Latest News and Newsletter Archives:
2003 to Present

Hardwood Herald News
(Last update 09/02/10 )

 

Home Page | Hardwood Herald | Future Events | Video Library | Membership | Resources | Classified | Club History And Operations

Click on any picture for a larger view

September President's Message

Brian Timmons

 

    Judging by the number of members in our club that are making plans to build Kayaks, I think it is safe to say that we all enjoyed the presentation put on by Kevin Thompson. I know my kids are anxious to get started, the question is not if were going to do it, but how many will we build?  But what they still have yet to understand is that the entertainment center has to be completed first, because like they say, if Mom isn't happy, no one is happy.  
    Pete Richardson of St Petersburg is trying to get a tree recovery program off the ground in our area, so to assist him is expediting this Larry Simmons agreed to reschedule his presentation on cabinetry work, thanks Larry, we look forward to your teaching in the near future. Accompanying Pete on Wed will be Joe Pettit also of St. Petersburg showing us some of the possibilities that exist in using local woods. It sure to be an interesting night.
    A big thanks goes out to our newest member Jeremy Williams who wasted no time volunteering to assist Gene with our website, it is this kind of involvement that makes our club what it is.
    I hope you have all noticed the hint of Autumn in the air this last week, that means its time to fire up those tools and spend a little more time in the shop. Maybe blowing the sawdust off some of that scrap lumber and getting creative with some Christmas gifts.
See you Wednesday

August 23 - Shop Meet

There were twelve of us at Ed Goldberg's shop meet tonight. Thanks Ed for opening up your shop to us and for the cookies and great conversations.

August 15 - Turner's Meet

There were eight that showed up to the turner's meet tonight at Denny' shop. Gordon Cook brought in some bowls he turned with the method Denny showed tonight.
   
Instead of using a faceplate to mount the bowl Denny tapped the base with threads to fasten it directly to the lathe shaft. He demonstrated how the rings are cut from one piece of flat stock using a parting tool at approximately a 37º angle.
   
The rings are then separated, reversed and glued together to form the basic shape for a bowl. This already glued up sample is what he used for the actual turning.
   
The inside and outside of the bowl were turned in the normal manner. In order to complete the turning of the base, Denny used the suction of a shop vac to hold the bowl to a plywood base which allowed the base to be finished.

August 11 - Main Meeting

President Brian Timmons called the meeting to order with 32 members present including one new member.

 Brian presented Webmaster Gene Mathes with a well deserved thank you plaque for the great job he has done with our web page over the years.

Main Program

The main program was presented by Kevin Thompson on building strip wood kayaks.  Kevin built a small mock up to show different methods of attaching the strips.

Kevin and his girlfriend, Peggy, brought in the boats they use.  This is the first one Kevin built and was done using staples to position the strips.

 
   
This is a later boat that was done using clamps and rubber bands to assemble it.

Kevin also brought in the many of the tools he uses to build the kayaks.  He has several unusual hand planes that he uses.   He also uses six to nine months worth of elbow grease on each boat.
   

This view toward the forward bulkhead shows the interior finish and the positioning of the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals.

Kevin did a great job on these boats and made a interesting presentation on how he built them.  It’s easy to see why it can take a long time to launch them because everyone at the boat ramp wants to look at them.

Show & Tell

John Slezak brought in one of the towel racks he his doing for a customer.  He used a gel stain and sanding sealer on the popular pieces.  He also showed a band sawn puzzle he is working on.

Denny Wetter showed the Norfolk Island Pine vase that was turned at the July turners meet.
   

Floyd Yoder is trying to identify the wood species in this nice looking bowl he turned and also a turning block.

The Ross brothers may be following in the footsteps of the Wright brothers.  Hunter shows an airplane and Cooper a helicopter they made as Adam looks on.
   

Bob Eslinger confused everyone with this pie table because there isn’t anyplace to put the pie.  It turns out that it’s really a cardboard mockup of a Pi table.  Pi is the mathematical relationship between the circumference and diameter of a circle and the table has the same number of elements as the digits in Pi.  Everyone thought a cherry pie will look great setting on the table when he gets it done.  We’ll have our forks ready.

John Petty is still playing with building his 3-D labyrinth game.  Making the curved shape out of wood is not as easy as he thought it would be.

Prize Winners

Once again, Steve Kandel shows us how to win the raffle.  He took home a pair of Japanese pull saws.

The door prize winners were Carlton Parkhurst, Peggy, John Darovek, Bob Eslinger, and Josh Timmons.

