September 2015 Wooden Word - Washington Woodworkers Guild
Transcription
September 2015 Wooden Word - Washington Woodworkers Guild
WASHINGTON WOODWORKERS GUILD VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 THE SEPTEMBER 2015 PR ESIDENT’S NOTE INSI DE THIS ISSUE: PRE SIDE NT’ S N OTE Jim McMichael 1 DUE S N OW A CCEP TE D 2 FU TURE SPEAKER S 2 SA FE TY CO RNE R 2 T HE BIG BUIL D RE SULT S 3 NEW MEMBERS 5 G OO DW IN H OUSE C HA P EL DE DICA T IO N 5 WWG WEBSITE AND FA CEB O OK P A GE 5 MY FI NAL NEWS LETTE R 6 PO TENT IA L S OUR CE 6 JU LY WWG MEETIN G 7 OEBE N VS. RIESE NER DE SK 11 I NTERVIEW W ITH BIL L WALMSLEY 12 D OV ETA ILS FO R FUN 14 SEPTEMBER WWG MEETI NG 16 C LASSI FIED S AND A N NOU NCEM EN TS 20 I NTERE STI NG W EB SI TES 20 O LD TO OL A DS 21 W W G 2015 PR OG RA M CA LENDA R 21 W HO W E ARE 22 19 NEXT MEETING 20 G U I L D O20 F FICE RS October 20 7:30 pm Goodwin House, Bailey’s Crossroads Dunlap Hardwoods WO O D E N W O RD A guild member recently asked “Where is the next generation of woodworkers?” It caused me to think back to the beginning of my woodworking hobby. I started out trying to develop patience, and woodworking has been the ideal vehicle. When I was young, my wife used to say that if the elevator cable broke, it wouldn’t get to the bottom fast enough for me. Nothing ever happened fast enough. But I discovered that if I wanted to learn something like woodworking, it was a slow and arduous journey. The learning curve was long and slow, because I had to learn a lot by trial and error. Twenty or thirty years ago I thought I had to have power tools that were expensive, so I started out making some basic things like shelves for the house (which looked really bad, but were functional). I bought a circular saw and a rout- Young woodworkers have er, and learned how to do some learned to move quickly from things with those tools. Eventual- an initial thought to a comly, I added more equipment and pleted project. 3-D printers, took on more complicated proCNC machines and lasers can jects. I viewed woodworking as make a prototype that would an extremely expensive hobby. It not have been feasible a few never occurred to me that I could years ago. Access to tools be quite productive with a few and materials is a lot easier hand tools. Now, if I want to too. learn something, or if I have a I don’t think that the younger question, I can call one of my people today make things buddies for help, or I can take a with the idea that they are look at YouTube. It is much fastlearning and developing a er and easier to review a lot of skill that can be built upon. content on the Internet, so I am Instead, it seems that getting leaving the old ways behind and to the finish line is more imembracing the new. Darn it. Just portant. So I think that we when I was getting patient and are okay right now if we rectaking things slow and easy, ognize this transition and things are different. embrace those who want to This is where I think the next be in the express lane. Just generation is standing right now. when I thought things were Technology is rapidly replacing slowing down, they are accelthe process that we older wooderating. I was born in the workers experienced when we wrong generation. were younger. Today, young people have readily available information and methods to learn. VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 2 WW G D UES NOW ACCEP TED Myra Haley W ashington Woodworkers Guild renewal dues for 2016 are now being accepted. Dues are $30. You can renew your membership three ways: You can pay on-line. Go to www.washingtonwoodworkersguild.org. On the Home Page click on “Join” . Go to the very bottom of this page. You can pay with either your credit card or through Pay Pal if you have an account with them. Just follow the prompts. It’s easy. You can bring cash or a check to the October 20 WWG meeting or You can pay by mail. Write your check out to Treasurer for $30.00. Then mail to: If you pay your 2016 dues before the December Guild meeting, your name will be included in a drawing for a $50 prize. The drawing will be held at the December meeting, but you do not have to be present to win. Myra Haley, Treasurer 1017 N. Quintana St. Arlington, VA 22205 or Any questions? E-mail me at: [email protected] FUTURE SPEAKERS & MEETINGS October 20, 2015 November 17, 2015 December 15, 2015 Dunlap Hardwoods Dave Heller Annual Holiday Party Daniel Miranda will be speaking on either selecting wood for specific projects or t he use of live edge lumber for projects. Learnings from being a professional woodworker, and how it’s different from making projects for yourself. Location: Art Center Tool Swap, Food and Prizes THE SAFETY COR NER Bob Rogers O ur summer in Maine is almost over. I’m looking forward to returning home to Virginia and getting back to my basement workshop. Even though our cabin here on Pemaquid Pond is far too small for any sort of woodworking, this summer has not been devoid of woodworking events and opportunities. Warren, Maine is just one half hour away and that’s where you’ll find the LieNielsen factory and showroom. This year’s Lie-Nielsen Open House was especially terrific with Christian Becksvoort, Mary May, Roy Underhill (the star of the show), and many other woodworking luminaries in attendance. The Liberty Tool Company is also close by. Liberty Tool has an eclectic collection of old, used tools, many of which have functions that are just about impossible to figure out. They do have a large assortment of hand planes and an occasional gem can be found by a diligent searcher. My visit yielded a decent draw knife, a maul, and an ax (for splitting firewood). The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine offers one and two week classes that cover a wide assortment of woodworking disciplines. I was fortunate to able to take a relief carving class with Mary May and a turning class with Beth Ireland. If you’ve read this far you are probably wondering what does all this have to do with woodworking safety? We are all familiar with what happens when you get in the woodworking zone. Everything is going well and each step is producing the desired result. I was turning a green wood bowl and getting great satisfaction out of seeing the long stream- ers fly off of my bowl blank. It was at this point that things went very badly. My bowl flew off the lathe and struck my face mask with great force. I had forgotten to tighten the knob that keeps the tail stock quill from moving in or out; the heavy bowl blank worked loose and became a flying hunk of very heavy wood. Two things were learned: a full facemask is absolutely necessary when turning and not wearing one is courting personal injury. The second is that complacency can breed problems and potential accidents. A conscientious woodworker takes nothing for granted and ensures that all equipment is properly adjusted and safety gear is in place and is properly used. SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 3 NATIONA L BUILDING MUSEUM 2015 BIG BUILD Bill Walmsley T he 2015 Big Build was held September 19 at the National Building Museum (NBM). Official attendance at this year’s event was 4,881—605 less than last year, but more than enough to keep the Guild’s volunteers busy the whole day. This year, the running of the event returned to the NBM. It had been contracted out after their previous