Category Archives: Newsletter

Newsletter Vol 36 / Issue 09

Greetings

For the “What I’m Thankful For” series, I’m going to re-plow some old ground. I think one of the first things I wrote about was good friends- especially those in the wood club. During the past several weeks I’ve come to realize how special it is to work with friends of like mind. Several came to my shop a few weeks ago and cut out parts for several bookcases for the Literacy Council. Vince was the job foreman and Paul Jalbert, Jim Joliffe, Mickey Knowles and myself made up the crew. The parts were taken to Henry Davis’ shop for assembly the next week. I was under the weather and stopped by just to see how they were doing. Henry Davis and Larry Wendland were in charge of quality control and Dennis Finney (good man) joined the crew above to assemble the bookcases. So, get together with a fellow club member and work on a project together. Working together turns acquaintances into friends and friends into friends for life.

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

August Meeting

We had a great time at the Annual August Auction. Over $1100 was raised for the club. The proceeds are used to lower the cost of seminars (and dues) as well as helping with community projects.

More info on dues coming at the September meeting.

September Meeting

We will have our next meeting on Tuesday, September 21st from 6:30-8:30.  Our program will be on segmented turning by Don Farr of Huntsville.

Our Fall picnic will be September 25th at Fall’s Mill. We will start setting up at 11:00 and eat lunch at 12:00. The club will provide BBQ and drinks and members should bring a favorite side or dessert for a fabulous potluck meal!!
Also, the mill and out buildings/displays (including the “new” schoolhouse) will be open for you to explore!
For directions and more information about Falls Mill, go to https://fallsmill.com

August Show & Tell

Here are the items that were shown in last month’s Zoom/Live meeting. See pictures in the online version.

Carl Blumenthal made a Man Cave stone sign out of sandstone quartzite for the evening’s auction.  This rock was personally quarried by him in Wisconsin and brought to TN. It is sandstone that transformed to quartzite. This rock is sand blasted with Aluminum Oxide sand. This graphic is unique to Carl and the first time he had ever had to do this, in which he had to blast the cave into the rock first which is all backwards from what he usually does. Usually, he blasts the words and stuff into the rock, not the surroundings. Then he had to paint the outside of the rock to give the cave look. After that he had to mask everything off except the TV, man, dish, table, and verbiage. Then he came back and blasted all that and painted it. This rock, after painted, gets washed to get all the remaining sand out of the rock.  Carl noted: To whomever acquires the rock: This rock can go outside or inside since he used a rock and concrete sealer to seal the pores to help prevent freezing water from splitting the rock or chipping out the paint.

Darren Earle showed a ~14” diameter box elder bowl that was initially turned by Tom Church in 2010.  Darren finished it in 2021 and was providing it for the auction.  The beautiful contrast of blond wood with red coloration was evident (again) after Darren turned it down recently. It is finished with paint sealer.

Jeremy Price showed a ~7” diameter cherry bowl that he turned early in his turning experience.  It was finished in Odie’s Oil and Odie’s Wax.

Chuck Taylor showed a maple and cherry music/jewelry box he made for the auction.  It has maple sides and bottom with a cherry lid and splines for the box sides. He finished it with lacquer.

Judy Bennett showed an intarsia flower she created early in her intarsia experience.  She used walnut, and maple for her project and finished it with spray-on poly.

Gary Bennett showed an oak bird house he made for the auction. He finished with poly.

Tom Gill showed turned carver’s mallet made from Black Locust and finished with wax.

Gary Runyon showed a turned, threaded acorn box made of a dogwood base and a cherry top. He also showed a turned, threaded needle box that had a wood-burned and painted flower design. His third piece was a cherry box with a slotted sliding lid.  All three were provided for the auction.

Darrell Albert made a chittum burl dish for the auction and finished it with walnut oil.

Clay Cooper brought a “Happy Campers” sign made of live edge walnut and sand blasted, painted, and sealed by Carl Blumenthal. Clay’s son takes it with him camping.

Jim Jolliffe showed a cottonwood bark Victorian Smiling Santa carving. He sprayed with 2 coats of rattle-can satin lacquer, added acrylic paint highlights and then sprayed it with two more coats of lacquer.

Internet Links of Interest

Wood magazine has a web page that recommends a wide variety of tools that are good quality yet affordable. 

Ever heard of a GRABO? I think I like it!! Check out these Izzy Swann YouTube videos –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNxj8_S4inQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYwtIWYpPvQ&t=605s

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!

Pete Miller sent this carving tip:
carving_tip

and this unique colored pencil “carving:

 

Sweeping Up

From Pinterest:

From Tom Gillard:

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 Vol 36 / Issue 08

Greetings

Thanks to Pete Miller for sending me these two points having to do with persistence (from Charles Stanley’s website.) I’m going to use them for my “What I’m Thankful For“ series.

  1. Learn the difference between being a failure and experiencing failure in life. —
    You’ve all heard of the all-purpose cleaner Formula 409. It’s named that because that’s how many attempts were made before the inventors were satisfied with the results. What if they had given up at #408?
  2. Learn that encountering difficulties and tests does not automatically mean we’re to change direction. —
    Once you’ve set a goal, focus on the end result. You may have to occasionally change course, but keep your eye on the destination.

The comments after the two points above are mine and, generally, hold true. I’m thankful that persistence usually overcomes difficulties. However, there are always exceptions. Case in point – “If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving may not be for you.”

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

July Meeting

The July meeting was my first meeting back. We had to meet in the library instead of H111. There were some difficulties getting folk hooked up to the Zoom meeting but Jim kept calm and worked things out. All in all, it felt good to meet with fellow woodworkers. See you August 17th.

LIVE/Zoom Meeting August 17

We will have our next meeting on Tuesday, August 17th from 6:30-8:30.  Our program will be the Annual Auction to benefit the club treasury. So look around the shop for duplicate tools or items you’ve made and we’ll have a great sale! The proceeds help to keep our dues low and enables the club to assist with various community projects.

Please send Show & Tell pictures and information requested below to the email address below. This will save time getting pictures ready for the meeting.

By Sunday, August 15th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your Show & Tell items to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com 
Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

July Show & Tell

Here are the items that were shown in last month’s Zoom/Live meeting. See pictures in the online version.

