October Swap Meet - start sorting through your stuff!

 Have you missed our monthly meetings?

Sin City Woodworkers, a Vegas valley social and networking group committed to serious (and not so serious!) woodworking discussions, usually meets on the third Wednesday of each month. But we haven’t met since February, 2020, due to the Covid 19 gathering restrictions. 

BUT - we’re holding an outdoor swap meet on Sunday, October 24 - and this will be our only meeting in 2021 . We’ll get started at 10:00 AM.

This will be your chance to buy - sell - or - barter tools with like-minded woodworkers, so clean out your woodshop and join us!

Everyone is welcome to bring a table or cart to our next meeting and set up a booth in our parking lot. The parking lot at Studio:Wood It Is is mostly empty on Sunday mornings, so everyone will have a chance to spread out and sell their wares. 

Some of the goodies up for grabs include many hand tools, small power tools like routers, drills, drivers, nail guns, and MUCH more.  There will also be some wood for sale - including live edge slabs, exotics, dimensional lumber, and too much to mention. You’re going to find some great bargains here, just in time for your winter projects!

 

This swap meet 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, so members - please feel free to bring a guest along. If you have questions or need directions, call the studio at 702-631-1870.

We hope to see you at the swap meet!!

This one really hurts - RIP Braxton Wirthlin

You won't find a single person around here who isn't grieving the loss of our buddy - Braxton Wirthlin.  

Braxton entered the hospital a few days ago, and was diagnosed with Stage IV kidney cancer, which had, unfortunately spread to his lungs. Added to the mix was pneumonia, and well... we were so sorry to learn that he passed away just three days later.

Braxton's wife Melissa and their two children (Boyd and Olivia) are mourning him, but so are we.

Braxton grew up here in Las Vegas, and for a while - was better known as a BXM genius, both riding bikes, and also repairing them. 

Once he found woodworking, he was off to the races, building furniture at his shop in Boulder City, and working in local cabinet shops. He collaborated on some very cool projects here, and his work can be found in the Mob Museum, as well as many local restaurants and wine shops.

Timber Manufacturing was his baby... but YouTube was a passion - his channel was growing, with nearly 6000 followers.

His whimsical work and delicate turnings showed a side that most wouldn't expect - I mean, who makes a giant Jenga?

A few years ago, he hosted our Sin City Woodworking group at his studio in Boulder city, showing us his filming techniques, and speaking frankly about developing a YouTube presence. (It's hard work!)

A Go Fund Me page has been started, and if you'd like to donate - here's a link. Please donate what you can - we can't say it enough - he was an all around good guy - loved and respected. 

Let's help his family out.

RIP, Braxton

March 14, 1979 - September 23, 2021

 

Happy New Year, there’s light at the end of the tunnel

First off -  Happy New Year to all you woodworkers -  this is going to be a feel-good update, and I think all of us need that right about now!

The year 2020 will go down as one of the more challenging times in our lives, but let’s focus on a few bright spots. I know one group of woodworkers who will have a better year, and it’s the crew at Transition Services. Last month, I sent out a request for donations to purchase a planer for the woodworkers there. They have a small woodshop, with a lot of donated and hand-me-down tools.  

 

When they attended the last AWFS show a few summers ago, they were fascinated by all of the machinery, especially the SawStop saws.

But their big need was for a planer, so that they could make cutting boards to sell in their gift shop. EVERYONE loves cutting boards!

As donations started rolling in, pretty soon it was evident that we were going to surpass our planer goal. And here’s the outstanding news - not only were we able to afford a planer but we raised enough to buy them a SawStop tablesaw, too.

 

Well - I take that back - we were just a bit short,  so Jeri and Christian at Woodworker’s Emporium covered the amount that we were short. Truly, this was a community effort that exceeded all expectations.

I want to thank everyone who generously gave to this cause… from near and far. These people are our heroes:

Angela B

Mark L

Jim C

Adam G

Nicola M

Elizabeth J

Ama N

David & Heidi S

Kareem M

Martin B

Paul Y

Leo D

Shauna O

Chip L

Alvin M

John S

Boz B

Loida C

Gail and George T

Dave F

Dereck C

Jeff S

Freya R

John and Melanie F

Rich M

Kean B

Kate P

Jamie Y 

Jeri and Christian B

Transition Services used their bus to pick up the saw - and brought a crew to help move it. 

 

 

A week later, I held a safety class with them, showing them how to properly make some rips and crosscuts.

 

 

 

They caught on quickly,

and I’ve heard through the grapevine that they’re loving this new addition. 

Let’s hope 2021 is a year filled with better times for all of us. I don’t know when we’ll resume our meetings, but I hope everyone stays healthy and sane during this trying time. We’ll meet again some soon…keep creating!

 

Thanks again, everyone, this woodworking community rocks!