The reindeer & sleigh won Judges Commendation at the 2001 NWA Woodworkers Expo in Saratoga, NY.

There are eight reindeer (no Rudolph) and a sleigh.  The reindeer were named after brands of tools: Ryobi, Jet, DeWalt, Makita, Porter Cable, Milwaukee, Hitachi & Delta.

The reindeer were constructed using 5/4 inch white pine, laminated from three pieces to create the body.  The legs are glued and dowelled to the body.  White oak was used to create the antlers which were hand carved using a Dremel tool and sandpaper. (click pictures below to enlarge)

All the leather work was stained using leather dye and the edges were beveled and edge coated.  'Rapid rivets' were used to assemble the halters, which were skived from thicker leather.  Snaps were added to the halters and belly straps, providing easy removal.  All the leather pieces were treated with Neatsfoot oil for protection.

The finish on all the wood consists of three coats of brushed on polyurethane, steel wooled between coats.  Faux fur was added to the ears & tail providing a realistic effect.  Each reindeer weighs @ 10 lbs & measures approximately 24" high x 24"long x 10 wide.  It takes a 16'L space to display them with the sleigh.

Approximately 1200 hours were spent on the sleigh and reindeer project. 

The set of mini reindeer (above) was made a few years ago from the same plans.  They are made of 1/4" basswood.  The black lighter in the picture helps to gauge their size.