coordinator retired. Given that it was the first time this group had been doing it, the event went pretty well. Our only real complaint was that last minute budget cuts eliminated our promised T-shirts but that has already mentioned to the organizers. I can’t say how the rest of the Big Build was since, once the doors opened, I didn’t get a chance to walk around to check out the other exhibitors. Most of the budding woodworkers were enthusiastic, appeared to be genuinely interested in what they were doing and had a good time doing it. At the end, we had a fairly good size pile of chips and shavings scattered around, showing that the scrap wood they worked had suc- cumbed to the assault of drills, planes, spokeshaves, and gouges. However, the best measure of success for our participation in the event was that we got through yet another year without anyone getting hurt, preserving our unblemished safety record. A true testament to the watchful eyes that our volunteers were keeping on their budding apprentices. All and all, a good day even after being on our feet all day and suffering vocal chords. We again found ourselves in a different location. While not right in the middle like some previous years, it really didn’t matter because the crowds found us. They got their chance to plane, drill, saw, spokeshave and carve. It seemed to me that there were a lot more very young kids, many of whom where testing their limits in strength and coordination to use the tools. But, they made up for it in determination. Many took their prized chips and shavings home, so I'm sure mom will appreciate finding them floating in the washing machine. While I’m not expecting that we will see an influx of new members at our next meeting, I would not be surprised that at some point in their future a couple of the kids that were planning their first board may recall back on the experience and pick up a plane again. A few parents did ask about the Guild, so maybe they will show up. Most didn’t realize there was anything like the Guild in the area, which shows that if we want to do something about declining membership numbers, we really need to get ourselves out more and in front of the public. The Guild owes a special thanks to those members who did show up and devote their time to letting the kids try their hands at woodworking: John Birch, Jay Christian, Tom Darone joined by his wife, Myra Haley, John Hampton, Jim McMichael, Jim Meltsner, Christopher Moore and yours truly, Bill Walmsley. For most, it was their first time and they have indicated that it was enjoyable day. Assuming NBM is going to have it again next year and we are invited back, I know that if it were up to the kids, they would definitely want us back so we should be returning. So if you regret missing this year’s event, plan on participating next year on October 16, 2016. More Big Build photos on the following page SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 4 MORE 2015 BIG BUILD PHOTOS SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 5 NEW MEMBERS members’ shops, and participate in multiple outside activities. We look forward to working with you all. Myra Haley W elcome to our new members who have recently joined the Washington Woodworkers Guild. We are always looking to expand our membership with both experienced woodworkers and those who are just beginning the journey. We all learn from each other on how to improve our skills and learn new techniques. We get to work together on various projects, visit Member Name Location Joined Margery Goldberg Washington, DC 08/24/2015 Mathew VIbberts Arlington VA, 08/26/2015 Dawn Le Washington, DC 09/27/2015 GOODWIN HOUSE CHAPEL DEDICATION Joel Jacobson A few years ago, Mike Connors and I were commissioned to build furniture for the Goodwin House Chapel. This included: an altar, a lectern, a credence table, a flower stand, and encasing the communion rail posts in wood. Ken Harrington worked with the Chapel Committee and provided us with a set of SketchUp plans. We made the furniture from solid cherry, and Charles Neil finished the pieces. Earlier this year, Goodwin House planned to have the Bishop dedicate the chapel, and they invited Mike and me to attend. We had second row reserved seats, just behind a row of visiting clergy. I think many residents were surprised to see us in suits and ties. The Bishop dramatically blessed everything in sight: the entrance, the organ, the altar, the lectern, and maybe a few more things that I can’t remember. The Bishop’s presentation was unusually animated and dramatic. During the part of the ceremony where we greet our neighbors, Mike told a clergyman in front of us that he was glad the Bishop said some holy words over the altar, which should compensate for the profanity we used when we were building it. A resident took this photo of us right after the dedication: Joel and Mike VISIT OUR WWG WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE! O ur Washington Woodworkers Guild website is growing in content, but we still want more content from our members. Wouldn’t you like to see some of your great projects on the site and have people from around the world view them? We are getting visitors to the site from around the globe. View the current information on the site and see other members’ works and make it your favorite site. Photos and articles about your favorite jigs and fixtures could be of value to members. We want to have the latest news items posted on the site for upcoming classes, new working groups, special events and upcoming guest speakers. http:/washingtonwoodworkersguild.org Now, in addition, we also have a Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ WashingtonWoodworkers Visit both sites, enjoy the content and add your own works SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 6 MY FINA L NEWSLETTER Barry Ingram T his September 2015 issue of the Wooden Word will be my final one. After 34 issues and almost 6 years, it's time for someone else to step up and take over. Every position in the Guild should change now and then to add variety and try out new ideas. The next newsletter may have an entirely different format and look. The important thing is that we keep a newsletter going. It is one of the few outreach capabilities we currently have. This has been both a challenging and a rewarding job and I appreciate all the help received from several members. Without this help, we would not have a newsletter. Many members have submitted how-to articles, tool and book reviews, project experiences and examples, important safety thoughts, photos and, of course, the extraordinary monthly meeting notes. I still don't understand how Bill Walmsley takes such detailed notes for us. Joel Jacobson has always been there to provide his excellent event photos when I needed them and has provided several articles. Dave Heller, even though he has moved from the area, still sends in articles and photos. Many members have gone out of their way to contribute. I will still be maintaining the Guild website, along with Ken Harrington, who does the really hard work. We also have a lot of past issues of the newsletter that I will be adding to our website. Of course, when the new Editor steps up, I will be here to assist them getting familiar with the task and the publishing software. We can all help the new editor by sending in good content for every