A little holiday re-cap!

We're heading into our 11th year, and some of our out-of-town members asked for a re-cap of the holiday party... so here you go!  We had another fantastic party - good turnout, 

great food,

 and even some live entertainment this year, courtesy of Rich Matta! He's a retired music teacher and professional musician, and his mini concert of Christmas music was very special.

 Speaking of special, our members went out of their way to make wig stands for donations to patients undergoing cancer therapies.  

The entries were terrific, and as in past years, Lupe's competitive spirit propelled her into first place. 

Her Spiraled Wig Stand featured african mahogany and maple, a checkerboard glue-up, and a tricky hand carved spiral post. 

Lupe always goes out of her way to come up with an amazing entry, and this year was particularly special. 

She gave a short speech about its construction, and pocketed $100 for her efforts. Congrats, Lupe - someone is going to enjoy that wonderful piece that you made. 

Second place went to Dennis Patchett, our carving-master and co-founder of the Las Vegas Woodcarvers group. His carving (once again!) wowed us with his carved wig stand. 

Mary Jane Chadbourne's lovely whimsical stand won third place, and we loved her explanation of adding paint and flowers to make it a cheery greeting for someone needing a place to store their wig. 

All in all - these entries were not only fabulously festive, but SO needed in our community. Thanks to all who participated!

Once again, Andrew and Nic Moore of Reclaimed Secrets donated a slab to raffle off - and this year's piece was rare and gorgeous.  A lot of people thought that it was a small slab, but once they arrived and saw it, they realized that it was a full sized slab, ready to create a dining table!

 Andrew pulled the winning ticket, and read the name.... 

and BAM! - Rick Ratayczak won the slab.

Congrats to all for making this party another success! 

A special thanks to Denny LaRocca for helping us clean and set-up the shop for the party.

To Rich Matta for the music!

Also - to the members who donated gifts that we gave away - unfortunately, we didn't get a shot of the resin piece that we created at the Knotty Artisan's studio! (Thanks Trevor and Leon!) 

Andrew and Nic Moore's slab donation was beyond generous, and we very much appreciate how special that slab was.

To the members who entered our contest and made amazing wig stands! Thanks to Randy Glau and Dennis for coordinating everything - we SO appreciate your hard work. 

To everyone who brought delicious food and drink for us to share. Ama's pies, and Boris' hummus were two highlights on the food table!

To Lupe - thanks for the photos. We might rib you about how many photos you take, but they always come in handy later!

And finally - to all of our members for ... well.. just being a member. We're heading into our 11th year, and still going strong!

(If I'm forgetting anyone, I apologize!)

We hope your Christmas was a good one, and that 2020 finds you healthy and continuing to make wonderful wooden pieces. 

Stay safe, everyone!

It's time for our annual Christmas party!

Put down your chisels, take off your tool belt, brush off the sawdust - and get ready for our annual Sin City Woodworkers Christmas Party, where we’ll celebrate a productive year and toast the coming New Year! 

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, December 18, at 7:00. As usual - feel free to bring a guest or your better half! 

We’ll have some goodies to snack on, and some beverages to share, so don’t feel like you have to bring anything. But if you make an outrageous salsa or artichoke dip, we’d love to try it!

Join us for our most entertaining meeting of the year - it’s all about food, friendship, family and more. They say that Las Vegas is a tough city to make friends in - but anyone who attends one of our monthly meetings knows that we’ve formed some great connections within our group. We’re heading into our ELEVENTH year of sharing tips and techniques, failures and successes, and best of all - new friendships.

A HUGE thank you goes to Andrew and Nic Moore of Reclaimed Secrets, 

who were kind enough to donate a massive bookmatched, joined, and sanded flat slab for us to raffle off.  It's perfect for your next dining room table... or your next commission to sell!

It’s Red Flame Box Elder, and the picture above doesn’t do it justice, because it’s not finished. Look at this piece below that has some finish on it… wow! 

Andrew said that he’s cut through hundreds of these logs, and finding the red color and gorgeous grain is rare, so this slab is an amazing donation.

We’ll be selling raffle tickets for this slab - one chance for $10, or three chances for $20. All proceeds go back into our yearly fund, which helps finance all of our woodworking throughout the year. So please consider taking a chance on this raffle!

We’ll also be voting on the winners of our annual building context - this year, we chose to make wig stand for patients who’ve lost their hair due to undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. These will all be donated to charity after the contest - and you’ll get to vote on the winner! We give out great cash prizes, and the winners get bragging rights throughout the coming year. We hope everyone came up with something for our contest!

Remember - any money left over after paying for the party and prizes is given back to our members, via our cash drawings throughout the night. If you’ve been the lead presenter at one of our monthly meetings, your name will go into the drawing, too! It’s all about participation, which we greatly appreciate!

