We've got a great October meeting coming up - Southwest Cues will be joining us

Sin City Woodworkers Follow the trail of sawdust to our next meeting... Heads up, everyone - this is shaping up to be an amazing meeting - especially for the wood turners in our group!  Sin City Woodworkers, a Vegas valley social and networking group committed to serious (and not so serious!) woodworking discussions, meet on the third Wednesday of each month to share everything from techniques and ideas to information about local suppliers and much more. Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 17, at 7:00 where we’re delighted to have Laurie Franklin and Mike Bunker, both of Southwest Cues, one of the most respected billiard cue makers in the world.

Who knew Las Vegas was home to such billiard royalty!?! Laurie’s late husband Jerry started Southwest Cues in 1982, after working in the field and developing an amazing cue design. His hard work and pursuit of excellence led to innovations in cue making, resulting in a billiard cue known (and collected!) around the world. Jerry passed away way too soon at the age of 42, and was inducted posthumously into the American Cuemakers Association Hall of Fame in March 2005.

Luckily, Jerry’s wife Laurie and nephew Mike Bunker have continued the rich tradition of cue making excellence. There is such a high demand for their cues that eight year wait times are common for a single cue. Yes, eight years! Laurie and Mike will be sharing some of the cue making innovations, as well as insight into running a finely tuned woodworking company. There will be some exotic wood remnants for sale, including Bocote, Gonzalo Alves, Cocobolo, Gaboon Ebony and more. If you play around with exotic woods, and are looking for small quantities for turnings, plugs, or crafting, there will be some sample packs for sale.

Curious for more history about their company - check this out: http://www.indyq.com/custom-cues/southwest/southwest-biography.html We’ll have a quick show-and-tell before the discussion starts, so if you’ve made anything cool in the last month, bring it in to share with the group. This meeting will be held at Studio: Wood It Is!, 2267 West Gowan, unit 106 in North Las Vegas. As always, the public is welcome to attend the meeting, so members - please feel free to bring a guest along. But remember that there are a limited number of chairs in the woodshop. Attendees might want to bring a folding chair if they wish to sit during the meeting. If you have questions or need directions, call the studio at (702) 631-1870.