personal items .

Different view....

This is a stack of fish cutouts which will become cribbage boards. Currently we have trout and Walleye fish types.

Here we have a variety of different projects being worked on.

This one thinks she is the queen and controller of the Splinters household.....she insisted that I put her photo up of her favorite morning spot...

More on up coming projects soon as well as photos of the Huckleberry art show..

and the beat goes on.......

2009-07-22T00:34:00.002-06:00

Travel Size Cribbage board..........

2009-07-07T09:35:00.018-06:00

After many requests for me to produce a travel size cribbage board that will fold up and be easy to carry, we are getting closer to offering these for sale. It is only in prototype stages currently, but will be available very soon. If you would like one of the first set I finish please send me an email or leave a comment to let me know, or both.

Here is a preview of the process:

As always we start with a rough piece of wood cut close to the finished size we want, allowing for sanding.

In this project the flat piece of wood will be around 11 3/8 inches long, 3 5/8 inches wide and roughly 1 inch thick.

This board is made out of pine, but can be made out of any type wood you prefer.

The pocket for the cards is routed out, as well as a slot for the custom cribbage pegs.

The center between the two pockets is measured and marked and becomes the spot where I make the center cut.

Here the hinges have just been put on.

This shows the board with the hinges put on and a deck of cards inserted in the inside pocket.

This is the playing side of the board. It is a 2 person board, with scoring tracks in the center of each side.

Here is the board in its folded state. It will be around 3 5/8 inches wide, 5 5/8 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick.

The plan is to do some sort of inlay or laser engraving on some of these boards.

Also still working on the methods available to keep the two sides closed when not being used.

2009 Summer Montana Farmers Markets hit full swing.....

2009-07-07T09:00:00.012-06:00

The summer market season is once again upon us featuring lots of area artists displaying there crafts and artwork, not to mention lots of food and wonderful fresh vegetables.

Sorry I haven't made regular posts on here.. Most days I meet myself coming and going... I am still working on website orders and trying to document them, However...for some reason they don't seem to make it on here in a timely manner.

I will strive to do a better job. : - )

This is a photo taken at the Columbia Falls, Montana Farmers Market, held on Thursday evenings 5:00-7:30 PM.
This is the second year for this market and has moved to its new location in the new Discovery Center lawn.

This is a photo taken at the West Glacier, Montana Farmers Market, held on Friday evenings 4:30-6:30 PM.
This is the second year for this market and has now relocated across the street to a larger parking lot and much nicer area to set up in.

This is the Kalispell, Montana Farmers Market. It is setup in the Center Mall parking lot on Saturday mornings from 9:00 Am to 12:30 PM.

Custom Walnut w/maple inlaid strips cribbage board.....

2009-06-19T22:25:00.009-06:00

This four person cribbage board was created for a client as a present for their brother.
The white strips are inlayed pieces of maple into the main board of walnut. It was 18 inches long and 10 inches wide.
The firefighter helmet and the inscription were lasered into the wood.

This is the peg storage slot routered into the back of the board, along with some personalized lasering.

An enlargement of the lasering done on the back.

Here I have glued the maple strips into the slots that were routered into the walnut.

Clamps have come off and the surface is being prepared for drilling and lasering.

This is the photo we started out with to create the logo on the front of the board. The helmet number was added to add a personal touch.

Custom inlayed cribbage board

2009-06-09T12:42:00.009-06:00

Here is the near to being finished project.... It will be personalized with an inscription on the back.

Here is the photo i was sent to try this project. The request for this board allowed me to take on a challenge I had not previously tried. That is the inlay of an image using cut out pieces of wood. As you can see the process is coming along well.

It is being created out of maple with the inlays being cut out of walnut. Once the inlays are completed the track will be laid out and drilled. There will be a keyhole on the back for displaying the board when not being played.

More Custom Cribbage boards......being created....

2009-06-09T12:40:00.001-06:00

These custom boards are destined to a serious cribbage playing family in Kansas. This board was created out of a nicely figured piece of hard maple. The logo in the upper right corner was lasered in using an Epilog laser which creates a very sharp image from a photo.

This board was created out of a nice piece of cherry. The letters in the lower left corner were also lasered in and then I cut the profile of the letters out to create a distinctive edge and a unique board.

Updated photos will be provided soon.

Two Giant Pizza Peels being created for Villa Victoria Pizzeria in New Jersey

2009-06-09T12:15:00.005-06:00

Here are two more giant pizza peels being created for Villa Victoria Pizzeria in Montclair, New Jersey.

They are being made out of birch and have a 24 inch paddle with an 18 inch handle.
Creating the wide paddles is done by laminating boards together using wood biscuits to strengthen the edge joints. It is a time consuming process, but well worth it with the added strength that is received.

The gluing process has been completed and the cut to the basic shape. For added strength I always laminate a back board to the handle and the peel.

These peels will soon be handling the large 24 inch pizzas being created by Villa Victoria.

Now the sanding and shaping of the handle, peels and edges begins.

Glacier Park Legend "Ranger Doug" honored......

2009-06-08T22:30:00.016-06:00

for over 50 years was honored by his family, peers and friends last night at a celebration held at the West Glacier community center. The building was filled to overflowing with family, friends and coworkers. All there shared in a potluck dinner and their experiences with Doug.

The stories, tales, and poems told and read about/or by this gentle man demonstrated how Doug has enhanced the experiences received by the 1000's of visitors, not to mention all the employees, he has come in contact with over the years. Once everyone got to speak that wanted to, we were honored to have Ranger Doug share his feelings and humor.
Many groups and individuals presented Doug with mementos of their feelings toward him and times spent with him.
He was truly humbled by all the attention he received.

If you haven't had the chance to catch one of Ranger Doug's programs, you need to put it on your to do list. It is a treat you will not forget.

I was approached by the Glacier Employee Association to make this clock plaque for him and jumped at the chance to be a part of this celebration with him. The basic layout was designed by Bill Hayden a design specialist guru of Glacier Park.

As you can see the basic design is in the shape of Montana. Along the bottom of the plaque is a photo which was lasered into the entire width of the bottom of the board. The photo is a panoramic print of the view of Lake McDonald from the foot of the lake at Apgar.

The board was made out of a local piece of Birch and really turned out nice.
It was truly a pleasure to be a part of this event.

Ranger Doug I salute you my friend....

Glacier Centennial Green Business plaque......

2009-06-07T23:16:00.002-06:00

Splinters was approved as an official Glacier Centennial Green business and was chosen to create this plaque for the city of Whitefish, Montana.

It was created out of a local birch and was approximately 11 inch wide x 9 inches tall.
The logo and lettering were lasered on using an Epilog laser.

A keyhole slot was put on the back so it could be displayed on a wall.

More Cribbage boards/ Cutting Boards/Pizza Peels in progress.................

2009-05-28T13:25:00.006-06:00

Maple/ Hickory strip cutting board.
This board was created by ripping pieces of 5/4 maple and hickory into strips and then flipping the strips, then gluing the face to face surfaces of the original boards. This gives a much more stable level end product, not to mention a nice attractive cutting board.

This Custom four person cribbage board was created out of hard maple. It was further personalized by lasering a clients business name on the front surface.

On the back it was also personalized by lasering the new owners name and the year.

The silver strip on back is a routed dovetailed slide to hold the cribbage pegs.

This mahogany Pizza Peel was created for a client who was building a new home with a nice wood fired pizza oven.
It has a 12 inch paddle and a 9 inch handle. I laminated a separate piece of mahogany onto the handle and 1/2 ways down the peel to provide additional support.