(Editors note: clicking on most of the pictures in this site will transport you somewhere, so if you've
ever wanted to go somewhere, click away. Also, until Lycos decides to put a spell-checker into their website programs,
you'll have to put up with an occasional mis-spelled word, for which I apologize, but I've always been a notoriously poor
speller, so we both have to live with it, I'm afraid.)
The author a couple years ago.
Welcome...........
Thanks for stopping.........I hope you have half as much fun viewing these items as I had creating
them. I'll show you around in a minute, but first let me introduce myself.
My name is Phil Hunt and I'm a retired ex-salesman, who, like many of you, spent my entire life trying
to make ends meet. (Hell, there were times I couldn't even FIND the ends, let alone make them meet.) And
like many of you, I never found too much satisfaction in my job.....always trying to convince people that they needed this
or had to have that.....you know, the typical salesman.
But, like most of us, I never really approached my job with any real enthusiasm....plodding through the day, paycheck
to paycheck, without really having my heart in it. But.....I found my passion late in life.
I discovered woodworking.
After spending 30 years selling automobiles, I decided to write a book that would cast a little light
on the business - it's called "No Thanks, I'm Just Looking" and while it's been out of print for quite some time,
it's still in many libraries, so if you run across it, pick it up. It's funny, but informative, and best of all, it
allowed me to get out of the business. In fact, it kind of forced me out of the business......I'm about as welcome in
the typical car dealership as Dracula in a blood bank.
So, finding myself with a little time on my hands, I took up woodworking. (Something I was always interested
in, but never had time to explore.) And I found that I had a real talent for taking a piece of wood and changing
it into something that would be around long after I was gone. Oh sure, I've had my creative outlets over the years.....dabbled
in painting for a while there, but I had little talent along those lines. I got into photography about 20 years ago
and enjoyed that too, but I soon found out I was no Ansel Adams.
But I always managed to satisfy my creative urges one way or another....even tried needlepoint a long
time ago while I was trying to quit smoking; seems to help if you keep your hands busy. I created pieces of string
art, took a class in sculpturing, tried one thing and another, even wrote another book, but I never found that one thing
that I really excelled at....until I took up woodworking. I was invited down to a local marina by a friend to
look at his new boat, when I noticed an old ChrisCraft lying in a heap in the corner. When I inquired, I discovered
they were about to burn it. Well, I couldn't have that, so I bought it.
Grampa's 62nd birthday party, with all the kids...
...except Timmy, who was up north with his Dad.
After resurrecting the boat, I went on to other things. And that, my friends, was the beginning of
my new life. I now had a reason to jump out of bed every morning with an idea or a project or something I just had to
create. Working with wood became not only a hobby or a pastime, it became a passion. Suddenly there aren't enough
hours in the day or days in the week. I found myself spending 15 or 16 hours at a stretch working with wood.....one
project after another. I loved it....loved the feel of it, loved the final results....even loved the smell of the stains
and solvents. I couldn't find enough time for my new passion in life. Now, for the first time in my life, I hop
out of bed in the morning with gusto, just can't wait to get to the shop....I can't wait to see what I come up with next.
(Frequently, I have no idea what I'm creating until it's finished).
Among woodworkers, they say a man's toolchest is his resume'.
Here's mine.......
This is the lid,.....
....and this is the back.
Created with Oak, Mahogany, Walnut, Ebony and Bloodwood, I have no idea how many hours went into this piece.....I'll
let you quess.
But what the heck.....time is my only commodity.
Let me show you a few pieces I've created for friends and family over the years.
As you can see, a great deal of time and effort goes into each and everything I create. I refuse to
rush......if my name is going on it, it's going to be a thing of beauty and it's going to be around long after I've shuffled
off this mortal coil, so it's going to be right!!
Then, about three years ago, a friend asked me to make him a medallion for his new floor. Having
never made one before, I did a little research and the first thing I discovered was how expensive they were.......I've
seen many that cost more than many cars I've sold over the years. As much as $7,000 in one case, but most of them
were in the $1500 to $2000 range, and it amazed me how they could ask for such numbers, but I also discovered that they had
a huge amount invested in equipment, laser cutters, skilled craftsmen, all these things cost a great deal of money, so I guess
the numbers are warrented. But I decided to give it a try.
First, I made this one. (The medallion is not installed in the tile floor; it's just laying
there for purposes of taking this picture, but I suppose it could be, if you're handy with a tile saw.)
