Nathan Baller's Oak Bottle Opener

This was my first Christmas with access to my own wood shop so I attempted to do some homemade gifts for the first time. I was motivated by the fact that I had recently acquired some sentimental wood from my parent’s property. My Dad introduced me to woodworking and continues to be my primary inspiration, so I was very excited and honored to put wood from his trees to good use. And they were nice trees. A mighty Bur Oak, a Red Oak and a gorgeous River Birch all needed trimming. I acquired about half-dozen 2-foot oak logs mixed between white (Bur is a type of white oak) and red oak, and two 6-foot sections of River Birch. I brought one section of River Birch to the mill and turned it into planks. The other section I have slowly been slicing off disks for decorations and sections to use for coffee cups and bowls.