Woodworker: Bryan Wentzel
The claro walnut top on Wentzel’s bench (11 in. wide by 84 in. long by 18 in. tall) captures the dual live edges in the center, allowing you to see the tree’s natural shape within the rectangular form. The top is attached to the base with sliding dovetails and the madrone trestles are built with drawbored tenons and wedged through-tenons. The bench was finished with a 50/50 mix of varnish and tung oil followed by a buffed topcoat of Skidmore’s beeswax cream.

The piece is from the 2013 Port Townsend Woodworkers Show. The Splinter Group, a collective of wood artisans from the North Puget Sound region of Washington, holds the Port Townsend Woodworkers Show each fall. The 2013 show featured 22 artists who displayed musical instruments, modern cabinetry, custom furniture, and wood carvings for more than 1,400 visitors.