issue. We can help our fellow members by passing on our woodworking experiences in the newsletter. I know that I have learned a lot from all the articles that the members have submitted. Barry Another advantage of being the Editor is that it keeps you totally up-to-date on the happenings in the Guild A P OTENTIA L SOURCE OF MILLED LUMBER T his past Sunday, I attended the Home Show at the Dulles Expo Center . While there, I met Atis Stone from Rock Ridge Contracting. LLC. This family owned business is located in Great Cacapon, WV, but does work all over the area. They do everything from barn package milling and construction to complete land clearing, grading, to road building and everything in-between. However, what got my attention was the use of their portable sawmill. Atis mentioned whatever need you have at very good prices. You can go to the site and pick up freshly milled lumber to your requirements. The contact information for Rock Ridge Contracting is: Www.rockridgecontractingllc.com email: [email protected] Phone: 540-974-5849 This might be a possible source for some good rough wood. Of course, we would have to stack it for drying . that woodworkers call him to see where they are working now to see what kinds of lumber they will be milling. They can mill slabs to SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 7 JULY 2015 W WG MEETING Bill Walmsley O ur July 21 meeting was held at the Goodwin House. Announcements : • We had one visitor, Dan. He is just starting out and is interested in exploring a variety of woodworking areas. • Treasurer Myra’s report – As of July 1st, new members will only have to pay ½ the normal dues to cover them through the end of the year. • While Barry Ingram, our newsletter editor, was attending to things at the woodshop at the Reston Community Center, he passed the message that he needs content for the Wooden Word. Since we don’t have a meeting next month, this is a good opportunity to redirect that time writing up a tool/ product/book/video/new project review and forward it to him. The newsletter is only as good as the content you submit for it. • Jay Christian announced that he recently established a Facebook page for the Guild. It is tied to our website. He will be distributing details to the members shortly. If you haven’t checked out the new and vastly improved site, you should do so the next time you sit down at your computer. Also, in the category of a bunch of aging woodworkers who are somewhat ignorant of the latest technology, consideration is being given to adding the Guild to MeetUp.com in attempt to boost attendance at the meetings. • Working Groups that have been held (turning segmented bowls and building a small box) have been very well received. Jim is looking to start up another (if it’s working, why not). Jim thought picture frames might be a good topic. If anyone would be interested in taking the lead on it or another topic, get in touch with Jim. Also being considered is adding a new feature to our meetings — a short (15 min or so) Skill Building Topic. If you have any thoughts or would like to start it off, get in touch with Jim. • Jim wanted to thank Mel for stepping up and volunteering to participate in the Program Committee, i.e. deciding on and lining up our monthly presentations. It wouldn’t be bad to have a few others contributing, so get in touch with Jim if you are interested. • Jim also wanted to remind everyone that THERE WOULD BE NO MEETING IN AUGUST. Meetings will resume in September when the topic will be our annual Super Show & Tell. The Board is still considering adding new categories and other possible changes as we discussed at last month’s meeting, but the basic format will follow past events. Once all is finalized, it will be disseminated. So, you still have time to escape the heat and humidity to work on your entry to this year’s contest. • While on the topic of September events, the Big Build will be happening on September 19 from 10-4. Even though we had three possible volunteers sign up tonight, we are still woefully short of the dozen members we need to adequately support the event. • John Davis announced that PATINA, our sister tool collectors group, is going to have Bill Adair talk and demonstrate gilding at the Sept PATINA meeting on 9/13. Contact John or go to www.patinatools.org for more details. John met Bill at one of the Big Builds, so as a further pitch to sign up as a volunteer for that event, it’s not only an opportunity to help neophyte woodworkers, but also network with a number of the aligned crafts being practiced in the area. As an aside, John also mentioned that he now has an excess of bar clamps. Yes, it does appear that you can in fact have too many clamps, at least if you are space constrained. If you’re interested in helping to relieve John of his burden, he is offering Hargrave clamps, 3’ to 6’ long for sale for $10 per foot. Safety Presentation Bob Rogers was out, so no safety topic this month, but that’s no reason to get foolhardy and careless in the shop. Think about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it before you hurt yourself. The fingers, eyes, ears, lungs you save are your own. On Going & Recent Projects (formally Show & Tell): Bob Kinsel recently returned from the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) annual conference in Pittsburg. In addition to presentations by many of the top turners in the country/world, one of the big draws is the vendors’ market, offering all types of tools, wood, and supplies to keep you busy at your lathe. One item that Bob couldn’t resist, particularly after fussing with cutting the segments for the Segmented Bowl Working Group, was a set of wedgies which, when used in conjunction with the Weggie Sled (user made from their plans), allows you to readily produce spot on accurate segments. The Weggies are highly accurate machined plastic wedges in various angles produced by SegEasy http://www.segeasy.com . You use the Weggies to set your sled and (Continued on page 8) SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 8 JULY 2015 WWG MEETING (CONT.) (Continued from page 7) then start cutting on your table saw. No muss/no fuss and spot on accurate seg- ments ready for glue up. The SegEasy website has videos that cover the process and offer a wealth of information on making segmented turnings. since then, with the help of a hand full of classes and various print and video resources, has filled a substantial portion of his townhouse with Colonial period décor, including his furniture reproductions. His focus to date has been the Queen Anne and Chippendale periods and his furniture portfolio includes diverse styles, having reproduced pieces from the Boston, Philadelphia, Connecticut and Newport regions. Leonard enjoys sharing what he has learned with like-minded people and has made presentations to the Washington Woodworker's Guild and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers, of which he is a member. Hammer Veneering is a pretty straight forward process that does not require a major investment in tools/equipment to try, and you can expect to get satisfactory results from your first attempts. Although, like most woodworking activities, the more you work at it the better your outcome will be. Probably the most difficult thing to overcome is getting past the idea that you are applying glue to both