To order, ask for #202
Not too elaborate....just hard rock maple and walnut, but a good start.
This one is approximately 30 inches wide, and considering the time invested, I thought $400
was a fair price. (He later told me that most of the medallions he'd looked at were three times that amount, but, I
considered it fair.
Then I made this one.
To order, ask for #101
Looking back at it years later, it strikes me as rather crude, but at the time, I was just experimenting,
and the lady in Arizona who purchased it was tickled, so I'm not really complaining, but I've become much more adept over
the course of time.
Since then, I've created over 300 of them and very rarely repeated myself....each is different and unique.
Of course, by virtue of the species involved, I could make the same one 20 times and each time it would turn out different,
I suppose, but I've attempted so many different styles and patterns over the years that I've had to give up trying to name
them. (You try dreaming up 300 names and you'll see what I ran into.)
On the following pages are a few examples..... so have a look around and if you see something that interests
you, just let me know which page it's on and we'll narrow it down, but generally, people just wait to see what I dream up
next and if they like it, they grab it.
(Feel free to contact me at Phunt@wi.rr.com and I don't mind input from customers and clients, so if something in particular strikes your fancy, let's see if we can't
design something together, OK? Keep in mind, I make all of these with nothing more than a tablesaw and a disc sander,
so no curves or curliques, if you don't mind. It's not that it can't be done, it's just too time consuming and I'm trying
to keep your cost to a minimum.)
In any case, I'll just shut up for a while and let you enjoy some on my creations.
By the way, any of these can be installed in an engineered floor as well as the standard floor. The
above medallion is installed in a "Pergo" floor. The only real difference in a medallion going into a
floor of this type is the fact that it requires completly finishing the piece prior to shipping it to you, and it needs
to be sanded to the exact depth of the pre-finished floor, so if you'd like one for engineered flooring, just make sure you
get me the exact depth, including the padding. (Sorry about that, but you just can't expect a salesman to shut up for
too long.)
This one-at-a-time stuff is taking too long, so let me show you a bunch of my earlier creations.
Any of these pieces can be installed by the consumer, by the way, assuming you're handy with your hands
and own a router or a dremel; actually, any cutting tool will do the trick.. Simply attach the template provided with
the medallion, cut out the opening, drop the medallion in place, sand and finish with your choice of finishes.
Nothing could be easier, ....right? (clicking on the above link will take you to the instruction page.)
But I decided to improve on most mass produced medallions on the market.....they use a 3/8 inch wear layer (and
sometimes 1/4) and mount them on a 3/8 piece of plywood, whereas I use 3/4 inch wood which allows many more sandings.
(Occasionally, I'm forced to back up a piece with plywood to bring it to floor level, but it's rarely thicker than a quarter
inch, so you could still sand it every five years for a century without worrying about seeing plywood. Remember, for
those of you with engineered flooring, any of the medallions can also be made up in any depth. They arrive fully
finished, so there's no sanding involved.....simply cut out the opening and drop it in.)
I use nothing but quarter sawn, kiln dried woods to prevent checking and cracking and guaranty them for the
lifetime of the floor.....whatever the lifetime of a floor might be.
Check with me on prices for special sizes or species......I am nothing if not flexible.
Each medallion includes the template for installation and any of these designs can be constructed
in any size up to 36". I can match any special design or pattern as well. (Don't get too elaborate....price is
a consideration, you know. And remember, let's stay away from curves and curlicues, if you don't mind. I make
them all with a table saw and curves require a laser cutter for precise fits and I have no intention of investing in a laser
cutter. That would take all the fun out of it.)
I'm just going to shut up for a while and show you some of the others I've created for friends, family
and various customers.
To order, ask for #302
(I realize it looks like you could turn an ankle walking on this one, but let me assure you,
it's perfectly flat. In fact, if you approach it from the other side, it looks like this.)
To order, ask for #106
(See what I mean.......it still looks like it might not be safe to walk on, but it's just an optical
illusion, I promise.)
This is an example of the above in a full sized insert.
Careful.........don't trip.
Many people have commented on the fact that numbering these medallions doesn't do them justice; far too
impersonal, they claim. So, for those who wish to see different names on them, welcome to my Masters
Series. Each of the following will be named after a hole at Augusta National, where the Masters is held each year.
Simply ask me for "one 28" Golden Bell, hole #12", or whichever trips your trigger. The next series will be named after
famous racehorses, so get your bid in early for "Seabiscuit."
