DESERT WOODCRAFTERS  MARCH 2008 NEWSLETTER

Financial report by Earl Merritt, Treasurer: 

Ending Balance: $1,781.71

Meeting Minutes – Desert Woodcrafters Association – March 1, 2008

Alan Crosby, President, called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m. at the Raytheon Woodchippers clubhouse. 24 members and 3 guests (Peter Lacalamita, guest of Herb Winkler; Denise Omdahl, guest of Clem McLay; Barbara Morris, guest of Gene Rittenhouse) - were in attendance. Minutes for February 2, 2008 were approved as published.

The 50/50 ($32.00) was won by Earl Merritt.

Show & Tell - 8 members participated and Gene Rittenhouse won the drawing.

• Frank Pickett – Turned goblets made with a tool he made as part of a SAZWA project.
• Dennis Minikel – Keepsake box, Children's rocket ship ride'em toy.
• Alan Crosby – Curly koa turned pens, laminated flooring turned pens.
• Ken Tower – Flamingos.
• Mike Phillips – Keepsake box with flocked interior. He finally finished the demo project he did a year ago.
• Clem McLay – Band saw bowl.
• Terry Glover – Modified compass using a mechanical pencil to replace a lead pencil. This ensures a sharp point.
• Gene Rittenhouse – Turned vase turned from an old fence post, inspired by a piece he bought recently.

2 X 4 Contest:

• Paul Swane: M, Interlocking elephants.
• Ken Tower: M, Fly fisherman sculpture. T, Michelin man.
• Gene Rittenhouse:M, Jewelry, wooden worry stone, worry stone kit. T, Leaverite (Leave her right where you found it.)
• Clem Mc Lay: M, Basket sculpture made of trapezoidal pieces. T, Bud vase.
• Dan Williams: M, Carved eagle (?).
• Frank Pickett: M, Toy truck with cars. T, Angel sculpture made of 25 year-old dried wood from his neighbor's garage.
• Earl Merritt: M, Toy train engine. T, Candle holder.
• Mike Phillips: M, Book or CD holder. T, Paper towel holder.
• Merle Watts:T, Segmented bowl.

· Alan Crosby: M, In-box with cover. T, Candle holders.

T – Turned, M – Mechanical.

Winners in the turned category were: Clem McLay $50, Earl Merritt $25, Merle Watt $15.

And in the mechanical category: Frank Pickett $50, Clem McLay $25, Alan Crosby $15.

Old business:

Ivan reported on the military pen project.

New business:

· Motion made by Ivan Hanna, seconded by Ken Tower to donate $100.00 to the Freedom Pens Project to cover shipping costs. Passed.

· Terry Glover brought Woodcraft 5% off coupons for today only.

· Terry Glover announced we need to be sure we clean up after our demos.

· Terry Glover – wood available next to the bin.

· Dennis Minikel has videos from SAZWA demos for sale.

· Herb Winkler has mesquite and other wood to give away.

· Terry Glover passed around a sign-up sheet for a semi-automated defibrillator class to be held here as our next demo. Sign up if you want to be certified. All others can watch.

· Dennis Minikel passed on this tip: See www.woodworkingchannel.com for some interesting content.

The meeting adjourned at 10:30.

Demo – Gene Rittenhouse showed us jewelry making tips.

Gene took us through designing and making wooden jewelry using a 1” belt sander and a spindle sander. Using your imagination and some nice wood you can make beautiful jewelry. Findings are available commercially (try Star Gem on Drachman for findings, wire, etc.) to adapt your creations into wearable pieces.

Make the cabochons first. They can be flat backed or not. Then make the wire wrap to hold them using one end of the wires to make the bail (the loop on the top of the cabochon through which the chain passes), using 10 pieces of plated copper wire. Using forceps to keep them together, wrap the wires together in strategic places with wire, doing it decoratively with 7 turns. The wire used to wrap around the original wires are half-round. Using 4 of the 10 wire ends, form the bail around a dowel.

All this is showing you another way to hold a piece of wood. The winner of a special drawing got the piece Gene made during the demo was Frank Pickett and Alan Crosby won the consolation prize, a necklace Gene got at a dollar store for $1.00. The consolation was maybe Alan can use the wood in the necklace on another project.

NEXT MEETING SATURDAY APRIL 5, 2008 AT THE RAYTHEON WOODCHIPPERS CLUBHOUSE