About The Project
I grew up spending summers at my grandfather's cottage on the Bay of Green Bay. Much time was spent fishing and "dinking around" in his 14' Thompson wooden fishing boat equipped with a classic 1955 Johnson 10 HP motor. I have many fond memories of this motor; its 50's styling, oily smell, and soothing sound. It was never called anything other than “The 10 Horse.” My dad was a big fisherman, so I spent a lot of time as a kid in various boats. My siblings, cousins, and I all learned how to drive a boat using the The 10 Horse. It was easy to start, even for us kids.
Sadly I’m not sure what happened to the original motor. In honor of my grandpa Fred and the summers we spent together, I built this semi-functional end table. It is carved from basswood and has a sandstone wheeled base, which reflects the sandy beach at the cottage.
Luckily a work colleague who was a connoisseur of antique boat motors had this motor in his collection. I was able to photograph and measure it, allowing me to make a fairly accurate reproduction. I purchased reproduction decals and the original factory seafoam green paint. I thinned the paint which made it semitransparent, allowing the grain to show through the finish.
This was my first foray in stone cutting. Sandstone is relatively soft, but carving the base was no easy task. I found a new appreciation for the ancient Greeks and Romans.
The top opens to reveal the inner storage compartment. As seen in the photo, a snapshot of my grandparents is on the inside of the cover. The compartment houses miscellaneous items, and the soul of the motor houses many good childhood memories. The front lift handle pulls out as a drink holder - if Grandpa was still around there'd be a Blatz beer on it.
