Vol.11 /  Issue 3            Tennessee Valley Woodworkers                        Editor, Richard Gullcy               March 1996

 

March

Well it’s time for all you wood chucking leprechauns to come out of hibernation and start thinking about Spring things - Like gardening and mowing and cleaning and just maybe if you’re not too tired after all that - a little woodworking!

 

Last month’s meeting was, dare I say, a doozy! Show-N-Tell was above average (which would probably mark it for greatness). Milner’s presentation on the possibilities of having your own lumber sawn was fascinating. No up and coming woodworker should have missed it. I like to hear someone speak about something they love and know first hand. It was evident Milner was that kind of guy. Hey Doyle - when are we going to Milner’ s house for a meeting.

 

Next month’s meeting promises to be just as good as the last. This March program will be Dust and Noise Damage to the Woodworker presented by Dr. Lavelle. His career was in the ear, nose, and throat field of medicine and he specialized in ear surgery in the later part of his career. He is now specializing in tree farming and woodworking. Everyone make plans to be here for a very informative program.

 

COMING SOON!

April- The wooden toys of Crocia Robertson.

May- A tour of the Stanley Tool Company in Shelbyville.

June- The 10th anniversary banquet - picnic -potluck supper woodworkers meeting. No one should miss that!

 

TEN YEARS AGO THIS MONTH

Time for another trip in the old time machine. I’ve set the controls for March 1996, let out the clutch and the smoke is starting to clear —

Loyd Long gave a very interesting program on saw blade (circular) sharpening. Hmm-m­ maybe still a good program topic.

The close-up was on the vice-president and program chairman Phil Bishop. I knew Phil had a solar kiln butldidn’t know he ran a sawmill.

And finally, Jack Townsend was featured on channel 8s Tennessee Outdoorsman.   Well, not Jack himself, but everything that is good and noble and that truly shouts JACK TOWNSEND — his clocks.

 

Back To The Future!!

 

MID-WEST TOOL COLLECTORS

The Mid-West Tool Collectors Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study, preservation and understanding of the early tools, implements and devices used by owr ancestors in their homes, shops, on the farms and on the seas, and to a better perception of the industries and crafts in which these tools were used as well as the craftsmen who used them.

Founded in 1968 by a small group of avid collectors, the organization has rapidly become international in scope with a membership of over three thousand who arc scattered to all corners of the globe. Included are individuals from all walks of life as well as libraries, museums and other related institutions.

 

MEMBERSHIP IN MID-WEST ENTITLES YOU TO:

Attend with your spouse, the two annual national meetings as well as numerous local or regional meetings which are planned throughout the year. Featured at these meetings are tours and visits to appropriate museums, restorations and other sources of historical impact as well as lectures, seminars, films and interesting demonstrations of early crafts. Members are encouraged to display outstanding tools from their collections and to bring items for sale and trade. Programs for the ladies are an integral part of these meetings.

A subscription to our magazine, THE GRISTMILL, a quarterly featuring stories about and of interest to M-WICA members as well as articles of educational importance written by and for tool collectors.

 

(Unintelligible Paragraph)

 

Membership dues are $20.00 per year for USA, S28.00 for Canadians and  $33.00  for Foreign members payable January 1 of each year, in US FUNDS. Applicants joining after the annual fall meeting will be considered paid up members for the ensuing year.

 

If you feel that your interests and objectives coincide with those of the Association, we would welcome you as a member. For more information contact:

 

William Rigler

RR 2, Box 152

Wartrace, TN 37183

NEWS FROM THE NET

 

I was born naked, wet and hungry - and then things got worse.

 

More is better, too much is just enough.

