Highland Creek, Ontario, Canada
handcrafted-by-Ralph@outlook.com
Many items are for sale unless otherwise indicated. Most items can be custom made as to size and species of wood, contact me at the email address above for a quote. To see what I am currently working on, go to my Facebook page.
handcrafted-by-Ralph@outlook.com
Many items are for sale unless otherwise indicated. Most items can be custom made as to size and species of wood, contact me at the email address above for a quote. To see what I am currently working on, go to my Facebook page.
Winter 2022 Projects
Small vase in box elder burl, also know as Manitoba maple, the red staining is characteristic of this wood.
Hugh Widdup from Hamilton Ontario, was the woodturning instructor who put me on the path to finishing this piece.
Pizza wheel with an olive wood handle
Two different segmented bowls in Ambrosia maple and roasted maple
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Cake plate and server in curly walnut
I made this frame from roasted maple, one of my favourite wood to work with. I had a local framer to put it all together for me.
This was the final Calvin & Hobbes cartoon strip published December 31st 1995 and it is my favourite. Bill Watterson was brilliant, what a fitting way to say goodbye and a fitting sentiment for a new year...
"a big white sheet of paper to draw on, a day full of possibilities!"
This was the final Calvin & Hobbes cartoon strip published December 31st 1995 and it is my favourite. Bill Watterson was brilliant, what a fitting way to say goodbye and a fitting sentiment for a new year...
"a big white sheet of paper to draw on, a day full of possibilities!"
Some of my very favourite pieces are made from wood that was destined for the garbage. I had this souvenir from Germany that was given to me over 35 years ago by a person whom I haven't seen since that time. Never used it and it sat on a shelf for all those years. I decided that rather than throwing it out, I could re-purpose it by turning it into a bowl. It came out way better that I expected and now I have something new from something old to display on my shelf.
Segmented bowl in Ambrosia maple
Instead of octagons as I have done in previous segmented wood turnings, I made the rings into dodecagons (12 sides) so that I could get the bowl round and not have the walls too thin at the joints. I really didn't plan the shape, just gradually increased the size of each ring and then the shape emerged from that. I think next time I am going to do it the other way around; come up with a shape and then make the rings to fit.
Christmas 2021 Projects
Some of the custom pieces that I made for client's as well as my gift list.
Fall 2021 Projects
Serving tray in reclaimed pine. Another piece from pine reclaimed from a demolished historical mid-1800's hotel in West Rouge area of Scarborough where I live. The "character" knots, square nail-holes, cracks, gaps and other imperfections, were filled with epoxy resin and finished with several coats of professional grade polyurethane.
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Small cutting board of a variety of hardwoods. Approx. 12"x16" and finished smooth as glass with food safe wood oil.
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Swiss cheese boards in maple. Finished smooth as glass with food safe wood oil. Approximately 15" long and 6" at the widest point.
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Rustic Barn Beam Bench. It is 37½ “ x 9” by 19” high. Sealed with exterior grade polyurethane. reinforced with steel L brackets
Seats two full grown adults. Rock solid, tested 500+ lbs.
Seats two full grown adults. Rock solid, tested 500+ lbs.
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Sweet cherry live-edge charcuterie boards finished in food safe wood oil. Board on the left, 6"x 21". Board on the right 5"x 27"
If this looks suspiciously similar to something else I make you are right! When I was making the chess boards (see below), I accidentally made the rows of roasted and light maple too short. When I started to cross-cut the strips I ended up with one row that was half the size it needed to be. Rather than discard one of the chess boards, I attempted to recreate a single row. The squares have to be exact, 1/2 millimeter off in size will translate to 4 mm off when compared to the rest of the chess board; visually noticeable. If you count the rows on this board you can tell it took seven attempts to get it right. Now even I can't tell on the chess board where the piece landed, so I did a pretty good job. But, what to do with the leftovers... I offset the squares so the slight difference in size doesn't matter and it makes a pleasing design for a cutting board.
