Newsletter June 2026

Dedicated to the art of woodworking since 1984.









SLWG June 2026 Newsletter






Next Meeting:

6:45 PM Thursday, June 18th

Moolah Shrine Center, Oasis Room
12545 Fee Fee Rd, St. Louis, MO  63146

President’s Letter

Pulitzer-winning journalist Jodi Kantor challenged the Columbia University class of 2025 to find work at the intersection of craft and need. While most of us are well past our commencements, pursuing this nexus remains an opportunity. Any service we do contributes to our sense of purpose and to the net good in the world, but there’s something special happening when our crafting skills benefit others.

In his book Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a Craftsman Peter Korn writes about his transition from being a full-time woodworker to founding the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. There, he reflects on work in first, second, and third person senses:

  • First person, we develop our capacity for craftsmanship in our own pursuits.
  • Second person, we work for specific others. This might be teaching classes or serving as a shop steward mentoring emerging woodworkers like me.
  • Third person, we apply our skills to projects that improve the lives of unseen others.

I’m pleased to be finishing my fifth table for Home Sweet Home, but there are many who have gone well past this. Similarly, our toy outreach efforts, our presence at the St. Louis County Art Fair, and other ventures allow us to meet peoples’ needs and promote craft in the community.

Life is good when we can work in each of Korn’s three dimensions. If you haven’t found your niche through the Guild yet, I encourage you to find a project that fits your intersection of craft and need.

Stay safe in the shop,

Bob Coulter


When choosing lumber, be it domestic or exotic hardwood, Visit Andrew and the team at U-Pick Hardwoods in St. Charles Mo.
U Pick hardwoods offers guild members a 10% Discount with your current membership card.

THIS MONTH’S PROGRAM
(In-Person and Livestream)

Cabinetry

with

Jim Clarkson

If you can’t make it to this month’s meeting in-person, here is the LINK for streaming.

LAST MONTH’S PROGRAM

Hand Planes

with

Mike Stoll

If you weren’t able to make it to last month’s meeting, here is the LINK for streaming.

Monthly Tool Sale
FEE DECREASE EFFECTIVE THIS MONTH
 

We will be trying a Sale Area at the next few Guild meetings. A $5 fee gives you table space to sell up to 6 of your un-needed shop items that are still in usable condition in the time before the main meeting starts. From there on, you handle the sale with fellow members. Setup as early as 6 pm.
Please see Tom Tierney or Joe Turner to get set up.

Faust Park Art Fair

The Guild will be participating again this year in the Faust Park Art Fair September 5 and 6. Be thinking about what you might contribute. Funds raised support the Guild’s outreach programs.

SURPLUS SHOP ITEMS FOR SALE

Contact Shop Manager David Gronefeld at david.gronefeld@slwg.org to purchase any of these items, or see him at the meeting Thursday.

Nova 3000 Lathe                      $100.00

JDS Air Tech 2000 Air Filtration System                      $30.00

Joint Tech Model CL-26 Router Table Fence                      $25.00

Laguna Tools Drift Master Fence (In Box)

                    $50.00

NOTICE

There have been several instances where members or others have dropped off apparently unwanted tools and/or materials at the Faust Park Shop and at the Shed without proper notifications.

Please note that any dropoffs should first be run by David Gronefeld, Wayne Humphrey, or Bob Baird so that they can determine what the final disposition should be. Any items dropped off without notification are subject to being discarded as trash.

Donate to the St. Louis Woodworkers Guild HERE

SHOW AND TELL

Hal Donovan’s #96 and #97 end tables for the HSH program.

John Ferriera turned an elm burl for the tray and a redbud burl for the vase, using his coffee ground/CA glue formula for filling and adhesion.

SLWG Hats & Aprons

If you need a Guild Hat or Apron, see Bob Kastigar at any meeting and he will fix you up for a nominal charge.

TOOL RECALLS
and Other Videos

Check these links out if you have these items (some might be a little dated):

Leatherman Multitool Recall (7/31/25)  LINK

ToolGuyd Recalls Website  (Various) LINK

Grizzly Wood Lathes (11/2/23)  LINK

Rigid Framing Nailers (7/31/25)  LINK

COMMUNITY

St. Louis Woodworkers Guild contributions to the local community

Donated Church Pews

Concordia Lutheran Church donated a number of pews to the Guild. A truck load of lumber yielded 20 table kits for HSH small tables, about 25 school buses to carry crayons, 4 cutting boards, and miscellaneous lumber for other toys. Thanks to Tom Tierney for heading up the effort.  Additional  labor supplied by Dan Sudkamp, Paul Hellenbrand, Vickie Berry, Wayne Humphrey, and others.

