St. Johns Valet (coat rack and shoe cabinet)
This is a project I recently completed for the Lumber to Legacy program auction in Albany Oregon (http://cityofalbany.net/lumbertolegacy). The lumber was salvaged from a construction project in Albany that removed seven very large native Oregon White Oaks. The trees were donated to the city and milled by a local sawyer named Mark Azevedo. The lumber was air then kiln dried and distributed to local artisans as well as a group of high school kids to turn into projects to be sold at auction on November 9 of this year. The proceeds will be used to purchase additional white oak habitat for the enjoyment of future generations- a task that is much needed as there is very little of this native habitat left in the state.
My piece for the Lumber to Legacy project began with a need for more storage space for our growing family. As the father of two young girls, we had a coat and shoe problem. As I pondered a solution, I looked to a local Oregon landmark; the St. Johns Bridge. I’ve always admired its flying buttresses and gothic arches. I was an engineer in another life and thought “what better representation of the engineers craft than a bridge”?
The St. Johns Valet features an abundance of coat hooks, both front and back. I used a Japanese finishing technique on the shoe cabinet called shou-sugi-ban, in which the sides of the case are charred with a propane torch, then scrubbed clean of charcoal prior to oiling and waxing. It leaves a textured and blackened surface that perfectly represents the actual bridges asphalt deck.
The oak procured from the Hackleman grove had a few interior checks which I left and filled with black tinted epoxy. I did this on purpose rather than scrap the wood and start over. The checks are representative of the poor state of the Nation’s bridges and other infrastructure- a fact that the former engineer in me would be remiss to neglect to represent.
I topped the shoe cabinet with a hand-carved walnut pull, meant to represent the automobile age in it’s angular appearance. The front of the piece features a fall-front door which swings down on spring-loaded pin hinges I devised and reveals two shelves of shoe storage space. Larger shoes fit in the bottom shelf. The back is designed to hold things like umbrellas, walking sticks and tennis rackets.
I am very pleased with how this piece turned out. It sold well above my minimum bid price.
More of my work can be seen at my website;
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Odie's Oil
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DeWalt 735X Planer
Skilsaw SPT88-01 Miter Saw
Dubuque Clamp Works Bar Clamps - 4 pack
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