September 2025 Turning Challenge: James Seyfried wins!

[Michael Anderson]

This month's forum challenge was to turn a Cindy Drozda style finial box. I am wildly impressed with both the quantity and quality of pieces submitted. 15 folks participated, and as others mentioned, the level of talent is high. Thank you to everyone that made a box this month. If anyone reading this did not, hopefully you're inspired to turn one of these in the future.

Now, the challenge for all forum members (this means you and me) is to choose a favorite. Voting begins now and concludes ~4:00a UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) Friday, 3 October, 2025. You are allowed three votes; once you have voted, you won't be able to go back and change your votes. After you have voted, you can track the vote totals. The voting is secret (just like an actual election), so nobody else can see who you voted for (not even the moderators/administrators). In case of a tie vote, the forum moderators will gather in a virtual waist-deep green shavings-filled shop to determine the winner.

As in all previous challenges, the winner might have to pass a lie detector test before being awarded the Grand Prize (rumored to be a shabby chic rusted tin can with bent lid!).

The following are this month's entries. FYI, you can click on each image for a larger view:

 

[Michael Anderson]

More entries:

 

[Michael Anderson]

More entries:

 

[Michael Anderson]

More entries:

 

[Rick Moreton]

Glad I double checked the number of votes we get, I nearly missed a chance to vote for a third one!

 

[Ron Solfest]

Glad you opened it up to 3 votes. But my first pass through still has 6 I want to vote for. Need to spend some time nitpicking to cut that number down…

 

[Dean Center]

Michael, to help us decide on our vote, can you review the challenge the entrants were given? These are all wonderful pieces, but some of them are more akin to Cindy's work than others. Some of those that are less imitative are very appealing in their own right.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

To my mind, the piece needs to have the two contrasting wood accents to qualify. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Dave Landers]

Here's the blurb from the challenge:

This month's challenge is a sort of sequel to the February 2025 Box Challenge. In this case, I want you to focus on making one type of box: Cindy Drozda's style of finial box. It is characterized by a rotund body and a tall elegant finial. Her signature box usually incorporates two types of wood (the foot and an inset collar are one type of wood, and the body and finial/pull are a different type). It is also fairly small, but doesn't have to be. More important than the size is getting the proportions right. I'm not going to require specific measurements, but you should strive to make something as close to her design as possible. Likewise, you are welcome to use only one type of wood for the box and forgo the insert and separate foot; however, I challenge you to go with her design.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Michael, to help us decide on our vote, can you review the challenge the entrants were given? These are all wonderful pieces, but some of them are more akin to Cindy's work than others. Some of those that are less imitative are very appealing in their own right.

Hi Dean. I know Dave posted the blurb above (thanks Dave). My take is that I want these challenges to be inclusive of all skill levels. I'm not a Big Stick person (humor patrol, keep your laughs to yourself ), but I do like a Big Tent approach--I try not to disqualify folks for not following the challenge parameters to a T. The absolute exception being pieces that were finished prior to the challenge announcement. For this challenge, I encouraged folks to stick closely to Cindy's multi-piece design, but also recognized that this may be a bit too difficult for everyone. In my opinion, the more participants the better, even if some interpretations stray quite far from the original design. The most popular piece is not always the most skillful, and I think that is part of the fun and unpredictable nature of these turning challenges. Also, you probably already know this, but you do get three votes this go-around.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Hi Dean. I know Dave posted the blurb above (thanks Dave). My take is that I want these challenges to be inclusive of all skill levels. I'm not a Big Stick person (humor patrol, keep your laughs to yourself ), but I do like a Big Tent approach--I try not to disqualify folks for not following the challenge parameters to a T. The absolute exception being pieces that were finished prior to the challenge announcement. For this challenge, I encouraged folks to stick closely to Cindy's multi-piece design, but also recognized that this may be a bit too challenging for everyone. In my opinion, the more participants the better, even if some interpretations stray quite far from the original design. The most popular piece is not always the most skillful, and I think that is part of the fun and unpredictable nature of these turning challenges. Also, you probably already know this, but you do get three votes this go-around.