August President's Message

Brian Timmons

 

     Leave it to Duke Clancy to deliver yet another great program, we now have a clearer idea of how to replicate hand carved appliqués and also some new options available to seal exterior wood.  Many thanks go out to him for sharing so much with our club and his family for sharing their time with us.

     Next month we welcome Kevin Thompson of Tampa who will give us some information on what it takes to build your own kayak. This will with out a doubt be a very interesting presentation, and as I said at the meeting, feel free to bring any guest that have an interest in paddling. 

July 26 - Shop Meet

Thirteen of us had a great time at Tony D'Alberto's shop tonight. Lots of great food and good conversation.

July 19 - Turner's Meet

The turner's meet at Denny Wetter's started out with Denny showing us some samples of Norfolk Island Pine turnings. The branches of the Norfolk Island Pine are generally in layers and slope downward as they get closer to the tree center.
   
Making use of this knowledge allows one to acquire a very pretty design by turning at the proper slope. This dovetail tool is used to form a tenon that can be held by the chuck. 
   
After using the chuck with the tailstock the outside is completed. Using a thin parting tool, Denny cut off the bottom which will be replaced after removing the inside.
   
Using the steady rest for support, the inside is removed leaving about a 1/4" wall. Besides myself and Denny, Floyd and Paul were the only ones present.
   
The bottom was then turned to size and glued into the turning. Before the top could be completed for this vase the glue joint at the bottom came loose. The vase could not be completed at this meeting but Denny will complete it and show it at the show and tell during the next meeting.

July 14 - Main Meeting

There were 25 members and one guest present for the regular July meeting.  Not a bad crowd for the middle of summer.

  
   

President Brian Timmons brought us up to date on recent business and board meetings.  He also mentioned that it’s not too early to start working on the two items to donate for the Christmas Party.

 Our only guest tonight was Steve Bragg on the left, guest of Felix Troiano on the right.

Main Program

The presentation was by Duke Clancy of Victorian Rose Furniture Renewal with able assistance from his son Hunter.  He showed us how he uses cast epoxy molds to reproduce carved features on furniture. 

He brought in a Teak and Maple boat deck section he is doing for a local boat company.  The finish is a product made for basketball courts.  He also showed some material to make non-skid surface on steps.

Show & Tell

John Slezak brought in a toy top and pictures of some lined boxes he had completed.  He also had a piece of Orange wood and a drill press column that he gave away.

Joe Mathis showed a Red Oak fretwork trivet he had finished recently.  It required 180 inside cuts and took about 20 hours to complete.
   

Librarian Terry Bair brought in some epoxy castings he has been working with.

Denny Wetter had a couple turned bowls.  The small one is from a chuck of Long Leaf Pine he got from the widow of a woodworker that was saving it for special project he never got around to. The large one is Jacaranda.
   

It looks like we have already driven new member Joe Hendricks batty.  He has started building bat houses to give to his kids.  They are actually fairly complicated structures because bats are very particular about where they will live.

  

Prize Winners

Our guest Steve Bragg won the raffle.  He took home a reversible hand saw.

We gave out several door prizes.  Winners were Tony D’Alberto, Rick Camp, Joe Mathis, Mike Swart, Floyd Yoder, Rick Borovicka, And Denny Wetter.

July President's Message

Brian Timmons

 

     Once again, Adam Ross demonstrated not only his professional woodworking skills, but also his ability to teach. A great presentation was given on glue-ups, passing on some tips that I have already put to use in my shop. Many thanks for pulling it together on such short notice. Duke Clancy will be giving the presentation on July 14th, he was forced to postpone after a very busy month at his shop in June. We look forward to seeing him and learning from yet another pro.

      Its not to soon to start thinking about an entry in next years fair, there are different levels and categories to suit everyone. What a great place to show off some of our club talent.

      If you appreciate the recent rains you can thank me, as I’m getting ready to spray finish on a piece of furniture, happens every time.

      Until the next meeting, keep making sawdust

June 22 - Shop Meet

We had 7 at Terry Bair's shop meet tonight. This was Terry's first shop meet so we had many new things to see.

June 9 - Main Meeting

President Brian Timmons called the June meeting to order with 26 members and two guests present  
   
Guest Joe Hendricks Carlton Parkhurst came for a visit.  He is a former member and worked at the Sarasota Woodcraft Store.

Main Program

The main program was presented by Adam Ross on glue-up assemblies.

