TENNESSEE VALLEY WOODWORKERS
December 17, 2019 Meeting

Carl Blumenthal opened the meeting at 6:30.

Visitors and newcomers were welcomed to the meeting.

Committee reports were presented.

Carvers reported that their next meeting is Saturday, Dec 21st at Jim Jolliffe’s shop.

Doyle McConnell reported Shop tours will resume after the New Year.

Treasurer Paul Jalbert noted that 2020 dues are due as of last month, so please pay yours if you haven’t.

Door prizes left by Woodline USA, last month’s program, were handed out via a number drawing. Mike Brodrick won a large skew chisel,  Doyle McConnell won a large hardwood board, Cindi Cooper won a router bit set and Darrell Albert won a router. Congratulations!!!

Paul Jalbert noted that the Executive Committee Meeting will be held in January. Paul is drafting next year’s budget and requested programs/seminars/event suggestions from the members. He asked that a description and estimated cost of the recommended activity be provided. Gary Runyon discussed a Purple Heart Project (PHP) led by Rob Cosman (robcosman.com) and that our club may want to support the cause. Carl noted that the idea needs to be presented to the Executive Board then a firm proposal presented to the Club.

The December 14th Christmas Party was a huge success! A suggestion was made as part of the gift exchange that the gift maker raise their hand after the gift is opened so the giver/recipient can connect. Discussion noted that the afternoon meeting time was good for all concerned.

The December Program was the Club’s Super Show and Tell.

Tom Guillard made two, 6” wood quilt blocks made with assorted woods in their natural colors. He used sketch up to design and finished them with lacquer. Tom also made 18” and 12” clock faces of painted plywood and one in a herringbone pattern, respectively. Tom’s herringbone patterned clock was inspired by fellow woodworker Jack Townsend. He also made a cherry pinwheel clock finished with lacquer.

Matt Brothers made a walnut bed frame with Stickley-inspired maple inlay. Both walnut slat and maple inlay parts were CNCd with beveled edges for tight mating. Matt suggested spray shellac application to the walnut part before milling so glue runout from the inlay mating won’t stick to finished surface. Once the glued parts dried the inlay excess was band-sawed from the walnut. The walnut was finish sanded and stained with lacquer.

Darren Earle made a very large Box Elder bowl that he turned on (previous owner) Tom McGill’s lathe. Once turned, the Box Elder was bleached twice with Clean Strip, then lacquer applied.

Doug Dunlap showed a 91-piece segmented bowl of oak, walnut and cherry. The bowl was finished with lacquer. He showed his table saw jig for making the segments. Doug also showed a basswood carved duck decoy from Blue Pau’s carving seminar a couple years ago. The decoy was finished with acrylic paints.

Paul Jalbert brought a 1/40th scale model of the Martin Mars JRM-1 seaplane, made from scratch from original drawings of the aircraft. The model has a wing span of 5 feet with a caricature pelican head and realistic pelican wing tip feathers. It weighs 5 pounds and was made from a single 2x4x8 pine board – the “2x4 Challenge”. The model was un-skinned to reveal the model’s wooden construction.

Jim Acord brought a Red Oak Ladderback Dining Chair made by Pat Acord’s Grandfather and Father in 1938 who lived in Myra, Kentucky. The chair was refinished by Jack Kincella and sprayed with Duralac Spray-On Flat Lacquer. The reed seat was done by Jack’s friend.

Darrell Albert showed three jewelry boxes he made. One box had Kingwood ends and Birdseye maple top and sides. The second was made from curly white oak with ebony inlay and pull; and walnut trays. The third was made from Cherry. He finished them with walnut oil and tung oil. One box also had a spray-on shellac finish.

Gary Runyon showed a Japanese Storage Box he made from Red/Ambrosia Maple. He finished his box with MinWax Antique Oil.

Carl Blumenthal showed a Medusa he carved from a found root. The carving was constrained by the root material available. He hand-carved and painted the snakes coming from Medusa’s head. Ken Gould made mounting brackets for the carving. Carl finished the carving with oil and wax. Carl also showed some pressure washed sculpture of found wood he had finished in oil and wax and backlit with remote control LED lights.

Vince Zaccardi showed a bowl he had turned a long time ago from an unknown wood. The finishing is in progress. He also shared a 12” sanding wheel jig that fits on his lathe. It allows him to use his tool rest to support his turnings for power sanding.

Chuck Taylor showed a sample of family Christmas gifts he made. He used pecan wood for pepper mills with oil & wax finish. He showed some small lidded pecan wood vessels finished with satin lacquer. He also showed pecan potpourri dishes finished in glass lacquer. When asked how he fit the lids so well, he shared that he turned the wood lid receiver as close as possible then sands the high spots on the pot metal lid for the final fit and finish. He showed a maple and cherry music box he made and finished with satin lacquer.

Ken Gould showed a cottonwood bark house he made with a fractal-burned red oak mounting plank. The Cottonwood bark was finished with Krylon matte spray. The plank was finished with baking soda/water and a clear coat of Krylon matte finish.

Fred Heltsley presented his “Tribute to YouTube”. He showed carbide turning tools, handles, and a Collet for long, thin finials. He also showed a Christmas ornament with a long, thin finial. The ornament was sanded through 1200 grit and finished in walnut oil and Krylon spray.

Mickey Knowles showed a walnut and holly inlay Tea Box. The inlay was shaded with hot sand and made with help by Tom Cowan and finished in satin lacquer. He also showed three turned ash limb candle stands for his fire place hearth finished in high gloss lacquer.

Mike Layfield showed a new router table insert and asked members who might have a precision drilling capability to help him drill holes in the insert plate.

Sam Clark made a box fan dust collector using a Walmart 20” box fan. Sam used the fan’s packing box for his wood housing pattern. He uses a washable filter to collect the dust and simply washes it out when it clogs. Sam also showed turned bird houses made from oak barn wood. He died them with aniline dye mixed with 4 drops of alcohol. He applied a lacquer finish.

Bill Guffey showed an apple wood salt grinder he turned as well as a turned apple wood ceiling fan pull. Both were finished with lacquer.

Richard Gulley used Vetric CNC software to make an engraved poplar and cherry wood sled. He applied accent paint and finished it with spray lacquer. He made a maple box for toilet paper storage. He made “Names of Christ” Ornaments CNC’d out of various woods. He also made a walnut box with 1/4” finger joints. The boxes and ornaments have not yet had finish applied.

Larry Wendland showed a box elder bowl he turned and finished with paste wax.

Clay & Cindi Cooper showed glass terrariums with pine wood lids that Clay made and Cindi wood burned and painted. They finished the lids with spray acrylic lacquer.

James Rice showed a trivet for hot pans made from alder and oak woods and finished in mineral oil. He showed the trivet had handles that allowed the trivet to be expanded to support casserole dishes.

Jim Jolliffe showed a couple of elves (Wiggins and Morgan) he carved as well as a relief carving called “Snow Days”. All were carved out of basswood and finished with boiled linseed oil, acrylic paint “wash”, satin lacquer, and antique liquid wax.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 with wishes of Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!