Mickey Knowles showed a spalted hackberry bowl he turned. He showed a hackberry cheese tray and glass dome.  He showed a walnut hanging blanket stand.  All were finished in sanding sealer and lacquer.  The walnut blanket stand also had walnut stain.  He showed a roughly 2 inch thick piece of stump he tried to turn into a bowl.  After rough turning, he put the piece in a bag with the chips.  When he went to retrieve it, the warping and splitting were beyond repair. Several suggested he simply sign his name to it as a unique, one-of-a-kind piece.  Another suggested adding a clock movement and hanging it on the wall.

Chuck Taylor showed a finished pepper mill and one in progress made from spalted maple. He also showed a live edge bowl made from apple wood with beautiful grain.  All pieces were finished in walnut oil and wax.

John Hartin showed some four beautiful lidded bowls he recently turned. One lidded bowl was solid cherry.  He discussed the form of turning lidded bowls and “The Golden Ratio” for turning vases and bowls.  The second lidded bowl was made from maple with a dark textured rim around the bowl body.  The third bowl was made of a cherry bottom and a different type of wood top with a very unique textured top (made of glue and tissue paper, aka “toilet paper and snot”).  The fourth lidded bowl was made of a blond wood with a natural finish. The bowls were finished with a cabinet grade lacquer then buffed out.

Judy Bennett showed an intarsia barn and birdhouse she made.  She emphasized that she uses a large wood variety to match her project’s features and that she rarely stains any wood with other than natural stain.  Once exception were the barn windows and open door.  She stained those a dark walnut color to provide the shadow.  She used walnut, mahogany, poplar and cedar for her projects and finished them with spray-on poly.

Bob Brown showed a picture book of woodworking projects he built for his kids and grandkids. The kids and grandkids made the scrapbook for him to show his work. The projects were too large to bring to show and tell and scattered throughout his children and grandchildren’s homes.  The book’s entry included pictures of him as a youngster, “The little boy from Jackson County”.  The projects were of large variety and all beautiful!
(Pic1, Pic2, Pic3, Pic4, Pic5, Pic6, Pic7, Pic8, Pic9, Pic10, Pic11, Pic12, Pic13, Pic14, Pic15)

Jim Jolliffe showed a finished cottonwood bark carving of Christ with Crown of Thorns he carved as part of a Zoom Seminar with instructor Alec LaCasse.  He added honey locust thorns to the carved crown vines as carving small, fragile thorns was impossible (in his mind!). He sprayed with 2 coats of rattle-can satin polyurethane.

Fred Heltsey brought an “Impossible Triangle” he and his grandkids made during their stay at “Camp Jewel’s”.  The triangle is an optical illusion made of three pieces of wood that are not connected as a triangle.  It is quick to make but challenging to position so it looks like a continuously outlined triangle.
(Pic1, Pic2, Pic3, Pic4, Pic5, Pic6)

Gary Bennett asked for support to make 18 identical balusters for a friend’s railing as he didn’t have a duplicator lathe.  The membership provided Dean Lutes’ name to Gary as a possible solution.

Larry Wendland mentioned that a vendor named Starbond makes reasonably priced high-quality CA glue and guarantees it for 2 years if kept in the refrigerator below 40 degrees.

Internet Links of Interest

  • Fine Woodworking has compiled a plethora of articles about hand planes on their site.

https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/handplanes

Note: There may be a limit to how much you can view without an account.

  • Wanna see a $40,000 puzzle pedestal? It’s probably not overpriced!

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2021/07/12/craig-thibodeaus-holy-grail-puzzle-cabinet

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!

 Sweeping Up

From Pinterest:

    

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 Vol 36 / Issue 07

Greetings

Have you ever heard the phrase “And this too shall pass”? Well, that phrase is what I’m thankful for this month. It seems we’ve been going through more than our share of aches, pains, and doctor visits lately. So, we fall back on “This too shall pass.” Like Tennessee weather, if you don’t like it, just wait; it will change.

That frame of mind can help get us through some tough times, if we just hold on. But, like every coin, there are two sides. What if you’re going through good times? Unfortunately, “This too shall pass” still applies. So, appreciate the good times while they’re here.

I’ll wrap this up with a quote from Jake Hess – “No matter what you’re going through, it’s either going to get better, get worse, or stay about the same.”

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

 June Meeting

I really hated missing the first face to face meeting. I had worked in the garden for two days (it had been wet for two weeks.) I couldn’t move for a couple days. From all reports I’ve gotten, a good time was had by all.

LIVE/Zoom Meeting July 20

We will have our next meeting on Tuesday, July 20th from 6:30-8:30.  For the program Gary Runyon will demonstrate how he makes threaded needle boxes.

Please send pictures and information requested below to the email address below. This will save time getting pictures ready for Show & Tell.

By Sunday, July 18th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your Show & Tell items to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com 
Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

June Show & Tell

Here are the items that were shown in last month’s Live/Zoom meeting. 

Chris Sauder noted Mickey Knowles told him he needed to get a lathe.  So he did.  He showed some beautiful bowls made of Hackberry, Spalted Hackberry, Birch and Leland Cypress.   All were finished with sanding sealer.  He also showed a finished ukulele he made for one of the grandkids from a kit.  He inserts a penny in the headstock from the year of construction. He wood burns his initials on the back of the headstock.  The Ukulele was finished with a water-based stain hand hand-rubbed wax.

Karen Browning showed a Red Bud Vase with natural edges and features.  She finished it in 3 coats of water-based poly.  She also showed a turned tea-light candlestick of unknown, unfinished wood.

Gary Runyon showed a sample of the 20 turned and threaded needle boxes he made from hickory, pecan, bloodwood, mesquite, and bocote rosewood. He finished them with micro-crystalline shellac lacquer.  He showed interesting threaded Acorn Shaped Boxes with dogwood bases and textured cherry tops finished with Doctor’s Woodshop Walnut Oil and Microcrystal Paste Wax.  He also showed an example of the 9 storage boxes he made from a variety of cherry, oak and walnut and finished with MinWax Antique Oil.  Gary also showed a Tansu Style Box he made with Ambrosia Maple using a woodworking plan.  Gary has made several of these interesting storage boxes. He finished the Tansu style box with MinWax Antique Oil.

Darrel Albert showed three pieces made from Chittum Burl and finished in walnut oil.  The two “ladle” type pieces were made from a tree that had 42 burls on it!  The burl dish came from a chittum stump. (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3)

Geoff Roehm showed a handy router jig for cutting accurate scarf joints for guitar necks.

