In a first-of-its-kind woodworking competition, two all-female teams of woodworkers went head-to-head to build two pieces of furniture being raffled off to support women in woodworking.
Rubio Monocoat USA, in partnership with Festool USA, sponsored the 2023 All-Women’s Build-Off hosted at the Florida School of Woodwork in Tampa, Fla.
In this two-day event, the teams of woodworkers were led by Alma Villalobos of Pink Soul Studios and Amanda Russell of Sawdust Woman. Each team consisted of seven total team members from across the U.S.
The Teams
Team Villalobos
Alma Villalobos
Lizzy Cook
Claire Baldwin
Sadie Mae John
Annette Amadin
Jess Behnke
Ashley Wooten
Team Russell
Amanda Russell
Char Miller-King
Lindsay Zuelich
Sarah Listi
Ellen Smith
Jess Crow
The Builds
White Oak Bar Cabinet
Team Villalobos crafted an exquisite white oak bar cabinet. It featured a clean, modern design with mosaic cabinet door fronts. The mosaic wood pieces composing the doors were finished in a variety of colors to add interest to the cabinet. Some pieces were treated with Pre-Aging "Smoke Intense" and some were finished with Oil Plus 2C "Charcoal". The rest of the mosaic as well as the rest of the cabinet was finished with a mixture of Oil Plus 2C "Super White" and "Pure".
Walnut Bar Cart
A contemporary bar cart made from walnut wood was expertly executed by Team Russell. It also features brass detailing on the cart’s handle, lower storage shelf, as well as on the castors. The entire build was finished using Oil Plus 2C "Pure".
The Cause
The pieces were raffled off to benefit the Florida School of Woodwork’s non-profit, Friends of the Florida School of Woodwork. All proceeds from the raffle will go towards scholarships for women wanting to learn and develop in the woodworking trade.
Wood for the two builds was graciously provided by Devika Maharaj of Central Wood Products in Winter Garden, Fla.
