President’s Letter – July 2019
This month’s meeting will be starting with a social hour. Soft drinks, coffee and snacks will be provided. Please come early and check out the library, toys, “Show and Tell” items and just chat with other members of the Guild. Doors are open about 6:00 PM, so any time after that works fine.
This month’s program will be our version of “Speed Dating” where seven different subjects will be discussed at seven different tables with the audience changing tables every 15 minutes. Topics will include clamps (Denny Krupinski), hand saws (Ron Bontz), hand planes (Mike Sistek), drill bits (Dan Coleman), chisels (Robbie Field), safety equipment (Don Snyder), and marking & measuring equipment (Wayne Watson) This can be a great learning experience for both inexperienced and experienced woodworkers. It doesn’t matter how long you have been a woodworker there is always something new to be learned.
The Guild is liquidating surplus equipment. See information elsewhere in this Newsletter for details. I have seen a list of what will be sold and there are some real bargains on it. Also, Wayne Watson will be bringing some excess smaller tools such as belt sanders and electric drills to this month’s meeting for a silent auction with very low starting bids. All proceeds go to the Guild.
The Annual Picnic is coming up in September. There is more information in this newsletter. Admission to the grounds is covered, the Guild provides fried chicken, and we just ask that everyone bring a side dish or desert. A craft demonstration will be provided that should be very interesting.
The Guild needs some volunteer help to keep the Guild running smoothly. Check elsewhere in the newsletter for some of the positions that need to be filled.
The August meeting will feature David Stine discussing “Natural Edge Design”. David is an award-winning furniture maker whose work marries extraordinary craftsmanship with sustainable practices. He is the fourth generation to steward his family’s 500 wooded acres in rural Illinois, where he sustainably harvests and mills the lumber he uses in his work. Check out his website at http://www.stinewoodworking.com
The Guild is nothing without its members. Come on out and participate in the meetings and events. The more effort you put into participation, the more benefit you will get from the Guild.
See you Thursday.
Work safe,
Wayne Humphrey |
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Period PIE CRUST TABLE
presented by
Brad Bernhard |
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For years Brad Bernhard had the idea in his head that he wanted to build a Pie Crust Tea Table. He started out by buying a book, Making a Pie Crust Tea Table, and reading through it multiple times. Over the years he accumulated wood for the project as he found it and participated in SLWG seminars when they were applicable to the project.
Of great value were classes by Boris Khechoyan on carving as a tea table has a lot of carving on it. Brad carved claw and ball feet and built trays with the pie crust design as “practice” items for the major project. When he was ready, he started the project and documented all the steps in the process.
A lot of oversized wood had to be cut, turned, flattened and hours of time was spent in figuring out how to do things and creating setups to do them. As Brad described how he did all these things he also passed on tips on sharpening tools and how much easier a job can go when you have properly sharpened tools.
The three legs had sliding dovetails to mate with the center post. Cutting those to get a tight fit was important and the curved surfaces presented a challenge.
Carving the legs and the center post was time consuming job with patterns to be created and sized and large amounts of material to be carefully removed. Carving irregular surfaces and in the round was an interesting challenge. Creativity and some special clamps helped with the problem. One tip Brad passed on was to line your vise with cork or similar material to provide a soft surface that won’t mar the items you are clamping.
The top was another challenge because of the large diameter and the amount of material that needed to be removed. The edges were cut on a band saw and routed and the thickness of the center reduced using a router. This was a critical operation because any slip with the router would mar the most visible surface of the item and be impossible to repair. Using a router left pillars on the table that were removed using a flexible saw with no set to the teeth on one side.
The table was finished with multiple coats of tinted shellac with topcoats to bring out the carving details.
Thank you Brad for an excellent presentation that was an interesting look at the complexity of a project and also gave lots of tips concerning tools, sharpening, fabrication and finishing.
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Brad brought along sample pieces and jig parts that he used in making his table.
The detail on this three-toed Ball & Claw foot is amazing!
