In a heartwarming gesture of community support, local carpenter Joe Cianciotta of Two Pines Carpentry in Nazareth organized a charitable raffle to raise funds for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. This inspiring initiative not only showcases the craftsmanship of Cianciotta's woodworking skills but also the talents of his 13-year-old son, who created a wooden charcuterie board for the raffle.
This is Cianciotta's third donation event where his son desired to give back to the community with his own wooden hatchet-like creation. “My son took an interest in making his own board three years ago in an attempt to raise some money to help in some way. He was only 10 at the time, so he didn't quite know the logistics of charities, but he knew he wanted to give back,” says Cianciotta.
This act exemplifies the power of collective goodwill, bringing together the Lehigh Valley in a shared mission to improve healthcare services and foster a sense of togetherness. “Raising over $1,700 in two weeks gave both my local community and the woodworking community a collaborative sense of accomplishment and pride. Even if it was just a single raffle buy-in of $5, each person played a lead role in this year's successful donation to St. Jude's,” he shares. “Beyond Two Pines' goal of providing superior craftsmanship, timeless designs and heirloom quality woodwork, it is also my mission to be a positive and contributing member of this wonderful community.”
The overall crafting process took around two weeks. Cianciotta's son, Vincent, dedicated many hours and lots of hard work, receiving much loving guidance from his father. “Vincent selected a piece of black walnut as it possesses beautiful tones, wood grain patterns and is well desired due to its durability and aesthetic,” says Cianciotta.
Cianciotta explains that the first step inside the shop is using the planer to flatten and smooth the top and bottom faces of the wood in order to expose the characteristics of the wood grain and remove any superficial imperfections.
Vincent then sketched out the general board shape and design to complement and emphasize the unique grain patterns. He used a band saw to rough cut the exterior shape and a scroll saw to cut the interior of the handle. Vincent used a combination belt and spindle sander to shape the board to his desired hatchet design.
The next step was to round over all of the edges of the board with a table router to give it a more polished look and feel. He finished by sanding the board several times, laser engraving a logo and sealing it with an all-natural food-grade mineral oil/beeswax.
Cianciotta continues to emphasize how heartwarming this experience was for the duo: “Each year, the success of this raffle reignites my passion for woodworking and leaves me with immense joy to see what a community can accomplish when they come together to attain the same goal: to help.”