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Two chessboards in maple and roasted maple and framed in mahogany. Both are available, $175 each
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I have a show booked for November 28th and I always like to have some seasonal items for sale, so I made these birch candle holders. I had a number of birch poles left that were two small a diameter for candles and was looking for ideas. We were at a Christmas shop in a garden centre and saw stars. The pieces I has were just the right size and I had enough to make two. They sold within a day of posting them on my Facebook page.
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Another wedding gift… this time a one-of-a-kind mailbox in Red Balau, a very dense hardwood from Indonesia. It is commonly used in high-end decks. Insect and rot resistant, it will last forever.
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Summer 2021 Projects
A trio of custom bookcases in Ambrosia Maple to match the hall tree I made last fall
This table-top I made for a wedding gift for my nephew and his bride (he is a welder, so he wanted to make the legs). This is made form the same reclaimed pine as the piece below. The "character" knots, square nail-holes, cracks, gaps and other imperfections, were filled with epoxy resin. The table was then sanded to a glass-like smoothness and finished with several coats of professional grade polyurethane to make this table-top perfectly smooth and impervious to spills.
I made this mail box for a shower gift for my nephew and his bride. This is very old pine reclaimed from a demolished historical mid-1800's hotel in West Rouge area of Scarborough where I live. The original planks were 20" wide and probably came from the walls and floors of the hotel.
I don't normally do refinishing work on large pieces like this, I really don't have the shop space. My mother-in-law moved into into long term care the beginning of July. I had this credenza sold for her (not refinished) and it was supposed to be picked up the same evening the movers brought it to my place. Unfortunately the buyer backed out, so I contacted the other interested parties. No takers. So after a couple of days of taking up shop space and in the interest of getting it sold, I decided to refinish it myself. Very pleased on how it turned out and I had several people interested in taking it home and it sold for at a much higher price than what I had it listed before I refinished it.
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Segmented Turned Planter in Cedar
Spring 2021 Projects
Poker Chip Case
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This was a technically challenging project, everything had to be very precise for the chips to fit properly. Problem is the client was only able to supply me with 5 chips. I did the calculation and careful measurements, but I won't know until June 8th if it will hold all 500 chips. The case sides are ¾” thick, the weight of 500 chips is approximately 15 lbs. so it needs to be sturdy. Keeping that in mind I decided to use willow as it has a great strength to weight ratio and it is the medium brown colour the client was looking for. There is quite a bit of variations in the colour and grain, this case was entirely made from a single piece of rough lumber. I added the burlwood veneer on the top and several coats of antique furniture oil to finish
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Small bowl (without the cut out for yarn) in Juniper
Shallow bowl in curly maple finished in food safe wood oil.
Yarn bowl in Juniper, a birthday gift for my daughter
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The pedestal is comprised of 8 pieces of Canadian Western red cedar 2x4's cut lengthwise at a 22.5 ° angle and glued together to form an octagon column. I then turned the shape on the lathe leaving an 8-sided section on the bottom to attach the legs. The top is framed with a bowed border than a series of mitred frames, the centre being a solid square. Everything is glued with waterproof Titebond III and fastened with screws underneath. Finally, I finished it with a exterior grade wood oil which brings out the natural beauty of the cedar.
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A small bowl in burlwood maple and epoxy resin
Heavy-duty garden boxes with a trellis on wheels.
Extra long raised garden boxes
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Heavy-duty deep garden boxes on wheels.
Raised garden box
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Winter 2021 Projects
Walnut bowl with lid
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A simple walnut bowl
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Live-edge river-rock charcuterie boards in sweet-cherry
Large (above) $375.00
Small (below) $350.00
Contact me at handcrafted-by-Ralph@outlook.com
This is another project for myself. For years an ugly box of cling wrap sat on my kitchen counter, mostly because I really didn't have a place for the over-sized package. So, I reversed engineered the box and made this out of willow-wood to match a tray and napkin holder I made several years ago.
