Custom LARGE 6 person Cribbage Board

I received this inquiry for a very large 6 person  cribbage board. The client explained that he volunteered at a senor center in his area.  There were six older gentlemen (80-90's) who played cribbage on a daily basis, but had to play on several tables on smaller boards. He wanted them to be able to play at one table at the same time.  So off I went to my computer to lay out this board.  I am not sure how they intend to play six person cribbage.  Perhaps they will play several games at the same time on the one board.  It is a social time for them and the talking is most likely as important as the game.

Once the tracks were made on the computer they then were burned into MDF for further transfer to a metal template.
This photo shows the metal template on the left and the MDF on the right to be drilled.

Here is the board I glued up to use for this project. Per the client request I used an inexpensive wood.
It is 24 inches wide and 36 inches long and made out of a local fir/larch wood.
I do not typically  recommend this type of wood for a cribbage board because of the softness of the wood., however in this case it fulfilled the needs of the client.

This is the board as it nears completion.  The edges need to be routered and the final coat needs to be applied.  The board will be shipped early this week.

I think it will provide many hours of enjoyment to all who sit around this board.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Custom Walnut Cutting Board

This custom cutting is made out of Dark Walnut and and is 12 inches wide  x 20 inches long and 1 inch thick.


Per clients request the edges were rounded on both side and as you can see really came out nice.

One of the top comments boards like this generate is:

"This board is too pretty to cut on"

I use a food grade mineral oil finish the well sanded surfaces. The beauty and the toughness of the wood, along with the proper care will allow this board to shine and be usable for years to come.

The following care instructions are provided with every board we make.

Recommended Care Instructions: We highly
recommend oiling your Cutting Board frequently. Over
time oiling will preserve and protect woodenware from
splitting and cracking. Wash your board with a mild detergent,
Do not allow it to soak. Dry your board and apply
an even amount of a food safe mineral oil with a soft
cloth. Remove any excess oil.

Warning:
Do not use any kind of vegetable or olive oil as they tend
to turn rancid. Your Cutting Board is not dishwasher compatible.

For more information about ordering your own custom cutting board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Custom Seal shaped cribbage board

 This request came in for a cribbage board in the shape of a seal.  I sent them three photos to chose from and this is the one they chose.

This board will be a two person board made out of walnut. It will be around 9 inches wide by 20 inches long.

Here is what came out of the piece of wood.  I wasn't sure how it  would turn out, but it really turned out well.

Now it has to be edged, sanded, and coated. Then it will head off to its new home in Idaho.

First coat of poly has been applied.  The grain of the walnut is really nice.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Custom broadhead mounting board

This is the layout of wood for a prototype for a mounting back for mounting deer skulls.

My son Josh, who is an avid bow hunter came up with the idea. It  represents a broadhead arrow tip.

For the prototype I used a fir/larch for the light colored wood and walnut for the center. Once we work through the changes, it will most likely be made out of Oak and Walnut because of the need to support the mount..

Photo of the broadhead tip we used as an example to create this project.

The glueup and clamping of the boards to create the plaque. I used a CNC router system to create the side pieces with the cutout.

This is the plaque being shipped for comments, once deer hunting season is over.

Adjustments so far being made to the next version will be to make the center portion wider and the outside edges will be shaped down to a point to represent the blade edge.

Other photos will be posted as project proceeds.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Custom fish sign "The One That Got Away"

When creating the cutouts for my fish cribbage boards below,  I was left with a nice chunk of Maple left over.

So I tried to think of some way to make use of it...

This is what I came up with. What do you think?

This is a blowup of the lettering along the bottom of cut out..

Here is the original project.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Dashschund Cribbage board

This is the photo that accompanied the request to create a custom cribbage board shaped like a Dachshund. Working with this stained glass picture, would we be able to get a vectored file to create the shape in the next photo. Judge for yourself, I think it came out very well.




Here we have the lovable Dachshund. This board is made out of hard maple and is around 20ish inches long. Now the trick will be to get the track onto the board in the space available.

Here is the finished product, it turned out great. The client loved the board.
We took it to the Majestic Art Show we were displaying at last weekend and took an order to create another board just like it only with a different kind of wood. It was so popular, if we had more we could have sold several more. I had no idea this was such a popular dog.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

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

This will be a project of love in the creation of a family heirloom. However I am sure it will become a popular project once it is completed.

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

She said "Dad.....would you build me a rocking chair?"
I said "Ummmmmm......Ok.......but this is the person who has been supposed to make you a pepper grinder for the last four years and you still don't have it"
she then says "well I think you will have a bit more incentive with this request."
then I said "Hmmmm oh really! Is there something you are not telling me?"
she then says " Well.......yeah I am due in the spring so you have 9 months(now 5 months)"

then I said "cool, congratulations or something like that, after excitedly hollering in her ear and doing the happy dance"

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.

Well....they were using them as fuel for their burn barrel to keep warm while working outside. How could I possibly let those nice pieces of Oak, Maple, Sycamore, Cherry, Elm, etc etc etc.....end up as ashes..when I could picture the nice cribbage boards and other unknown projects they would make..

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"

I just smiled to myself and thought....hmmm  ...... Yeah Right...... OK, we will see!

Stay tuned!!!

For more information about ordering your own custom project go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

Glacier National Park Fund Sign Project

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....

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

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

This peel is completed and being packed for shipment.

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.

For more information about ordering your own custom board go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

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

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.

For more information about ordering your own custom project go to:
http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/