MEMBER PURSUITS // Ragnar Lagerblad's Exquisite Shrines

Ragnar Lagerblad has only been at 3rd Ward for around six months, but he's already deep into exploring what his membership can add to his work. He just finished up a lathe class and is moving on to woodworking and welding.

Though he doesn't plan to build your typical table or bookshelf. Working mostly with traditional techniques such as egg tempera and fresco painting, Lagerblad delves into syncretism in his art, incorporating elements of a variety of different cultures.

With his newly acquired skills he plans to build his own metal structures for his fresco paintings and craft shrines in wood and tempera as well as gilding and scagliola, "an old way of doing fake marble."

"I like to be in control of what I am doing, so I try to do everything from scratch," he says. "I believe that learning to work with wood will add a lot to my work."

In the meantime, check out one of Lagerblad's truly unreal shrines!

-- John Ruscher

MEMBER PURSUITS // Michael Wong's Walnut Waterfall Table

Amazing creations seem to emerge from the 3rd Ward wood and metal shop on a regular basis. Take this one for example: Michael Wong's gorgeous Walnut Waterfall Table.  Wong's taken the natural contours of a slab of black walnut and subtlety, skillfully transformed it into an elegant piece of furniture.

"I like to think that when I create something,  design or production-wise, that I can bring insight or a focus on a certain quality that's trying to emerge...but needs help," says Wong. He created the table not by imposing a strict form on the wood, but by reinforcing and refining its natural beauty and vigor. Wong used butterfly joints to prevent the wood from cracking, as well as three invisible joints inside the 45-degree cut. Then came fine sanding and a week's worth of oiling and waxing.

For Wong, a trained sculptor and architect and the founder of ETHER Atelier, the 3rd Ward shop has been a place not just to create but to learn. "When I joined 3rd Ward, I had really basic skills," he says. "I've designed a lot of spaces and cabinets but that doesn't really get you too far in the shop. People are generous with giving advice, and eventually things got more serious through weeks of helping people and sometimes getting work from them."

Wong now plans to start making his own collection, which will be done in metal. (Don't worry, we'll post that work as well.)

For now, click after the jump to feast your eyes on a few more images of the Walnut Waterfall Table and its creation.

-- John Ruscher

MEMBER SHOW PREVIEW // Bernard Vauzanges' handmade wooden clock

One day, 3rd Ward member Bernard Vauzanges was sitting in his apartment listening to the tick-tock of an old grandfather clock he'd inherited when he thought, “How does it work?”

After a few months of research, Vauzanges, an architect and furniture-maker, decided to build his own clock here in 3rd Ward’s wood shop -- taking advantage of the newly-acquired scroll-saw to craft all those intricate gears and other parts.

Vauzanges’ clock is completely open, allowing you to see its every motion. Oh right, it’s also made entirely out of wood. Some people have guessed that he created some of its parts using a laser cutter. Nope. This masterpiece is 100% hand-made.

You can see Vauzanges' clock in action and watch the gears turn this Friday from 7-10pm at the first ever 3rd Ward Member show. Admission's free, and in addition to Vauvanges’ amazing creation you can check out excellent work by some other serious 3rd Ward talent.

-- John Ruscher

Member-Made // Working some of the world's finest wood

Typically, Michael Wong (Member since ‘09 and owner of ETHER Atelier) receives a huge piece of wood to work with, but this piece of Claro Walnut was an exception. His client, The Red Threads, gave him a single slab and one task: to let the beauty of the material shine.

Michael carefully planed, leveled and sanded the top, showcasing the wood's natural richness and color variation. The live edge sides with hard-scrubbed with steel wool. In 10 days, he came up with this stunner.

Interested in your own custom table? Michael and ETHER specialize in products with elemental and powerful connections to the material. Email membermade@3rdward.com for more information. Price upon request. When you buy a table like this for your home or office, expect tons of comments.

"Claro" means "bright" in Spanish. We can see why.

In our shop, all oiled and ready to be delivered to the client. Email membermade@3rdward.com for more info.

MEMBER-MADE // The Most Elegant Office Furniture We've Ever Seen

If you spend a majority of your day at a desk, why not make that desk gorgeous? Take a look at this sleek American dark walnut table, designed by Stephane Hubert (Member since ‘10) in collaboration with architect Guy Reziciner, and built by a true 3rd Ward team effort.

The client, King & Partners, creates one-of-a-kind digital solutions for luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands and wanted a large conference table that would turn heads with understated elegance and functionality. Stephane worked with Doug Werner (Member since ‘09) on the table legs, and also got assists from wood shop friends, Luis Herrera (Member since ‘10), San Santos (Member since ‘07) and Malcolm Pepin (Member since ‘10).

Scroll through to see the whole process and the little details that make this table so special. 

The completed table, made at 3rd Ward and on location. Luxurious materials and features. The devil is in the details.

Doug Werner (Member since '09) working on the legs in the Metal Shop.The table, drawers and legs coming together.

The drawers can conveniently hide papers and office supplies.Plus, you can hide outlets and wires behind these panels. Expertly designed and constructed.Clean, simple, functional.

Made at 3rd Ward // From Conception to Cradle

Gregory Hoffnagle is an attorney by trade, not a woodworker. But that doesn't matter. See the beautiful cradle Greg made in the Furniture Design II class.

Says Greg, "I made it at the request of my wife (an architect) when we found out that we were having our first baby. We thought I would enjoy making it and we would enjoying seeing him sleeping in it.  The making part was fun, though trying at times. And the him sleeping in it part has been better than we could have imagined."

Welcome to the world, Henry Vedder Hoffnagle!

The crib, in the shop. Too dangerous for babies! The crib even has storage for diapers, wipes & paper towels.Best crib ever.