The July meeting was another successful display of the craftsmanship, creativity and variety of interests in the members of the Wisconsin Woodworkers Guild. Three examples stuck in my mind, the beautifully crafted guitar, the “portable” lathe built from scratch, and the turned ladles. It took me awhile to fully comprehend the 4 axis turning and its implications. Thanks to all of the presenters. Nice Job! This brings me to my next topic, mentoring. It is apparent from the display of talents at the July show and tell that we have a diverse set of interests in the Guild. Part of the Guild is sharing ones’ talents and teaching others about the topics that you are passionate about. At the board meeting, the idea of publishing a list of members who are willing to teach others in an informal setting was discussed as part of the annual member directory. In the short term, we would like to add a list of members to the monthly Ripsaw newsletter. If you are interested in helping others learn new skills, please contact a board member in person, by phone or email. In November we will be having our elections for vacant board positions. As Walt mentioned at the July meeting, we are in need of people to finalize plans for programs / workshops starting in 2007, as well as people to lead the program/workshop committees. Walt has done a fine job of getting us planned through the end of the year, but we need to keep the momentum into 2007. In addition, in 2007 we will need a new person to chair the toy making committee. Thanks to Mary Anderson for the effort she has put forth during her time as chair. As I have said in the past, the Wisconsin Woodworkers Guild is dependent on the efforts of volunteers to make it successful so please give some thought to how you can contribute. And finally, I will not be at the August meeting. Thanks to Jerry Kashmerick and Dick Yezek for setting up and running the meeting in my absence. Happy woodworking! John
August Program
Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Event: Regular Guild Meeting
Topic: Oil Finishes
Presenter: Len Chesney, Sales Representative
Velvit Products Company Division
Location: Faith United Church of Christ, Fellowship Hall
78th & Hope (4240 North 78th Street)
Milwaukee
Time 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Fee None. First time guests are welcome.
Comments
We were introduced to Velvit Oil during our February meeting as a product well-suited for turners. We have since learned Velvit provides a variety of products for both the industrial and general markets. Over half of their shipments are to the log home manufacturers.
Len will bring a number of samples with him and discuss their use. He will demonstrate how certain woodworking flaws can be rectified in the finishing process. He has personal experience using the products with an Aldo Leopold bench that sits outside on his porch.September Program
Date Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Event Regular Guild Meeting
Topic Stained Glass Doors
Presenter WWG Members
Liz Rohde
Mary Anderson
Leila Crandall-Frink
Location Faith United Church of Christ
Fellowship Hall
4240 North 78th Street , Milwaukee
Time 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Fee None. First time guests are welcome.
Comments
Liz, Mary, and Leila will share their experiences in creating stained-glass inserts as the “panel” for frame and panel doors.October Program
Date Friday, October 6, 2006
Event Regular Guild Meeting
Topic Chip Carving
Presenter Wayne Barton, Founder
Alpine School of Wood Carving Ltd
Park Ridge, IL
Location Faith United Church of Christ, Fellowship Hall
Milwaukee, WI
Time 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Fee None. First time guests are welcome.
Comments
Wayne Barton is an American-born professional woodcarver who lives in Park Ridge, IL with his Swiss wife and children. First given an interest in woodcarving at the age of five under the tutelage of his Norwegian grandfather, he has had a serious interest in, and love for carving all his life.
Wayne took his formal training in Brienz, Switzerland, the woodcarving center of that country. Although versed in all disciplines of carving, he specializes in chip carving and has devoted the last twenty-five years to its advancement. Single handedly, he has been the driving force of the recognition and renaissance chip carving has enjoyed in North America this past quarter century. Wayne Barton is the author of four best selling books published in six countries and a video and all on chip carving. They are the most informative and instructional books and video on the subject available. He has developed the finest and the most popular chip carving knives used by more carvers than any other knives. These are the knives that have set the standard by which all others are judged. He also developed and pioneered the very popular ceramic sharpening stones in use today.
Wayne is the founder of The Alpine School of Woodcarving, Ltd., the oldest establishment in North America specializing in, and dedicated to the education, training, teaching, and encouragement of chip carving. In addition, he teaches at a variety of other venues including colleges, clubs, institutions, and organizations across the United States, Canada, and in Switzerland. He is also a visiting artist/lecturer at the esteemed Chicago Art institute in Chicago, Il. His carvings are sought after by collectors and can be found in private collections around the world.
Wayne Barton’s work has been recognized and honored in special exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, Switzerland. Today, he continues carving, teachingWorkshops
September
Date Saturday September 16th, 2006
Event Hands-On Workshop
Topic Stained Glass Panel Candle Holder
Presenters Mary Andersen, Leila Crandall-Frink, Liz Rohde
Location Jerry Tackes Studio
Time 9 AM – 3PM
Fee TBD; Guild members only
Comments
We will be creating a candle holder using Stained Glass inserted into a wooden panel.October
Event Hands-On Workshop
Date Saturday and Sunday, October 7 & 8, 2006
Event Hands-On Workshop
Topic Chip Carving
Presenter Wayne Barton,
Location TBD
Time TBD; all day
Fee TBD; Guild members only
Comments
We are in the preliminary stages of arranging a two-day hands-on workshop with Wayne. Participants will be expected to bring (or acquire) suitable tools; blanks for carving will be provided.November
Date Saturday, November 4, 2006
Event Hands-On Workshop
Topic Shaker Oval Boxes and Advanced Techniques
Presenter John Wilson, Boxmaker Charlotte, MI
Location Shop of WWG Member Bill Godfrey
Time TBD, probably 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fee $90. Guild members only.
