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President’s Letter – February 2022
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Finally – an in-person meeting for everyone to attend…well, almost everyone. It looks like our trip to the Antarctic is back on with us leaving on 2/24. The pre and post excursions we had signed up for were cancelled but the sailing is a go. That’s assuming I pass all the pre-trip testing – which is why I’ll be watching the meeting from the comfort of my home. |
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| I’m trying very hard to minimize my exposure to the dangers of this crazy world. I know most, if not all, of our members are vaccinated and boosted, so please don’t take offense that I don’t want to be there with you. We all agree, in-person meetings are the best…best for comradery, staying connected and being social. So, please plan on attending if you can and don’t forget to wear your mask….PS-cake is still planned for April! |
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| I’m assuming everyone survived the winter blast we had and the last of the snow has disappeared from your drives and walks. I confess I always like to shovel my 80’ sidewalk just to make sure the Amazon delivery person can get through. Oh yeah, it’s good exercise, too! I know I should be working down in my little shop area but I can’t seem to get down there. For one thing, it’s cold. It’s at the back area of my garage and heat is scarce. Hopefully, in the next month or so things will be warmer and I can start working on toys again.
Speaking of toys, many of you know I have a soft spot in my heart for all the community service activities the Guild does and am happy to see how we adapt and adjust every year. We know that hospitals are still accepting fewer toys than pre-COVID (but it’s getting better) and our receiving organizations are changing, too. The Christmas Toy Program, led by Wayne “Head Elf” Humphrey, is gearing up and starting to meet twice monthly. We’ve developed a beginning list of specific items we want to make this year. They range from fairly simple to complex toys – in other words, something for everyone to take a stab at. Beginning next month, we’ll be posting items and will be looking for members who want to “sign up” to make them if they can’t make it to Friday Toy days at the shop. Plans can be provided if you need them. In addition, most toys will need to be painted. So, if you don’t want to do that part, you’ll need to get them done early so the “Painting Elves” can paint them in a timely manner. One of them can get really crabby if she has to rush at the end of the year. In the meantime, if you have a toy idea or have questions, please reach out to Wayne Humphrey.
We’re continuing to grow as an organization and added at least 14 new members since the beginning of the year. It’s so exciting to see our craft gain popularity and be of interest to new members – of all ages. As such, classes that Bill Schuchat has put together are filling up fast and many of you are asking about another Fundamentals Class. Bill’s working hard to see if he can make it happen. Brian Ellison is working overtime to make sure the website stays current and accurate. If you find anything that needs his attention or have ideas to make it more user friendly, please reach out to Brian.
Last, but not least, please join me in welcoming Doug Johnson to the IT Administrator position of the Guild. Doug comes with an extensive IT (and woodworking) background and is replacing David Zemon. David isn’t leaving us, just wants to take on a few new, different hobbies. If you’re at the February meeting, stop by the A/V table and meet Doug.
Have a great meeting! I’ll be back in March with tons of photos to share. I understand it’s the best time of year to see the penguins and whales. No polar bears – they’re North! |
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| Vickie
a.k.a. – 1abWdWrkr
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THIS MONTH’S PROGRAM
(Online Presentation)
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Different types of Woodworking Glues:
Advantages of Each
Presented by
Chad Forsthoefel
Gorilla Glue Company
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Craig Norsen of U Pick Hardwoods presented on the topic of
Buying Hardwoods
or
Woodn’t You Like to Know
If you missed the meeting, click on the button below: |
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NO WOODWORKERS SHOW THIS YEAR!!!
They have decided to cancel all shows for this season.
See this LINK |
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Hand Planes – Silent Auction
This Meeting!!!
One of our Members generously donated several high-quality Lie-Nielsen hand planes to the Guild. His idea was to have the Guild sell the planes and use the proceeds to benefit the Guild.
A Silent Auction will be held at the February 17 meeting for the three (3) planes listed below:
– Lie-Nielson No. 112 Large Scraping Plane – Starting Bid $175.00
– Lie-Nielson No. 4 1/2 Smoothing Plane – Starting Bid $250.00
– Lie-Nielson N0. 60 ½ Block Plane – Starting Bid $125.00
Additional planes will be offered over the next several months. Please see Wayne Watson or Tom Tierney if you have any questions.
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| Editor’s Note:
The St. Louis Woodworkers Guild encourages its Members to share their projects in the Newsletter. Please send items you would like to showcase in future SLWG Newsletters to grady.vaughan@gmail.com.
GV |
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Bench made for guest room from repurposed computer desk wood. Desk was a 25 year old flat pack furniture piece.
Tom Tierney
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Decided to paint rather than stain due to the condition of the top. Veneer too thin to sand off old finish. Attempted wipe on stain but not happy with the result.
