Rockler Announces Winners of the #RocklerHobbyChallenge

Rockler Announces Winners of the #RocklerHobbyChallenge

“This year, it was fun to see woodworkers apply their skills to other hobbies in their lives, and push them to challenge themselves to create something totally new and unique.”

MEDINA, Minn. (PRWEB)
March 15, 2022

Family-owned Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, one of the nation’s premier retailers of woodworking tools and supplies, announced the winners of the #RocklerHobbyChallenge, a contest that called on creators and builders to channel their hobbies into unique woodworking projects. The contest launched in November 2021, receiving 794 entries from woodworking enthusiasts all over North America pulling from hobbies ranging from antique cars to music to surfing and many other passions. View the winners and all entries online.

The winners of the #RocklerHobbyChallenge were:

1st place — $500 Rockler gift card

Miles Menely, Portland, Oregon — Electric guitar

View entry: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW9tO-0Ftkc/

2nd place — $250 Rockler gift card

Ross Everhard, Cadiz, Kentucky — Small set of speakers

View entry: https://www.instagram.com/p/CX3f-kFLbdE/

3rd place — $125 Rockler gift card

Chris Powell, North Charleston, South Carolina — Antique car

View entry: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW6bgp7pq_u/

The contest was hosted and judged by woodworking celebrities Mike Montgomery, Chris Salomone and Ben Uyeda from The Modern Maker Podcast.

“We are amazed at the creativity that woodworkers bring to these annual challenges,” said Scott Ekman, Rockler’s VP of Marketing. “This year, it was fun to see woodworkers apply their skills to other hobbies in their lives, and push them to challenge themselves to create something totally new and unique.”

A Modern Twist on Traditional Japanese Style

Miles’ electric guitar was decorated in the Japanese tradition of Kumiko, a type of joinery which forms an intricate grid design using small, hand-chiseled wood pieces, without the use of glue or nails. For a modern twist, he decided to fill the negative space of the Kumiko panel with an epoxy.

“I was interested in combining a modern material such as epoxy, with the traditional craftsmanship that is Kumiko joinery,” said Miles. “One of the main aspects of Kumiko I love is the process itself—the repetitive nature of cutting and fitting each small piece with a chisel makes for a very meditative process! Though it can be frustrating in the beginning, there is also something quite satisfying about executing something with that level of precision.”

For the Love of Music

Everhard’s entry channeled his love of music to build two sleek, unique speakers. “I generally don’t like to build things that I have seen before,” he said. “I take inspiration from a lot of places, but generally don’t like making exact replicas of work I have seen. So I just started with what is required in a speaker, and then did my best to think outside the box a little. I also like doing projects that involve tricks or techniques I have never used before, to help stretch my skills and learn something new.”

Woodworking Meets Car Building

In third place, and as perhaps one of the largest entries of the competition, Chris Powell’s antique car was a lesson in patience, ingenuity, and improvisation. “It required a lot of skills I had never learned before, so when I wasn’t working on it, I was trying to absorb as much content as possible to learn how to do everything. I made a lot of it up as I went,” he said. “I work nights at my full-time job, and would get home at 7 a.m. and work on the car until about 3 p.m. every day. It was super stressful, but very rewarding. I learned a lot in just a little over two months.”

Winners of this and previous Rockler challenges can be found at http://www.rockler.com/modern-maker-challenges.

About Rockler Woodworking and Hardware

Celebrating its 67th anniversary as a family-run business, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is the nation’s premier supplier of specialty hardware, tools, lumber, and other high-quality woodworking products. Rockler has 38 retail locations across 21 states, as well as extensive internet and catalog operations.

To learn more about Rockler, please visit http://www.rockler.com or call 1-877-ROCKLER.

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