Tooth and Nail

NEXT MEETING

7p Tues June 28

Harland Johnson's Shop
124 Pine Avenue
Madisonville
985-845-3468

Demonstration: Don McLaren will demonstrate how to construct a bandsaw box

Directions:
From Madisonville: west 5 miles on Hwy 22 to Hwy 1085; north 0.5 mile to Pine Ave; fourth house on right.
From Covington: I-12 west to exit 57; 0.5 mile north to Hwy 1085; 3.8 miles southwest to Pine Ave.

Gerald and Linda Gibson once again blessed the Woodworkers attending the May 24 meeting with a huge pot of jambalaya, grilled sausage, and of course, Linda's special banana pudding. This is becoming an annual event not to be missed.

Thanks, Gerald and Linda!

Highlights of May Meeting

BUSINESS

Walter Babst presided over the meeting held at Gerald Gibson's workshop May 24, 2005. Nineteen members and one guest, Jack Williams, were present.

SHOW AND TELL

Bob Squires showed a sword he had made from maple and walnut scraps for a boy at his church. The taper in the blade was produced with a spoke-shave. The hilt has two decorative "buttons" that were made from drawer pulls. Bob's next step is to make a scabbard for the sword.

Jack Moore showed a bread/fruit tray made from the fork of a cherry tree, using a router with a flat-bottom bit, on a jig. The interesting grain pattern of the fork is the focal point of the piece.

Jim Sanguinetti reported on a couple of items as a followup to the plantation shutter project he demonstrated at the April meeting:

First, he reported success at following a suggestion that was made to get the mortises centered by making two router cuts, turning the workpiece in his jig between cuts. That way the final mortise will always be the same distance from the edges.

Second, he told of a repair method for a tenon that was too narrow (and therefore loose). The procedure was to use a piece of cotton (a t-shirt, in this case) wrapped around the tenon before gluing it in the mortise -- the soft material conforms to the tenon shape and wedges it firmly in place.

Eric Carter showed his solution to making an inexpensive handrail for the stairway leading to a garage apartment he has built. He glued two spruce 2x4's together, planed them to size and profiled the resulting workpiece with a router. He also mentioned other cost-saving measures for the apartment: the stair treads were made from 2x12 pine, and the risers from ripped 1x8 pine. His flooring in the apartment is #2 pine to take advantage of the country look of the knotty material.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Gerald Gibson led off with a few painting tips to add to the ones he gave last year:

Don't use caulk to fill nail holes because it can't be sanded properly

To fill big cracks, mix powdered water putty with vinyl spackling compound. You can work it by hand, shape it, and finally sand it.

Use an oil base cover stain for pine. Shellac can be used to cover large knots.

Don't use putty where molding meets in corners. Use a high grade caulk (he recommended Sherwin Williams) that will allow for wood movement with time.

Gerald then showed and explained some of his acquisitions from the recent Woodworking Show in Houston:

Quick connect attachments for power drills are available with a huge variety of bits. He showed a set that included drill bits with countersinks, as well as a huge variety of screwdriver tips and conventional drills.

Gerald's major acquisition was a Dewalt 12" chop/miter saw and a portable support stand. Features of the stand are:
Universal Design works with all miter saws

Lightweight aluminum construction ( 35 lbs ) allows for easy transport to and from the jobsite

5-1/2" beam extends to support up to 16ft of material and up to 400lbs

Legs provide for superior support and easy for storage

Work stops/supports can be repositioned quickly

Non marring feet on tool mount won't scratch material

2 convertible work stops/ supports

Gerald introduced his friend, Jack Willams for the main demonstration of the evening.

Jack had just attended a one-week course entitled "Building and Playing a Mountain Dulcimer" at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. Jack and his wife attend this school annually to sample some of the many courses available -- the school website lists 48 different subject areas, with several courses in each subject area -- from candle making to blacksmithing, from stained glass to music and dance.

The purpose of Jack's course was to "construct a classic Appalachian mountain dulcimer from pre-cut, roughed-out native hardwood pieces and finish with urethane oil, paste wax and lots of elbow grease. Discussion topics include dulcimer history, wood selection, fine tuning, and construction techniques. We may even learn a tune or two." There were eight students in Jack's class, some with little woodworking experience, resulting in the teacher spending more time with the inexperienced woodworkers as they ran into problems.

The dulcimer is usually a tear-drop or hour-glass shaped musical instrument about 32" long, 7" wide, and 2-1/2" deep, with a narrow fretted fingerboard attached to a larger soundbox. It has either three or four strings, and is plucked. Click here to listen to a 30-second sample of dulcimer music!

Jack made his instrument from a walnut bottom (1/4" thick), walnut curved sides (1/8" thick), and walnut fret board; the 1/8" thick sound board was made from 100-year-old sugar pine that had been salvaged from scrap material used to construct organs. All of the construction in class was done with hand tools (Jack recommends bringing your own glue and set of sharp chisels). The sides were curved by soaking the wood and then bending it over a piece of pipe that was heated from the inside with a large soldering iron.