sides of the veneer. Bruce’s presentation focused on the fundamental process, making it appear easy enough that anyone could try it. He started by going over the tools and equipment needed. available that have a cast steel head and cost around $60, but one can be easily made for far less that works just as well. Bruce made the one that he uses from some scrap wood, and I believe it was maple. The crucial component of the hammer is the blade. He made it from a strip of 1/8” thick x 1”wide brass strip that is inset into the 4” wide hammer head leaving about ¼” exposed. It is this brass strip that actually does the squeegeeing. The only thing that has to be done to the blade is putting a slight gentle radius and smoothing on the exposed edge. That’s best done before inserting it in a groove cut in the head. Polishing that edge does help to reduce friction, making the hammer easier to move across the surface being veneered. In addition to epoxy, he also drilled and inserted a pin in the center of the blade to secure it to the head. To complete the hammer, he added an appropriate length handle (12” or so) and secured it with a wedge and applied a finish. Glue is next item on the list. Hammer veneering uses hide glue. Hide glue is available in various gram strengths. He stated that 192 gram strength is best for The first item, and that for which the process is named, is a veneer hammer. While it has a hammer look, it’s used more like a squeegee than a hammer, and Feature Presentation: Bruce Leonard on Hammer Veneering Furniture maker, Bruce Leonard, whose beautiful Bombé chest reproduction was featured in the December 2014 issue of Fine Woodworking magazine, discussed his recent work and demonstrated hammer veneering. Bruce discovered a passion for American period decorative arts eight years ago and there is no hammering involved in hammer veneering. Commercial hammers are veneering, having a good working time and flexibility. It is best not to use liquid hide glue, but rather mix it yourself directly from the granules. All you need to do is cover the granules with water and let them sit for a while, and when it (Continued on page 9) SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 9 JULY 2015 WWG MEETING (CONT.) (Continued from page 8) looks like applesauce, put it in something that acts as a double boiler and heat the mixture up to between 140-180 degrees. You want the glue to have the viscosity where it runs off a stirrer as a steady stream, i.e. stays on stirrer (too thick), comes off in drops (too thin). Once at proper consistency, to maintain that temperature Bruce has found that a Mr. Coffee cup warmer works great. Commercial glue pots with a built in double boiler are available for $130 but you can just as easily use a potpourri pot or baby crock pot that you can pick up at a yard sale. Fill it with water and put the glue mixture in the ceramic cup or whatever else fits in the water bath. With the above in hand, you are ready to start, once you get some veneer and something to apply it on. There are more species of wood available commercially as veneer than you will ever find as solid wood, not even counting the various figures and grain patterns in those species. If you were fortunate enough to have attended last month’s meeting, you got a pretty good picture of the world of veneer. Bruce has found Certainly Wood, https:// www.certainlywood.com/ addresses his needs. Of course, you can always saw your own. While you may not have quite the selection of species, you will have more options on thickness. Some veneers, such as crotch and burls may need some preparation. These types of veneer often have the surface contours of a potato chip that don’t lend themselves to readily adhering to a flat surface. They have to be preconditioned by using a flatting agent (glycerin). Flat veneer works a lot better. Bruce’s first (successful) veneer project was a humidor, as found in the Nov/Dec 1997 (issue #127) of Fine Woodworking. As tradition, he lined the interior with Spanish cedar, but to add more pizzazz, he applied cocobolo veneer to the plywood top. While it’s common practice to veneer both sides of a piece to balance the forces and prevent cupping, with small items with a very stable base material, that’s not always necessary. does add some mechanical advantage to the glues bonding. Now you’re ready to apply the glue. The hot hide glue becomes increasingly tacky as it cools, so you want to coat the veneer and get it in place as quickly as possible. You apply the glue to both surfaces of the veneer, placing it on the substrate and begin working the surface with the hammer, starting from the center and working towards the edges and applying pressure as you move the ham- He cuts the veneer about a ¼” larger than the piece being veneered using a box knife and steel rule. He doesn’t think that a veneer saw is all that necessary. What he does do is rough up the glue side of thick veneers using a toothing blade in a Lie Nielsen scraping plane in the direction of the grain. This is not a necessary step and certainly with thin veneer your could easily tear up the veneer if you’re not careful, but when using hide glue it mer across the surface. The glue on the surface acts somewhat as lubricant for the hammer. You are looking to remove (Continued on page 10) SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 10 JULY 2015 WWG MEETING (CONT.) (Continued from page 9) all the air between the substrate and the veneer and not have any voids. You can tell by tapping the panel with your fingernail if there are any. At the same time that you have removed the air pockets, you have scraped off virtually all of the glue that was on the surface. Once you have solid bond, put a piece of wax paper over the top and then weight the panel. If you are doing several panels you can stack them as long as there is a piece of wax paper between each layer. Theoretically, is not necessary to clamp the panel. The initial tackiness of the hide glue with a bit of weight is enough to hold the veneer to the substrate until it fully cures. However, it doesn’t hurt to err on the side of caution and use a few. Once dried, give your panel another tap test. If you discover an air pocket just slit it with a sharp hobby knife, force a bit more glue into the void and reclamp. You might also be successful in using an iron to heat the area reactivating the glue. Be sure to use a piece of card- board or cloth to prevent scorching the veneer with the iron. Once the panels are fully cured (overnight is more than long enough), it’s time to do a bit of clean up. A sharp card scraper is Bruce’s tool of choice. A few swipes with the scraper and you have a surface ready for finish. He demonstrated his abbreviated technique for sharpening a card scarper. He uses single cut (bastard) file which he runs along the scrapers edge firmly for three strokes. He then flips the scraper end for end and gives it another three and he is ready to scrape. He does not bother to burnish the edge to roll a burr. He maintains this gives you an edge which cuts with about 95% of the effectiveness of one with a burr but saves a lot of time and fuss. He showed a humidor that he made. This was not his first, but followed the same basic design and construction technique. He assembles, veneers, cuts and applies his edge banding while the box is one piece, only