Friday, August 28, 2009

Lamination Forms : a post by member John Eugster

John Eugster, of Woodworks by John submitted this latest post.

Quite a few of you were interested in how the back piece of the chair was made so I thought I'd share a few photos with you so you can see the process.



The form is made of 4 pieces of MDF and is then mounted on another piece of MDF. You'll notice that the form itself is held with clamps and there is a board on each side, this is to stop the arched parts of the form (cauls) from sliding when you're applying pressure to the clamps.

They also help hold the pieces while you're putting on the first clamps. Basically, the process is to mix up your Plastic Resorcinol Glue and then use a small roller to apply it to one side of each piece.

Once that's done I wrap a piece of wax paper around the 4 pieces that make up the back and force it into the form. The first caul put on is the center one. What I did was tack some guide strips on the form and the caul to reference where the clamps go. I get it snug, then take a mallet to make all of the pieces even. Then, I work to the outside, one clamp at a time until all 6 of them are in place.

It should look something like this...


I leave the piece in the form for 24 hours or so and there is very little "springback". Hope this clarifies it for you, if you have any questions feel free to email me: eugster96@cox.net

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Sin City Woodworkers Sixth Meeting

If you think all there is to Las Vegas is gambling, shows and dinners, think again!

Sin City Woodworkers is a diverse group of people who are passionate about woodworking. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or a pro, you're welcome to attend our meetings held on the third Wednesday of each month. Every meeting includes a demonstration from either a member or a presentation from a local supplier.

We meet at Wood it is!, a woodworking school in North Las Vegas, 2267 W. Gowan, Suite 106 Our next meeting will be held on September 16th, and all meetings start at 7:00 PM. Seating is limited (hey, it's woodshop!) so bring a folding chair and join us.

Meanwhile, here are some photos from past demonstrations.


Larry Yule, of AG Yule and Son Woodworking assists new member Celeste nail on a torsion box end piece.


Larry Yule, and another Celeste (yes, two in one group!) both work on the far end of the torsion box demo piece.


Rick L'Esperance holding one of the many Native American wooden flutes that he made for his discussion/demo.



Dennis Patchett of DEP Woodworks gave a fascinating demo on his hand carving technique. Dennis also shared his sharpening technique, which really helped out a lot of members with sharpening problems.


John Eugster, of Woodworks by John, demonstrating his scratch stock skills.

Ed from Peterman Lumber was kind enough to host our second meeting on his day off. This was a great get-together, as many of our members had never been to Peterman. Or course, handing out freebies never hurts, either.



Rich Daugherty shared some hand tool skills at the Peterman meeting.

Again, everyone is welcome to attend - parking is simple and our group loves showing off their stuff. If you're a woodworker, or want to learn more, please join us!