Call to Order
*This was our first meeting back at the North Woodside Community Center since March 2020. We had a Zoom option for people who preferred to attend remotely.
Meeting call to order @ 7:00 by Chair Brad Holley
In person
Gary Dumas, Calum Ewing, Darrell Hamilton, Brad Holley (Chair), Bill Howes, Doug MacIntosh, Ted Monk, Stephen Parsons, Tom McClusky Mary Elizabeth O’Toole, Mike Winslow
Via Zoom
Phil Carter, David Costain, Trevor Edis, David Schlosberg, Glenn Whitehead
Safety discussion
Mark Chiderhose: Described incident while on his table saw without safety guard, which he hasn’t used for some time, for some time – plywood came up and hit him in the chest – lucky that didn’t have more impact – kickbacks happen fast – you have to give yourself some room – guard going back on – also wasn’t using push sticks on the shelf
Mark also suggested his ‘rule of 9’ that he uses in his shop – meaning he doesn’t turn on anything in the shop after 9:00 pm
Gary Dumas – described cutting some strips – had kick back from a piece of walnut that fired right back into the plywood across the room and about 4” in the plywood – decided to leave it there as a reminder of how quickly things can happen
Stephen referred to woodWeb (Colin Knecht) short demo about how dangerous the ‘chicken foot’ push stick is because it pushes don the back of the wood and front can get lifted up with movement of the blade.
Reminder about safety around Radial arm saw – you need a sharp blade, properly adjusted and a slicker surface on the table – be sure to adjust splitter and guard
Program Committee Update
Stephen Parsons
Gave us an update on a project for animators at NSCC doing proposals for an animation to start our videos on Youtube – maybe other purposes
Member News
Brad visited Windsor Makers Studio (@windsormakersstudio), which offers several maker spaces. The Makers Space is a collaborative project bringing local artisans together both to market their wares and teach their respective trades. The wood space is run by Jackie Toner (facebook.com/Woodswoman-Woodworking) (instagram.com/woodswoman_woodworking) Run by Jackie Toner, woodworker workworker – small space – about 2/3 sizes of our room at NWCC – has lathe, other tools — $10 drop in fee and $100 a year – does safety session with all new members Windsor Makers’ space woodswomenwoodworker
Space for other crafts as well – Hands on Halifax space has closed and all tools are gone – Halifax Tool Library still operating but not really a working space
Tools for tools or exchange
David Costain has some for give away – as in newsletter
Doug MacIntosh – moving from house to apartment later in the month – would like to sell items to AWA members and money will go to AwA coffers
Dust Collector – 1.5 in delta – quite a bit of piping and 5 ports – -bought from Gene Nurse when he downsized
Bench top joiner – made by Quebec company – make lots of carpentry tools – well made not professional – 6” jointer with plywood stand with a dust enclosure (Veil
36” craftsmans woodlathe that I haven’t used much only to make spindles
Drum sander from a kit – looks a lot tike the one that Stephen has
3 little tables that are very useful – bought them when old infirmary – good for all sorts of things in the shop — use one for sharpening tools, one by the sink
Presentation: Shop Made Tools
Led by by Bill Howes
Advantages of making your own tool
- The price is right since you often have most of the supplies on hand
- You can make it exactly as you need – ex. many woodworkers today have larger hands than early woodworkers so traditional tools don’t always fit comfortably in your hand but you can make handles that suit
Some tools that are specific for you based on the type of work that you do
- Quality is going down in a lot of companies so you might want to update for your needes
- You can custom to your own needs – for example, Bill use specific wood for every chisel of a specific number– ash is always a #7
AMES center finding square – finding a patent that had the drawing and used that to replicate a centre finding square that also works for the inside square so a very flexible tool that I have hanging at end of my bench
Milled a lot of wood – hawthorn (rose family related to cherry – relatively white wood)
Make the two sides – made lap joints and glued it up – took a few prototypes to get it just right
Tip from Bill – don’t use wood less than 3-4 years old
Show and Tell
Shop Made Tools
Stephen – scraper shaver – shaped like a spokeshave but more a scraper
Mary Elizabeth – block plane made in Lee Valley class
Tom – remade a Cooper’s plane – one side used for cutting v shape into head of a Barrel – and the other side to hammer in the barrel
Darrell
A puzzle table request from granddaughter drawer has removeable so you can slide puzzle directly in for storage – did all by hand except the ripping — a lot of morticing with the hand morticer — and she now wants a top – going to try to put in a compass rose to match her nautical theme décor
Brad – in follow-up for my bed project – last piece of the white quarter sewn oak so ebonized that too to make a carrier
Calum – inspired by the talk of tannin and dyeing – got stain from butternut wood – and has some chestnuts peeled and drying for an experiment
Next Meeting
Tues. Dec. 7 – 1st Tuesday to support Salvation Army with Toy distribution efforts
Expect we will not be able to hold at our traditional place of Lee Valley so might just have a session in the NWCC – details to follow.
Dec Challenge:
Toys
January Challenge
New Beginning
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