Pete Miller sent pictures of watercolor painting tracings he did June 6th. One will stay black and white and Pete will add will add flesh tones, fingernail color and do the robe on the other. He used a design that he traced on the paper for the painting. He is not free-handing this stuff yet like real artists do. He has two on-line courses to do to learn how to good watercolor paintings. Pete wanted to do painting as one of the club members at the spoon carving workshop said it would enhance his wood burnings. COVID and a Christmas gift gave him the chance to try painting on paper and wood.

Loyd Ackerman showed a great variety of the work he produced over the pandemic period.  He showed a variety of wood turnings he made during 2020-2021.  He showed a walnut serving tray he made in Nov 20.  In Oct 20, Loyd made a bean bag toss (aka corn hole) game for his son who is an avid Alabama fan.  He made a sofa table out of cherry for his daughter in Aug 20.  He made a walnut and poplar side table.  He noted the poplar choice was because he ran out of walnut.  He glazed/finished/repeated the poplar to match the walnut and felt over many iterations the wood colors matched well.  He showed a custom child study desk built in Dec 20 to his 9-year-old granddaughter’s specification to support her remote learning.  The desk is made of maple with a lacquer finish. He also showed a butler’s tray.

Darren Earle showed some lumber he’s been milling since retiring from his previous profession and buying a portable saw mill.  He showed some large slabs of ash he milled and then cut into bowl blanks.  The ash tree was over 250 years old and the “limb” was 29” in diameter!  The limb had fallen off but the tree was still standing and the State Arborist came out to document the tree (after some coaxing…).  Darren showed some raised garden bed boxes he made for his wife.  The bottoms were made from black locust and the sides from red cedar. (Pic1, Pic2)  He told of a lady who had a log cabin and tobacco barn on her property who wanted a mantle for the cabin’s fireplace.  She asked for walnut but Darren suggested that she use some of the American Chestnut logs loose on the porch as it would match the cabin.  She agreed.  He took a log home and milled it and noticed it was not American Chestnut, but Poplar! The difference in this poplar log was that it had over 130 growth rings in the slab!  He did some research and noted poplar used to grow very slowly.  One can’t find that type of poplar anymore.  His final pictures were of a maple burl in raw form and the burl on the lathe.  He noted that the “bumps” in the burl were made from mistletoe “haustorium” that grows between the maple cells to attach itself and nourish itself by siphoning off some of the maple tree’s water.  The mistletoe does not hurt the tree.  It does provide very interesting effects on the maple burl.

Jim Jolliffe showed a finished cottonwood bark carving of a native American in a wolf headdress that he had sprayed with three coats of rattle can lacquer then added acrylic highlights.  Once highlighted, he sprayed with matte lacquer and applied Watco’s Liquid Wax (natural color) and buffed it out. (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3)

John Hartin showed two magnolia bowls he had turned. (Pic1, Pic2)

Internet Links of Interest

This is not a woodworking link but may be of interest to any computer wannabees. In the course of compiling the newsletter, I had to extract pictures from the PowerPoint Jim sent me. The tedious way is one by one. But at the site below there’s a video that explains how to extract them all at once. Huge time saver.

https://puffingston.com/blog/extract-images-powerpoint-insertion-prezi-digital-resources/

From WOOD Magazine-
A video showing the differences between red and white oak. And why one is better than the other for outdoor projects.
https://www.woodmagazine.com/video/red-vs-white-oak 

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!

Sweeping Up

From Pinterest:

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 Vol 36 / Issue 06

Greetings

As you read this you will note that it’s late. I didn’t realize 3rd Tuesday was early this month (as early as it can possibly be – the 15th.) So I’m sitting here on Thursday the 10th composing a newsletter.

I don’t know if I included a “What I’m Thankful For” item last month, but here’s an unusual one for you – I’m thankful that I’m Soooo BUSY! I was thinking the other day how nice it would be to have nothing to do. Then I realized having nothing to do would mean no friends and neighbors that knew they could call on me for help. No church property or church family that needed my attention. Or possibly not busy because my health did not allow me to do the things I love to do. The final reason I’m glad I have a long To-do list – Why should God leave you hanging around if you don’t have anything to do?

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

Great News From UTSI

This month Tennessee Valley Woodworkers will be meeting face to in H111 (as well as the online Zoom meeting.)! It’s been a long time (over a year) but things are getting back to normal. Thanks to Governor Lee and the folks at UTSI for opening these facilities and allowing us to meet again. Looking forward to seeing you all.

LIVE/Zoom Meeting June 15

We will have our next meeting on Tuesday, June 15th from 6:30-8:30.  The program will be a Super Show & Tell. You can bring new items or things you’ve show in past newsletters and Zoom meetings. We’d like to see the items up close and personal. Please sent pictures and requested information to the email address below. This will save time getting pictures ready for Show & Tell.

You can join the Zoom meeting by following the instructions below:

  1. By Sunday, June 13th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your Show & Tell items to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com 
    Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

May Show & Tell

Here are the items that were shown in last month’s Zoom meeting. 

Gary Runyon showed homemade hand planes he made from hard rock maple, cherry and Texas ebony and finished with Minwax Antique Oil Finish.  Most of the plane blades were made from O1 tool steel and hardened by Gary.  He noted that tool steel can be purchased through several online tool steel sources including McMaster-Carr and others.  He offered to help fellow club members with this project.  Please contact Gary if interested.

Peter Hunter showed a Wig Stand he turned for donation to a Chemotherapy Patient.  He used hard maple for the stand’s base and top and cherry for the spindle.  He applied three coats of polymerized linseed oil as the finish.  He explained that the polymerized linseed oil repels moisture from the wig and doesn’t leech oil into the wig.  As part of the project, Peter also made a #1 Morse Taper to hold his turnings.  He had a jig to turn the #1 Morse taper exactly to the plan form. (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3)

Internet Links of Interest

Pete Miller sent me this link for inexpensive pen kits –
http://www.penkitsmall.com/ – However, this is a Chinese website and they ask you to register as a member before you can browse the site. We’ll let Pet tell us more about his experience with theses folk.

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!

 Sweeping Up

From Pinterest:

Short n sweet, but that’s all for this month.
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 Vol 36 / Issue 05

Greetings

This newsletter creeped up on me. First it was more than two weeks away and now it’s past due. If time flies when you’re having fun, I must be having a hilarious time.