Holiday Toy Program

Count for Christmas toys in inventory is now up to 1,233.  This count , plus more, will be added to the 7,746 toys donated since 2021 to non-profit organizations in the St. Louis area.  

If you know of an organization  (in Missouri or Illinois) that could use some toys at Christmas or throughout the year, please contact Wayne Humphrey, Vickie Berry, or Bob Baird

If you would like more information, contact me at 314-440-2173 or wehumphrey@hotmail.com.

Wayne Humphrey

  Toy Committee Update

If you need supplies (wood, dowels, wheels, pins, etc.) please don’t let that stand in your way of making toys 😊. Reach out to Bob or Wayne, and we will let you into the shed to look around for what you need.

We have lots of patterns for toys of every kind. Contact me, and I will share them with you. Link to Toy Program on our website which includes toy patterns.

Please contact a committee member with any comments or suggestions you may have for the program and thank you to all who have built toys and contributed to this important program. 
 

Bob Baird
(636) 484-3950
Toy Committee Chair

2026 Toy Report

Toy Tally

Collected
May– 325
YTD — 1,063

Delivered
May — 275
YTD — 802

Since 1994 — 91,722

2026 Toy Program Major Contributors

Over 100 Club
Paul Hellenbrand — 444
William Marsek — 269
Linda Turner — 156

Over 50 Club
Dan Sudkamp — 65
Vickie Berry — 62
Wayne Humphrey — 57

2026 Target and Challenge

Target for Delivered Items:  4,000

20% ACHIEVED

2026 Participation Goal

10% Member Participation Target

(40 Members)

22.5% ACHIEVED
9 Members (through January)
(Total Guild Members 402)

Organizations that we currently donate toys to include:

BJC Children’s Hospital
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital
Hawthorn Children’s Psych. Hosp.
LifeWise STL
Mercy Hospital North Pediatrics
Lambert St. Louis Airport USO
Arlington United Methodist Church

Peace Pantry Cedar Hill
RankenJordan Ped. Bridge Hospital
Rockwood School District
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Toys for Tots
Crisis Nursery Wentzville

Toy Committee

Bob Baird, Chair
Paul Bailey
Hal Donovan

Charles Schrock
Grady Vaughan

Please contact us with comments, suggestions or if you need to arrange pickup or delivery of toys. Individual contact info can be found on the Members Only section of the SLWG website HERE.

HSH Table Build Community Outreach

Tom will NOT have wood to distribute at this month’s meeting

May recap: 
23 tables were delivered, bringing our total for the year to 30. 
Two months in we have reached 18.2% of our annual goal of 165.
We broke the 600-table mark for the program, reaching 601. 
All 25 small table kits were distributed during the month. 
 
Member Contributors:
Charles Schrock became our first 5+ builder for the year, having built three coffee tables in April and 3 in May. 
Bob Coulter built 3 end tables, Vickie Berry built 4 end tables, Doug LaRico built 2 dinning tables, and Paul Deutsch built 4 sofa tables. 
Hal is our first 105+ builder.
 
We have 20 partially completed small table kits in progress.  We hope to finish them and make them available to members before the end of the month. Jay is still holding oak for us.

Thank you to all who participate in the program.
 
Please continue to contribute to the Guild, especially the Outreach Programs. 
 
Get involved. I promise you, you will be amazed at the knowledge, character, and goodness of your fellow Members.

Tom Tierney
(314) 412-1817
tmtierney@gmail.com

FY 2026-2027 Target and Challenge

Target for Delivered Tables:  165

18.2% ACHIEVED

Tally to 5/31/26:
                                    Current Month             Current Year          Program Total
Dining Tables                       5                                 6                          73
End Tables/Sofa Server     15                               18                        447
Coffee Tables                       3                                 6                          68
Night Stands                        0                                 0                          13

Total                                    23                               30                        601

Total Tables by Year
 
                                                                        Total           Avg. per Month           
                        FY 2022-2023                           102                  8.5
                        FY 2023-2024                           121                10.1
                        FY 2024-2025                           175                14.6
                        FY 2025-2026                           173                14.4
                        FY 2026-2027   (2 months)         30                15.0

                                        Grand Total for Program           601

Table of Recognition
Below are the Members who have built five or more tables.

       Name                                Current Year Level                         Grand Total
Alan Brown                                        4                                               35+
John Chapman                                0                                                5+
Paul Deutsch                                    4                                              25+
Hal Donovan                                   3                                            105+
Paul Hellenbrand                              0                                               15+
Jim Hessburg                                    0                                               10+
Bob Jones                                         0                                                 5+
Doug LaRico                                      2                                               15+
Charles Schrock                               6                                             85+
Tom Tierney                                        2                                              105+
Don Turner                                         0                                              10+
Grady Vaughan                                 0                                              45+

Current Year No. of 5+ Builders            1
Overall No. of 5+ Builders                      18

Current Year No. of Builders                  8
Overall No. of Builders                           43

NEW HSH TOOL KIT PROJECT

Do you have extra hand tools that need a new home? The Guild has a solution for you!  

