SLWG June 2026 Newsletter

Next Meeting:

6:45 PM Thursday, July 16th

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

President’s Letter

I expect that I’m not the only one who finds shop time to be a special experience, where we can step out of our increasingly digital lives and enjoy hands-on craftsmanship and sensory experiences like running our hand along a smoothed board or taking in the aroma of freshly cut lumber. Woodworker Ian Bogost (who also finds time to be a Wash U professor, an Atlantic Magazine writer, and an award-winning game designer) describes this as a chance to “coax atoms into shape instead of moving bits through transistors.” More generally, anthropologist Tim Ingold has observed “At the very same moment when the whole world is at our fingertips, it also seems completely out of our hands.”

As one who spends most of my work day in front of a screen doing admin work or developing data modeling tools for kids, this escape to the shop is particularly welcome. In many ways it’s more real, and the sense of accomplishment and growth more immediate.

I hope your summer is filled with rewarding projects and new discoveries.

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)

Christmas in JULY

with

Guild Members

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

LAST MONTH’S PROGRAM

Cabinetry

with

Jim Clarkson

Due to technical issues, last month’s meeting was not recorded. You should have been there!!!

Monthly Tool Sale

We are having 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. The Guild will be operating a Saturday only booth (September 5th) at the Fair.
Be thinking of what you might contribute and or volunteer. Funds raised support the Guilds outreach programs.

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.

Save the Date

Sawdust Party Thursday December 10

Stay Tuned — More info to come

Silent Auction This Meeting

These Two Vintage Machines will be auctioned on Thursday Night at the meeting.

Rules, these 2 Items are located in South St. Louis Near St. Marys Catholic High School. Winning bidders must be picked on Saturday July 25th. between 9AM and 3 PM. (this is firm). Basement walkout access w 5 steps and an Alley-way are available for loading.

100% of Proceeds go to the Guild

1. 1950’s Rockwell Delta Jointer / Cast Iron Table – with all original Service and owners manuals.

Min Bid $40

2. 1950’s Milwaukee/Delta 10″ Tablesaw (HM62M210 CW

Min Bid $40

Comes with
15 Blades ( in a Wood Box
6″ Dado Set and Chippers in Wood Case

Donate to the St. Louis Woodworkers Guild HERE

SHOW AND TELL

Due to technical issues, last month’s meeting was not recorded and no Show and Tell photos were taken. You should have been there!!!

Show and Tell will be back next month

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

Holiday Toy Program

Total inventory of toys is now at 1,313.

Thanks to Ron Schwarz for his wood donation. It will build about 25 bird houses for the County Parks Summer Camp.

Thanks also to Terry Blevins for his wood donation. The stacking toys shown in the photo below are the first project made with the salvaged pallet wood he provided.

We will be building about 50 bird house kits on the 17^th for the County Parks Summer Camp and then get back to toys after that.

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
June — 50
YTD — 1,113

Delivered
June — 250
YTD — 1,052
Since 1994 — 94,548

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

26.3% ACHIEVED

2026 Participation Goal

10% Member Participation Target

(40 Members)

15% ACHIEVED
6 Members (through May)
(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 have wood ( and maybe some kits) to distribute at this month’s meeting

June Recap:
* Twenty-nine tables were delivered, bringing our total for the year to 59.
* Since program inception Guild Members have donated 630 tables.
* This month’s delivered total was made up of 4 Dining, 21 End/Sofa Server and 4 Coffee tables
* After three months 36% of our annual goal of 165 tables has been achieved.
* Foeder Craftes donated enough FS 8/4 White Oak sticks to yield roughly 12 – 16 HSH end tables and 10 – 12 cutting boards for the Art Fair. Thank you Dan Lender and Charles Schrock.

Member Contributions Highlights:

Five members have contributed 5+ tables this year, totaling 21 overall 5+ members.
Two members have contributed 105+ Tables.
Fifteen members have contributed tables this year, totaling 45 overall contributors.
Bob Coulter is the first Guild President to hit the 5+ table level.
Ron Swartz donated a large, battered, walnut desktop which will be cut into two dinette tabletops.

Other News and Issues:
Four of the 20 kits still remain in the Shed.
Scrap wood and unauthorized drop-offs at the Shed were a problem again in June.
Jay is still holding oak for us.
Limited Shed storage space prevents us from picking up the oak.
Table leaves from HSH continue to be used for the tops of coffee and dinette tables, which results in substantial material and cost savings.

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

End Tables destined for HSH.

FY 2026-2027 Target and Challenge

Target for Delivered Tables: 165

36% ACHIEVED

Tally to 6/30/26:

Current Month Current Year Program Total

Dining Tables 4 10 68
End Tables/Sofa Server 21 39 477
Coffee Tables 4 10 72
Night Stands 0 0 13

Total 23 59 630

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 (3 months) 59 19.7

Grand Total for Program 630

Table of Recognition

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

Name Current Year Level Grand Total
Alan Brown 5 35+
John Chapman    0 5+
John Chapman    0 5+
Bob Coulter    5       5+
Paul Deutsch    4 25+
Hal Donovan 6 105+
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 5
Overall No. of 5+ Builders 21

Current Year No. of Builders 15
Overall No. of Builders 45

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

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

William Cahill
Jessica Danner
Jim Kozel
Chase Shiflet

Russell Smith
Patrick Strek
Jessica Vargas

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 Martin – donations@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

Contact a Guild Officer with Questions

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

July 2026 Newsletter