By the way - if you have something to donate to the drawing,  please bring it with you to our party.  Maybe someone gave you a woodworking book that you already own, or have some duplicate items sitting around your shop - we will add this to our giveaway table.

As always, our party will be held at Studio: Wood It Is!, 2267 West Gowan, unit 106 in North Las Vegas. The public is welcome to attend the meeting, but remember -  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.

Our November meeting is going to feature a terrific Give-A-Way!

We’re in for a real treat this coming Wednesday… a hands-on Sin City Woodworkers meeting, with a great give-away, too!

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, November 20 at 7:00, and Mario Garcia of Senco will be leading a hands-on meeting, sharing many of Senco’s latest producs, including nail guns, pinners, staplers, air compressors and much more. 

Mario is encouraging everyone to bring something that they might be working on, he’ll be letting us sample the variety of tools that he’ll be showcasing. Need to pin something together? Interested in a stapler for your next upholstery project? He’ll have a nice array of tools for us to sample.

Even better - he’ll be raffling off a Senco compressor at our meeting, and thinks he’ll make a few Senco fans after trying out their great products. 

Here's a breakdown of what's planned:

1.) Senco Industrial Introduction and Senco Safety Video, the link for the Senco Safety Video is with Johnny Bench and its duration takes about 8 minutes.

2.) Next there will be a demonstration of the use and application of:

    a)The Pneumatic Trim Nailers: 23Ga., 21Ga., 18Ga.,16Ga., 15Ga., 

    b) The Pneumatic Staplers: 18Ga., 16Ga. Narrow & Wide Crown, 22Ga.,  

              - Specialty Staples 25Ga. Senco Corrugated and Senclamp staples.

    c) Air Compressors: Hoses selection.

    d) Cordless Trim Nailers.

    e) Cordless Screw Guns, Integrated and attachments.

    f) Hands On Training.

    g) Raffle- a PC1010N Air Compressor.

Senco’s long history of tool making started back in 1935 - and is truly an American dream - building a company and growing its product line. 

You can read about  Senco here: https://www.senco.com/company/history

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.

Details about our Holiday Woodworking contest

Every year,  Sin City Woodworkers celebrate the holidays with a party and a contest - and this year's project is a special one. 

We've agreed to challenge ourselves and make wig stands to be donated to an amazing charity. These stands will find great homes.

Here are some details about the project... click here for a link.

Sin City Woodworkers October Meeting - Rubio Monocoat in the house!

Sin City Woodworkers Follow the trail of sawdust to our next meeting... 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 this Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00 and we’re thrilled to say that Mike Bennett of Rubio Monocoat USA will be talking with us about one of the hottest finishes on the market right now - Rubio Monocoat’s One Step finish.  Rubio Monocoat offers an easy one-coat application and waterproof protection from a hardwax oil that forms a molecular bond with the topmost fibers of the wood.  And it’s available in 50+ colors - what’s not to love? Seriously, this finish is the current rage in wood finishes, and Mike will cover the history of the product, how it compares to other finishes, features & benefits, as well as application and care & maintenance. If you’ve been looking for a gorgeous and easy to use product, this presentation will give you a perfect introduction to Monocoat. Want to see more? Check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaiGI3Izqvo 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.

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. Our mailing address is: 2267 W. Gowan, Suite 106, North Las Vegas, NV 89032

SCWW September Meeting - let's go on a field trip!

Two words - FIELD TRIP!

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 this coming Wednesday, September 18, at 7:00 and we have a special treat in store! 

For our next meeting, we’ll be visiting Bronson, the Knotty Artisan, who creates and installs custom epoxy countertops, flooring, and shower surrounds right here in Las Vegas. (We have so many amazing artisans here in town!)   He teaches classes for both professionals and hobbyists, and folks from all over the world fly into town to learn his amazing epoxy and resin techniques.

For the hobbyist, he teaches the art and color of using resin, including making stream tables.   But on the commercial side - he teaches others the business he is in, including epoxy application techniques of as well as the business side of social media, marketing, and revenue.  

Bronson has been a woodworker for many years.  When he first got into epoxy, he’ll tell you that he went through a gallon of epoxy a day for a long time.  As he says - he’s crazy about the stuff! Bronson is entertaining and knowledgeable about the use of epoxy.

Address is 2901 S. Highland.  Use the main entrance on the west side of Highland, on Molokai Lane.  Take 2nd left at Westwood, then right on the north side of building 6. Enter toward the end of the building. Sounds confusing, but it will make sense when you see it, and we’ll try to have someone outside, guiding everyone. 

As always, the public is welcome to attend this meeting, so members - please feel free to bring a guest along. 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 and we’ll try to help. 