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Emile Damotte shared a video of a Hardwood Rotary Planer that he has created and is having produced in the St Louis area. When chucked into a drill press it can be used to plane up to 0.030 inch on hardwoods. For more information, check out http://www.raintreeenterprise.com |
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Dan Lender showed us his maple and cherry computer desk project. |
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Dan used UniBond PVA with doweled mortise and tenon joints. |
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Why a woodworker never has too many clamps. |
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| Rich Sanders had a few things to say about maintenance and taking care of the Faust Park Shop Tools and Equipment. He noted that shop users should treat the tools as if they were their own and be considerate of the next person, using proper techniques and leaving the tools and equipment clean, sharp, and ready to use. Talk to the Shop Monitor if you have any questions. |
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SLWG Box Contest
Participants in the Doug Stowe weekend workshop were invited to submit their work in a Box competition at the June meeting. Although all of the boxes were winners, the audience selected Ron Romitti as the having the best box. |
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Ron Romitti with his award winning box.
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Mike Sistek with his box entry. |
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Ron Suchara’s box entry was very complex. |
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Jim Inkpen’s box entry had some nice compartments. |
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Bill Miller with his box entry. |
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Wayne Watson‘s figured maple entry had a sliding top. |
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Grady Vaughan noted that his walnut and maple entry was still a work in progress. |
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New in the Library
New member, Dan Vize, donated a flash drive containing back issues of Wood magazine. Issues from September 1984 through January 2019 are on the drive. Our thanks to him for the donation.
Like all library items, they may be checked out at the meetings and returned the following month.
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Woodworking Equipment SALE
In August, the St. Louis Woodworkers Guild will begin auctioning surplus woodworking equipment that the Guild owns. It will be a silent auction, open only to current members. The items range from small hand tools to large pieces of equipment, mostly used. The Guild has quite a few items, but we will only be selling about three to five items per month. This is just an initial announcement. We will formally introduce the program at the August meeting. The auction’s listings and bidding instructions will be published in the Guild’s monthly Newsletter which is distributed before the meeting. Be sure to read the next Newsletter!
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COMMUNITY
St. Louis Woodworkers Guild contributions to the local community
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Toy donations on the toy table at the June meeting.
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Quality Checks
Last month we asked members to perform an extra quality check on their items to ensure there were no sharp edges or corners. Thank you for taking this extra step. Last month’s donations were all in compliance. Toy Committee members will continue randomly sampling donations at meetings and give feedback to members on the spot.
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FEEDBACK FROM FOSTER & ADOPTIVE CARE COALITION
From: Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition For Every Child . . . A Place to Call Home
Hi Bill – our kids are loving the boxes for sure! Here’s what one of my colleagues said:
“A young lady named Olivia (18 years old) is using one of the medium sized wooden boxes now. She said it’s been so helpful to keep all of her important things in one place- she’s moved twice since she received it. It’s a gorgeous dark brown box and I know she loves it.”
The toys with movable parts are very well-received – some stay and program staff use them during different sessions with the kids and others are given to the children – so great! I know that our staff that works with parents just getting licensed and having the first children come live with them have also given these families toys to give their “new” children.
All in all – it’s wonderful!!
Please thank all your buddies for creating these toys and boxes with love!
Debbie
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ROCKWOOD SCHOOLS TOY KITS
The Toy Committee is excited to announce a new project with the Rockwood Schools. We’ll be preparing 80 “kits of parts” for kids ages 10-11 to assemble in class. Our task is to cut and sand all the pieces, assemble the parts to ensure proper fit, then disassemble and place all the parts in plastic bags.
Four different kit plans ( airplane, flatbed truck, road grader and a train engine) for this project will be available at end of the July meeting. We’ll also have the instructions the kids will use to assemble the parts so that members understand how the kits will be used.
We have a few volunteers and are looking for a few more participants. The kits need to be returned at the August meeting for delivery once school begins.
There will be a sign-up sheet and wheels/axles, etc. at the Toy Table at the July Meeting if you want to join in. |
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Collected
June — 789
YTD — 4,976
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Delivered
June — 614
YTD — 4,113
Since 1994 — 66,270!