My monthly “What I’m Thankful For” item is a no brainer – Friends. Some of my favorite friends are a direct result of belonging to Tennessee Valley Woodworkers. I’ve kept my sanity through a very strange year by working with good folk like Jack Kincella, Vince Zaccardi, Henry Davis, Dean Lutes, and many more. I’ll be glad when we can meet face to face again.

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

Great News From UTSI

Starting next month Tennessee Valley Woodworkers will be able to meet face to face in H111 again! It’s been a long time (over a year) but things may be getting back to normal. Thanks to Governor Lee and the folks at UTSI for opening these facilities and allowing us to meet again. I’m sure there will be more news during the Zoom meeting.

Zoom Meeting May 18

We will have our next Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, May 18th from 6:30-8:30.  The program will be three short videos evolving from last month’s meeting – videos on a simple work bench plan, how-to sharpen hand plane blades and How to Build a Krenov Style Block Plane.

Please join us by following the instructions below to:

  1. By Sunday, April 20th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your Show & Tell items to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com 
    Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

 April Show & Tell

Here are the items that were shown in last month’s Zoom meeting.

Pete Miller showed pens he’s turned from acrylics and finished with one step acrylic friction polish.  Pete noted during his lessons learned that turning acrylics is different than wood, especially if wood has been placed in the acrylic. The wood seemed not to be completely adhered to the acrylic material and he had a blowout even though he applied CA glue to try and stop blowout. He learned about blowout when drilling the blank even though he used a bit designed for acrylic.  The blowout occurred when the bit went through the acrylic. Pete changed to a brad point bit and had no blow out.  He also noted when you are turning a pen and start to take the acrylic down to the bushing size GO SLOW because when you start to round the blank on the ends to meet the bushing size it could grab and cause the blank to chip. Lastly, Pete learned keep your tools really sharp as it makes a difference and once the blank is rounded you start to get nice acrylic ribbons coming off the blank. During the Q&A, fellow turners supported the use of very sharp carbide turning tools for acrylics.

Loyd Ackerman showed a TV Credenza, 66”L x 18”D x 22”H made of Oak Plywood and solid Oak.  He applied Min-Wax Golden Oak Stain and Satin Lacquer for the finish.  Loyd recommended for finishing that a period of several days between staining and applying lacquer to allow the stain solvent to evaporate. Loyd shared a lesson learned when using rare earth magnets for latches.  Don’t forget to confer with a Club member for advice when matching magnets on the door and the carcass frame “catch”.  The Tip from Advisor/Wood Club Member Chuck Taylor: Be sure to watch magnet polarity, so the magnets hold the door instead of repelling the door.  Critical information to know before gluing the magnets in the door and the carcass frame!

Richard Gulley and Vince Zaccardi collaborated on a pair of oak Mission Style Tables for use on the recently remodeled UTSI Auditorium Stage.  Loyd Ackerman assisted with the table plans.  The stain used was Mohawk Honey recommended by Jack Kincella.   Jack applied a glaze to cover some worm holes/tracks and sprayed with a satin finish. The Mohawk Honey is an oil-based stain and works very well.  It has a reducer if the user wants to lighten the stain.  Mohawk has a tremendous shade variety and, while costly, it is very easy to apply.  Table construction was basically mortise and tenon done on a pantorouter. The project was started long ago (about the time we did the auditorium hand rails.) But there were delays then COVID and, well, that says it all. Richard planned to deliver the first of next week.

Internet Links of Interest

Pete Miller sent me this – Interesting CA glue product. Never saw it before and thought the club might be interested. 

https://fb.watch/531XFIz9Hi/

Several links from Kreg’s Build Something website.

One more link. How would you like to have a dart board where you never miss? Take a look at this – you’ll be amazed! (Or maybe I have a low threshold of amazement.)

https://www.markroberbuildinstructions.com/auto-bullseye

TVW YouTube Channel

Sorry I haven’t followed through on the video posting. I thought the problem was not enough hours in the day. I’ve had to revise that theory. I think it’s a case of not having the endurance to take advantage of the hours available.

 Here’s the link to our channel –

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBMvw434qQ5ND7wjeWat3w/

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!

 Sweeping Up

This from Jim Jolliffe:

“You might be a woodcarver if you strop your knives while you wait for the blood to stop flowing.”

I found these two on Pinterest –

That’s all for this month. 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 Vol 36 / Issue 04

Greetings

If you read the local newspapers, you all probably know I’ve been a little more than occupied. I’m filing city politics under “This too shall pass.” I’m also practicing being silent. I can already be silent in seven different languages!

As to my “What I’m Thankful For” resolution, I’m thankful for all I learned in VBS and Sunday School when I was a child – God is Great, God is Good (All the time!)

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

Zoom Meeting April 20

We will have our next Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, April 20th from 6:30-8:30.  The program will be on hand cut dovetails.

Please join us by following the instructions below to:

  1. By Sunday, April 20th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your Show & Tell items to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com 
    Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

March Show & Tell

Here are the items that were shown in last month’s Zoom meeting.

Karen Browning showed various maple and cherry turnings she completed at Doyle McConnell’s shop.  The turnings were finished with lacquer. (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3)

Denis Urbanczik presented four projects he recently completed.  The first was a compost bin storage container made of Eastern Cedar and finished in teak oil.  The second was a hard pine sofa frame refinishing project. Finish was not yet applied.  Denis noted the effort took a lot of paint stripper to remove the original finish. That takes us to the next small piece he made/invented — scraped finish collecting tool. PS: Hats off to all the restorers out there, this was a lot of work! Denis used a piece of pallet oak and old ballast casing.  He finished the oak piece with teak oil. It performed well!  The fourth and final piece was an upgrade to his router table fence.  He replaced the melamine fence with quarter sawn oak and finished it with mineral oil.

Loyd Ackerman Oak Box with CNC V-Carved Name “Wendell” in Top.  The box is 8.5” l x 5.25” w x 4.25” h and constructed of short thin Red Oak (maybe) wood pieces provided by Wendell.  The finish is rattle can lacquer.  His lesson learned is to smile when someone gives you inferior wood

Internet Links of Interest

I only have one link for you this month, but it’s AMAZING!

https://archive.org/

You can search the history of over 555 billion web pages on the Internet. You know, those web sites that used to be there but aren’t anymore. Even better, there’s books (I saw a lot of genealogy stuff), music (I listened to some Grateful Dead – there’s whole concerts). There’s just too much too even tell you about. WARNING! This site may connect you to a black hole – it may be hard to return to the real time/space continuum.

