SPLINTERS
Tennessee Valley Woodworkers
Vol. 12/Issue 8 August, 1998 Editor: Tom Gillard
Meeting Notice:
The next meeting of the TN Valley Woodworkers
will be held, August 18th at 7:00PM at the
Duck River Electric Building in Dechard, TN.
All interested woodworkers are invited!
AUGUST
MEETING:
This
month we are going to talk about old tools. We are going to have a man who has
grown up with these tools. The ‘old toolman’ himself, Jim Van Cleave. “How can
these be antiques? They were new when I bought them.” Jim is the lead presenter
and is enlisting Henry Davis, Phil Bishop, and Richard Gulley to help with the
program and to provide tools from their collection.
My
Story:
My
parents were cutting down some trees in their front yard a couple of weeks ago.
One of them happened to be a magnolia that my brothers and I had given to my
dad for father’s day many years before (28 years). There was a large poplar,
also. The magnolia had been kept trimmed so it could be mowed under, so the
first limb started about 6 feet up. The base was about 16 inches in diameter. I
just couldn’t let a special tree like this go to waste. I had never seen
magnolia wood and thought this would be a good chance to obtain some.
The
log was cut and placed in the back of my pickup. Heavy load for a small truck.
I had contacted Wil Mills about sawing this log into boards. He was setup over
in Winchester at the Shadow Farm and nursery. I managed to get the truck and
tree over there in the rain and lightning. Wil said we would start cutting the
next day.
With
some effort on his part, the log is places on the saw and aligned, all using
hydraulics. Wil then decides on where the first cut will be made by rotating
the log. Then the saw dust starts to fly! This saw mill is really fascinating
to watch. Wil cut the magnolia into 4/4 boards in just over 1/2 hour. There is
very little waste with the use of the bandsaw also. The boards will be easier
of plane later as the saw marks are much less. If you have any special trees
that you would like to see turned into a beautiful piece of furniture, take the
log to Wil and have it sawed. Now for the air drying wait or I may need to find
a kiln.
NOTE:
Henry
Davis needs a small amount of old knotty pine paneling. The type that is about __”
thick and 10 to 12 inches wide. He needs enough to make a door about 3 ft. tall
and about 2 ft wide. The older and rougher the better, if you some old cabinet
doors or some old knotty pine boards you can spare, call Henry at 393-3191.
TVWW meeting July 21, 1998
Meeting
called to order by president Harold Hewgley. Guests introduced were Dick
Dohrmann, Veeda Mayberry, Jody Nunley and Tommy Thomas.
Old
business - Thank you card from Bill and Pat Warmbrod. Falls Mill date has been
changed to September 12, 1998, because of schedule conflicts. All members are
invited to participate. Steve Graham reported that the fall seminar is
scheduled for September 26, 1998. The main focus will be carving. There will be
a fee for supplies and lunch. Franklin County craft show - Tom Cowan reported
that the club was not going to participate this year. Henry Davis stated that
the club
brochures
had been updated and printed. New business - Lillie Clark reported that Estill
Springs is going to celebrate their 50th anniversary of incorporation on August
1st. The club is invited to attend as a group or individually. There is no
charge to set up.
Ross
Roepke wants someone to go to Atlanta with him August 20- 24th.
Show and tell -
Harry
May - carving in progress of a coon hound with a coon on his back.
Tom
Cowan - a sphere turned out of walnut, to be made into a globe.
Doyle
McConnell - an ash vase with leaves carved around the top. A turned butternut
vase with an epoxy accent ring.
Don
Helton - a wood bowl, two round baskets, a shelf with a humming bird scene wit
a collapsible basket, all created with a scroll saw out of poplar.
Russ
Willis - a moose out of hickory, painted by his daughter.
Murrell
Chattin - two bowls turned from glued up cut-offs and pictures of a cherry
table.
Steve
Graham - a relief carving depicting The death of King Ahab.
Winfield
Bennett - a carved walking cane from a piece of poplar that was cut from a
wagon side board, and an urn carved by a friend.
Jack
Townsend - a white oak mantle clock.
Henry
Davis - a molding replacement for an antique door with hand tools to make same.
John
Green - a silver maple bowl.
Loyd
Ackerman - a variety of wine corks and display board for them. A block of wood
that was turned on an Oliver lathe made in 1930.