Adam demonstrated his methods for edge glue-ups and flat glue-ups. 

   
He showed the spreading and clamping procedures he uses in his work.

 

 In addition to his demonstration, Adam discussed other gluing options and led a active discussion among the members.  Great presentation, Adam.

Show & Tell

John Slezak brought in a handy tote box he built to hold his sandpaper supplies.

 Joe Mathis showed a Red Oak scroll work project he threw together before the meeting.  It has over 1000 inside cuts and Joe estimates he spent about 70 hours on it.  Beautiful piece Joe.
   

Daryl Walters also brought in some great scroll work.  He showed a framed picture he did for a commission.  The boat was cut in Baltic Birch and the frame is Popular.  He also had a nice cross and a natural edge piece with fantastic detail.  Very nice, Daryl.

Woody Trefrey  had a couple Fez boxes he had made from laminate flooring with felt lining.  He is looking forward to getting back in his shop.
   
Paul Anderson’s hobbies include wood working and miniature photography.  He showed a miniature painting on an easel he had built and a photo of it in a room setting.  The photo looks like a full size room.

 

 Floyd Yoder had a couple nice turned bowls to show.  The one on the right is Rosewood with great color contrast.  On the left is wormy grapefruit.  He knows those are worm holes because a couple worms crawled out of them after he finished turning the bowl.  They survived their spin on the lathe and were not dizzy when they came out.
   

Adam Ross has been working on some pieces with decorative details lately.  This is a wine bottle gift box he made with key miters at the corners and a sliding lid.

 Denny Wetter brought in a turned Rosewood bowl.  The wood has very dark colored heart wood and light colored sap wood.  The finish is buffed and waxed.

Prize Winners

Terry Bair was the raffle winner.  He took home a new pin nailer Several door prizes were handed out.  Winners were Tony D’Alberto, Gordon Cook, Brian Timmons, Sue Darovek, John Darovek, and Robert Martin.

May 24 - Shop Meet

There were 9 present at John Philip's shop meet tonight. Good refreshments, especially the mulberry pie, and a good time visiting.

May 17 - Turner's Meet

There were 8 members at the turner's meet including Denny. Denny explained the process in turning Cabriole legs. It requires two centers at the tailstock end.
   
The outside center is used to turn the offset leg portion. Here is the completion of that part of the leg.
   
The other center is used to turn the remaining part. Here is the completed Cabriole leg.

May 12 - Main Meeting

President Brian Timmons called the meeting to order with 23 members present including new members Sue & John Darovek.

  

Main Program

David Hannah gave the main presentation on hand cutting dovetail joints.  Dave designs and builds custom furniture and shared the methods he uses with us.

If you have seen Dave’s work, you know he does it right.  He did the same with the presentation.  Great job Dave.
   

Dave shows an easy way to divide a board into equal widths.

Paring the pins exactly to the line was the last step in cutting them.  He also showed us all the tips and techniques he uses along the way.

Show & Tell

Mike Swart brought in the gator that won him first place in the 2 X 4 contest.  A neat idea and well done Mike.

John Slezak’s reindeer and sleighs took second place.  John put a lot of work into getting the details right.
   

Third place went to Marty Dwyer for the canoe paddle he made.  Great job on shape and finish.

 

Gene Mathes shows the kayak paddle he made.  It didn’t place in the money but at least Gene is going to use it in the water.
   

John Petty is still working out the details on his curved Labyrinth game. 

Adam Ross has been taking classes from Dave Hannah on hand cut joints.  He brought in his first attempt and a really nice looking wedged mortise he did after a little more instruction.
   

Floyd Yoder brought in part of a medieval sledge hammer he is turning for a commission.  Looks like it will deliver a serious whack when it’s finished.

 Denny Wetter showed the finished open segment bowls that were worked on during last months turning group meeting.  They look a lot different after they are turned.
   

John Philips has been working on some chair spindles for an antique chair Duke Clancy is repairing.  He had to use a steady rest to keep them from whipping while he turned them.

Terry Bair brought in a puzzle he has made.  The glass bottle has a stick that just fits through the mouth of the bottle.  The stick has a couple bolts through it with nuts on them.  There is no way they will fit through the mouth of the bottle but they are in there.  Was it magic?  No, but it is a neat trick.

Prize Winners

Marty Dwyer shows the drill press laser he won in the raffle.

Door prize winners were Jack Blair, Leslie Somons, Marty Dwyer, and Tony D’Alberto.

