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Highlands Today

Syfert Takes Woodworking To New Levels

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Woodworker Jerry Syfert carves a puzzle at his garage on Wednesday in Sebring.

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Sue Ann Carpenter

Published: January 7, 2008

SEBRING –– It started as a hobby because Jerry Syfert always loved working with his hands. So with seven children, 18 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, he kept busy making toys. He crafted large-scale trains, doll cradles, rocking horses, trucks, cars and occasional pieces of furniture.

He thought that selling his work at craft fairs with his wife would be fun. His wife agreed and was his manager, taking care of sales and finances as they traveled to major craft shows for over 20 years.

Although they found that the toys sold well, they were bulky and difficult to pack. Syfert then experimented with band saw boxes made of laminated native and exotic woods in a variety of colors. Later, his curiosity and creativity evolved into cutting the inside material of the boxes into simple jigsaw puzzles. As he made them more intricate and used exotic woods, the selling price rose to as much as $1,200. He even wrote a book titled "Unique Wood Lamination Projects," which can be purchased at the Caladium Co-op or at www.amazon.com.

When Syfert originally retired in 1994 from Burroughs/Unisys, he and his wife, Anita, moved from the Northeast to Naples. Then the threat of hurricanes led them to Sebring a year ago.

That's when he made sure their new home had a two-car garage and a workshop so he could resume his hobby.

Syfert's hand-crafted items are displayed at Caladium Arts Co-op, located at 132 E. Interlake Blvd., in downtown Lake Placid. More than 100 local artists and craftsmen's work is located at that storefront, and he is proud to be a part of their cooperative efforts. Syfert contributed his computer expertise to create their Web site, www.caladiumarts.org, where one can view a variety of all of the arts and crafts for sale.

An online site where his works are offered is at www.ETSY.com. It's a Web site for crafters only and features 60,000 items. By entering "thepuzzleman" on their search engine, his unique woodworking can be viewed and purchased.

Woodworking is his all-consuming hobby because he feels it's how he expresses himself best. Yet at age 76, Syfert finds time to ride his bicycle five miles each day. He is also compiling his life story/family history and regularly publishes a newsletter for family and friends.

Besides attractive boxes that will hold pencils or remotes, he also makes a utilitarian lazy Susan. But the specific items he has perfected are his puzzles. His $15 table and chair puzzle is a design from the late 1800s. Using a block of wood, he creates 10 separate pieces of tables and chairs. An imaginative story about the three bears and these tables and chairs comes with it.

Another puzzle for $35 is made up of four layers of jigsaw pieces cut from a solid block. They form a checkerboard of walnut and maple. The inside is cut out with four cuts into four wavy layers. Each layer is cut into a jigsaw puzzle. These are done freehand so that no two are ever alike. This puzzle contains 108 pieces and is 5.5 by 5.5 by 2.5 inches.

Syfert's a master of different designs with a variety of woods, clamps and glue. The box and pieces are finally coated with a sealer.

"Anita assembles each finished puzzle in its box." He smiles. "My job is just to cut them out. "Although his puzzles are primarily for children, the complicated layered ones will challenge any adult.

Contrasting woods add beauty to these fun, mind-challenging toys. There is also a 10-piece deluxe puzzle of walnut, maple and padauk –– from a design that was originally sold at the World's Fair of the '20s and '30s. A 10-piece regular set measures 3 by 3 by 6 inches.

Syfert refers to himself as a wood butcher because he uses a saw rather than carving these wooden treasures. Although they are kid-friendly and appeal to the young at heart, they are also things of beauty, unique objects of art that will be a treasured heirloom gift for years to come.

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