# Navy F-18 Plaque



## Al B Cuttn Wud (Oct 14, 2007)

A friend is getting transferred next week and I wanted to give him something a little unique. I looked a few minutes at my scrap pile and this is what I came up with. 

The pics aren't the best but tried to give a different angle to see all of the features. It's about 13 inches from front to back and about 20 inches from side to side.

The majority of it is made of oak. The rudders on the vertical stabs are walnut and the exhaust is anyone's guess. It looked like flames a little so decided to use it for the exhaust cans. 

The horizontal stabs have slots routed out to hold challenge coins and the inside of each vertical stabs has all the Atlantic coast F-18 squadrons engraved.

Oh, and the horse in the middle you ask.....enlisted folks who have become commissioned officers are referred to as "Mustangs". That's where this mustang comes in to finish out the plaque. 

I've got another one that I am finishing up now that has the same look but will be painted and will only hold challenge coins. I'll post that pic when I get done later. 

I added a pic of what the acutal aircraft looks like to give you an idea of what I was trying to resemble. Enjoy.


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## TheRecklessOne (Jul 22, 2008)

Great work again Al...hope all is well.


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## daryl in nanoose (Feb 18, 2007)

That's a beautiful piece of work :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Al B Cuttn Wud (Oct 14, 2007)

Thanks Kacey. All is well around here. Nice meeting you the other day and hope we can team up efforts in 2009 to make a little pocket change. Keep in touch.


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## Al B Cuttn Wud (Oct 14, 2007)

Thanks Daryl.


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## rocklobster (Jun 18, 2008)

That's definately a keeper. I like the symbolic aspect of it all, too.

Rob


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

Great peace of craftsman ship AL. How did you get the writing in the right side wing?


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## Al B Cuttn Wud (Oct 14, 2007)

Handyman said:


> Great peace of craftsman ship AL. How did you get the writing in the right side wing?


 
Handyman,
I just had both inside pieces engraved before gluing them up. I also countersunk our command coin on the outside of each too. I used very small biscuits to give them some strength. It was a little tricky because they are angle a bit at the bottom.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I really like that. Very cool.


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## Al B Cuttn Wud (Oct 14, 2007)

Here's a few pics of a painted version that holds challenge coins. You have just got to love scrap wood and a little time to waste to think about how to use it..ha.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Man that's sharp! I know it is simple, but even simple has to be done right or it will look like heck. Nice job I really, really like that for some reason. 

You could make a bevy of jet tails. Or even WWII stuff. A P-38 would look pretty cool.


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## Shanomac21 (Dec 31, 2008)

That is very nice, nice job.


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## Al B Cuttn Wud (Oct 14, 2007)

TexasTimbers said:


> Man that's sharp! I know it is simple, but even simple has to be done right or it will look like heck. Nice job I really, really like that for some reason.
> 
> You could make a bevy of jet tails. Or even WWII stuff. A P-38 would look pretty cool.


 
Yea, everyone at work was asking about different type of aircraft. That's the beauty about this hobby, you can do just about anything. Thanks for the complement too.


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