As you can see by the following picture, any of these medallions can be made into lovely table tops......these
were created for a client in California. He had the two smaller ones made into end tables and the large one is now a
coffee table.
Here's one that seemed to go together a little bit at a time.....mostly using scraps left from other pieces. I
putzzed with this one for months, and it's now in a lovely home in Kentucky, as I recall, but please don't ask me
to build another one, as I would have to ask for $700 to repeat it. (I have no idea how many hours went into
it, but it's considerable, believe me.)
I realize that it looks domed somewhat, but belive me, that's an optical illusion (or, as my grandkids
like to say "a tropical delusion"). It is perfectly flat; the placement of the many pieces gives it a slighly domed look,
but that's just fooling the eye..
.......and after that one found a home, I started another very much like it, again just using pieces left from other
medallions. This one too went to a lovely Lady in North Carolina. (You have no idea how gratifying it is
to realize that your work is being admired and enjoyed in nearly every state in the Union, along with many foriegn countries
(Japan, India, the Virgin Islands, New Zealand, Italy, and a number in Canada). I'm still waiting for one of you
in West Virginia and Alaska, but every other state is covered.....one of these days, I'm going to start sticking pins
in a map.
Since I finished this one on New Years Eve....
....I have no choice but to call it "Auld Lang Syne"
Here's another variation on the above; I call it "Rainbows Edge", in spite of the fact that I've given up
trying to name them all. Occasionally, I attach a name that seems to be fitting.
Here's another piece I have no intention of duplicating; it evolved over three months and ended up nearly
4 feet across, but it certainly turned out beautiful, if I say so myself.
After perusing all the above, I'm sure many of you are asking :
"How much?"
OK, let's talk prices.
I charge $300.00 for anything up to 26 inches.
$375.00 for any medallion from 26" to 30".
$450.00 for anything larger than 30".
All of the above prices hold true unless you want exotic species or special requests such as
brass imbedded in the border, in which case, we'll negotiate.
Any of the medallions on this site can be reproduced in any size, but most of them are from 30" to 36". They
can be made larger, and I have done a number of 4 foot pieces, but the installation requires that the borders be installed
separately, if you require a larger piece, let's talk about it.
Once again, get a hold of me at Phunt@wi.rr.com and let's create an heirloom together.
So if you've always wanted to add some pizazz to that foyer, hallway or entry, but hesitated due to the price,
now's your chance. You can now own one of these beautiful creations without dipping into the kids college funds.
And as far as you people who install floors for a living.....make your next floor a real work-of-art without bankrupting your
customers. Give me a call at 414-405-9211 or Email me at PHUNT@wi.rr.com and let's see if we can't arrive at a figure that will make us both happy. And don't forget to add this page to your
favorites list as I'll be adding to it from time to time, so check back and see what I've been doing to stay out of trouble,
OK?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Phil Hunt
(Many of you have written asking about the music playing in the background, so to answer your questions, it's Nina Mouscouri
singing "The Prisoners Song", sometimes known as "The Song of Liberty" from Verdi's opera, "Nabucco". Very moving piece,
I'm sure you'd agree. Occasionaly, however, it might be Rossini's overture to "The Barber of Seville", which my grandkids
like so much.)
Edge detail on the above medallion
(I feel an explanation is in order for the first and only negative comment I've received on Ebay......a
comment from a lady in Italy who has a bit of a problem with the English language. She simply didn't understand that
building a medallion from scratch takes time.....she assumed it would be in her hands in two weeks, in spite of the fact that
I tried to explain to her a number of times that it would take that long to ship it to her, let alone build it.
She now has her medallion and is as happy as a pig in a mud wallow, but there's no retracting nasty comments on Ebay, as most
of you know, so I'm stuck with it.
Let me assure you that I do my level best to stick to the timeline we agree to up front.....if I tell you
it'll take six weeks, you can bet I'll have it for you in six weeks, and if not, I'll let you know why. The biggest
problem is that seven out of ten of you who bid on a medallion seem to want one slightly larger or a different species or
whatever and I keep starting over and I have seven or eight in stock that don't quite fill the bill, so I'm forced to
build everything as a custom order, which requires some patience on your part.
Again, I'll do my best to get it to you as promised. You have my word on it.)
If you'd like to be informed when new product is available, simply type in your email address in the box
below, and I'll keep in touch with any new items as they become available to you.