TVW YouTube Channel

Sorry I haven’t followed through on the video posting. I seem to be running out of day before I run out of “To Do’s”.

 Here’s the link to our channel –

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBMvw434qQ5ND7wjeWat3w/

 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!

 Sweeping Up

I’ve found that no matter where I stand in the kitchen, that’s where my wife needs to be. With that in mind, I submit this bit of wisdom –

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 Vol 36 / Issue 03

Greetings

We’re a little closer to getting back to a “normal” meeting. Remember “Normal”? Anyhow, this month will be a Zoom meeting, but it will originate from H111 at UTSI.

As to my “What I’m Thankful For” resolution, I’m thankful for SPRING! Our daffodils are in their “glory” stage. Day lilies and hostas are not far behind. I know lawn mowing and garden chores are coming too, but, in it’s own way, that’s a blessing too.

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

 Zoom Meeting March 16

We will have our next Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, March 16th from 6:30-8:30.  The program will be on combining epoxy and wood to create a stunning tabletop.

Please join us by following the instructions below to:

  1. By Sunday, February 14th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your Show & Tell items to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com 
    Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

  1. If you don’t have Zoom installed, you need to download and install the application to your computer before meeting time. Go to https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting and download/install the Zoom Client for Meetings.
  2. On Tuesday, March 16th, join the Zoom meeting any time after 6 PM. Use the following link or the link sent to you by email.https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89242855320?pwd=VDJtL1RRWFZmaXBmQ3JJSHRxNWFRQT09

Looking forward to our next Zoom Meeting!

 February Show & Tell

Here are the items that were shown in last month’s Zoom meeting.

Chuck Taylor showed a Cherry Memory Box from “thinking” to “finished” stage.  He discussed the construction including the vanishing joint on the drawer front.  He noted the drawer linings were adhesive backed felt.  The Memory Box was finished with satin lacquer.  He said this was the 12th or 13th memory box he has made in his shop.

Loyd Ackerman showed five projects, four of which were from materials already resident in his shop.  The first was one of four Maple Recipe Boxes for his grandchildren to store recipes from their Grandmother.  The first recipe box is completed but hasn’t had finish applied yet.  Ultimately all will be lacquer.  His second project was left over glass candles: two 5” candles and one 3” candle.  He got this inspiration from wondering what to do with unused glass candles and scrap wood.  He used some un-used segmented rings and a chunk of walnut sapwood.  He saves segmented rings that aren’t used in vessels. That’s how he had rings for these projects. They all have a lacquer finish.

His third project was 3 Make-Up Brushes turned and assembled for his granddaughter finished in lacquer.  Loyd’s fourth project was Maple Bowl #410 made from Red Maple.  The bowl is 5 ½” Diameter x 2” high and finished with lacquer and wax.

Loyd’s fifth project was a Shelf Unit for Cast Iron Cookware. Loyd’s son is a chef who collects cast iron cookware and needed a sturdy storage unit for it.  He made the Shelf Unit from three, 2” x 10” x 10’ boards.  The shelves were cut and milled to 1 ¼” thickness. The uprights had dado joints cut ¼” deep to hold shelves.  He used 2 ½” Screws to hold shelves in and primed the entire unit with Kilz.  His lesson learned was that he should have primed the parts before assembly because the painting would have been much easier!

Jim Jolliffe showed a Bench Top dust collector he made for light power carving and woodburning in his shop.  He’s always wanted one and rushed to build it in advance of shoulder surgery that would limit his normal carving activities.  The dust collector is built around an old, small squirrel cage fan motor that was 12”w x 12”d x 17”h.  The enclosure is 22”w x 19”d x 13”h.  The width and height accepts a 12” x 20” x 1” air filter.  The depth of the enclosure houses both the motor and a short, 6” deep air intake.  The base was made from 3/4” plywood  and the sides were made from 3/8” plywood.  The top has a rectangular opening to accommodate the motor exhaust vent.  A 4” circular x 90 degree elbow is connected to the exhaust to vent it toward the rear of the enclosure and also draw ambient air in the direction of the intake Three 12” deep clear Plexiglas walls were cut to fit the top and the sides of the air intake.   This allows the work piece to be placed in the enclosure to maximize dust/fumes collection.  The Plexiglas walls are affixed to the enclosure by adhesive Velcro strips.  This allows them to be stored flat in the intake opening for transport/storage.  Additional Velcro strips are placed on the top and sides closest to the user so the top can be adjusted up or down to decrease/increase air intake.  Jim wired the motor and an accessory “zip strip” to two switches to control the operation.  A lesson learned is that the zip strip already had an on/off switch so an additional switch was unnecessary for it.  He had the motor, wire and wood for the project so only had to buy the Plexiglas, Velcro, Air Filter and Zip Strip.  No finish was applied at the time of the Show and Tell as the device was completed the night before surgery.

Internet Links of Interest

*Take a look at these shop tips from Wood magazine.

*Inspired by last month’s program, I came across this link from Woodcraft on how to build a 3-in-1 shooting board. (Also, note the risers the author is using during the construction – very interesting.) The article can be downloaded as a PDF.

TVW YouTube Channel

This month’s program video of Jack Kincella and Tom Gillard doing the epoxy pour will be posted to YouTube after the monthly meeting. Here’s the link to our channel –

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBMvw434qQ5ND7wjeWat3w/

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!

 Sweeping Up

For you outdoors folk —

(Note: I have a relative who has like a $100K camper. He spent a small fortune, but lives like a king! 😊

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 Vol 36 / Issue 02

Greetings

I think last month’s Zoom meeting was a success. Several of you joined in and it was good to see those that attended. Some commented that they liked the Zoom format. They didn’t have to get out and travel on a cold, dark night. Some were able to show large pieces they had made for their home. It would have been very difficult to bring those items to an “in person” meeting. I agree that there are good points to the Zoom format, and I certainly agree Zoom is better than no meeting. But I long for the day when we can meet face to face.

That reminds of my New Year’s resolution – I want to focus on something I’m thankful for each month of 2021. Last month it was for a Heavenly Father who watches over His children. This month it’s for family and friends. I count you all as friends and we’re also family – the Tennessee Valley Woodworkers family!

Now let’s get started with Splinters!

