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.

FROM:            Wood Oct 1998; Issue 108