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Cutting/serving/bread Boards made from a variety of hardwoods ~ $125 each
Custom made chess board
Maple and roasted maple squares framed in Honduran mahogany. Approximately 18" x 18" with 2" squares.
Price start at $125 depending on size and species of wood
Maple and roasted maple squares framed in Honduran mahogany. Approximately 18" x 18" with 2" squares.
Price start at $125 depending on size and species of wood
End-table for my living room. Both tables were made entirely from ash that were offcuts of canoe paddles; a student project at the high school woodshop where I volunteer. The tables were stained Jacobean to match an existing coffee table.
Fall 2020 Projects
Custom made chess board
White oak & mahogany, trimmed in roasted maple. Approximately 18" x 18" with 2" squares.
Antique Pine tabletop mounted on an antique Singer sewing machine treadle.
The pine was reclaimed from a circa 1860's hotel in what is now the West Rouge community of Scarborough. The original planks were about 20” wide and 1¼” thick and were probably used for floors and walls. I milled the wood into narrower planks to form a 26” x 30” table top. The knots, square nail holes, damaged areas and other inclusions are forever preserved in epoxy resin. The antique Singer sewing machine treadle is original paint and fully functional.
Tabletop easel and palette in roasted Maple.
Custom built hall tree in Ambrosia Maple
Spring 2020 Projects
The playing surface of this backgammon board is made up of walnut and African Padauk (red) spikes and a background of maple with strip of curly maple in the middle. The case is cherry, which will darken in time with a burlwood veneer on the outside. The hinges and clasps are brass imported from Germany. This is a little larger than the other three sets I've made and I have created a concave storage for the checkers, which works really well. There is a total of 80 pieces of wood, precisely cut and glued together that make up this project. This backgammon board is available for purchase. Contact me at handcrafted-by-Ralph@outlook.com
4' Garden bench in Canadian Western Red Cedar. Lightweight, sturdy and very comfortable, I love all the natural variations in colour. This bench is 4' long but it can be built to to fit your requirements.
Backgammon boards
Playing surface is African Padauk (red) walnut and the background, white oak. One case is trimmed in walnut with a light burlwood veneer and the other is white oak with a dark burlwood veneer. The walnut case backgammon board is available for purchase.
Backgammon board. The playing surface is cherry, walnut with a curly maple background. Case is roasted curly maple and a veneer of birdseye maple. This one I am keeping for myself
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| Caring for your charcuterie or cheese boards.pdf |
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Christmas Collection 2019
All pieces from this collection except for the pig have been sold. 
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Fall 2019 collection
Conservatory Sheet Music Stand in Hard Maple.
This is a unique handcrafted one-of-a-kind piece of furniture for your conservatory or music room. Not your touring sheet music stand!
The base is comprised of 256 segmented pieces glued together in octagon layers then shaped on a wood lathe. The shelf is made up of 7 pieces of wood with a black veneer in between to form a sheet music staff. There is a 1" lip to help hold the music on the stand. It is finished in antique wood oil.
The shelf for the sheet music is extra large 19" x 11½ “ and tilts 0°-90°. The height is adjustable from 35" to 45" in one inch increments. The base is approx. 11" in diameter and the total weigh is about 10 lbs.
Almost all of the wood for this piece was recovered from a broken rope bed, a reproduction of a shaker design that was made by a craftsman in Quebec, approximately 40 years ago.
This item is still available for sale, please email me at handcrafted-by-Ralph@outlook.com for more information on purchasing this piece.
This is a unique handcrafted one-of-a-kind piece of furniture for your conservatory or music room. Not your touring sheet music stand!
The base is comprised of 256 segmented pieces glued together in octagon layers then shaped on a wood lathe. The shelf is made up of 7 pieces of wood with a black veneer in between to form a sheet music staff. There is a 1" lip to help hold the music on the stand. It is finished in antique wood oil.
The shelf for the sheet music is extra large 19" x 11½ “ and tilts 0°-90°. The height is adjustable from 35" to 45" in one inch increments. The base is approx. 11" in diameter and the total weigh is about 10 lbs.
