WELL HERE WE ARE BACK IN FEBRUARY ... THE PARTY MONTH. WE’D JUST
BARELY RECOVERED FROM THE GALA GROUND HOG DAY CELEBRATION WHEN
ALONG CAME OLD ABE LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY BASH. JUST AS WE WERE
CATCHING OUR BREATH VALENTINE’S DAY CAME ALONG... .WHAT A SWEET
TIME...MY HEART STOOD STILL.. .A LOVELY OCCASION. WE’VE STILL GOT
THE GIGANTIC GEORGE WASHINTON THING TO GET THROUGH. NO WONDER
THERE ARE ONLY 28 DAYS IN MOST FEBRUARY...JUST IMAGINE WHAT OUR
LIVES WOULD BE LIKE WITH THREE MORE PARTY DAYS.
LAST MONTH’S MEETING
BOB REESE ORGANIZED A FINE PROGRAM FOR OUR JANUARY MEETING. PHIL BISHOP, TOM
COWAN, BILL MOVE & BOB REESE EACH DEMONSTRATED VARIOUS ASPECTS OF TOOL SHARPENING.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED OUR FAVORITE...SHOW & TELL.... WE HAD AT LEAST A DOZEN MEMBERS
& NON— MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN THE SHOW & TELL. TURNINGS WERE DISPLAYED BY TOM COWAN, HENRY
DAVIS, BILL CHEW & TOM CHURCH. YES FOLKS HENRY IS INFECTED WITH THE TURNING BUG... .& A NEW LATHE. JUST TO SHOW THAT TURNERS ARE CAPABLE OF OTHER PROJECTS, BILL KNIGHT BROUGHT IN A LOVELY WALNUT QUILT RACK, AND A MIRROR WITH A BOX ELDER BACK. THAT BOX ELDER
SURE WAS NICE. TOM GILLARD SHOWED SOME UNIQUE BOXES AND DIDN’T
LEAVE THE PLACE WITHOUT MAKING A SALE. ROY FARMER BROUGHT A
TOILET PAPER HOLDER HE MADE OUT OF OAK. WHAT WAS REALLY NICE,
WAS EVEN OUR VISITORS BROUGHT THINGS TO SHOW. TIM MANLEY, MY
APOLOGIES IF I GOT THAT FIRST NAME WRONG, HAD SOME CARVINGS DONE
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS THAT EVERYONE ENJOYED LOOKING AT.
SPEAKING OF QUILT RACKS
PLACING A QUILT DIRECTLY ON WOOD MAKES IT VULNERABLE TO ATTACK BY
WOOD ACID. WOOD CONTAINS ACID THAT FORMS THOSE NOT SO PRETTY
RUST—LIKE STAINS ON GRANNY’S FAVORITE QUILT. TO AVOID THIS,
PLACE A FOLDED BED SHEET OVER THE RACK, BEFORE YOU HANG THE
QUILT.
LOST AND FOUND
LOST: ONE VERY LARGE MEAT FORK AT THE CHRISTMAS PARTY. CONTACT
JUDY DAVIS OR BRING TO NEXT MEETING, SHE SAYS SHE WILL TAKE IT
CLEAN OR DIRTY.
WE WERE ALL SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE DEATH OF O’NEAL GIBSON. HE
WAS ONE OF THE EARLY MEMBERS OF THE CLUB, BUT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE
TO ATTEND IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS DUE TO ILLNESS. I REMEMBER
WHEN PAUL PYLE CAME AND DEMONSTRATED HIS DULCIMER TECHNIQUES.
THAT REALLY INSPIRED O’NEAL AND HERE HE CAME BACK THE NEXT MONTH
WITH ONE HE HAD BUILT. WE EVEN TALKED HIM INTO SHORT CONCERT.
WOODWORKING SHOWS
ATLANTA, MARCH 23—25. THE SHOW WILL FEATURE DEMONSTRATIONS OF
COUNTLESS NEW TOOLS, FREE WORKSHOPS, NOT FREE SEMINARS,AND LARGE
EXHIBITS BY HIGHLAND HARDWARE. CALL 1—800—826—8257 WEEKDAYS
BETWEEN 9 TO 5 PACIFIC TIME AND RECEIVE A FREE BROCHURE.
1990 SEMINARS AT HIGHLAND HARDWARE
FEBRUARY 24 GETTING THE MOST OUT OF A TABLE SAW
MARCH 3-4 WOODTURNING
WITH LIAM O’NEILL
MARCH 10 ROUTERS
AND JIGS
MARCH 17 HOW TO
BUILD A WORKBENCH
MARCH 31,APRIL 1 BANDSAW
SEMINARS
APRIL 6 TAGE
FRID DESIGN LECTURE
CALL HIGHLAND HARDWARE. ATLANTA, 404-872-4466 FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
THANK’S TO TOM GILLARD FOR THE FOLLOWING ABOUT MAKING DO”
MAKING DO
The Theory of the Three Ps:
“Perfectionism leads to Procrastination.
Procrastination leads to Paralysis.”
I’ll bet you think the editor of a woodworking magazine owns the ultimate dream shop, packed with the latest, fanciest, high-tech woodworking equipment on the market, right? Well, why don’t you join me fur an arm-chair tour of my personal workshop, situated in the basement of my house. Careful on the stairs, I’ve been meaning to move those pieces of wood. Watch your head. I raised most of the hot-air ducts to get more headroom, but that one’s still pretty low.
Over there’s my funky old bandsaw—a 1950 vintage Sears12-inchcr I got from my Uncle Jack. That upper guide broke years ago, but it still runs fine on the replacement guide Jack made for it. I resaw on it all the time. The radial arm saw, grinder, and that old drill press, I bought second hand. I splurged a few Years back and bought that Delta Contractor’s saw brand new. Last year, I went wild with a new 6-in, jointer. Up till then. I hand planed everything I made at home. I still use my planes a lot, but it’s nice to have an alternative.
Mv workbench? I left it behind last time I moved. It was too big to bring along. Right now, I make
do with my “WorkMate” portable bench and that heavy, wooden table with the machinist’s vise. I also work on
my table-saw sometimes. I’ve got a new Record vise over there on the floor, and
some 5-in, square oak for the legs of my next workbench, when I find the
time to build it.
Tool cabinet? Never
owned one. I keep my hand tools, chisels, and carving tools neatly
arranged on those wooden shelves. My turning tools are still packed away in
boxes, since I sold my old
lathe. Maybe next year I’ll
spring for a new one.
The lighting is a bit spotty, but I fill in with clamp lamps when I need more light. I’m planning to install two separate circuits—one for the lights and one for my equipment. In the meantime, I make do with what I have.
That’s the point. Make do with what you have. Like you, I dream of the day when I’ll have the time and the money to build the workshop I’ve planned in my head. At the rate I’m going, I may never complete my personal dream shop, but I’m building it piece by piece as I go along, adding tools, machinery and improvements as the years go by. In the meantime, I don’t let less-than-ideal surroundings prevent me from working.
If you put off woodworking until you have the perfect workshop, you’ll never make anything. Paralysis. Get going with what you have. You’ll find that your shop will grow and evolve with time.
DAVID SLOAN. Editor