Jim
Van Cleave- miter box with a 28 inch backsaw and a broad ax.
Dick
Dohrmann - a cherry clock made in 1982.
Tom
Gillard - a box of chisels donated to the club by a friend.
After
a social period members and guests left as they wished. There was no official
adjournment.
Respectfully
submitted, John Green.
Net
Notes: Richard G. sent me these web sites to look at. They are from the North
Carolina Turning Club. Check them out if you get a chance. There is one on how
to turn a bowl starting with a raw piece of wood. The other deals with drying
problems found in turning green wood.
http:llwww.RTPnet.org/~twnc/basics/bwlroughlbWl
rough .html
http://www.RTPnet/~twnc/basics/drying.html
“Laughter is like changing a baby’s diaper - it doesn’t solve any problems permanently, but it makes things more acceptable for a while” -unknown-
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OLD TOOLS
Q: Are older hand tools really better than
those manufactured today?
*The
quality of older hand tools remained at a high level Up to about 1960. Since
1960, the quality of materials and manufacturing has declined throughout the
industry. There are a handful of
quality manufacturers that are exceptions to that statement: Bridge City,
Lie-Nielsen and Starrett are examples of manufacturers still doing it right.
Q: What makes most pre-1960 hand tools
better?
A: Prior to 1960, hand tools were
manufactured to exacting standards to meet the demands of persons who used
those tools to make their living: tradespersons of all kinds. For example,
castings used in planes were seasoned before the metal was machined and
finished. Many of the newer, post-1960 planes are made from “green”, unseasoned
cast iron which tends to warp and be untrue. While the feel and appearance of a
particular hand tool is a subjective thing, the fit and finish aspects can be
quantified as well as how the tool performs without a lot of after-market
tweaking and tuning by the owner.
Q: Will using an older hand tool reduce its
value?
A: It really depends on the vintage tool. If
it is a fairly common item, such as a No.5 Jack Plane, circa 1935 or later,
don’t have to be too concerned. An earlier version of the same tool, a No.5,
might require more care and minimal use if you were concerned about wear and
tear on a less common item. If you own a scarcer tool, such as a No.164 Low
Angle Plane, you might carefully consider how much you really would want to use
something that could lose a lot of value through prolonged use.
How
can I identify old tools and find out how much they are worth?
A: There is no single reference for
identifying and appraising antique and used handtools and one has to consult
various guidebooks, published pricelists, websites, auction catalogs, etc.,
especially if you are new to tool collecting. In using guidebooks, it is best
to remember that they are guides only and you have to factor in some important
criteria in appraising the value of old handtools: specific current market vs.
the “book” price, vintage, overall condition, missing or defective parts,
repairs, etc. The best available comprehensive reference for Stanley items is
Antique & Collectible Stanley Tools, Guide to Identity & Value, by John
Walter. 1996. 885 pages.
From
the Internet, by Bob Kaune visit Bob at www.olympus.net
PECAN. Hickory’s nuttiest cousin
Some
trees become known for attributes other than their wood. The shapely crown of
the American elm, for instance, far exceeds the reputation of its boards. And
so it is with the pecan tree (Carya
illinoensis). A cousin of the hickories, the pecan was notable for its
sweet nuts long before the coming of white explorers. The Indians of the Lower
Mississippi River Valley were so thankful for its nutty bounty that they
associated the tree with the Great Spirit.
Spanish
explorer and gold seeker Hernando DeSoto disovered the pecan when his party
crossed the Mississippi River in 1541. According to his chronicles, the
Spaniards relished the nuts from the trees because of their comparatively thin
shells. But DeSoto wasn’t a horticulturist and failed to bring back samples.
The American trappers and traders of later centuries were more enterprising.
From their excursions in the new frontier west of the Allegheny Mountain, they
returned with furs to sell and pecan nuts to share. Thomas Jefferson heard of
these “Mississippi nuts” and got some to plant at Monticello. He also gave some
to his agriculturist friend, George Washington, who set them in a row at Mt.
Vernon. That began the extensive propagation in the United States of the pecan
as a nut tree. Today, cultured varieties of the species occupy orchards form
Georgia to California and Oregon.
And
what of the wood? The hard, strong, close grained stock is valued for veneer
and chairs. But throughout the South, it’s the pecan nut of praline fame that
draws the most applause.