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2019 Toy Program Major Contributors
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Over 1000 Club
Bill Meuth – 1,071
Over 750 Club
Wayne Humphrey – 807
Over 500 Club
Rich Sanders – 617
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Over 300 Club
Bill Love – 323
Over 100 Club
Dale Norman – 280
Bill Schuchat – 268
Bob Zahner – 260
Charlie Goria – 202
Steve Briner – 157
Keith Lissant – 129
Dan Sudkamp – 120
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2019 Target and Challenge
Progress towards our 2019 targets:
Target for Delivered Items: 7,843 To Date: 52% ACHIEVED
Well on our way!!
Target for Member Participation: 10% To Date: 17% ACHIEVED
39 Members so far!
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Toy Pattern Library is Growing
Keep checking the website for new patterns throughout the year as well as the schedule for donating seasonal items. We’ll continue to add new and interesting patterns for all levels of woodcrafters so check back often.
Find patterns at: https://slwg.org/toyplans.aspx |
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BEHIND THE SCENES
The Toy Committee has been aggressively reviewing patterns on the website in order to make them easier to use. Drawings are being updated and instructions clarified. We’re even adding a required material list. We’ll have a few new formatted patterns, for your review, at the Toy Desk on Thursday. If you have any patterns you want added to the website or just have a question, please get with Bill Schuchat (314-406-1823) or wschuchat@gmail.com to ensure there is format consistency.
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Organizations that we currently donate toys to include:
Foster and Adoption Care Coalition
Mercy Children’s Hospital St. Louis
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital
Shriners Hospitals for Children – St. Louis
SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
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Bill Schuchat: (314) 406-1823
Vickie Berry: (972) 741-1944
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Bob Zahner: (314) 291-1878
Hal Donovan: (314) 570-6563
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| Please contact us with comments, suggestions or if you need to arrange pickup or delivery of toys. |
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Bring Me A Book Team News
BMABStL continues its Summer program of providing books and book boxes to children living in Horizon Housing Foundation supported communities. These developments are located in St. Louis City and St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson counties. BMABStL distributes on average 500 books and 100 boxes in June, July, and August.
Starting with this month’s SLWG Newsletter, we will be recognizing Guild members who participate in this program by building boxes. Guild member involvement is essential to keep this important program viable. If you would like to get involved, now would be the perfect time (it’s too hot to do anything outside) for you to get involved in the program. It just takes a couple of hours of your time to build boxes from a precut kit. Information on how to build a book box from a kit is listed on our website just below the Toy Program information at http://www.slwg.org/community.aspx.
We are currently looking for additional members to serve on the Book Box Committee. Please contact Tom Tierney if you are interested in becoming a Committee member or have any questions about the program.
Thank you to the members who have supported the BMAB program by building boxes.
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For those Guild Members who are delivering completed boxes, please set your boxes in or near the White Ford F150 parked at the rear entrance on the lower level. Two-book box, flat-packed kits, will be available in or near the pickup truck as well.
Please make sure to tell Tom the number of book boxes you have returned.
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Book Box Program Major Contributors
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Over 50 Club
Greg Kuklinski – 100
Hal Donovan – 92
Don Sudkamp – 65
Bob Meyet – 60
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Over 25 Club
Jack McKay – 49
Steve Mettes – 44
Steve Briner – 37
Joe Turner – 37
John Vicini – 37
Don Turner – 34
Leo Weisman – 30
Craig Noel – 26
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As of July 11, 2019
Unassembled Box Kits ready for members to pick up 2
Book Boxes in process of assembly 46
Book Boxes in QC 34
Book Boxes Completed and Delivered to BMABStl 826
since beginning of program in April 2018
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Tom Tierney: (314) 412-1817
Jack McKay: (314) 961-3512
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Charles Schrock: (314) 822-3709
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Volunteers Needed
The Guild needs volunteers in several areas. If you can help, please contact the indicated person.
