Tooth and Nail

Volunteers are needed for talks or demonstrations at upcoming meetings.
If you or anyone you know of could take on one of the following topics, please contact one of the club officers:

Joinery

Marquetry

Table saw adjustments

Sharpening tools

Scraping techniques

Your choice

Highlights of February Meeting

BUSINESS

Walter Babst was unable to attend, so Vice President Henry Simon presided over the meeting held at Harland Johnson's workshop February 22, 2005. Thirteen members were present. Harland Johnson reported that Buddy Smith has moved to Monroe and therefore dropped out of the Guild. Also, he has been unable to contact Bob Eckert by email or telephone.

Jim Sanguinetti presented the The Treasurer's Report, shown below. In summary, the revenues and expenses for 2005 were about equal, resulting in a continuing positive bank balance.

Henry led a discussion of upcoming meetings, based on the info in the last newsletter. Dick Gahn volunteered to do a demonstration of raised panel construction, and Don McLaren volunteered to do a demo on making a band saw box.

Wayne Thompson reported that the Vicksburg mill is willing to host a group visit. Henry and Wayne will get together to propose a date and the logistics at the next meeting.

Harland Johnson explained the boatbuilding contest. A supply of hulls, outrigger pontoons, dowelling, and sails was available for attendees to take home to use as the basic building blocks for their entry. A notice will be sent out to members not present at the meeting to inform them where they can pick up materials for the contest. Entries are to be brought to the next meeting. Contestants are free to add whatever parts, decorations or finishing touches they wish to their masterpieces, which will be judged by secret ballot. The entry must float. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Lowe's or Home Depot.

Jim Sanguinetti reported that Dick Perkins had given him a number of small transformers (suitable for various low power tools such as screwdrivers) that were free for the taking. Anyone interested should contact Jim at 893-3774.

Henry announced that he would form a committee with Dick Gahn and Wayne Thompson to prepare plans for the Wooden Boat Festival and report back at a future meeting.

SHOW AND TELL

Jim Sanguinetti showed a 10" diameter nut bowl, complete with the bark, turned from a four inch thick slice from an elm tree cut down by a neighbor in November. The workpiece had remained outside until two weeks ago, then was dried in a microwave set at 40% power, for four minutes. After running through four cycles, some cracks became visible but most closed over time. There was no noticeable distortion of the bowl. Using a microwave for drying helps hold the bark. Members pointed out that wood cut in the winter holds bark better than if cut in the summer because of the difference in sap activity.

Harland Johnson showed a mobile tilting table deisgned for one-man handling of full-size sheets of plywood or MDF. It can be used as an infeed table for the table saw, or as a stand-alone workbench.

DEMONSTRATION

Henry Simon put on an excellent demonstration of a number of wood finishing techniques based on his experience with cabinet making, where the business depends on good finishing.

Sanding: Types of sanding media for wood include garnet paper, aluminum oxide paper, and a relatively new blue-colored disc for orbital sanders that is coated with zirconium alumina. Silicon carbide is also available for wet/dry sanding of metal.

Henry prefers to use three grit sizes: 100, 150 and 220. He pointed out that on the samples passed around, it was hard to feel the difference, but it definitely is there. He believes 220 is fine enough for most finishing. If you're using a random orbital sander, be careful to avoid swirl marks.

Henry then showed samples of different grits for pine, maple and cherry. Before staining, it is important to clean the dust off, using a tack rag or vacuum.One way to see how the stain will show grain effects is to wipe the workpiece with mineral spirits.

Many types of stains are available, but for this demonstration Henry used pigmented stains from Minwax. One advantage of the pigmented stains is that they can be mixed to produce the desired color. The stains Henry used were cherry, golden oak, and walnut. Using maple as the workpiece, he showed the colors obtained with different combinations of the three pigmented stains.

After staining, the next step is to apply a protective finish, which can be shellac, lacquer, polyurethane, catalysed lacquer, or a conversion varnish (which has lower amounts of volatile organic compounds and is less susceptible to humidity). Lacquer has the advantage that it can be sprayed with a short waiting times between applications because each layer blends into the last. Henry showed a sample with three coats of lacquer, applied with a "touch-up" spray gun, using lacquer thinned by about 25%. He also showed a polyurethane which had been thinned about 25% and can be wiped or brushed on. Another product marketed by Minwax is Wood Sheen, which is a gel stain.