See you there!

Join us in August for a lathe demo

Sin City Woodworkers Follow the trail of sawdust to our next meeting... 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, August 21 at 7:00, and Randy Glau will be sharing some of his lathe skills, walking us through making a turned wig stand. Now if you’re wondering why in the world would Randy need a wig stand … keep reading!   If you attended our April meeting, you’ll remember that Dennis (Randy’s BFF) showed us one of his recent wig stands, and suggested that we (the Sin City Woodworkers) adopt this project for our Holiday project challenge. After a vote, it was agreed that we would make these stands and donate them to a charitable organization that supplies these stands to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Randy has been turning for around 5-6 years, but recently started studying under Jimmy Clewes, and has taken his turning to a new level. He’ll bring along a few of his pieces to share with the group, and will give some turning tips as he walks us through making a wig stand.  As usual, we’ll have a show and tell, so if you’ve made something during the last month or two, please bring it 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.

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.   Our mailing address is: 2267 W. Gowan, Suite 106, North Las Vegas, NV 89032

July Meeting is canceled - no meeting this month

Hi everyone - our normally scheduled meeting for July 17 has been canceled, due to the AWFS show starting on that same day. 

Too many of us will be at the show all day, and it would be impossible to hold at meeting that evening. 

See you in August!

Everything you've ever wanted to know about running a craft business...

Sin City Woodworkers Follow the trail of sawdust to our next meeting... 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. Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19 at 7:00, and we’re in for a treat at this month’s meeting! Several members have asked for it, so Dave Clark will be sharing his business acumen and lead an in-depth discussion about selling wooden wares on the craft show circuit.  It’s pretty clear that all of us have a love of working with wood, but actually running a successful crafting business is a whole different ballgame. How can we sell our work? Ever wonder about getting a business license? Getting into a juried show? Setting up a craft booth? Advertising? Deciding what to make, and what will sell best? Dave will share his best tips and tricks, and give us a true picture of what it’s like to run a craft business.  Raised and schooled in Fresno, California, Dave moved to LV in '79 for a teaching position. (He also says that he learned how to wear socks when in public after leaving his home town.) He fell into woodworking as a hobby, after renovating a couple of houses. His wife never had a shortage of ideas for remodeling their house, and Dave needed something to do with his tools. Initially he was trying to find a way to use his scrap wood, which was crowding shop floor space and shelves. So after he retired, Dave started building wooden items for sale.  He sells at 5 or 6 art/craft shows annually, mostly for fun and says it’s something to occupy his time when he can't fish.  Dave says he doesn't really need the extra income from craft sales because he finally convinced his wife to get a third full-time job…. but truth be told, he has a great mind for business - not just for the manufacturing end of it, but for the business side, too.  Feel free to bring your questions for Dave, he’s more than willing to share his tips and expertise. We'll have a Show and Tell at this meeting, so if you've made something interesting lately, please feel free to bring it to the meeting and share it 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.

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.   Our mailing address is: 2267 W. Gowan, Suite 106, North Las Vegas, NV 89032

How can CBD help woodworkers? Come to our next meeting....

Sin City Woodworkers Follow the trail of sawdust to our next meeting... 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, May 15, at 7:00, when Efrain Madrigal will discuss how using CBD products can benefit woodworkers and help ease the variety of health issues we experience, including arthritis, sore backs and muscles, breathing issues and more. We’ll start off with Efrain giving us a brief overview of what CBD is, how it works in the body and how to use it to treat physical and psychological conditions. He’ll discuss some methods available to medicate with CBD, and we’ll follow up his presentation with a Q & A session. If you’ve wondered how CBD products can help you, bring some questions that you have. Finally,  Efrain will recommend some products that he knows to be of high quality, and give some guidance for making wise purchases for your health needs.  Efrain has worked for a cannabis dispensary for almost two years, consulting with both medical and recreational consumers. He has seen how cannabis and specifically CBD can help improve the lives of many people by treating simple aches and pains to more serious chronic diseases.  But there is a lot of misinformation out there, and if you don’t know what to look for, it’s easy to buy the wrong products, or use ineffective dosages.  We’ll also be collecting dues this month - mostly because I forgot to collect them last month! Springtime is our annual dues-collection season, where $20 gets you some amazing opportunities! Remember -  dues are always completely voluntary - but help our group fund some of our woodworking projects throughout the year.  The best part is - all monies left over at the end of the year are given back to dues-paying members during our annual holiday party held in December.  There are two ways to get your name into the drawings - by being a dues-paying member, or by being the guest speaker/demonstrator at one of our monthly meetings.  (Last year, we gave back close to $700 in prizes for both the woodworking competition as well as the raffle drawings!) So please - consider joining our ranks by becoming a member!

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.