SPLINTERS
FEBRUARY MEETING WAS REALLY SHARP
Dale Daniel, a fellow woodworker who also runs a small saw
sharpening service was the focus of the program. Dale had many of his somewhat
portable tools at the meeting and demonstrated their use. Dale uses’ the Belsaw
system and for many of us who have seen the Belsaw advertisements for the past
few (?) years, it was enlightening to see just how many different tools one
needs to get into the business. It
seems that every type of saw or saw tip needs some gadget or the other to set
the angle correctly, turn just the right amount or to re—tooth.
Dale covered the basics of saw sharpening — both power and
hand saws and described the sharpening angles that make a saw cut well. ‘I
thought one of the most interesting parts of his presentation concerned his
views of carbide vs hardened steel blades and the quality control— or lack of
control on some blades. From Dale’s point of view a hardened steel blade is
probably a better buy — depending on how religiously you sharpen it. Carbide tipped blades are more expensive to
buy, more expensive to sharpen and can’t be sharpened as many times as a
hardened steel blade. Dale passed out a few samples of sharp hardened steel
blades to show the correct sharpening angles. He also passed around some
carbide blades, one by Disson which showed signs of poor carbide attachment. He
suggested that anyone using a carbide tipped blade to look carefully at the
weld joint where the carbide meets the body of the blade. If the weld appears
skimpy, poorly formed or undercut, its probably a good idea to have a
professional look at it.
We all thank
Dale for his time and great presentation.
I was in agreement with his comments on a carbide blade not being as
good of a buy for general woodworking (they’re a must for composite
boards). The reason I keep buying them
is they go so long between sharpening. Now that I’ve found someone who will
sharpen them, I think I’ll dig out some old “ten inchers” and really give Dale
a challenge!
To cap the meeting off was another great show and tell
session. it’s amazing to see some of the projects our club members are working
on. How about those carvings by Winfield Bennett? Wow, and he still has all his
fingersll Thanks to everyone who participated. Show and, tell is one of the
highlights of our meetings and a great way to get to know each other.
MARCH MEETING AT STANLEY’SI
No, not your neighbor Stanley, the Stanley tool plant in Shelbyville (or is it Shebbyvull? or ShellvüIl?). Tom Baskin has made arrangements for us and our spouses, girlfriends, or both to visit the Stanley plant and see how quality tools are made.
Since there is a great deal of travel involved, It was
decided to meet at the DREMEC building In Winchester at 6:30 PM on Tuesday,
March 17th and carpool from there. On the back page of this newsletter is a map which will get you to the
Stanley plant if you wish to drive yourself.
We hope to meet there at 7:00 and
begin the tour right away. Please try to be on time — we’d
hate to have you miss any of the tour. Tom thought the visit would last between
an hour to an hour and a half. Tom said we’d be astounded at some of the
production quotas — like 100 hammers per minute (I think a decimal place is
messed up)! See you there and don’t forget to bring a friend — or your spouse!!
MYSTERY MEETING
I heard the other day that Henry Davis had gathered a group of members to discuss a club contest. Henry and Tom Church are pretty tight lipped about the categories ( there will be some) and age groups (Tom says everyone must have an age) but any other information is not being divulged — sounds like wood club-a-gate!! Henry assures me that he will give us all the particulars in the next club newsletter. He did slip and say that the judging may take place at the summer picnic. Time to get the blades sharpened and the machines oiled.
Quite a few of us get lulled into doing the same types of
projects rather than trying something new. I’m certainly such an individual,
are you? Why not try tackling that project you’ve always wanted to try? How
about that outdoor furniture you’ve thought about for a while, or that cold
frame for your garden, planter for the porch, new workbench? It seems that some
of us leave this wonderful hobby when it’s time to plant cold weather veggies
and don’t get with it again until the snow falls. We miss some of the most
pleasant evening work time and hold off projests until it’s 30 degrees or colder! Now’s
the time to start gathering wood, plans and ideas for warm weather
woodworking. I bet you’ll get a lot of family support for picnic table, a
swing, or a bar—b—que bench.
There’s another source of help and support open to us’(other
than the minister), our club members. One of the advantages of belonging to the
Tennessee Valley Woodworkers is the wealth of information our club members
have. Better than any book, we can find out how someone else tackles a hard
project or even makes a miter joint without gaps. Our club has people who have
enjoyed almost every aspect of woodworking and are ready to share the scars as
well as the successes of their experiences: don’t be bashful, just ask.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
SEE YOU AT THE MARCH
MEETING— THE 17TH AT 6:30 AT DREMEC PARKING LOT. WE’LL LEAVE FOR THE STANLEY PLANT FROM THERE:
AND NOW HERE’S TOM II
i
Here it is time for another meeting...I trust that you are
all looking forward to touring Stanley’s tool plant. Jack Townsend tells me
he’s looking forward to all those FREE SAMPLES. I’m afraid I’ll have to miss this one...my job will have me iii
Florida for a few days...poor me!.. I’ll be thinking of you.
GET TO STANLEY TOOLS
COMMING EVENTS
With your help we might have a space reserved someplace in
each issue / of this fine publication for COMMING EVENTS. If you want ‘to share
information about a CONNING EVENT with the rest of us uninformed soles... let
us know. I’m lucky to remember my name
half the time....It sure would be nice to be able to look up a date in the
latest issue of SPLINTERS. We’ve been sharing a lot of fine things during our
meetings. - .lets try sharing CONNING EVENTS (craft shows, schools, seminars,
woodworking shows,tool auctions,even birthdays if you remember). Feel free to call: Me..Tom Church 967—4460 - —- -
Joe Pawlic
Jack Townsend
We’ll get it in the next issue.