Project Information
Facebook has been a great way to connect with people from my past, some going back 50 years to when I was in grade school. It has been fun catching up with everybody. Sadly, I found that one of my classmates lost her son, Jeremiah in Afghanistan. I have a standing offer to make an engraved sign, no charge for all my friends on FB, so far about 60 have requested a sign. I was honored when my friend Candee allowed me to make a sign for her. I had been wanting to do this for a few years.
As you may know, since WW1 the gold star has been the symbol for mother's who have lost a child in war. I decided to honor both my friend and her son Jeremiah. Like most woodworkers I am a wood collector. This piece of cherry has been in my collection for over 10 years, just waiting for the right project. It was a full 12 inches wide and the color and figure were very nice. Finally that perfect project arrived. The star was made from maple and covered with 3 layers of gold leaf. An inlay of wenge was fitted to the back of the pocket to provide a nice contrast for the gold. The star is positioned to float above the background by a 1/4 of an inch. Finish is 6 coats of lacquer with a light sanding in between.
This was truly a humbling experience and I was honored to make this plaque for an old friend.
As you may know, since WW1 the gold star has been the symbol for mother's who have lost a child in war. I decided to honor both my friend and her son Jeremiah. Like most woodworkers I am a wood collector. This piece of cherry has been in my collection for over 10 years, just waiting for the right project. It was a full 12 inches wide and the color and figure were very nice. Finally that perfect project arrived. The star was made from maple and covered with 3 layers of gold leaf. An inlay of wenge was fitted to the back of the pocket to provide a nice contrast for the gold. The star is positioned to float above the background by a 1/4 of an inch. Finish is 6 coats of lacquer with a light sanding in between.
This was truly a humbling experience and I was honored to make this plaque for an old friend.