 Zoom Meeting February 16

We will have our next Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, February 16th from 6:30-8:30.  The program will be on the use of a shooting board. If you’re not familiar with the term you really need to attend. Please join us by following the instructions below to:

  1. By Sunday, February 14th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your Show & Tell items to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com 
    Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

  1. If you don’t have Zoom installed, you need to download and install the application to your computer before meeting time. Go to https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting and download/install the Zoom Client for Meetings.
  2. On Tuesday, February 16th, join the Zoom meeting any time after 6 PM. Use the following link or the link sent to you by email.
    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87608476929?pwd=YUZpbjNhQS9wU0dBZC9vRTZYYWZBQT09 

Looking forward to our next Zoom Meeting!

January Show & Tell

We’re changing the Show & Tell section back to pre COVID days. That is, the Show & Tell section will consist of what was shown in the previous months consist of items shown at the previous meeting. The following items were things shown at the January Zoom meeting, but not in the January SPLINTERS.

Gary Runyon has been working on many projects since our last meeting!  He discussed his progress on hand cut dovetail joinery and showed pictures of pine and cherry dovetails from the first one to a later one.  As a result of his practice, he is getting consistently good ones now.  Gary showed us finger jointed boxes with sliding lids made of cherry, black walnut and white oak and finished in Minwax Antique Oil Finish.  The finger joints were cut on a three-axis router.  Gary showed three threaded acorn boxes with dogwood bottoms and cherry tops and finished with Briwax.  He also showed a Tanto style tool/storage box made of ambrosia maple and finished with Minwax Antique Oil Finish.  He showed a CD storage box also out of ambrosia maple made with finger joints and finished with Minwax Antique Oil Finish. His final project was 18th Century style tape looms made from cherry and finished with Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

Allen Odell shared four Christmas elves he carved out of basswood for his grandkids.  He finished them in colored pencils and spray lacquer.  Judy Bennett noted that she uses oil paint pencils for finishes similar to Allen’s pencils and will share her pencil source with the club.   Allen noted that the project was fun in Jim’s shop but his wife said to keep carving!

Fred Heltsey shared some of the gifts he has made for his kids, their spouses, and grandkids.  First was a red cedar mug turned from a 4×4 air dried post.  He added CA glue to seal some cracks and finished it with 3 coats of wipe-on spar varnish and micro crystalline wax.  He learned that CA glue dries before you can coat large areas in one sitting; so apply thin coat in single passes with small pieces of paper towel; repeat using a fresh towel piece for each pass; and DO NOT overlap passes!  Fred showed turned candle sticks made from 100-year-old Douglas Fir 3”x14” floor joists for 1.5” pillar candles.  He finished them with 3 coats wipe-on CA glue and noted, like the mug, CA glue dries before you can coat large areas in one sitting.  Fred showed three turned Christmas ornaments.  One had a spalted maple ball and sycamore finials; one with a royal paulownia ball and black walnut finials; and one with a Wisteria ball and apple wood finials.  All were finished with 3 thin coats of wipe-on CA glue.  Again, you need be aware that CA glue dries fast so you need to limit the amount of surface area you finish at a time. Fred turned a button lidded box with a black walnut lid and a box bottom made from a 100-year-old yellow pine 2×12 floor joist.  The lid insert was made from sycamore.  The lid and insert were finished with walnut oil and the base was finished with spar varnish and Johnson Wax.  The lesson learned on this turning is to drill the lid holes before hollowing as he didn’t on this one and had to add the lid insert to cover backside tear-out.  Fred also turned a long-handled scoop and a pair of short-handled scoops from windfall red cedar.  He finished them with multiple coats of walnut oil and noted that the scoop walls were thicker than he intended. Fred showed 33 shadow-copied stair baluster finials turned from a 100-year-old red oak 2×4 stud and finished with Brush-On Minwax Satin Penetrating Stain, then 3 thin coats of brush on spar varnish.  He noted the shadow-copy method is fast and accurate and that, even though it took 4 lathe setups, he could turn a square blank to a finished finial in 6 minutes!  Fred showed “String Steadies” made from 3/4” plywood, screws and cotton string.  No finish was applied.  They work very well to safely hold thin finials and are easy to set up. Fred offered to demonstrate the shadow-copy method as a future program.

Patrick Murphy showed a 10” high decorative optical illusion created for his physics students from black walnut and cherry.  He finished the piece with Clear Satin spray varnish.   He got the idea from a YouTube video.  The “floating” component is suspended by small chains.  John Hartin noted that the sum of the moments connecting the “floating piece” to the “mounted piece” need to be equal to zero for this “illusion” to work. Fred Heltsey noted that chairs have been made with rope instead of chains but the chains work better for the “illusion” because they don’t stretch like rope.

Jim Jolliffe showed a Victorian Moon Santa and Star carved out of basswood and finished with boiled linseed oil, acrylic paint, Deft Semi-Gloss spray lacquer, and liquid wax.  The carving design was based on a 2D painting.  He noted that he hadn’t held a carving piece in his hand for a while.  To use both hands for carving, it was a challenging effort to clamp the Moon shape to carve details.  He used a carving arm and vice-grip type clamps to secure work for some final details like the holly, cap texture and beard texture.

When we asked if anyone else had something to show, Clay and Cindi Cooper used their tablet computer to show a live edge table, sideboard (which can convert to a bar) and mirror in their home.  The pieces were beautifully constructed by Clay with woodburning accents by Cindi. We noted that these pieces were able to be seen via Zoom and they wouldn’t be hauled into an “in person” meeting. (no pictures available.)

Internet Links of Interest

*This link was sent by Pete Miller. You can send a Valentine’s Day greeting to one of the kids at St. Jude’s Hospital. Thanks for the link Pete!

https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/other-ways/valentines-day.html

* This link about sharpening saw blades is from Wood magazine. https://www.woodmagazine.com/tool-reviews/tablesaws/regain-your-edge?did=600377-20210121&utm_campaign=wood-online_newsletter&utm_source=woodmagazine.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=012121&cid=600377&mid=49250283056

A Sharpening service in TN –

Byler Saw Shop
1661 Cedar Creek Road
Vanleer, TN  37181
615-763-6227

Website – https://www.bylerindustrialtool.com/

TVW YouTube Channel

No new video this month, but there will be more to come. As an alternative, here’s a video from Stumpy Nubs about 10 cheap cool tools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fz8JfhD0h0  

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!

 Sweeping Up

Pete Miller sent me this one —

That’s all for this month. 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 Vol 36 / Issue 01

Greetings

December has been a trying month for the Gulley family. I tested positive for COVID-19 a couple days before Christmas. Later my daughter and grandson also succumbed. Christmas was postponed and everyone was in quarantine. We’re finally having Christmas tonight (Jan 12th.) But the good news is, everyone survived! Even better good new, 2020 is behind us. And while 2021 isn’t off to a roaring start, it’s a new year and holds the promise of what we make it. So find yourself a plan and head toward the shop.

