Norm Norlander (of Nor-Vise) has done tremendous things for Project Healing Waters in AK... The folks there decided they wanted to thank him with a plaque and several of the military "coins" and flies tied using the colors of medals (Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and National Defense Service Medal) for the bodies.

I suggested a shadow box and made a few suggestions beyond that... So the Army Col (a friend) supporting the group walked up to me a couple weeks ago with all the "coins" and some flies and a plaque and said "Here, you do it..."

A couple hours ago they presented it to Norm and the big fella got a little bit choked up. He really does do tremendous good things for them and PHW really appreciates his support. Almost everyone at PHW ties on a Nor-Vise.

To start I cut eight wedges from a big bigleaf maple plank, splines from mahoghany, and glued up a big disc, 19.5" in diameter and 2.5" thick. Then I turned the outside round and shaped the outside of a shadow box. Then from the backside I plunge-cut and released a ring to make the shadow box itself.

No commercial glass rounds are available in oddball sizes so I just got a pane of thin glass for the local Michael's and cut the glass for the front. I also cut a couple matte board rounds for the back of the shadow box.

Bugle beads (glass tube beads available in many lengths) in slightly opalescent clear, 11mm long, were used to support the flies... 6# mono was run through the beads, through the eye, and back down the bead. When pulled tight and tied, it produced a rock-solid mount. The "coins" were glued with gap-filling Super Glue straight onto the backing, and the plaque was mounted on a small piece of polished wood.

In all it looked pretty good, in my not-so humble opinion... And drew the appropriate comments from those watching.

I will take a few pictures tomorrow and see about posting them.