then cutting off the lid. He then installs the top and bottom liners, followed by the two long sides and finishing with the short sides which have a lip to seal the top and preserve the proper humidity in the box. They are friction fit without gluing. He uses quality brass quadrant hinges and a mortised lock to secure the top. They are a bit tricky to install but worth the effort and expense for a really quality job. For the rest of Bruce’s presentation he showed some of the period furniture pieces that he has made over the years and continues to make. A styled reproduction of an 18th century Thomas White five bay desk that is in the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) collection in North Carolina. It is thought that White had apprenticed under Goddard before starting out on his own. It shares many Goddard style characteristics, including blind mitered dovetail joints between the sides and top, carved corner feet, a center foot, cocks beading around the drawers and fluted quarter columns on either side of the center bay. Bruce was guided by Ben Hobbs on his construction of this piece. He also had slides of a Newport Low Boy that follows a Goddard piece in the State Departments collection. In Newport fashion, the leg posts do not run through the cabinet. It has carved Newport shells and the ball and claw feet that have no webbing between the toes and pierced talons. The center bay is removable, hiding several cleverly hidden secret compartments. This piece took an estimated 400 hours to complete. He also had a Serpentine Bombe Chest featured in the Readers Gallery of FW Nov/Dec 2014, #243, p. 74. He worked under the tutelage of George Slack to make the chest. Bruce’s presentation certainly took all the mystique from the hammer veneering process, showing it to be something that any woodworker can quickly grasp and apply. Many thanks to Bruce for taking the time to show us how it’s done. Editor’s note: Our thanks go to Joel Jacobson for taking the photos for this meeting. SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 11 OEBEN VS. RIESENER DESK Dave Heller L ast month I mentioned my intention to build a very elaborate roll-top writing desk that I saw at the Musee de Nissim Camondo in Paris. When I started doing some research, I learned several things. One was that the desk was not by Riesener, but Jean Francios Oeben. Oeben was also German, and cabinet-maker to the King until his early death in 1763. Riesener took over Oeben’s shop by marrying his widow. Pierre Ramond published a three book set on Marquetry, and in Book 3 are detailed drawings of some of the finest traditional marquetry – and there is the Oeben desk, from pages 36-41. Silas Kopf also mentions in his book “A Marquetry Odyssey” how marquetry is cut to go onto compound curved surfaces – by using a chevalet with curved jaws to cut veneer already shaped to the correct shape by making a plywood assembly on a blank of the right shape. Easy, yes? Maybe not, but at least it’s a concept that could work. If I had a chevalet, and if it had curved jaws. And if pigs could fly, we’d shoot for bacon, as my Dad would say. Possibly, I’ll make a practice piece to work through this. Oeben was famous for his mechanisms as well as his furniture, and the Library associated with the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris has an article on this. I am still trying to figure out how to get a copy from them – it seems to be indicating that it’s possible SEPTEMBER 2015 Volume 7, Issue 5 Page 12 Interview with Bill Walmsley Barry Ingram I n each issue of The Wooden Word, we will have an interview with one of our long-time members. We were privileged to have Bill Walmsley step up this month.. Bill attends every meeting and event and has been a lifesaver for me by taking notes for our newsletter at all our monthly meetings. when they were located in Falls Church in a former lumber yard. Regular meetings were held in a shop that Hugh Belton and Gary Norvell had off an alleyway on Capitol Hill. At the time, I was already a member of the Northern Virginia Carvers and my interest in woodworking was not limited to carving, so figured it might be a chance to broaden my abilities that I had from association with the NVC. How long have you been involved in woodworking? Tell us about yourself. I hail from New Jersey, arriving in this area in 1975 - first in VA then moving to MD where I currently reside. I’ve been a contractor mostly to various agencies of the federal government most of my professional life. My current plan is to retire from that next year, assuming to pursue other interests that I have not been able to devote much attention and effort to while still having to work. When did you join the Guild, and why? While memory fails as to exactly when I joined it was in the early 1980’s. The first meeting I went to was a field trip they had to Colonial Hardwoods back My first woodworking project was helping my dad make a clothes tree for my room. I was probably six or so, and still have the clothes tree, but not really using it. That was a start and then I worked on various projects through the years, usually to be used as gifts or something needed around the house. As I started working summer jobs at places that had shops where I could manage to get access to tools, my involvement picked up. It wasn’t until I got off living on my own that I was able to assemble tools and have a dedicated space to work that I got serious about woodworking. What kinds of woodworking? I like carving, mostly doing abstract sculptural stuff. Other than that, I do what I need to make for around the house or as gifts. How did you get started? As young kid, working with to ‘help’ my dad with whatever he was doing. As I got older, I ended up doing the stuff that needed to be fixed or made around the house. My dad worked a lot, so I often got his honey do list passed to me to take care of, “trickle down effect”. Some of these involved woodworking but most were just working with tools to fix whatever. Did someone influence you? Dad was a big and early influence and both my grandfathers were very handy, so I picked up some from them. I also had a neighbor that I would tag along with as he did stuff around his house. Looking back on family records, I found that there were a number in previous generations that had worked in woodlots, etc., so there may be some saw dust in the genes. I got a lot from reading and from fellow members of the Guild and the other groups that I belong to over the years. Besides the Guild, what other woodworking related organizations are you involved with? Northern Virginia Carvers and PATINA are only ones I participate in regularly, but I am also a member of the Capital Area Woodturners/AAW and Blacksmith’s Guild but not actively, since when and where they meet doesn’t work with my schedule. You are “the Big Build Guy”. How did that come about? It seems like a really worthy public service effort. I inherited the slot from John Davis, who started the Guild’s participation in the event and, as his time demands started to conflict, he passed it along, I was the willing stuckee. Certainly for the Guild it is worthwhile. It’s the only public exposure we get, now that we don’t have the wood show any longer. I can’t say that it’s the best venue for recruitment short term, but hopefully it will have a long term