But first, let’s get started with Splinters!

Zoom Meeting January 19

We will have our first Zoom Meeting and Super Show and Tell on Tuesday, January 19th from 6:30-8:30.  Please join us by following the instructions below to:

  1. By Sunday, January 17th – Provide pictures and descriptions of your “Super Show & Tell” items by Sunday, January 17th to tnvalleywoodworkers@gmail.com or jajollife@aol.com. Descriptive information for each photo/related set of photos should include:

Woodworker Name: 
Project Name:
Wood(s)/Materials Used: 
Finishes applied:
Lessons Learned (if any): 

  1. To join this meeting, you need to download and install the Zoom application to your computer before meeting time. Go to https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting and download/install the Zoom Client for Meetings.
  2. On Tuesday, January 19th, join the Zoom meeting any time after 6 PM. Use the following link or the link sent to you by email.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89203501872?pwd=ZFI3S1dqajRnTEhiWnE3aVpXc2VTUT09

  Once there, simply click on the link below “Join Zoom Meeting” to join the meeting.  The Zoom app will ask if you want to “Open zoom.us”.  Click on the “Open zoom.us” button and a window will open with your camera showing you only and a highlighted button to “Join with Video”.  Select this option to “enter” the meeting room.  Once you’re in, you see In the lower left corner of the window a microphone icon with a red line (UnMute) over it and video camera with a red line (Start Video) over it.  If you click on each icon, the sound and video will come on for you.  In the upper right hand corner, you will see a set of 9 squares in a 3×3 pattern.  Click and hold on it and it will give you the option of a “gallery” or “speaker” view.  I recommend “gallery” view.  No special passwords or meeting information is required!

Looking forward to our first Zoom Meeting!

January Show & Tell

Several folks have sent me pictures of what they’ve been working on during the pandemic. The pictures can be seen on the website Gallery and links are in the online newsletter.

Walt Elliott – Walt says “As a new member and a new woodworker, I am amazed at the talent of so many members!

My woodturning background consisted of turning 2 bowls–one with the help of a friend from Athens TN a few years ago and one with the help of Doyle McConnell after moving to Manchester — both done on their lathes. It was so enjoyable, I started looking for a used Powermatic lathe and when the pandemic hit, took the plunge and bought a new one in May 2020. Since then, I’ve turned about 30 bowls: learning mainly from trial and error and YouTube videos.

I’m definitely still on a big learning curve but am really enjoying it. And looking forward to when the club can resume meetings.

Although not done within the last month, attached are a few examples–all done since last May. The bowls range from just over 3″ diameter to just under 17″ diameter and from just over 1″ deep to almost 7″ deep.” (Pic1Pic2Pic3Pic4)

Richard Gulley – Last month I showed pictures of an unfinished CNC carving the I made for Jack Kincella’s church. My wife liked it so much, I made her one for a Christmas present. Jack was kind enough to finish it for me and he did a great job, as usual.

Loyd Ackerman – Loyd says “The need for an organizer in my den drove me to this design.  It has 10 drawers for storing the odds and ends in an organized manner.  I’ve included a map/index to tell what’s in each drawer.  The drawing from Sketchup is beside the picture I took in the shop.  The other shot is in my closet storage area. ”

 Loyd also sent a picture of Christmas presents sitting on the dining room table ready to be wrapped.  He says the open bowl [left front] decided to stay on his display shelf.  Some things just call out to you.

Ross Roepke – Ross has been a member of the club for many years and has been as prolific as any hobby woodworker I have known. Ross sent me just a small sample of projects he has made over the past 25 years and given to friends, family, and charities. (Pic1Pic2Pic3Pic4Pic5Pic6Pic7Pic8Pic9Pic10Pic11Pic12Pic13, , Pic15Pic16Pic17Pic18Pic19Pic20Pic21Pic22Pic23Pic24Pic25Pic26Pic27Pic28Pic29Pic30Pic31)

Vince Zaccardi – Vince was commissioned to make several crosses (the number kept increasing.) Vince and I enjoyed working on the crosses together. They’re made of cherry. The text is CNCed and the joinery is mortise and tenon cut on the pantorouter.

Safety in the Shop

I recently had a close call in the shop. Here’s what happened: I was jointing several pieces and had on a long sleeve shirt. (Any red flags yet?) Faster than a blink, my red shirt started flying out of the jointer and I jerked back as hard as I could. After it was over, my right sleeve was about 9” shorter than the left. I’m thankful for a sharp helix head that cut rather than winding me up. I’m thankful for a VERY old red long sleeve shirt that ripped instead of winding me up. But mostly, I’m thankful for a heavenly Father that watches over young children and idiots. I’m 68 so that excludes me from the first group.

 Internet Links of Interest

This link from Pete Miller – A couple beginners turning videos from Craft Supply.

Working with natural edge slabs – This Wood magazine web article give some tips for working with slabs.

TVW YouTube Channel

This month’s video was inspired by a 2012 seminar where club members met and constructed a Longworth chuck. In this video, Loyd Ackerman expands on the process.

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!

New Klingspor Representative

Jack Kincella has been working closely with our new Klingspor representative, Jeff Ridenour. To see this month’s specials use this link:
https://www.woodworkingshop.com/html/midJanuary.html

Sweeping Up

How about a couple New Year Resolutions —

That’s all for this month. 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 Vol 35 / Issue 12

Splinters December 2020

Volume 35 / Issue 12

Greetings

I trust all you elves and Santa’s helpers have been busy in the workshop. I’ve already received several Show & Tell pics that confirms that you have been. I saw Mickey Knowles the other day and he says he has a table full of projects but hasn’t sent them in. I suspect there may be a lot of folk like that too.

Let’s get started with Splinters!

News Regarding Our Club’s Future

Several folk on the Executive Committee will be having a Zoom meeting Tuesday evening to try out the interface. The plan is to hold a club meeting in January via Zoom.

December Show & Tell

Several folks have sent me pictures of what they’ve been working on during the pandemic. The pictures can be seen on the website Gallery and links are in the online newsletter.

