Member Feature: Lance Seaman; custom entry door and mantel in new house

The Helena Woodworkers Guild March meeting was hosted by Lance Seaman of Seaman Cabinets, at the house he and his wife are building on the east side of Helena. They haven't moved in yet, but that didn't stop us from thoroughly enjoying a delicious potluck set up on saw horses and plywood along with his beautiful woodworking.



After jawboning over dinner, Lance showed us the mantel he designed and created, as well as his new craftsman style entry door (above)



The mantel is from a design by Scottish architect and artist, Charles Mackintosh. Lance's mantel is made of quarter-sawn white oak plywood; the top veneered with paper backed oak veneer, glued with Titebond III and vacuum-bagged. The finish is a red, water-based aniline dye under a vinegar/steel wool solution with a top coat of water-based laquer. Lance showed guild members how he bent the wood for the mantel in his vacuum bag, something that about half of our members had not tried before.



It's this kind of educational opportunities and comraderie that make our woodworkers' guild such a great group. If you know of anyone who is interested in woodworking, as a career, skill or hobby, please invite them to attend one of our meetings and consider joining the guild. We welcome folks of every skill level, experts and newbies alike.