effect (Continued on page 13) SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 13 INTERVIEW WITH BILL WALMSLEY (CONT.) (Continued from page 12) on keeping an interest in woodworking alive. Since they have pulled the wood shop programs from the public school systems, and the tool that most parents use to get things fixed is a phone, as brief and limited as it is, it’s the only exposure kids have to tools and doing something with hands, other than working a mouse or remote control. Many of the kids really seem to enjoy the chance to do it. It’s too bad we don’t get more membership support. It would be the type of activity that we could bring to other venues. Every month, you take great meeting notes for the members and the newsletter. They are so detailed and complete. How do you do that? Since I never have had much of a memory, always took good notes. My job has often required keeping track at what was said in various meetings, so I’ve gotten decent at taking down the salient points of what’s been said and spitting it back. I’ve had to do a fair amount of other work related writing as well. The biggest problem is reading the notes, since my handwriting leaves a lot to be desired, even for me. It seems like you have many interests. Tells us about some of them. I have adopted a trail from our local park authority, so I spend time looking after it and adjoining wood & wetlands. I pick up a lot of trash in support of that. I also do trail maintenance for NPS in Greenbelt Park. I’m pretty active in certain goings on in my community. I have a garden in summer and still try to get out to catch some live music when possible. Any favorite types or styles of woodworking? whole lot of work, another possible retirement project. As far as styles, I like Shaker, Art Deco, the less angular modern stuff and to a lesser extent, arts and crafts. My favorite tool is the one that is going to allow me to get the next step in the project done quickly and safely, so it varies. Many get their 15 minutes of fame. Do you read any particular woodworking publications? I have subscriptions to pretty much all the major printed woodworking publications and I eventually get around to reading them all, although I do skip most of the project stuff. I’m not crazy about online stuff, since I don’t need any more time staring at a screen than what I have to do for work. My woodworking library has grown past my time to read it all, but that’s on the list for retirement. Tell us a little about your workshop and favorite tools Initially, my shop was in the basement of my house. It was a problem with no outside access, and a 90 degree turn to get down the stairs, made getting heavy equipment down there interesting. I found that it didn’t take long to run out of room and I got totally sick of every time I wanted to do anything, I had to move ten other things. Finally, I enclosed a carport and built an addition which at the time gave me what I thought would be more than enough space. That was 20 years ago and now again I have run out of space, except I don’t have room to do any more additions. Last year I started to reclaim the basement space, not giving me more space, but allowing me to at least do hand work in the winter when it is too cold in the main shop with no central heat in it. Now, in a last desperate grasp for more space, I’m starting to think about enclosing the remaining carport and move my metal working stuff there. It’s a longer term plan that would involve a Any other tools you would like to have? I’m kind of a tool junkie, so if space and budget weren’t constraining factors, there probably aren’t too many that I wouldn’t like to have, particularly if they happen to come with the time to play around with them. Do you currently have any special interests? I do think that collectively we have really neglected our responsibility to take care of the environment. I direct a good portion of my time and effort to local environmental efforts. Bill, any other comments? It would be great if we could get more involvement from our members in the Guild activities. Not like everyone has to be involved in everything, but if each person just helped out/participated in one thing, we could obviously do more. All would get more out of it, and it would give the organization a lot more needed vitality. SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 14 D OVETAILS FOR FUN A ND NO P ROFIT Dave Heller S uppose you want to make a small case. The back will be frame and panel, so you decide to inset it in a rabbet. The case should be dovetailed, since that is the correct joinery for the situation. You are proficient at basic dovetails so you decide to have a little fun. How to accommodate these rabbets? Also, just to complicate things, a mitered front corner would be preferable to a square butt meeting. What would this look like? ( Photo 1, Photo 2). style ( i.e. very fine points) dovetail cutting tails first. Anyway, photo 3 shows the pin layout. Photo 3 front pin doesn’t need to be cut past the miter corner, but cut the miter last. Photo 6 is the most important step. The edge of the pins must(!) be exactly on the marking gauge line, and the front edge of the two boards must align. If not, you are guaranteed to have your joint fit wrong, even if your cuts are perfect. Only perfect cuts in the right place yield a nice joint. Mark the pins on the tailboard. Note that the back pin is hanging in the air. That can’t be market yet. The marking gauge line isn’t very clear, but it’s there. I lay out the verticals to get my cut going, but don’t get fussy. Note that the back pin is short, so that the space from the rabbet is filled with the wood below the pencil line. Photo 4 shows the pins cut, and a cut to the right of the leftmost pin where the rabbet is. Photo 6 Photo 7 shows the four pin holes cut. Photo 1 Photo 4 Photo 2 Photo 5 shows the waste cleared and the miter cut. Key point: the front side of the In the first two photos, you see the mitered front corner, the large inset in the top back to fill the side rabbet, and a smaller inset on the back dovetail for the smaller rabbet. Also, London style dovetails, because they look nicer. So how is the joint laid out? Pins first, of course. I don’t know how you do London- Photo 7 Photo 8 ( next page) adds the miter, required to start fitting the joint together so that you can mark the last tail. Photo 9 (next page) shows the pins inserted until the short tail lands, so it can now be marked. That is cut, (short, because it is) then the waste is removed, supporting the rabbet so that it doesn’t blow out. Photo 5 SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 15 DOVETAILS FOR FUN AND NO PROFIT Photo 9 Editor note: In a follow-up email, Dave and I were talking about dovetails, Here is a remark from Dave: I always cut pins first. If I'm going to take the time to make dovetails, I figure that London style are the only ones worth doing. They're just showier, which is the point with dovetails. I don't use them at the backs of drawers though - only where they'll be seen. Photo 8 And I prefer the mitered corners, so I do them about half of the time. The other bit I hadn't done before yesterday afternoon, but decided to figure out how to do it. That's why I wrote the article - it was something new, but it worked out pretty well. SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 