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Brian Ellison led a Scroll Saw Class and Jere Baynes and Carolyn DeVaney got to take home some samples from their new skill.
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Bill Schuchat built several sample toys for the Spring 2022 Rockwood Program: a trolley, paddle boat & skip loader These toys will be provided to the the classes as kits to be assembled by the students. |
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Child’s step stool
I have a granddaughter having her 3rd birthday soon. My wife suggested that I build her a step stool for her family’s bathroom.
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A mock-up, from 5/8” plywood, was built and tried out for size. Perfect!
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Don Turner did the CNC work from my SketchUp design. The letters are setting 1/16” proud and the geometric elephant is setting at multiple levels. |
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Repurposed walnut and maple were used to craft the step stool. |
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A coat of BLO and a few coats of rattle can lacquer were used for the finish.
Dan Lender
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“Newer” Member Highlight
Linda Turner
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| Toy builder and designer, Linda Turner joined the Guild a couple of years ago and has really come into her own with her scroll sawing skills. |
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She got her first scroll sawing challenge from a request to the Guild helping a person duplicate some fretwork parts for an antique furniture piece. The customer provided a couple of Mahogany cut offs and a part from the hutch that had to be duplicated. The furniture piece is shown in the photo. The replacement parts needed to go on the other side but this is what the repaired side was supposed to look like. |
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The mahogany blocks needed to be resawed and planed to 3/8″ thickness for work on the parts to begin. With those steps completed, an existing part provided by the customer for duplication was traced onto the mahogany, carefully shading in the material to be removed avoiding confusion on material to be removed and material to be kept. Small holes were drilled for the inside parts and the saw speed was slowed down to allow the delicate cuts and stops to be made with accuracy. The first part and the original part are shown in the photo below. |
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The next step was to match the colors that involved multiple coats of dark walnut stain followed by a top coat of spray on laquer. The customer requested two parts so the new parts are shown with the original with the original being on the top. |
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We are looking for videos of interest to our Guild Members. Please send us links to your favorites and we will publish them here. These can be videos that you upload yourself to our website or see on another site.
GV
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Here’s a link to a video about making a breadboard having an interesting pattern.
Don Snyder
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| Here is a link to a site that lists safety recall notices for woodworking tools. LINK |
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COMMUNITY
St. Louis Woodworkers Guild contributions to the local community
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Rockwood School Program
The Rockwood School program for Spring, 2022, includes the following volunteers: Paul Deutch, Jerry Bachman, Tim Boeddeker, Dave Windus, Wayne Humphrey, Grady Vaughan, and Bill Schuchat.
The team is making kits for the kids to assemble including airplanes, graders, stake body trucks, cable cars and skip loaders. |
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Desks for Kids Program
The final five desks were delivered in early February to Home Sweet Home, a local charity. In total 135 desks were donated. The need for the desks dropped significantly as children returned to in person learning.
Vickie Berry, an HSH volunteer in addition to all of her work with our Guild, suggested the Guild look at other HSH clients’ needs for possible Community Outreach projects going forward.
Thank you to the Guild and all the members who participated in the build days at the shop and built desk at home and contributed by prepping the wood for the build days.
Please contact Tom Tierney (314) 412-1817 if you have any questions. |
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Watch our Christmas 2021 Toy Build Video HERE |
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Toy Committee Update
The delivery of toy has increased in January we delivered 320 toys. We can use all types of toys, but our partners have told us that the following items are favorites at the moment:
Wands
Flowers
Boats
Animal cutouts Horse and Cats are running low
Call Rick if you have any questions about the current needs.
We wish to Thank all Members that donated Toys in 2021
Toy Committee Chair
314-920-7867
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Collected
January — 320
YTD — 320
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Delivered
January — 320
YTD — 320
Since 1994 — 79,146
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2022 Toy Program Major Contributors
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Over 100 Club
Bill Meuth — 122
Over 50 Club
Bill Schuchat — 55
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2022 Target and Challenge
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| Target for Delivered Items: 4,000 |
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| 10% Member Participation Target |
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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/community-involvement/toy-program/ |
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Organizations that we currently donate toys to include: |
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BJC Children’s Hospital
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital
Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition
LifeWise STL
Mercy Hospital
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RankenJordan Ped. Bridge Hospital
Rockwood School District
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Toys for Tots
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Rick Weitzman, Chair
Paul Bailey
Vickie Berry
Hal Donovan
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Dan Lender
Steve Mettes
Bill Schuchat
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| 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. |
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Bring Me A Book Team News
Michael Shipley, Executive Director of Bring Me A Book, has informed the Guild he has formally discontinued the Book Box program due to COVID. The Bring Me a Book StL – Book Box Program distributed almost 1,100 book boxes and over 5,000 new, hard cover books to under served, grade school age children in the St. Louis region.
