Learn to sharpen like a pro...

Take a break from baking pumpkin pies and head over to our next Sin City Woodworkers meeting …

Let’s face it - ask ten woodworkers their opinion about sharpening, and you’ll probably get twelve answers!  We’ve had past demonstrations on the Deulen system (thanks Jim C!) and the WorkSharp system (thanks, Richard!), not to mention Dennis P’s discussion on sharpening carving chisels and gouges, and Ted’s card scraper presentation… all in all, it’s a subject that has been well covered. 

But if you’re looking for a simple and integrated solution.. then this month’s meeting is for you…

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 project ideas to information about local suppliers and much more. This month’s meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 21 at 7:00, when Vernon Lucero  will be sharing his slick sharpening set-up using this Norton waterstone kit and its integrated Norton IM 83 Waterstone Case.

If you looked up the definition of renaissance man, you might find Vern’s picture.  He’s a man of many interests and talents (woodworking and cooking, to name two!) and frankly, Vern bought this system to sharpen his cooking knives. But when he was able to so easily get keen edges on his kitchen knives, he realized this system would be great on his woodworking tools, too. BAM! - he’d found the perfect solution to getting quick and precisely honed edges on his chisels and plane blades. 

Vern will bring his Norton system, and explain its simplicity and effectiveness for getting tools in tip-top shape. He spent a career in construction, and didn’t have a chance to really explore woodworking until he retired. His love for hand-tool work shows in this beautiful toolbox that holds his hand tools… a true testament to his pursuit of excellence in the woodshop.  You won’t meet a more humble, but wildly talented man than Vern, and you’ll be enriched by what he has to share with our group. 

As usual, we’ll have a show and tell, so if you’ve made something cool during the month, please bring it to share with our group. This is our last meeting before our Holiday Party, and here’s a friendly reminder that you only have about a month left to complete your entry in to our Christmas Ornament contest. We give great prizes to the winners, and we hope to have a good turnout for this year’s challenge. 

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 631-1870.