Greetings
We’ve got a New Year and a clean slate ahead of us. Vince Zaccardi was over today to plan for a project for the South Jackson Civic Center. While he was here, we compared wounds and it seems neither of us are off to a good start in 2026. I stuck my finger into a spinning table saw blade (thankfully, a SawStop saw.) Vince was attacked by a workpiece on his drill press. The bit hung and the piece spun around and got his thumb. We decided to shake the past off and make new Resolutions – No more accidents for the rest of the year. Let’s all resolve to work safer.
Let’s get started with SPLINTERS.
December Program
We had another great Super Show & Tell. Thanks to Gary Runyan for filling in for President Jim.
January Program
Austin Chandler will present a program on Marquetry.
December Show & Tell
Some of the items at December’s Super Show & Tell meeting –
Dan Buholzer showed a wolf carving from basswood that he finished.
Bob Truesdale showed a walnut fruit bowl that he turned from a tree that his neighbor cut a few years ago. The wood was taken from near the hollow of the tree. Bob finished the bowl with matte rattle can lacquer.
Gary Runyon showed two turnings. One was made from a piece of burl maple that he found in the shop. He finished it with Dr. Woodshop. The other was one of the last turnings by John Hartin and was taken from near the root of the tree.
Mickey Knowles showed a cutting board he made for Christmas with chevrons made from scrap wood. He used various woods for the cutting board with walnut being the primary wood. He finished the board with a cutting board finish he got from Home Depot.
Larry Wendland showed wood he got from a friend in Wisconsin. His friend thought it was Canadian syrup maple. Larry turned a bowl out of it and thought it turned like box elder. The wood is pale with a reddish tint. He finished the bowl with polyurethane.
Michael and Brenda Zuccaro showed boxes they made out of cherry and walnut. The boxes have trays and drawers and have ambrosia maple and sapele tops.
Ralph Elmore showed door harps he made. He went to a horse show, and his aunt had a door harp on her door. He made several door harps over Covid. The harps have shaker pegs, and Ralph used zither pins to make the wires tight. He used a laser to cut the shapes. The interior is made of pine, and he used a heat press and laminate to color the wood on some of them.
Vince Zaccardi showed an oak bowl with a natural edge that he turned from a tree that fell in his yard. A friend was clearing out his house and had a piece of burl. Vince used friction polish and finished the outside. He also showed a bowl that he turned through the bottom and plugged. Then he turned a hole in the plug so he plugged the plug. He lacquered some of the bowl, but it is too cold to finish lacquering it at the moment.
Richard Gulley showed CNC sketch of a picture made for his 50th anniversary. He used software to make a sketch then used his CNC to carve the wood and filled it with black paint. Richard also showed name cutouts he made for three girls at church. He also made his grandson a house number and name that he cut out of Baltic Birch plywood using a laser. Richard plans on painting the house number orange and blue for Auburn.
Lloyd Ackerman used a CNC to make a plaque with a saying on it. He used walnut and cut it with a 60-degree V-bit. He also made a fish plaque for his son.
Dennis Rumer showed salt and pepper mills he made from wood he got at an auction. He made 12″ mills and finished them with white-polyurethane.
Chuck Taylor showed a wooden tea pot shaped rack he made in 4th grade. He sold it for 25 cents at the time. He also showed a clock prototype he made out of Ambrosia maple and cherry and finished with satin lacquer.
Zachary Zuccaro showed a small bowl he turned out of a piece of cherry. He turned through the top rim and used the rim and other scraps to make a carrying tray for the bowl. The bowl and tray were finished with shellac.
Anthony Watts showed a wood burning carving he made. He also showed a scroll saw piece he made out of walnut showing cardinals. He finished with an oil finish.
Karen Browning showed a vase she turned. The vase had a knot in it and exploded. Doyle helped her cut the vase in half with a scroll saw.
Carver’s Corner
The Splinter Carvers continue to meet first and third Saturdays of the month from 8:30 am to 10:30 am (whether Jim’s there or not). The shop is located at 201 Jolliffe Acres Ln, Tullahoma. Tools and wood are available at the meetings, just bring yourself and try your hand at carving!
Internet Links of Interest
In looking for new sites of interest, a I ran across a site that I chose not to include because I started getting pop-ups after visiting. But I did find this bit of text I thought was worth sharing.
“For most of us, it’s not a competition to be the best woodworker. It’s just a wish to be a better woodworker. Ultimately, our goal is to develop new skills and create something more memorable than the last. And regardless of whether our woodworking endeavors are criticized or celebrated, a talent will have developed in the process.
The point of the journey is not to arrive.”
Good advice for all of us.
Sweeping Up
A Woodworker’s Prayer to carry us through the coming year; Safely, I hope.
Watch out for SPLINTERS!
Submissions to the newsletter are more than welcomed. Send funnies, tips, or other content that may be of interest and you may see it in a future edition of SPLINTERS .
Newsletter Information
Splinters is a publication of the Tennessee Valley Woodworkers. For submissions, email editor, Richard Gulley (rgulley@retiree.utk.edu .)
Submissions to the newsletter are more than welcomed. Send funnies, tips, or other content that may be of interest to our membership, and you may see it in a future edition of SPLINTERS.