Master Woodworking and Furniture Repair

My dear old friend from college owns a microbrewery and asked me to work with her to develop a new model for her tap handles.  We worked through a few designs and eventually we arrived at the prototype below.  The remainder of this post documents the process of filling the first order for 3. The process starts by cutting the stylized tree foliage from pre-dimensioned walnut stock.  We considered using ironwood, but sourcing and expense dictates we use walnut for now.  Each blank is hand cut on a jigsaw and then shaped using files and abrasives until the shape is satisfying.  Because they are hand carved, each handle is unique.  For that reason, each handle has a serial number.  THese are numbers 001, 002 and 003.  The prototype was designated "P" and will remain with me as a model for all future handles.  The next step is to create the handle and trunk piece.  The blanks below will need to be turned to dimension on a lathe to fit the ferrule on one end and the foliage