16 SEPTEMBER 2015 WW G MEETING Ill Walmsley O ur September 15 meeting was held at the Goodwin House. Announcements : • We had one visitor, Tom. He is an amateur who has been doing woodworking for 30 years. He resides in Fairfax Station. • Our Treasurer, Myra reported that, as of September 1, you are able to renew your membership for 2016 from the website or to her directly. As in years past, if you renew before the December meeting you will be entered into the drawing for a $50 gift certificate. Dues remain at $30. • Jim announced that Barry Ingram will be stepping down as newsletter editor after a 30+ issue stint. Barry has done an incredible job in producing the Wooden Word but now feels it’s time to pass the position along to another. The newsletter provides several very important functions for the Guild; it keeps our members who do not make it to our meetings in the loop as to what is going on within our august group; passes along a wealth of information presented to us by our meeting speakers and from articles submitted by fellow members; and it is also a means of exposing us to the public/potential new members, and helps to give us credibility in the woodworking community. If you would be interested in assuming the position, please let Jim know. • Jay Christian announced that the Potomac Academy recently had to take down a very large Black Gum tree. Some massive slabs have been milled from the trunk and other pieces are being left whole for any turners or carvers. This wood, plus other lumber (walnut, white & red oak, maple, cherry, and others) that has come from the grounds, are being offered at nominal cost. Some of the lumber has been kiln dried and other only air dried. This is an opportunity to get some great lumber at very reasonable prices and help the school out as well. Contact Jay if you are interested.. • Working Groups that have been held (turning segmented bowls and building a small box) have been very well received. Jim is looking to start up another (if it’s working, why not). Jim thought picture frames might be a good topic. If anyone would be interested in taking the lead on it or another topic, get in touch with Jim. Also being considered is adding a new feature to our meetings; a short (15 min or so) Skill Building Topic. If you have any thoughts or would like to start it off, get in touch with Jim. here to talk to us about selecting the right wood for your project. Feature Presentation: Super Show & Tell As has been tradition for the September Meeting, we don’t have our regular technical presentation, but rather a series of them as our members participating in the Super Show & Tell relate the unique/interesting aspects of the project that they submitted into this year’s competition. This year, there are two levels of competition; beginners for those just starting out and expert for those who have been at it for a while. Each is competing for their chance and choice of a Incra Box Joint Jig (2) or one of four Shenandoah Toolworks beautiful steel mallets for the top three selected by popular vote in each category. • Jim wanted to thank Mel, Jay, Myra, and Ka-Loon for the extra effort that they routinely put forth to support the Guild. We always need folks to step up, since nothing gets done by itself and you will only get out of the Guild what you put into it. So next time the call goes out to help out, step forward and volunteer. • Dan Jordan announced that he is looking for someone to refinish two cherry tables. They were originally finished with Danish Oil but are now showing their age. If you are interested, contact Dan at (301) 585-1539. • Next month’s meeting topic will have the folks from Dunlap Woodcrafts The Prizes This year we had seven members submitting pieces, three in the beginners category and four in expert. Stu Sherman – Stu pieced together an intricately designed cutting board from a pattern he got the off YouTube. He used maple, cherry, and walnut for his board. It involved two separate glueups where pieces were flipped and rotated between each. He used Titebond III and a salad bowl varnish finish, wet sanding the last coat with 400 grit paper. He rounded over the edges with a 1/4” router bit and added inset handles using (Continued on page 17) SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 17 SEPTEMBER 2015 WWG MEETING (CONT.) (Continued from page 16) a template jig & router. It was tricky keeping the parts aligned and properly chuck, center drilled on the lathe, and turned with a ½” spindle roughing gouge and carbide inset Hunter tool. As needed, final finishing was done on the lathe. He did want to pass along a useful tip which is: don’t apply liquid finish to pieces on a rapidly spinning lathe it makes a mess. Leonard Sirota – Leonard submitted a box that he had started working with Norm’s box working group. His box was Ultra Suede. One challenge was getting the drawers lined up. The fronts were cut from a single board and Bob wanted to keep that continuity. He used an oil varnish finish from General, which he found a bit thick and thinned it for easier application. He used brass knobs from Lee Valley. Joshua Nichols – Joshua completed a Krenov inspired table, replacing the apron with a through drawer that opens from either side using hand carved the knobs. The top is attached with dowel pegs for alignment and slotted screws. Stu’s Cutting Board oriented so to not mess up the pattern. If he were to make another, he would definitely make sure that he would kept all his parts the same thickness before glue up. Having them varying in height made the final dimensioning more difficult, even using a planer. Tim O'Hearn - Of late, Tim has been focusing on the lathe and his entry this year reflects that his time spent has been paying off. Tim had a variety of pens and mechanical pencils that he made as gifts, although he may hang on to a few favorites. He made them using mecha- Leonard’s Box made out of walnut and cherry and intended as a present to his wife to commemorate her first publication. He used Norm’s CNC router to put an inscription on it. The box featured a curved top partially cut on the table saw to rip kerfs and then worked with a router & jig to remove the remaining waste before final hand sanding in prep for a finish of spray varnish. Bob Kinsel – Bob submitted a multidrawer jewelry box on legs. He made one for his wife and now is following up with ones for the granddaughters. The drawers use router cut dovetails and are suspended on wooden rails. They have plywood bottoms and were lined with The table legs are curved and he cut those on a bandsaw and then used a spokeshave to finish smooth. He finished it with Danish Oil and wax. Jim McMichael – In addition to attending to presidential duties, Jim squeezed in enough time to make a laminated table. Actually, he had been working to have this ready for last year’s show but Tim’s Pens nism kits from several manufactures and a variety of wood species and acrylic. The pens were all turned using a four jaw Joshua’s Krenov Table Bob’s Jewelry Box (Continued on page 18) SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 18 SEPTEMBER 2015 WWG MEETING (CONT.) (Continued from page 17) it ended up in this year’s - time flies. The table is made from tiger maple and has a walnut top that came from a tree off the Mt. Vernon property. He resawed the strips for laminating and shaping