2018-11-13 Monthly Meeting

Nov 13, 2018 – North Woodside Community Center, 230 Pleasant, Dartmouth

Call to order – 6:50

15 members and guests (4 guests / new members)

Call to order 6:50

New Members / Guests

Stephen introduced new members – Dan – has been living in Halifax but now on this side, enjoys furniture and hand tool stuff, restoring old tools,   Derrick – joining from Lunenberg, just retired RCMP, in the process of building workshop and looking to do more in area of Fine Woodworking, Erik – former volunteer at ReStore, particular interest in rustic furniture.  Neil – purchased home in Lawrencetown and will move in December

Welcome

Auction results:  Jointer – donated by Gary, won by Walt for $60 bid

KnockDown Workbench

Bill Howe has taken on the project of finding a way to address need for AWA demos to have a workbench.  He  went online to seek a plan for a knockdown workbench that we can leave on site and have to use for any demo

Bill shared  a short video:  “The Portabel Moravian Workbench  at the Woodwrights School”

Bill played with the design in the video, which was copied from 18^th century design – affordable, relatively easy to build easy to assemble and break down

Bill made sample from a 2×8 spruce – the wood used in the video was yellow pine, which is not available here.  Bill suggests that we probably don’t need really good wood (could be rough) for this purpose – could use 2×4, 3” top, laminated on side for 11” top. 

During our group discussion, Dan mentioned that has a bench with a top of 2×4 laminated about 12” wide that he has found adequate for most work

Feeling is that a 4” board will be enough for our space and purposes.  Shop vice from Lee Valley that is mortised in and you can put a dog in it…… keep going – Bill will keep going and others will volunteer to help.  Will look for volunteers to help with the tool tray (recommendation to ask Brad)

Steve LeBlanc offered his shop to work in – (requests advance notice to coordinate  timing). 

Roy suggested could turn the knockdown bench into a swiss army knife with different tops.

Members agree that it is a great solution for what we need.

Possible Event – yard sale/ fundraiser

Stephen – Steve LeBlanc has offered perhaps an open house / yard sale at his shop, Expressions of Wood.  If members support / volunteer, some portion of profits could go to AWA – several people expressed willingness to volunteer.  Date TBD – probably 1^st quarter 2019

Member Presentation – Don Shubaly

Don Shubaly started by suggesting that he will coordinate short member presentations (15-20 minutes) to encourage members to share knowledge / and experience.  He proposed a list of possible topics and invited others to make suggestions for other topics.  This project will be ongoing.  Contact Don to volunteer or suggest topics.

Don started off this style of presentation with an informative session on Sharpening Chisels, starting his discussion by showing us his set of Sheffield chisels.

Some general points:

• Chisels generally made from tool steel, generally a high carbon steel
• High speed steel able to take the heat of burning – chisels not usually high steel ( like turning chisels) because not usually using as much in high speed steel – as a result easy to burn tip if you do too much grinding
• Chisels have to be reworked when you get them from the store
• Have to angle that gives you enough sharpness for cutting but not too thin as becomes too flexible. 20-25 degrees (Steve Zerling suggests that you don’t have to be too concerned about the actual angle but want to be consistent)
• Water stones – combination stones with two grits, one on each side.
• Shared examples of chisel at different stages and requiring different work – example one that needs to go to grinder before stone and one ready to take to stone. Don pointed out some of the ways to know what needs to be done and to best do it.  Very informative to see the stages side by side.
• Diamond sharpening stone demo as alternative
• Don recommends
  • The Complete Guide to Sharpening by Leonard Lee
  • honing guide to maintain correct angle (his is from available at Lee Valley)
  • honing compound and leather for lapping

Draw

Prizes  this month:

• 2 large bundles of walnut (donated by Steve LeBlanc)
• 2” machinist square (donated by Stephen Parsons

Congratulations to our winners:

Tom (machinist square), Eric (bundle of wood), Roy (bundle of wood)

Total earnings $43, which almost covers rent

Ask A Member

Stephen wonders how to cut a point – square top, rounded edge coming to point (he’ll share the project at a later meeting).  Suggestions

• V-block, long edge first?
• Cut with chisel?
• Off-set on lathe?
• Mitre on sander?

Show and Tell

• Bill –Santa carving and recommendation for Handcrafted Christmas from our own AWA library
  • Recommends wearing a glove (flex tape also works well) for hand carving work
• Dan- shared a chisel he had to fix – made lathe by hand and adapted his own hand tools
  • Trial and error making knife for your own needs – used spalted maple for this project
• Phil – shared a segmented hollow vessel that he started in a Gordon Marshall workshop (Lee Valley)
  • He was thinking to use it as an urn but told not quite big enough so will make another using wood from every state / province he has lived – will add a finial
• Julie – shared memory shingle –woodenjewels.ca – looking for places to sell.

NEXT MEETING

Dec 4 – Lee Valley

Challenge: Toy challenge (for Salvation Army)