We’ve selected HomeSweetHome as the perfect organization to benefit.

Vickie Berry will have a collection box and at every meeting.

See more details in the Forum on the SLWG Website at this LINK.

2026  Upcoming Meeting Presentations
     
   Date Presenter              Subject
June 18 Jim Clarkson Cabinetry
     

 

July 16 Any SLWG Member Christmas Ideas in July
August 20 Jay Noffsinger String Inlays
September 17 Corey Doner Making Waves with Wood
October 15 Bob Baird Wooden Boatmaking – Kayaks

Woodworking Classes

Held at Faust Park Workshop

See the Full Schedule on the SLWG Website HERE.

Faust Park Workshop Information

  • 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. First time Safety Class is $20.  Refresher attendance is FREE!
  • No one below the age of 16 is allowed in the shop

For Faust Park Shop “Open Hours” and the next Safety Class, click on this LINK for access to the website calendar.

Directions to the shop: Plug the following address into your GPS or phone: 
1135 Henry Jackson Rd. Chesterfield, MO

Join or Renew your Guild

Membership Today!

Annual Dues Renewals
 

Grace Period
If a membership lapses, a former member can rejoin the guild within 12 months of expiration without having to retake the $20 Shop Safety Class. After 12 months have passed, the individual will be required to Renew membership and retake the $20 safety class.

 

Annual membership renewal is available online (click on button below) with any major credit card, or mail a check for the appropriate amount with member’s name in the memo line to 
St. Louis Woodworkers Guild
P.O. Box 411766
St. Louis, MO 63141-9998

 
Current membership and completion of Safety Class status is required for classes and use of the Faust Park Shop.
 
CURRENT Annual Membership Dues:

 

Basic Membership            $50
Full Shop Membership    $120
 
A Basic Membership entitles the member to four (4) uses of the Guild Shop during the membership 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

See the SLWG Website for signing up!

Click here to pay dues online

WELCOME to NEW MEMBERS

Tim Courtney
Jessica Danner
John Kimmins

John Mutrux
Jason Rodaway
Andrew Zemcuzniko

If you are a current or retired Boeing employee you can 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 Bob Coulter at president@slwg.org and if I don’t know the answer, I will try to find it for you.

SLWG Officers, Board Members and Committee Leaders

President:
Bob Coulter
president@slwg.org

Vice President:
Denny Webb
vicepresident@slwg.org

Secretary:
Adam Conners
secretary@slwg.org

Treasurer:
Joe Turner
treasurer@slwg.org

Directors:
Grady Vaughan (exp. 2027)
Bob Kastigar  (exp. 2028)
Bob Danner (exp. 2029)
John Vincini (exp. 2030)

Immediate Past President:
Brian Ellison

Membership Coordinator:
Brian Ellison – membership@slwg.org

IT/Sponsorship/Donations Coordinator:
Todd Martindonations@slwg.org

IT Administrator:
 it@slwg.org

IT Support Team
support@slwg.org
Todd Martin
Dave Schuster
Jim Becher
Nick Balogh
Steve Botkin

Librarian:
Al Carlson

Toy Committee Chair:
Bob Baird
toys@slwg.org

Photographer:
Leo Weisman

Shop Manager:
David Gronefeld

Newsletter Editor:
Grady Vaughan
newsletter@slwg.org

Classes and Workshops Coordinator:
Denny Webb

Program Coordinator:
Bob Ryan
 


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 Patronize our sponsors who support the guild and our mission to encourage and educate members and non-members to enjoy and enrich their woodworking skills and experiences.

Walnut Level Sponsor. Norrenberns Lumber & Hardware is a family owned and operated union shop with years of experience in the industry. We are a fully licensed and insured company with a wide variety of products in stock.

We are a full-service lumberyard and small hardware store, both fully stocked. In our lumberyard, we have all types of wood and a small selection of hardwoods. We are excited to be a walnut sponsor to support local woodworkers. Remember to tell us the guild sent you!


Pine Level Sponsor.  Guild members will receive a 10% discount on saw sharpening at Quinn Saw.


Pine Level Sponsor.  Learn the art of Traditional Woodcarving with professional woodcarver, Mary May!

Image Credits:
 


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St. Louis Woodworkers Guild · PO Box 411766 · Saint Louis, MO 63141-1766 · USA


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