Finally, to obtain the desired gloss on the surface, it must be rubbed out: options include Scotchbrite Pads or 0000 steel wool with a clear paste wax or furniture wax. Henry used the latter, with only small amounts of wax. For an even higher gloss, an auto polishing compound can be used. He demonstrated that on the brushed polyurethane.

Henry concluded with a discussion of factory finishes on cabinets. Because these finishes are applied under very carefully controlled circumstances (computer-controlled spraying of conversion varnishes, with high intensity halogen drying lamps), the result is an extremely hard finish that requires no further cleaning except wiping with a damp cloth. Because it is almost impossible to duplicate these finishes outside the factory, it is very difficult to make repairs or change out panels without getting replacement pieces from the factory.

The President's Corner

It's not too late! You can still pick up boat parts and enter the contest for the March meeting. Call one of the officers or Dick Gahn. Attendance at the last meeting was disappointing, so there are still a lot of potential contestants out there.

Also, a big thanks to Henry & Harland for stepping in to cover for me, both at and before the meeting. Crazy business I’m in. Look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday next.

Note from the Treasurer

Details of the 2004 Statement of Income and Expenses for the guild are available here.

This is a reminder that for those of you that have not paid their annual dues of $10.00, please do so in order that we may keep you on our mailing list for Tooth and Nail. You may pay at the next meeting or by mailing a payment to the St. Tammany Woodworkers Guild at the following address:

James W. Sanguinetti
No. 5 Country Club Park
Covington,La 70433

Members who are delinquent as of April 1 will be dropped from the mailng list. If you are not planning to be a member of the Guild, it would be helpful to have your comments about your experience with the Guild in order that we may use your information to help us improve the Guild.

Looking Ahead
DATE	HOST LOCATION	EVENT
March 22	Dick Gahn	Regular meeting -- demo of raised panel construction by Dick Gahn
April 26	Jim Sanguinetti	Regular meeting -- demo of odd-sized mortises by Jim Sanguinetti
May 14	Dick Gahn	Annual Cochon de Lait -- family event
May 24	Gerald Gibson	Regular meeting -- demo to be announced
June 28	Harland Johnson	Regular meeting -- band saw box demo by Don McLaren

