Grand Prize
Tilt
Jamie Herman / Vermont Woodworking School
Certainly Wood, Supplier — Greg Engle, Sales Representative

With this piece, I wanted to take a very simple idea (a rectangular chest of drawers on a stand) and make it complex with another simple idea: tilting it out of alignment. This relatively small tweak made for a very technically challenging project, which was perfect for helping me learn new techniques in the Vermont Woodworking School environment. The design includes three compound angled dovetailed drawers that remain parallel to the ground while running on the inside faces of the case's body. The piece is 14" x 16" x 62".

I wanted a clean look and crisp lines, so I used veneer to eliminate wood movement and allow me to miter the entire box together. I also wanted the wood grain of the top to play against the simplicity of its shape, so I used a fairly loud cut of waterfall bubinga. The symmetry of the box was important to me, and by using four pieces from the same flitch of veneer I was able to create a four-way bookmatch which flows around the whole case. Veneering also allowed me to create seamless grain transitions from the case to the drawer fronts, which were veneered together and knifed apart so the grain would match correctly. The case is bubinga, with solid ash drawers and stand. The drawer bottoms and pulls are wenge.

Judges' comment
"This project was chosen for its creative, edgy design, clean and flawless execution, and selection of exquisite waterfall bubinga veneer, all contained within a functional work of art."