 

NO MONEY SPENT ON TOOLS IS WASTED

 

The Directory of Forest Products, Wood Science, and Marketing contains several pages of interest to those involved in woodworking and the woodworking industry. Currently, the Directory contains over 600 unique links. The URL to this WWW page is:  bttp.//weber.u.washington.edu/~esw/fpm.htm

 

All links have been categorized by subject areas. Areas include supplier  manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, financial I statistics I stocks, commercial I consultants, academic I research, industry associations and councils, sustainable and certified forest products, and

 

 

 

 

General Woodworking Tips

by Gary Straub

 

o    Lay out your lumber and figure which board will be used for what pert, taking care to observe grain and color. Try to make each part compliment other related parts. Example: don’t laminate a straight grained piece to a wildly figured piece, unless intentionally.

O   Don’t cut any wood until you arc sure of where you want to cut. Think and re-think this point, as it only takes a second to mess up a lot of planning.

O   Whenever possible make the piece a little larger than needed There are many things which can screw up a cut Such as: internal stress can cause a perfectly straight board to move, planers can snipe, jointing and sanding/planing can take more wood then expected. It is far easier to remove a little wood than to replace it.

o    Mark all pieces as to where they go as soon as you determine this, unless you enjoy jigsaw puzzles. ;-)

o    Always test any machine setup on a scrap piece, preferably from the same lumber as the piece. Be careful that the scrap isn’t off the end with snipe. This will make it

thinner.

O   When hand planing a surface, do the backside first. This will prepare you for any surprises. The same applies to sanding, so the face side doesn’t get damaged while sanding the back

O   Always dust everything off Many mysterious dings, and poor fits are the result of a small chip or two. A small chip against a fence can cause misalignment. Chips under a board going through the surface planer can cause uneven planing A small chip on the shoulder of a tenon can keep it from snugging up. etc.

O   Try to split the line when sawing. Sawing on either side of the line can make for an almost perfect joint, splitting it will usually be right on the mark. This depends on the thickness of the line. A thick line will be easy to split but you can still be off Keep your pencil sharp.

o    Any lines which will ultimately be cut with a chisel should be made with a knife. A knife mark will act as a guide for the chisel.  It is hard to keep a chisel straight on a pencil line.  Also any crosscuts should be scored with a knife first. This eliminates any tendency for ragged edges.

o    Always test your fits prior to gluing. It is best to clamp your pieces together as if you were gluing, first off. This will prevent any surprises with glue on the pieces, and will assure that you have all the clamps that you need and ready to use. If you find that you need to really crank on the clamp to get a good fit, you probably need to make an alteration. The  quickest way to glue failure is to put unnecessary stress on the part.   lf you haven’t done so now is the time to mark

every piece as to where it goes. If everything fits fine in that order why take a chance, even though many parts arc ‘identical’.

0    It is best not to wipe of the wet glue after clamping, as it will spread the glue around and make finishing difficult. However the glue should be removed before it is cured, if it is water based glue. The moisture in the glue raises the grain a little and when it hardens the moisture is trapped. Then when it is removed later the wood shrinks and a glue line becomes perceptible. If you use a scraper or chisel when the glue skims over it will come off in nice strips. Washing the glue off with a wet cloth works but you must be careful to get all off or it will be everywhere.

o    A very sharp chisel will remove any glue from inside corners. If carefully done you can skim a little wood with the glue, making sure there is no glue left to obstruct the finish.

o    When finishing its VERY important to allow the finish to dry well before sanding or steel wooling between coats. Bits of sand dust or steel wool in the corners are a tell tail sign of preceding too fast. Use a vacuum and tack rags judiciously throughout the finishing process. It is imperative to treat the finishing process with as much care as you put into the building process A good finish can make a mediocre pieces look great and a poor finish can make a great piece look mediocre.

O   A sharp hand scraper works very well to even up mating surfaces, after gluing.

O   Keep your expectations high, but realistic.

Fine workmanship is acquired through practice. If each piece you make is a little better than the last then you should feel good.

 

 

Gary Straub gstraub~mail.coin.missouri.edu

Columbia, MO

 

Hope to see you all the 19th of March at 7:00.

If your significant other lets you have money, bring it - I still have two planes for sale (or trade). By the way - Watch out for SPLINTERS!