Comments
Two parallel workshops will be offered. Each participant in John’s workshop
will create a nested set of five oval Shaker boxes. All materials will be provided. Each participant in Eric’s workshop will create a related project, probably a Shaker “presentation” box. All materials will be provided.
The combined number of participants will be limited to 20. Maps and further information will be provided as we approach the date.
Attendees: John Johnson, Dick Yezek, Liz Rohde, Leila Crandall— Frink, Mary Anderson, and Jerry Tackes
Membership: 149
Treasury: $12,432.13
Publications Si Farmer to publish August RIPSAW
Programs & Workshops:
The stained glass workshop will be held at Jerry Tackes shop on Sept 16. The Chip carving meeting will be held on Fri Oct 3. The Chip carving workshop will be held at Jerry Tackes shop on Oct 4th and 5th. The Shaker Box meeting will be held on Fri Nov3. The Shaker box workshop will be held Nov 4th and 5th at Bill Godfrey shop.
Other business:
Mary Anderson is relinquishing Toy Chairmanship duties after this years distribution. John Johnson has purchased a projector for guild use. He needs to also purchase a spare bulb. It was agreed that the projector not be stored at the meeting site.
Respectively submitted,
Jerry Tackes
Jay Pilling led off the evening with a modification of the Porter Cable Plate Joiner. It seems that too much dust was produced in the fabrication of a bookcase out of particle board for his daughter. He fabricated the dust collection unit patterned after his sander using aluminum tubing epoxied over the slot where the dust comes out. He used 5 minute epoxy and cut the aluminum tube with a dull bandsaw blade. Vern Eilers followed up with several pieces of turned ladles or dippers. He turned the items off-center (with 4 axis). He also presented an example of a segmented bowl which was constructed from over 100 pieces. He is an accomplished turner!
Kyle Boguszewski gave an rather extensive presentation on the anatomy and construction details for fabricating an acoustic guitar. For those of us that thought that a guitar was nothing more than a box with strings were enlightened. His presentation could have been a full-length program presentation with little additional information. The guitar sounded fine too!
Jay McClellan, woodturner, usually does his turnings on a 16 inch Jet, located in his basement. However, Jay likes to enjoy the Milwaukee summer and wished to do his turnings on the outside. He fabricated a portable lathe so he could do just that. He said that one sacrifices stability for portability. He fabricated the unit on a platform so that he would stand on it to give it more stability. His maximum unit size of the lathe was not more than 50 lbs. The bowl that he demonstrated, that he had done before the meeting, was a testament to the utility of his portable lathe.
Doug Sykora gave an introduction to CAD. He demo’d some simple 3-D solid modeling. He created a couple of drawings to illustrate the utility of the program. It was unfortunate that time did not permit him to further expand upon CAD as it pertains to woodworking. For years the Guild has received requests for a CAD program. Maybe someday we’ll get one.
George Lawrence didn’t like the hazards of using an aluminum tapering jig so he used the suggestions for making one that he found in the Fine Woodworking magazine. He says that with this jig, he can do two tapers, and with an accessory, one can do four cuts. George says that the jig works well.
Walt Hadcock finished off the evening with a demo of a Maloof-style chair that was started by one of our former members, Jim Paulbeck. Jim passed away before he could finish the chair. Walt was asked by family members if he would try to finish it. Walt did a nice job finishing it. I’m sure that Jim and Sam would be proud of the finished product.
Meet John Johnson our President who presides at our meetings and lives in Spring Grove Ill with his wife Kay and three daughters, Katy age11, Twins Morgan and Erica age 10. John is a software engineer for future cell phones with Motorola. John was born in California but has lived in Waukesha for most of his life and has received both his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University. John has many interests that include camping, bike riding, downhill skiing, and Friday evening sail boat racing on Lake Geneva. Wife Kay does cross stitching and serves as the girls Girl Scout Leader. Katy plays sax, and Erica loves horses. In addition they all love to dance.
John has a fairly well equipped small shop of about 12 by 24 feet. He has all the power tools except for a scroll saw and a lathe. He likes to work with both power tools and hand tools and especially likes the feel of the hand plane. John got hooked on woodworking by seeing the cool shop of his father-in-law Dick Yezek our Vice-President. Projects include an oak twin bed, oak kitchen table, lego table for the girls, deck on the house, candle holders and bandsaw boxes learned form a past workshop.
Future projects are home organizational items that includes bookshelves, and a CD/DVD storage case.
This author wishes to extend a note of thanks to Johns leadership in our Guild, especially to his willingness to drive from Illinois twice a month to preside at both the Guild and the Board meetings.
Douglas Sykora will be your host for the August raffle. The raffle prize has been donated by John Cooper of Klockit. The prize is a 16-piece Forstner Bit Set. Klockit offers a large selection of plans, clock movements, tools and experience to assist you with your next clock project. Klockit resides in Lake Geneva and can be reached at 800-556-2548 and on the web at www.klockit http://www.klockit.com.