Tennessee Valley Woodworkers

Meeting 4/19/22

Meeting called to order by President Jim Jolliffe at 6:30pm.

Visiting Guests

Tom Cowan’s family

Review of 2022 Calendar of Events

Calendar review; May 17th – David Mathis – Making Gallagher Guitars

June 11th – Turning Bee – Larry Wendland’s shop. Asked for sign up.

Sept. 17th – Carving Bee – Jim Jolliffe’s shop.  Asked for interested members.

Complete list of upcoming events on club’s web site.

Business

Committee Reports: Darren Earle – Treasurer’s report. Make sure dues paid.

Chuck Taylor – Pick up badges

Jim Jolliffe – Carving bee – asked those interested attend carvers meeting 1st or 3rd                                  Saturday at Jim’s shop through 18 June to pick a project.

Gary Runyon offering class on sharpening scrapers and planes at his shop. Call or                                     email Gary.

Matt Brothers – Sewanee looking for someone to refinish some items. If interested                                    call Matt 931-841-5435 or e-mail.

Jim let membership know Gary Bennett is having knee surgery 27 April.

Show & Tell

Ken Gould sent pics of few projects. 1) Double cottonwood bark carving with electric burning detail on oak mounting boards. Explained burning technique using a solution of baking soda and vinegar and high voltage probes at different spots on the boards to create a fractal effect. 2) Turned bowl burned with the same process. 3) Pretty diamond willow walking stick.

Tony Murphy showed pics of 2 sideboards he made. Plan was featured in Fine Woodworking which he modified to fit in his designated house spaces. Made of white oak with stain and shellac finish.

Fred Heltsley spoke of items he saw in Maui, Hi. Bottle nose dolphin wall sculpture of monkey pod explained what carving represents. No finish. Eastern red cedar bowl from Sandra Bailey, finish Odie’s Oil and polish. Todd Campbell twice turned bowl with a lacquer oil mix, then hand rubbed. Todd Campbell has 9 month twice turning process. Pics of shop and lathe that can handle very large pieces. For more information visit: Toddcampbellwoodworks.com.

Jim Jolliffe had a carving of a wood spirit from a pine knot finished with rattle-can satin lacquer.

He also showed a couple red oak burl power carved vessels. Used power grinder with various bits/wheels. Finished with Howard’s Butcher Block Conditioner.

Gary Runyon brought osage orange threaded box with spinning wheel dizes inside. Each diz was from different woods including from mesquite, red bud, maple, and cherry and finished with Dr Woodshop walnut oil and shellac.

Paul Jalbert displayed a take apart rocker from plan he obtained at a meeting. Made out of cherry and finished with Danish oil. He carved his nephew’s name in the chair’s back and painted the letter grooves and acrylic paint. He shared a tip to use yellow paint when doing paint highlights for color blind persons as they can see yellow best.

Vince Zaccardi talked about table saw jig he brought. Explained clamping wood to obtain any angle.

James Rice had three items for show and tell. 1. Had pics of hutch he made for his daughter-in-law. Made of oak with golden oak finish. 2. Pic of crocheted flag that he made frame to hold. Mounted to plywood using double sided tape. To be placed in Lulu’s Restaurant in Estill Springs. 3. Small embroidery rolling cart to hold up to 216 spindles. Explained procedure of building including jig made hold wood to drill.

Chuck Taylor showed mushrooms done by offset turning. Made of spalted maple and lacquer finish.

He had a cherry bowl made by Tom Cowan with rim decorated by Tom’s nail method. Also showed a miniature English tilt top table Tom made of cherry and finished with lacquer.

Janie Lovett brought her spinning wheel Tom Cowan made for her. She uses it at Falls Mill to demonstrate spinning. Made with maple, ash and cherry. There was also a small spinning wheel made by Tom on display.

Richard Gulley had sign made from request by Fred Heltsley. Sign said Raus Kitchen In Loving Memory of  Lewis E. Rittenhouse. Black matte for CNC still adhered to the top of the wood.  Wood was unfinished.

PROGRAM

Darren Earle – WORKS BY TOM COWAN

The program started by recognizing members of Tom’s family in attendance. Darren gave a brief resume of Tom’s work and pointed out a number of Tom’s work here on display. Tom was one of the original members who started our club in 1985. He along with Henry Davis, Ross Roepke and 5 others attended first meetings. Showed a picture of Tom’s first tool, a scroll saw Tom owned at age 11. Some of items on display included a scale model of a spinning wheel he made and gave to his teacher. She gave it back when she retired. Windsor chairs, carved sea chest, spinning wheel, large plan drawings and number of other items. Darren and other members talked about his use of nail method of decorating items, cutting dovetails by hand and making his own tools. Showed lots of pics of Tom’s works including Good Shepherd Church Baptismal Font, Woodward House furniture refinished, and many others. Tom was a great teacher. He really enjoyed sharing and working with kids. Tom was a talented woodworker, turner, and teacher. Tom’s daughter, Emily, told of secret compartment in a cabinet her dad made for her. He often asked if she ever opened and she told him no. Later it was discovered that he had left her and her two daughters a secret message in the compartment. The program was a great success and all appreciated by Tom’s family in attendance.

Meeting adjourned.