The metal frets are steel wedges that were pushed into grooves cut in the fingerboard with a back saw. The headstock and the tailstock had to be glued and trimmed in place. Finishing was done with gunstock oil and wax.

The sound board has holes cut into its face. Jacks' are heart-shaped, but several patterns are possible. These can be quite decorative and sometimes include marquetry. Of course, the variations on headstock and tailstock design are also unlimited.

Member Richard Farley pulled out his own dulcimer and triggered lots of questions on the comparisons with Jack's.

Jack's demonstration was quite a departure from our usual fare, and was definitely something not to be missed. Thanks, Jack!

The President's Corner

One fact not mentioned above is that Jack Williams has signed up as a full fledged member of the Guild, and has agreed to do a marquetry demonstration at the September meeting. We welcome his contributions, and I also want to point out that his participation came about because of the initiative taken by Gerald Gibson. This is a great example of how we should all be looking for potential members from our business and social contacts.

Welcome, Jack!

2005 Calendar of Events
DATE	HOST LOCATION	EVENT
January 25	Dick Gahn	Regular meeting -- demos by Dick Gahn of a jig for cutting miters on a radial arm saw, and a jig for routing flat surfaces on uneven workpieces
February 22	Harland Johnson	Regular meeting -- woodfinishing demo by Henry Simon
March 22	Dick Gahn	Regular meeting -- demo of raised face panel doors by Dick Gahn; results of boatbuilding contest
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 by Gerald Gibson of items from Houston Woodworking Show; demo by Jack Williams of building a mountain dulcimer
June 28	Harland Johnson	Regular meeting -- band saw box demo by Don McLaren
July 26	TBA	Regular meeting -- demo to be announced
August 23	Dick Gahn	Regular meeting -- demo to be announced
September 27	Jack Williams	Regular meeting -- demo of marquetry by Jack Williams
October 15 and 16	Madisonville	Wooden Boat Festival
October 25	Carroll Miller	Regular meeting -- demo to be announced
November 22	Harland Johnson	Regular meeting -- demo (to be confirmed) of carving with a grinder, by Gerard St. Romain; election of officers for 2006
December 8 (Thursday)	Tchefuncte Country Club	Christmas Banquet

2005 Calendar of Events

DATE

HOST LOCATION

EVENT

January 25

Dick Gahn

Regular meeting -- demos by Dick Gahn of a jig for cutting miters on a radial arm saw, and a jig for routing flat surfaces on uneven workpieces

February 22

Harland Johnson

Regular meeting -- woodfinishing demo by Henry Simon

March 22

Dick Gahn

Regular meeting -- demo of raised face panel doors by Dick Gahn; results of boatbuilding contest

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 by Gerald Gibson of items from Houston Woodworking Show; demo by Jack Williams of building a mountain dulcimer

June 28

Harland Johnson

Regular meeting -- band saw box demo by Don McLaren

July 26

TBA

Regular meeting -- demo to be announced

August 23

Dick Gahn

Regular meeting -- demo to be announced

September 27

Jack Williams

Regular meeting -- demo of marquetry by Jack Williams

October 15 and 16

Madisonville

Wooden Boat Festival

October 25

Carroll Miller

Regular meeting -- demo to be announced

November 22

Harland Johnson

Regular meeting -- demo (to be confirmed) of carving with a grinder, by Gerard St. Romain; election of officers for 2006

December 8 (Thursday)