Thank you to the Guild and all the members who so enthusiastically supported the Bring Me a Book – Book Box Program.
We look forward to working with Michael’s organization on future projects.
Tom Tierney
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Tom Tierney: (314) 412-1817
Jack McKay: (314) 435-2232
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Charles Schrock: (314) 822-3709
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Woodworking Classes
Held at Faust Park Workshop |
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Woodworking Classes
Upcoming Classes
See the Schedule on the SLWG Website HERE.
Date Teacher Subject
5-Mar Dan Sudkamp Cutting Boards
6-Mar John Ferreira Epoxy
19-Mar Michael Fortune Super Star Weekend
2-Apr Don Turner Building Drawers
3-Apr Ron Suchara Chess/Checker Board Demonstration at his shop
7-May Bill Schuchat Build a Small Table
14-May Mike Stoll Shorty Hand Planes
27-May Bill Schuchat Pre-Build Small Boxes for Toys for Tots
Short classes for new members (and old members who want to attend) are being offered ahead of Open Shop hours on specific Saturdays. One hour classes for Band Saw, Planer/Jointer, Hand Plane, Table Saw & Drill Press will be scheduled. See the website calendar for dates and times.
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Check out the Events Calendar on the SLWG website HERE. |
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SPECIAL SUPER STAR SEMINAR
March 19 and 20
Michael Fortune will present a two day seminar on Furniture Design and use of the band saw in furniture construction. Michael is one of Canada’s most respected and creative contemporary furniture masters. He maintains a studio near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he designs one of a kind furniture for private clients throughout North America.
He has taught at many schools and craft centers including and most notably in the Midwest the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Indiana where the fellowship program for advanced students has been named in his honor.
More details of this seminar will be made in the coming weeks.
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SAVE THE DATE
| April 23, 12:30 PM |
TOUR |
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WunderWoods |
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| September 10, 1 PM |
PICNIC and TOUR |
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Furniture Tour
St Louis Art Museum |
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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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March Shop Hours
Mar 8 & 9 10 am – 2 pm
Mar 12 & 13 9 am – 5 pm
Mar 15 & 16 10 am – 2 pm
Mar 19 & 20 9 am – 5 pm
Mar 26 9 am – 5 pm
Safety Class attendees must register online and bring their current Guild membership card.
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Next Shop Safety Class
When:
Thursday, Mar 3rd, 6:30 pm
Where:
Faust Park Workshop
Duration:
Plan for 3 Hours
Cost:
$20 for Current Members
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Directions to the SLWG Shop in Faust Park:
When you enter Faust Park from Olive Blvd, turn right at the traffic circle and go all the way through the parking lot.
At the end of the lot, turn right onto the road, follow it a couple of hundred yards to the stop sign and turn left. |
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| Go past the private home and past the Guild shop and park on the lot next to the Faust Park maintenance building. |
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Join or Renew your Guild
Membership Today!
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Annual Dues Renewals
Remember that letting your membership lapse will result in having to retake the Safety Class ($20) prior to using the Open Shop at Faust Park.
Annual membership renewal is available online (click on button below) with PayPal or 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 status is required for use of the Faust Park Shop.
Annual Membership Dues:
Basic Membership $40
Full Shop Membership $75
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! |
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Andrew Baker
Laurel Conners
Bob Danner
Matt Dondanville
Laura Feltes
Eddie Kampelman
Roderick Matticks
Kevin McCarthy
Mark Mueller
Carrie Roy |
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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 Vickie Berry 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 Vickie Berry at president@slwg.org . |
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SLWG Officers, Board Members and Committee Leaders |
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President:
Vickie Berry – 972-741-1944
Vice President:
Bill Schuchat – 314-406-1823 |
Secretary:
Adam Conners – 314-495-1772
Treasurer:
Tom Tierney – 314-412-1817 |
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Directors:
Jay Noffsinger (exp. 2024)
Dan Lender (exp. 2025)
Dan Sudkamp (exp. 2022)
Don Turner (exp. 2023)
Immediate Past President:
Wayne Humphrey
Marketing & Membership Chair:
David Schindler
Membership Coordinator:
David Schindler
Woodworking Show Coordinator:
Open
Book Box Committee Chair:
Tom Tierney
Outreach Coordinator:
Open |
Newsletter Editor:
Grady Vaughan
Librarian:
Al Carlson
Toy Committee Chair:
Rich Weitzman
Shop Manager:
Wayne Watson
Assistant Shop Manager:
David Gronefeld
Classes and Workshops Coordinator:
Bill Schuchat
IT Administrator:
Doug Johnson
Media Coordinator:
Brian Ellison
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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