Fiddle & Hammer shows its Milwaukee woodshop while revealing its aesthetic
Bellaphone
Fiddle & Hammer is a Milwaukee-based furniture company dedicated to the creation of handmade heirloom quality furniture.  
 
"Made from the best materials possible, traditional joinery, and a modern aesthetic, the work expresses a love of wood, music, and a rich industrial past," says owner Jordan Waraksa. Originally a sculptor and violinist, Waraksa says he looks to the furniture he creates to blend mediums which can be seen and heard to create an experience one can feel.  
 
“When chosen tools do more than create, they inspire, they sing – a Fiddle and Hammer,” he says. In addition to the striking furniture, notable also is the Bellaphone, a wood resonator that amplifies the sound of an iPhone naturally. Made from reclaimed whiskey and tequila barrels, the Bellaphone Number 7 is made of fumed oak; the Bellaphone Number 3 &4 are made of preuvian walnut and redwood.
 
 

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About the author
Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.