Tchefuncte Country Club

Christmas Banquet

June 2005
Email Newsletter of The St. Tammany Woodworkers Guild
NEXT MEETING 7p Tues June 28 Harland Johnson's Shop 124 Pine Avenue Madisonville 985-845-3468 Demonstration: Don McLaren will demonstrate how to construct a bandsaw box Directions: From Madisonville: west 5 miles on Hwy 22 to Hwy 1085; north 0.5 mile to Pine Ave; fourth house on right. From Covington: I-12 west to exit 57; 0.5 mile north to Hwy 1085; 3.8 miles southwest to Pine Ave.	EATING AGAIN! Gerald and Linda Gibson once again blessed the Woodworkers attending the May 24 meeting with a huge pot of jambalaya, grilled sausage, and of course, Linda's special banana pudding. This is becoming an annual event not to be missed. Thanks, Gerald and Linda!
Highlights of May Meeting BUSINESS Walter Babst presided over the meeting held at Gerald Gibson's workshop May 24, 2005. Nineteen members and one guest, Jack Williams, were present. SHOW AND TELL Bob Squires showed a sword he had made from maple and walnut scraps for a boy at his church. The taper in the blade was produced with a spoke-shave. The hilt has two decorative "buttons" that were made from drawer pulls. Bob's next step is to make a scabbard for the sword. *Jack Moore* showed a bread/fruit tray made from the fork of a cherry tree, using a router with a flat-bottom bit, on a jig. The interesting grain pattern of the fork is the focal point of the piece. *Jim Sanguinetti* reported on a couple of items as a followup to the plantation shutter project he demonstrated at the April meeting: First, he reported success at following a suggestion that was made to get the mortises centered by making two router cuts, turning the workpiece in his jig between cuts. That way the final mortise will always be the same distance from the edges. Second, he told of a repair method for a tenon that was too narrow (and therefore loose). The procedure was to use a piece of cotton (a t-shirt, in this case) wrapped around the tenon before gluing it in the mortise -- the soft material conforms to the tenon shape and wedges it firmly in place. *Eric Carter* showed his solution to making an inexpensive handrail for the stairway leading to a garage apartment he has built. He glued two spruce 2x4's together, planed them to size and profiled the resulting workpiece with a router. He also mentioned other cost-saving measures for the apartment: the stair treads were made from 2x12 pine, and the risers from ripped 1x8 pine. His flooring in the apartment is #2 pine to take advantage of the country look of the knotty material. DEMONSTRATIONS Gerald Gibson led off with a few painting tips to add to the ones he gave last year: Don't use caulk to fill nail holes because it can't be sanded properly To fill big cracks, mix powdered water putty with vinyl spackling compound. You can work it by hand, shape it, and finally sand it. Use an oil base cover stain for pine. Shellac can be used to cover large knots. Don't use putty where molding meets in corners. Use a high grade caulk (he recommended Sherwin Williams) that will allow for wood movement with time. Gerald then showed and explained some of his acquisitions from the recent Woodworking Show in Houston: Quick connect attachments for power drills are available with a huge variety of bits. He showed a set that included drill bits with countersinks, as well as a huge variety of screwdriver tips and conventional drills. Gerald's major acquisition was a Dewalt 12" chop/miter saw and a portable support stand. Features of the stand are: Universal Design works with all miter saws Lightweight aluminum construction ( 35 lbs ) allows for easy transport to and from the jobsite 5-1/2" beam extends to support up to 16ft of material and up to 400lbs Legs provide for superior support and easy for storage Work stops/supports can be repositioned quickly Non marring feet on tool mount won't scratch material 2 convertible work stops/ supports Gerald introduced his friend, *Jack Willams* for the main demonstration of the evening. Jack had just attended a one-week course entitled "Building and Playing a Mountain Dulcimer" at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. Jack and his wife attend this school annually to sample some of the many courses available -- the school website lists 48 different subject areas, with several courses in each subject area -- from candle making to blacksmithing, from stained glass to music and dance. The purpose of Jack's course was to "construct a classic Appalachian mountain dulcimer from pre-cut, roughed-out native hardwood pieces and finish with urethane oil, paste wax and lots of elbow grease. Discussion topics include dulcimer history, wood selection, fine tuning, and construction techniques. We may even learn a tune or two." There were eight students in Jack's class, some with little woodworking experience, resulting in the teacher spending more time with the inexperienced woodworkers as they ran into problems. The dulcimer is usually a tear-drop or hour-glass shaped musical instrument about 32" long, 7" wide, and 2-1/2" deep, with a narrow fretted fingerboard attached to a larger soundbox. It has either three or four strings, and is plucked. Click here to listen to a 30-second sample of dulcimer music! Jack made his instrument from a walnut bottom (1/4" thick), walnut curved sides (1/8" thick), and walnut fret board; the 1/8" thick sound board was made from 100-year-old sugar pine that had been salvaged from scrap material used to construct organs. All of the construction in class was done with hand tools (Jack recommends bringing your own glue and set of sharp chisels). The sides were curved by soaking the wood and then bending it over a piece of pipe that was heated from the inside with a large soldering iron. The metal frets are steel wedges that were pushed into grooves cut in the fingerboard with a back saw. The headstock and the tailstock had to be glued and trimmed in place. Finishing was done with gunstock oil and wax. The sound board has holes cut into its face. Jacks' are heart-shaped, but several patterns are possible. These can be quite decorative and sometimes include marquetry. Of course, the variations on headstock and tailstock design are also unlimited. Member Richard Farley pulled out his own dulcimer and triggered lots of questions on the comparisons with Jack's. Jack's demonstration was quite a departure from our usual fare, and was definitely something not to be missed. Thanks, Jack!
The President's Corner One fact not mentioned above is that Jack Williams has signed up as a full fledged member of the Guild, and has agreed to do a marquetry demonstration at the September meeting. We welcome his contributions, and I also want to point out that his participation came about because of the initiative taken by Gerald Gibson. This is a great example of how we should all be looking for potential members from our business and social contacts. Welcome, Jack!

NEXT MEETING

EATING AGAIN!

Highlights of May Meeting

BUSINESS

SHOW AND TELL

DEMONSTRATIONS

The President's Corner

2005 Calendar of Events

Buy/Sell/Trade

Guild Contacts

Woodworking Links