May 1 - January Meeting Update

Jessie Wilhelm forwarded some pictures of the Tiki that he started at our January presentation, what a great end product, looks like his best to date. Also if anyone comes across any usable cypress logs please let me know and I'll forward that information to him.

Brian,  Here is that carving I started at the demo I gave. Thought you might like to see the finished product. Always looking for logs if you hear of anything. Hope all is well.  Thanks, Jesse
 

April 26 - Shop Meet

There were 13 present at Mike Swart's shop meet tonight. Mike doesn't only have one shop to show but also his shop on wheels. Very impressive Mike.

April 19 - Turner's Meet

There were 12 attendees, including Denny, at the turner's meet tonight in Denny Wetter's shop.  
   
Denny Wetter gave instructions for constructing open segmented bowls. Here are some of his examples.
   
He showed the main tools used in gluing the segments together. First this support to align the pieces. Secondly this indexing wheel for the positioning.
   
Denny flattened the previous layer of segments in preparation for the next layer. He showed the sawing process and fixtures used.
   
He then added one complete layer of segments and set this bowl aside for the glue to dry. He then mounted another bowl previously glued for the turning demonstration.
   
Here he is shown turning the inside. Followed by the turning of the outside.
   
The completed turning and sanding. This is the book that Denny suggests for anyone wishing to attempt this type of turning.

April 18 - Picnic And 2x4 Contest


 

President Brian Timmons welcomed  the group of 40 members and guests to the Annual picnic and 2x4 contest held at Twin Lakes Park today. Tony D'Alberto did a great job of handling the wonderful variety of refreshments.
   
Here are the great 2x4 projects provided by some of the members. Everyone gathered around while the members described the construction of their projects.
   
After the voting by all of those present, the meal was enjoyed by all. Wonderful food and good conversation took place while the votes were tallied.
   
Here are all of the participants with their projects. And the winners were from left, Mike Swartz, first place with his alligator, John Slezak, second with a band sawn reindeer and sleighs and  Marty Dwyer third with his canoe paddle.
   
  Shown here are the 16 guests at the picnic. It rained most of the time and was cool but the great shelter house made everything comfortable.

April 14 - Main Meeting
(Many thanks to Denny Wetter for the captions to the pictures)

President Brian Timmons called the meeting to order in our new digs.

 There were 31 members and three guests present.
   
Our guests were Rick Camp,  Sue & John Darovek.  

Main Program

Club member John Slezak presented the main program on tools to woodworking joints. John brought several tools with that he demonstrated and fielded questions on.  He also showed us several samples joints made with the tools.
   
Among the tools demonstrated were the Festool Domino, Incra Jig, Liegh mortising fixture, biscuit joiner, pocket hole fixture, and a bench top mortiser.  

Show & Tell

John Phillips and Duke Clancy brought in a pie crust table they had repaired. One of the pie crust edge sections had to be replaced and John showed the fixture he made to hold the section so he could turn it on his lathe.  After Duke refinished the table the repair looked as good as the original.

 John Petti has started work on next years state fair entry.  He showed us some parts he has developed for a new Labyrinth game.  It looks like it will be as hard to play as it will be to make.
   
Joe Mathis showed a framed burlap bag that was too pretty to use. Larry Simmons brought in his plastic Incra jig.  This was the first model made by Incra and it sold at a much lower price than the currant model.  The jig they sell now is made of metal and is a lot easier to work with and more accurate.
   
A friend gave Floyd Yoder a piece of Chinaberry that he turned into a lidded bowl.  The finished piece was very nice but Floyd said the wood was terrible to work with. Denny Wetter brought in a lidded box made from an unknown burl and an open segment goblet.
   

Gordon Cook showed a very intricate segmented vase that he had turned.

 Dan Harle brought in pictures of  a pantry he made for his wife.  That’s one more item checked off the honey-do list.
   
Jay Oyster has finished a small jewelry box for his wife.  He’s not off the hook yet though, she wants a bigger one.  If it looks as good as this one, it should be worth a lot of points. Reuel Detweiler brought in several pieces of intarsia and a puzzle he has completed.

Prize Winners

Gordon Cook donated several woodworking books to be given as door prizes.  With those added to the regular prizes, we had a lot of winners this month.  From the left: Terry Blair, Joe Mathis, Dan Harle, Larry Simmons, Robert Martin, John Slezak,  Adam Ross, and John Petti.

The raffle prize was a set of Wood River Forstner bits.  John Slezak’s name was drawn but he donated it back to the club and Marty Dwyer took home the goodies.