ScottStewartDesigns

Ticket to Heaven?
I was near the end of a 6 month church remodel. The planning committee had boldly chosen walnut and birdseye maple for the pulpit area, including the 20' high main wall. All was going well, so the committee leader asked me to design a cross for the big wall. Her only guidance was to make room for a brass plaque saying that she was the donor. Nice - a small custom job that I was guaranteed to get. I came up with a hollow, but substantial looking cross design in walnut and birdseye. It would fit in perfectly...I wrote up the estimate and priced it fairly.
We met and I showed her the plans, explaining the size, details, etc. She was thrilled until we got to the price. Her expression instantly changed to worried disappointment. She looked at me and said "Oh, no, no, no, I want something nice!", and then, "something like this!" She handed over a 'Sears' catalog of church products, about 1 1/2 inches thick. I flipped through page after page of crosses for sale. None were as large, or as nice as what I had designed, (not even close). But they were more expensive. In fact the large ones that she had circled were WAY more expensive. My mind flashed to a stained poplar cross in the middle of my fine work. It wouldn't do...there could be only one solution!
I told her, "let me go back to the drawing board. When I'm done I'll make a full size sample of one end so you can see how it will look." Several days later, and after about 1/2 hour of work, I brought her a sample identical to my original drawing. She was ecstatic while holding it in her hands. The finished product would be far superior to anything in the catalog. "How much?", she asked. I took a small gulp and gave her my new price - a bit higher than the most expensive cross in the catalog. This made her extremely happy and I was happy too!
I made about $600 per hour on the project...15 times more than the original estimate. I didn't feel too guilty afterward. She got exactly what she wanted, the best cross that money could buy.

Thank you for noticing my work and adding comments. To answer a few questions...
The bamboo is laminated by the producer, I've been using it on quite a few different projects with excellent results. My supplier has 4 x 8 sheets in 1/8 inch to 3/4 inch. It is also available in butcher block and counter top styles. It cuts, machines, and finishes well, typically a bit harder than red oak. The edge is a solid bamboo laminate and produces an interesting 'inlaid' look to the piece. They do offer edge banding but I've not used it at this point.
The base is created with long angled lap joints...simple to design but difficult to construct due to the very tight tolerances necessary in both layout and angle. The joinery does have some surprising sculpted angles and also requires two 'keys' to make it fit together. I have used the technique to design quite a few original pieces...mostly based on hex or octagonal geometry. it makes for a very light but strong structure with interesting facets and play between light and shadow. (My 'art pedestal' using the hex design has been tested to over 600 lbs.)
The case also required an unusual amount of precision to create the wave inlaid pattern. My template was hand made (read imperfect!) so that matching all the maple stringing at each corner of the case took patience and forethought. The bookmatched drawers have tight tolerances as well, and were a challenge to integrate into the case. Overall, it was a difficult design to execute and required a fair amount of mathematics (geometry and trig). As an ex engineer turned professional furniture maker, it's good to know that college wasn't a total waste!
I should also mention that the glue up was hectic...things could go horribly awry and ruin all the previous work. Lastly, the finished piece is quite large, 24" x 24" x 54"h. Thanks again for looking!