Peter Hunter -created another nice CNC project. Peter says “This is a 16″ x 1″ tray I made from carbonated bamboo, which I just discovered is a grass, not a wood. My son-in-law just started a little craft brewery, and asked me to make him something to commemorate it. It is finished with Watco Butcher Block oil.

Chuck Taylor – definitely has some elf blood in his veins. This month he’s cranking out cutting boards made from maple, cherry and holly glue-up. Size is 10” wide X 15” long and 1” thick. The finish is Mahoney’s food-safe oil finish. I believe he said he was making about 15.

Gary Walker – sent me pictures of a really nice hutch he made for my family doctor (his wife 😊.) I believe he told me he did the stained-glass work too.

Richard Gulley – Last year I made ornaments with names of Jesus carved into them (cnc.) This year my wife realized we didn’t have a set! So, I made 8 more sets. I painted the text black and sprayed with semi gloss rattle can. Total of about 250 pieces.

I also finally fulfilled a promise to Jack Kincella and carved a “Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane” for his church. Carving time was 2 hours roughing, 9 hours finish cut, plus 2 hours cleanup and sanding.  Jack will do the finishing.

Jack Kincella – sent me this pic of a table we just completed. I helped with the joinery on the base. Jack did the assembly and finishing. The top has a story of its own. A lady commissioned Dean Lutes to construct a large live edge table and gave him the dimensions. When she saw the top, she didn’t think it was long enough. Dean made her a bigger top and this one languished in his shop for a long time. Jack seems to have a gift for hooking up one man’s excess with another man’s need. Now Jack’s friends, Ron and Fran have the table they’ve been wanting for a long time.

Jim Jolliffe – has been busy as well.

(Picture)
– Two cottonwood bark houses finished with satin lacquer
– Two cottonwood bark Santa’s finished with satin lawyer, acrylic paint and matte spray.
– One cottonwood bark elf and holly finished with satin lawyer, acrylic paint and matte spray.
– One basswood Santa finished with acrylic paint and then dipped in boiled linseed oil.

Seven Nativities were made from persimmon wood. The nativity scene and star were scroll sawn from the “thin” (3/8”) blank and the “thick” (5/8”) back blank was used as the base.  The star was chip carved to provide depth. Each set of three pieces will be finished by the client and then glued together to be used as a mantle or shelf mount in the client’s extended family households.

Jim’s last project is a carved pumpkin that missed the November newsletter.  I showed the picture to a lot of folk but somehow omitted it from the November newsletter.

Judy Bennett – sent me several pictures of her intarsia work. I love these. She makes great use of the wood’s color, grain and thickness to create very realistic scenes. (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3, Pic4, Pic5)

 Loyd Ackerman – says “I didn’t get a lot done in the shop this month.  I was able to finish the clock I started last month.  The piece uses a 3” movement with old fashioned face which appeals to me for some reason.  My original idea was to use a glaze over the lacquer finish but when the finish was done – a coat of sanding sealer plus 3 coats of satin lacquer – the color was sufficient so I didn’t glaze it. 

The face of the clock box is carved with a ring around the clock just using wingding fonts inside two rings.  The 3d carving at the bottom of the face board and in the crown are just clip-art from Vectric’s gallery.  All, of course, done on the CNC machine. 

The cherry applied half columns on the front of the side members are a split turning.  The finials, also cherry, are just a simple turning.

The back of the clock case is plywood.  Two brads embedded at the top of the insert hold the back in and the decorative brass machine screw at the bottom is threaded into the bottom member of the clock case.”

Tom Gillard – Tom relates another hike in the woods –

On the second weekend of November, Paul and I, along with 3 other friends, went on another backpacking adventure, this time to the South Cumberland Recreation Area in Beersheba Spring.  The weather was forecast to be wonderful for the majority of the weekend.   We had two main goals for this weekend:  1: have a good time with friends in the outdoors and 2: Take a side hike in search of the virgin forest that many years ago we had heard existed within the park. These trees are around 400 years old according to the Park service.  

We hiked into the area on a Friday and spent the night amongst the owls, coyotes and the possibility of a bear in the area.  We didn’t see or hear the bear. 

On Saturday morning we packed our day bags and set off up an unmarked and off trail portion of the park.  Once we left the trace of an old logging road the going got VERY rough.  We were walking on a boulder field which was covered with leaves, moss and ferns.  Needless to say, we had to really watch our step or we would go up to our knee between rocks.  We finally got into the area where the trees were located.  In our head we were expecting something like the Redwood forest, but these trees were spread out.  There wasn’t a lot of undergrowth, so the canopy must be pretty dense.  The trees listed in the chart below were the largest ones we saw. 

We didn’t start measuring the height until later, but they were significant. We ate lunch on the edge of the creek that flows through the area before dropping under the rock bed and disappearing.  We spent about 7 hours hiking into the gorge and back to camp that day. 

We spent Saturday night listening to the coyotes again.  On Sunday we got packed up to leave just as the light rain started to fall.  Three hours later as we got to the top of the Great Stone Door the rain stopped.  We changed into dry clothes for the ride back to town.

It was a great weekend and we did get to see some large trees.

Some of the trees we saw:
 Red Oak  13 ft circum  49.7″ dia
Poplar     11’5″ circum  43.6 ” dia
Hemlock  11’2″ circum  42.7″ dia
Shagbark Hickory  8’0.5″ circum  30.7″ dia  9 Toms tall
Poplar  9’7″ circum  36.6″ dia    16 Pauls tall
Poplar  11’7″  circum  44.2″ dia  12 Toms tall

Conversion factors for tree height-
1 Tom = 6.0 ft    1 Paul = 0.9165 Tom

Internet Links of Interest

Several sent me some interesting links:

Larry Bowers – Sent me an email with several pictures of how some folk stack their firewood. They have too much free time on their hands!

Pete Miller – sent me an email regarding the Washington monument. This is not the exact article he sent me, but very similar. We need to be mindful that the constitution does not speak regarding separation of church and state. Rather, it intended to protect our religious liberty from the government. (Not the government from the church.) That aside, the history of the construction of the Washington monument is interesting and worth the read.

I saw an article on organizing your shop at Wood magazine.

TVW YouTube Channel

I have another sad story about this month’s video. Loyd Ackerman was kind enough to deliver a video to me so I could post it this month. I copied it to my computer and gave him back his usb drive. Now I can’t find the file – sigh. I’ll get it straightened out and posted.

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!

Sweeping Up

This month I have one for the men –

And one for the ladies –

That’s all for this month. Watch out for SPLINTERS!

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