Almost all of the wood for this piece was recovered from a broken rope bed, a reproduction of a shaker design that was made by a craftsman in Quebec, approximately 40 years ago.
This item is still available for sale, please email me at handcrafted-by-Ralph@outlook.com for more information on purchasing this piece.
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I think this is one of the nicest river-rock guitar cheese boards I've made. The roasted curly maple is one of my favourite woods and I've accented it with a non-roasted piece of curly maple for the bridge. In amongst the river rocks is a shiny new (old) penny with the year the couple got married.
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Late Summer 2019 Collection
Summertime 2019 Projects
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12'x 20' deck clad in composite with aluminum railing
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8' x 13' deck
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This was a commission to finish this piece of wood into a charcuterie board.
The client didn't want handles cut in the board but I did round off the square ends and router those edges. Being spalted maple there were a few soft areas that need some resin to preserve and strengthen the piece. I started with casting resin which is much thinner and readily soaks into any softer areas of the board. Once hardened I added some river-rocks into the natural openings, used the thicker laminating resin to coat the stones and fill the knot holes and other natural inclusions. The wood has some amazing chatoyance which the oil certainly brought out. |
- Spring 2019 Collection
River Rock charcuterie board in live-edge imported Italian Olive wood, finished in food-safe wood oil. Natural opening filled with carefully selected river rocks, preserved in epoxy resin. Approximately 26” by 16" (Sold)
Red oak finished in Jacobean stain and antique wood oil. The base is 12" across and the shelf is large, 19" by 13". The height adjusts from 36" to 49" in 2" increments. This is NOT your touring music stand, but will be perfectly at home in your conservatory or studio. (Sold)
This is the third sheet music stand I have made. The first one was in reclaimed Elm and second in Bubinga hardwood (also called African Rosewood). The two previous ones had bases of solid wood, this one is segmented giving it some visual interest.
This is the third sheet music stand I have made. The first one was in reclaimed Elm and second in Bubinga hardwood (also called African Rosewood). The two previous ones had bases of solid wood, this one is segmented giving it some visual interest.
River-rock Charcuterie board in spalted maple (sold)
Cheese boards in Ash (left) and Curly Roasted Maple (right). Approx. 18" wide. This is the same size as a 3/4 student size guitar body. The bridge is walnut and grooved to support 6 cheese knives, the sound hole is made from zycote and concave to cradle a small bowl. (Sold, taking orders)
Antique yardstick table
The top is made up of antique yardsticks from all over Ontario and one from Raleigh, North Carolina. They are encased in resin and trimmed with hardwood stained Jacobean. The stand is fully functional antique Singer sewing machine treadle (the wheel spins when you working the treadle) and still has the original paint which is in excellent condition. A drawer unit can be added to raise the table to counter height.
The top is made up of antique yardsticks from all over Ontario and one from Raleigh, North Carolina. They are encased in resin and trimmed with hardwood stained Jacobean. The stand is fully functional antique Singer sewing machine treadle (the wheel spins when you working the treadle) and still has the original paint which is in excellent condition. A drawer unit can be added to raise the table to counter height.
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Trout serving board in Roasted Curly Maple, the chatoyance is incredible, the wood looks three dimensional. It is about 26" long and is finished to a glass-like smoothness with food-safe butcherblock oil.
The top is made up of yardsticks collected from antique shops, flea markets and yard sales (ironically enough 😉) They are encased in resin and trimmed with pine from an 1860 Scarborough heritage building. The drawer units is all modern, maple veneer inside, with full extension soft-close drawer slides clad the same antique pine. This all sits on top of an antique cast iron sewing machine stand.
Look at the history on this table! Yardsticks from all over Ontario, hardware stores, garages, co-ops, paint stores etc... Kingan Hardware Co., Peterborough, Ontario, Est. 1825. One the phone numbers on the yardsticks has only 3 digits!!!
Just in case you are not sure what a charcuterie board is used for.