Looking Ahead

DATE

HOST LOCATION

EVENT

March 22

Dick Gahn

Regular meeting -- demo of raised panel construction by Dick Gahn

April 26

Jim Sanguinetti

Regular meeting -- demo of odd-sized mortises by Jim Sanguinetti

May 14

Dick Gahn

Annual Cochon de Lait -- family event

May 24

Gerald Gibson

Regular meeting -- demo to be announced

June 28

Harland Johnson

Regular meeting -- band saw box demo by Don McLaren

March 2005
Email Newsletter of The St. Tammany Woodworkers Guild
NEXT MEETING 7p Tues Mar 22 Dick Gahn's Shop 21098 Shady Lane, Covington Raised Panel Constuction Demo by Dick Gahn Judging of Entries in Boat Contest Come early and socialize!	HELP STILL WANTED! Volunteers are needed for talks or demonstrations at upcoming meetings. If you or anyone you know of could take on one of the following topics, please contact one of the club officers: Joinery Marquetry Table saw adjustments Sharpening tools Scraping techniques Your choice
Highlights of February Meeting BUSINESS Walter Babst was unable to attend, so Vice President Henry Simon presided over the meeting held at Harland Johnson's workshop February 22, 2005. Thirteen members were present. Harland Johnson reported that Buddy Smith has moved to Monroe and therefore dropped out of the Guild. Also, he has been unable to contact Bob Eckert by email or telephone. Jim Sanguinetti presented the The Treasurer's Report, shown below. In summary, the revenues and expenses for 2005 were about equal, resulting in a continuing positive bank balance. Henry led a discussion of upcoming meetings, based on the info in the last newsletter. Dick Gahn volunteered to do a demonstration of raised panel construction, and Don McLaren volunteered to do a demo on making a band saw box. Wayne Thompson reported that the Vicksburg mill is willing to host a group visit. Henry and Wayne will get together to propose a date and the logistics at the next meeting. Harland Johnson explained the boatbuilding contest. A supply of hulls, outrigger pontoons, dowelling, and sails was available for attendees to take home to use as the basic building blocks for their entry. A notice will be sent out to members not present at the meeting to inform them where they can pick up materials for the contest. Entries are to be brought to the next meeting. Contestants are free to add whatever parts, decorations or finishing touches they wish to their masterpieces, which will be judged by secret ballot. The entry must float. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Lowe's or Home Depot. Jim Sanguinetti reported that Dick Perkins had given him a number of small transformers (suitable for various low power tools such as screwdrivers) that were free for the taking. Anyone interested should contact Jim at 893-3774. Henry announced that he would form a committee with Dick Gahn and Wayne Thompson to prepare plans for the Wooden Boat Festival and report back at a future meeting. SHOW AND TELL Jim Sanguinetti showed a 10" diameter nut bowl, complete with the bark, turned from a four inch thick slice from an elm tree cut down by a neighbor in November. The workpiece had remained outside until two weeks ago, then was dried in a microwave set at 40% power, for four minutes. After running through four cycles, some cracks became visible but most closed over time. There was no noticeable distortion of the bowl. Using a microwave for drying helps hold the bark. Members pointed out that wood cut in the winter holds bark better than if cut in the summer because of the difference in sap activity. Harland Johnson showed a mobile tilting table deisgned for one-man handling of full-size sheets of plywood or MDF. It can be used as an infeed table for the table saw, or as a stand-alone workbench. DEMONSTRATION Henry Simon put on an excellent demonstration of a number of wood finishing techniques based on his experience with cabinet making, where the business depends on good finishing. Sanding: Types of sanding media for wood include garnet paper, aluminum oxide paper, and a relatively new blue-colored disc for orbital sanders that is coated with zirconium alumina. Silicon carbide is also available for wet/dry sanding of metal. Henry prefers to use three grit sizes: 100, 150 and 220. He pointed out that on the samples passed around, it was hard to feel the difference, but it definitely is there. He believes 220 is fine enough for most finishing. If you're using a random orbital sander, be careful to avoid swirl marks. Henry then showed samples of different grits for pine, maple and cherry. Before staining, it is important to clean the dust off, using a tack rag or vacuum.One way to see how the stain will show grain effects is to wipe the workpiece with mineral spirits. Many types of stains are available, but for this demonstration Henry used pigmented stains from Minwax. One advantage of the pigmented stains is that they can be mixed to produce the desired color. The stains Henry used were cherry, golden oak, and walnut. Using maple as the workpiece, he showed the colors obtained with different combinations of the three pigmented stains. After staining, the next step is to apply a protective finish, which can be shellac, lacquer, polyurethane, catalysed lacquer, or a conversion varnish (which has lower amounts of volatile organic compounds and is less susceptible to humidity). Lacquer has the advantage that it can be sprayed with a short waiting times between applications because each layer blends into the last. Henry showed a sample with three coats of lacquer, applied with a "touch-up" spray gun, using lacquer thinned by about 25%. He also showed a polyurethane which had been thinned about 25% and can be wiped or brushed on. Another product marketed by Minwax is Wood Sheen, which is a gel stain. Finally, to obtain the desired gloss on the surface, it must be rubbed out: options include Scotchbrite Pads or 0000 steel wool with a clear paste wax or furniture wax. Henry used the latter, with only small amounts of wax. For an even higher gloss, an auto polishing compound can be used. He demonstrated that on the brushed polyurethane. Henry concluded with a discussion of factory finishes on cabinets. Because these finishes are applied under very carefully controlled circumstances (computer-controlled spraying of conversion varnishes, with high intensity halogen drying lamps), the result is an extremely hard finish that requires no further cleaning except wiping with a damp cloth. Because it is almost impossible to duplicate these finishes outside the factory, it is very difficult to make repairs or change out panels without getting replacement pieces from the factory.
The President's Corner It's not too late! You can still pick up boat parts and enter the contest for the March meeting. Call one of the officers or Dick Gahn. Attendance at the last meeting was disappointing, so there are still a lot of potential contestants out there. Also, a big thanks to Henry & Harland for stepping in to cover for me, both at and before the meeting. Crazy business I’m in. Look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday next.
Note from the Treasurer Details of the 2004 Statement of Income and Expenses for the guild are available here. This is a reminder that for those of you that have not paid their annual dues of $10.00, please do so in order that we may keep you on our mailing list for Tooth and Nail. You may pay at the next meeting or by mailing a payment to the St. Tammany Woodworkers Guild at the following address: James W. Sanguinetti No. 5 Country Club Park Covington,La 70433 Members who are delinquent as of April 1 will be dropped from the mailng list. If you are not planning to be a member of the Guild, it would be helpful to have your comments about your experience with the Guild in order that we may use your information to help us improve the Guild.

NEXT MEETING

HELP STILL WANTED!