them brought in a dreadnaught guitar modeled after the famed Martin D28. He made this from scratch construction in a class he took from Mike Meers. It involved gluing After each participant’s presentation, the attending members were able to examine the pieces more closely before casting their votes for the top three in each category. With all the votes counted, the winners in this year’s super show and tell were: Mel’s Guitar Jim’s Laminated Table around a form using Titebond II adhesive. The apron is joined to the legs using mortise and tenon joints. He used a thinned oil based varnish as a seal coat and then applied waterborne final coats. Mel Montemerlo – While Mel has spoken to us in the past about his work with ukuleles, this time he super sized and bital sander, and once the right thickness had been reached, the top starts to resonate to the vibration from the sander and you know it is time to stop. up the two pieces each for the top and bottom and they are not flat but gently slope to meet the sides. Heat bending the curved sides, making and fitting all the internal struts, dovetailing the joint for attaching the neck, as well routing for inlay of the edge binding and sound hole rosettes were all separate projects in themselves. The binding, rosettes, pick guard, bridge, tension rod, and tuners were all purchased from Stewart MacDonald, a well known guitar supply house. The guitar was finished with a spray lacquer. Making a stringed instrument requires very precise work, at least if you want to end up with something that you can actually play. There is no margin for error. Mel was particularly fascinated by the process for achieving the right resonance for the top. The top has a very subtle rounding and its thickness is very instrumental in determining how good your guitar will sound. The way it was done was using a random or- Beginner 1st Leonard Sirota 2nd Tim O'Hearn 3rd Stu Sherman Expert 1st Mel Montemerlo 2nd Joshua Nichols 3rd Bob Kinsel Congratulations to all. An excellent group of submissions. Hopefully, their success will spur the rest of us to get in the shop and make something for next year’s Super Show and Tell. Editor’s note: Once again, our thanks go to Joel Jacobson for taking the photos for this meeting. More Meeting Photos on the Following Page! SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 19 SEPTEMBER 2015 WWG MEETING (CONT.) SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 20 CLASSIFIEDS A ND A NNOUNCEMENTS Tools for Sale Tools for Sale For Sale: Blue Tornado Dust Collector George Slack has an American made 3HP cyclone with filter bags that I plan to sell. It is a wall mount single phase, 230VAC unit in excellent condition. With 4 cloth filters attached it has approximately 2100CFM capacity. The unit can easily handle 4 pieces of equipment operating simultaneously using 4" duct. He will sell for $400.00 or best offer. It is bargain basement priced. It is 13 years old and it was purchased new for $2200.00. Contact George for more information at 540 349-8632 Announcements C.P. Johnson announces that they are hasting a Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Show Friday & Saturday, October 23 & 24 We are excited to host The Lie-Nielsen Tool Company for a 2 day show. If you missed last year's event, this will be your chance to examine these fine, Americanmade tools in person. Ask the expert demonstrators, try the tools yourself. And while you're here, pick up some of our exceptional hardwood lumber. CPJohnsonLumber.com Facebook. com/CPJohnsonLumber Lie-Nielsen.com Facebook.com/Lie-Nielsen Members: If you have tools for sale or announcements for the other members that you would like included in the next newsletter, please send them to the Editor VA LUABLE A ND INTERESTING W EB SITES From Joel Jacobson: How to Sharpen a Wooden Spokeshave – with Paul Sellers Ancient Egyptian In spired Table - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=zOJVXRQLUOI&feature=em-subs_digest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mnSKPXPb8o Maker Series: Artisanal Firewood - This Is That YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=30&v=TBb9O-aW4zI From Barry Ingram: Woodsmith Tips - Rock Solid Drawer Joints From Ka-Loon Tung Armor Tools Auto-Pro In-Line Dog clamp as a tail-vise alternative http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/5946 http://www.woodsmithtips.com/2015/09/10/? utm_source=WoodsmithTips&utm_medium=email&utm_c ampaign=9851 Woodsmith Tips - All about biscuit joinery http://www.woodsmithtips.com/2015/09/17/? utm_source=WoodsmithTips&utm_medium=email&utm_c ampaign=9869 SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 Page 21 THE OLD TOOL AD S Barry Ingram This ad is from the November 1948 issue of Popular Science. Now here is another approach to the tilting arbor on your table saw.. Why tilt the blade if you can tilt the entire table? SEPTEMBER 2015 About the WWG www.washingtonwoodworkersguild.org WASHINGTON W OOD WOR KE RS G UI LD 12600 Dusty Wheel Lane Fairfax VA, 22033 www.washingtonwoodworkersguild.org Since its founding in 1980 the Washington Woodworkers' Guild's primary goals have been the education of its members in all aspects of woodworking and the promotion of interest in woodworking in the Washington metropolitan area. Efforts toward these goals have taken various forms: demonstrations at monthly meetings; technical seminars by nationally known experts; exhibitions of members' work; maintenance of a woodworking videotape library; book and tool purchasing programs; and the publication of a semi-monthly newsletter - 'The Wooden Word'. Our Members The Guild has over 130 active members, eighty percent of whom are hobbyists, with the remainder making a living from the craft. Member skill levels vary from novice to professional. Member interests cover all types of woodworking: furniture (modern, antique reproduction or restoration); turning; carving; box making; toy and model making; marquetry; gilding; musical instrument making; antique tool collecting; and environmental health and safety. Meetings Meetings are normally held on the third Tuesday of the month (except August) at 7:30pm at the Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads in Falls Church. A typical meeting consists of a business portion to discuss the status of the club, upcoming events, group book & tool purchases, and other Guild activities. The business portion of the meeting is then followed by a 'Special Program' highlighting some new aspect of woodworking for skill enhancement and education. WASHINGTON WOODWORKERS GUILD OFFICERS President Jim McMichael [email protected] Secretary Open Vice President Bob Kinsel [email protected] Web Master Ken Harrington [email protected] Master Craftsman Coordinator Jay Christian [email protected] Program Chair and Open Communications Treasurer Myra Haley On-going & Recent Mel Montemerlo [email protected] Projects Coordinator [email protected] Database Administrator/ Barry Ingram [email protected] Safety Coordinator Bob Rogers [email protected] Wooden Word Editor Barry Ingram [email protected] At-Large Director Stu Crick [email protected] DVD/Tape Librarian Tim O’Hearn [email protected] At-Large Director Bob Kinsel [email protected] Nametag Coordinator Richard Tilghman [email protected] At-Large Director Dave Heller [email protected] www.washingtonwoodworkersguild.org