Student Project
“Cloud Desk” by Marcus DiMaggio, a student at the Krenov School at Mendocino College in Fort Bragg, California, captured first place in the Student Project category of the 2024 Craftsman’s Challenge.

This desk features a veneered tambour made from black walnut and madrone. Except for the solid wood legs, the entire piece is veneered. The piece measures 46 inches wide, 29.25 inches tall, and 24 inches deep.

“My primary objective with this piece was to make the junctions between the tambour staves so seamless that the doors in the gallery appear to be a single piece of wood,” said DiMaggio. 

“When the tambour doors open laterally, the curved track guides them to a concealed pocket behind the gallery. Because the doors present as a single piece of wood, I was able to showcase the incredible “cloud” graphic that occurrs naturally in the madrone veneer.”

To make the seamless tambour doors, 140 maple staves were sawn out and straightened by hand. Veneer was laid over the tambour staves and glued down. The challenge was then to separate the staves without disrupting the grain pattern. 

Once the staves were separated, they were numbered to maintain their natural orientation and carefully shot straight, removing as little wood as possible. The staves were then meticulously laid out in their proper order, butted to one another on their jointed edges, and their position arrested with canvas glued to the back side. 

To read the full article, visit: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/wood-veneer/artist-strikes-twice-capture-2024-veneer-tech-craftsmans-challenge

To learn more about Mendocino College's renowned Krenov School for Fine Woodworking, visit: https://thekrenovschool.org/