Box Committee – This refers to the book boxes we make for the Bring Me A Book St Louis program. There are currently three on the committee and we are looking for a fourth to help out. Contact Tom Tierney. treasurer@slwg.org
Membership – We need one or two people to handle the membership duties. We have a written description of the job and estimates of the time required. Mark Zupec will be around to help through a transition period. Contact Wayne Humphrey. president@slwg.org
Web Master – The new website is being built with WordPress, so familiarity or willingness to learn WordPress is a must. An ideal candidate would also be capable of doing basic Linux and web hosting administrative tasks, such as upgrading the operating system every 4 years, migrating WordPress if necessary, and using Google. David Zemon is creating the new website and will be around for a while but we are looking for a long term webmaster. David is more than willing to train someone for this position. Contact Wayne Humphrey president@slwg.org
If you would like to help out at the Guild but can’t help with the above, let us know. There are always a lot of opportunities for members to contribute just a little time to help the Guild run smoothly and effectively. |
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Check out the Events Calendar on the SLWG website HERE. |
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2019 SLWG Annual Picnic
Shaw Nature Reserve
September 14, 2019
The Annual Guild Picnic for members and their families will be held on September 14 at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO, beginning at 10 am. It will include a tour of the historic Bascom House and a presentation by Doug Dufer on constructing furniture from honeysuckle branches. There will be opportunities for strolling through the native wildflower garden and hiking. The Guild will provide the main course (fried chicken), drinks, and paper products. Attendees will be asked to bring a covered dish. Sign ups will be held at the July and August meetings. |
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SAVE THE DATE
WEEKEND WOODWORKING SEMINAR
with
GEORGE WALKER, Furniture Designer
April 17-19, 2020
(More to come) |
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Woodworking Classes
Held at Faust Park Workshop |
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Upcoming Classes
(More details to come)
July 20 Build a River Table top
Sept 21 Turn and embellish a plate
Sept 28 Using the Leigh jig for dovetails
Oct 19-20 Build a Campaign book shelf
Nov 16-17 Build a hand plane
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HELP!!!
We need Guild Member input to suggest woodworking subjects that you want to learn about! We have had to cancel some classes due to lack of enough registrations and we want to keep this to a minimum.
Please send any suggestions to Eric Oman at the address/phone number below. |
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Payment for the above classes:
-Payment in advance is required to be registered
– By check, mailed to Guild’s PO Box
– Pay online Guild web page through PayPal
– Pay at the meeting to Eric Oman
Please note that registration closes by the 5th of the month in which the class is scheduled. For example, for a class held in July, registration is due by July 5.
Registration or Questions?
Contact Eric Oman at eric.oman@yahoo.com or 636-248-0069 |
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Faust Park Workshop Information
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- To participate in the Workshop Safety Class or use the shop, you must have paid the current year Guild dues and have your current membership card with appropriate marking.
- To use the Guild Workshop during open hours, you must have passed a Workshop Safety Class.
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August Shop Hours
August 3 & 4, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
August 6 & 7, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
August 10 & 11, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
August 13 & 14, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Make Checks for Safety Class payable to SLWG and attendees must bring their current Guild membership card.
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Next Shop Safety Class
When:
Thursday, August 1
6:30 PM
Where:
Faust Park Workshop
Duration:
Plan for 3 Hours
Cost:
$20 for Current Members
To attend Safety Class, must RSVP by July 30 to vicepresident@slwg.org |
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Recent Board Activities
A lot goes on that sometimes the general membership doesn’t hear about. We will try to publish some bullet points every month to let you know about these items.
- A prototype picnic table will be built for costing purposes and approval for use by the St. Louis Torchbearers 2. They may ultimately want as many as eight of these tables to be built by Guild members for their youth programs.
- The Toy Committee is continuing to work with the Rockwood Creative Learning Center to create a toy building session for gifted children. Toy kits will be made. If you would like to help, contact the Toy Committee.
- The costs to lease space for a new shop was reviewed and appears that the cost per member to support a shop is so high as to be prohibitive. Alternative approaches to a shop were discussed and need to be evaluated.