Michael, I think this is a well-conceived approach and, as you said, more inclusive for everyone.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Difficult to pick just 3…

 

[Mark Gallagher]

Well that was hard! All beautiful pieces!

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Congratulations James! Well deserved! You made a gorgeous, graceful piece. What a great assortment of entries.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Congratulations @James Seyfried ! Well deserved. Your entry also caused me to look at your gallery pics and body of work, very nice turnings.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

James, congratulations on your win! Beautiful work and very well deserved!

Mark

 

[Michael Anderson]

Big congrats to Jim Seyfried for his piece being chosen as this month’s favorite! There aren’t too many challenges where we have 15 participants. Likewise, 70 folks voted, much higher than the normal ~55. Thank you to everyone who participated. Fun stuff! Stay tuned for October’s challenge announcement, coming soon.

 

[James Seyfried]

There were a lot of very nice turnings this month. I sure had fun making this piece, it was challenging! I am pleasantly surprised and pleased that I came out ahead. Thanks to all that participated.

 

[David Wyke]

Congratulations James, beautiful piece!

Everyone did great on this challenge with many beautiful pieces submitted !

 

[Alan Weinberg]

Landslide! Gorgeous work—many submissions were worthy but his was tops!

 

[pat miller]

There were a lot of very nice turnings this month. I sure had fun making this piece, it was challenging! I am pleasantly surprised and pleased that I came out ahead. Thanks to all that participated.

Great job on this Jim. Lots of nice work here but the best piece indeed was the winner. Well done!

 

[Tom Gall]

Congrats, Jim. Excellent work as usual ..... no matter the format!

 

[Vincent Vogel]

Congratulations Jim, I knew it was a winner as soon as I saw it. All entries were very nicely done.

 

[Bernie Hrytzak]

Congrats Jim, my favorite too.

 

[Phil Hamel]

Congratulations James!

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Grats, Jim. I think yours stood out just enough.

 

[James Seyfried]

Thanks for the comments! I especially want to thank Cindy Drozda for all she does to teach, promote and encourage woodturners. I did have the opportunity to sit in one of her demos at the Pittsburgh Symposium some years back. But I have learned much more from her handouts, including the one posted with this challenge and others available on her website. Along with youtube videos that have taught me to make ornaments. She also has frequent live-streaming events, many that are free.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

There were a lot of very nice turnings this month. I sure had fun making this piece, it was challenging! I am pleasantly surprised and pleased that I came out ahead. Thanks to all that participated.

Congrats James! Yours was definitely the closest to Cindy's in my opinion!

 

[Brian Longshore]

Hi Dean. I know Dave posted the blurb above (thanks Dave). My take is that I want these challenges to be inclusive of all skill levels. I'm not a Big Stick person (humor patrol, keep your laughs to yourself ), but I do like a Big Tent approach--I try not to disqualify folks for not following the challenge parameters to a T. The absolute exception being pieces that were finished prior to the challenge announcement. For this challenge, I encouraged folks to stick closely to Cindy's multi-piece design, but also recognized that this may be a bit too difficult for everyone. In my opinion, the more participants the better, even if some interpretations stray quite far from the original design. The most popular piece is not always the most skillful, and I think that is part of the fun and unpredictable nature of these turning challenges. Also, you probably already know this, but you do get three votes this go-around.

Agree 100 percent with a lot of this especially the part that says “The most popular piece is not always the most skillful, and I think that is part of the fun and unpredictable nature of these turning challenges”.

Well said this is the AAW website that is suppose to be ALL inclusive and welcoming to all turners old and very new as well as experienced and inexperienced. And, it also without question is a fact that often times the less skillful turning is the more popular piece. Several factors can determine the outcome including other contest variables as well as creative process used.

At 49 years old and having been turning just over ten years I have always wondered and worried about the future of our craft and how we are to get the younger generations involved and this is a good way to help keep them involved by not being an exclusive who’s who of the wood turning world or a members who use the perfect technique and follow the rules to the T only club. There is a time and place for that for certain.

Enough of my writing just wanted to say I think you were spot on with your explanation here Micheal….its just a challenge not a bid for the Hugo Boss annual award so let’s have fun with it and enjoy everyone’s contribution.