- Because of ongoing website issues, we will be changing our website host. A St. Louis firm, Altec, will be used. A little more expensive than our present host, but they can support our newly developed website.
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GUILD MEMBERSHIP
Annual membership renewal is available online with PayPal (preferred, as this speeds up the check-in process at the meeting) or at the meeting when you sign in. Current membership status is required for use of the Faust Park Shop.
Annual Membership Dues:
Basic Membership $40 (4 uses of the Guild Shop during 2019)
Full Shop Membership $75 (Unlimited use of the Guild Shop during 2019)
A basic membership entitles the member to four uses of the Guild Shop during the year. A shop membership entitles the member to unlimited use of the shop during open shop hours.
Member benefits also include:
> Discounts at Guild sponsors
> Access to Project Workshops
> Access to a local community of woodworkers
> Access to the secure portion of the website
Just Complete & Return This Application!
Or, bring the completed form to the next meeting and Join right there!!! Cash, checks, PayPal or credit cards accepted. |
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WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
Emile Damotte
Dan Elbert
Jessica Kirchner
Dan Vize
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Need Some Wood?
Phil Haskins has a large inventory of wood that he will be selling at his home in a couple of months. Phil has a fine eye for wood and it is good quality. If you have a need for wood before then, fell free to contact Phil to see if he has what you need.
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If you are a current or retired Boeing employee you can now contribute to the St. Louis Woodworker’s guild through the Boeing Gift Match program. The guild is now an approved charitable organization with the Boeing program. As an employee participant, your donation of $25.00 USD or more or the equivalent volunteer hours of 25 hours or more will be matched 1:1 by Boeing. The maximum individual contribution is $6,000.00 or 6,000 volunteer hours. Your contribution is tax deductible as long as you follow three simple steps:
Step 1: Eligible Boeing employees or retirees first make a contribution directly to the guild
Step 2: After making your donation go to Total Access and click on My Community Giving – GIVE – Gift Match on the Boeing Gift Match page.
Step 3: Register your donation whether it’s monetary or volunteer hours and select The St. Louis Woodworker’s Guild and enter the total amount and the date of the contribution.
It’s that easy, you get a great tax break and it benefits the guild directly. If you have any questions, please email Wayne Humphrey at president@slwg.org and if I don’t know the answer, I will try to find it for you. |
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The St. Louis Woodworker’s Guild is now listed with Amazon Smile.
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite woodworker’s guild every time you shop at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the St. Louis Woodworker’s Guild.
Simply go to smile.amazon.com and select the St. Louis Woodworker’s Guild as your organization that you want to receive donations from your eligible purchases. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. You don’t make the donation, Amazon Smile does. It truly is at no cost to you. Just make sure you go to smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com. If you have any questions on how the program works, just send an email to Wayne Humphrey at president@slwg.org . |
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SLWG Officers, Board Members and Committee Leaders |
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President:
Wayne Humphrey – 314-440-2173
Vice President:
Wayne Watson – 314-541-3047 |
Secretary:
Tom Tupper – 636-236-3313
Treasurer:
Tom Tierney – 314-412-1817 |
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Directors:
Grant Black (exp. 2020)
Vickie Berry (exp. 2021)
Violet Oman (exp. 2022)
Don Turner (exp. 2023)
Immediate Past President:
Bob Brinkmann
Marketing & Membership Chair:
Wayne Watson
Membership Coordinator:
Mark Zupec
Woodworking Show Coordinator:
Wayne Watson
Book Box Committee Chair:
Tom Tierney |
Newsletter Editor:
Grady Vaughan
Librarian:
Al Carlson
Toy Committee Chair:
Bill Schuchat
Shop Manager:
Wayne Watson
Classes and Workshops Coordinator:
Eric Oman
Web Master:
Cecil Robertson
Legal Counsel:
Bill Hobson |
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Our Sponsors
The St. Louis Woodworkers Guild relies heavily on sponsorship to execute on our mission statement of education, community service, and local development. Please support our sponsors.
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(In-store only)
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