August Meeting @ Dennis's Shop

Our meeting this month was held at the shop of Dennis Patchett.  He has a separate shop located at the back of his house that caused a bit of "shop envy" from most of the 24 people at the meeting!

Nice, panoramic shot!

 His house is on a large lot and he has great access to the rear of the property where there is a graded road.  The shop sits near the property line so it makes it very convenient getting lumber and projects in and out of the shop.  Once we settled down, the regular format of round robin introductions was started.  This is the first ever meeting that Jamie didn't attend and although she was missed I think we're all happy for her being able to get away for a couple of days and enjoy clean, sawdust free breathing!  Looking forward to hearing about her adventures next month.

We began with a show and tell session which was pretty light this time.  Let me encourage you all to bring your latest work or discovery to the meetings.  Just a short (5 minutes or less) presentation to share with the others is great.

For example, Beth brought in this really nice task light she found.  It was super bright and the base is magnetic which allows you to place it securely on any metal surface.  It also pivots so you can direct it where needed.  She purchased it at Medical and Mobility which is a medical supply store located at Teneya & Lake Mead.  It was mentioned that McFadden Dale on Decatur may have it as well but a quick search didn't show the exact same model.  If I recall, it's powered by 4 AAA batteries.



Bringing in this frame for a show and tell in Dennis's shop was a risk seeing how he holds the position of "esteemed woodcarver" in our group but I thought I'd take a chance anyway!  This is a frame I carved for one of Diane's latest paintings.  The corners feature carved fig leaves which were inspired by a fig tree we walk by on our doggie walks.  I used an actual leaf as a pattern.  The frame molding is about 4" wide and made of Basswood.  This was my first frame where I used a variegated gold leaf for the finish and we thought it complements the painting nicely.


Our main presentation was next and Dennis was ready to show us his techniques for sharpening carving chisels and gouges.  Here is his collection of oil stones and slip stones that he uses to get his tools razor sharp.  If you've even taken a class from or seen any of his demonstrations you know the edge on his tools is a sharp as it's going to get!  There just isn't any substitute for a sharp tool no matter what phase of woodworking you're doing --- period.

Slip Stones and Oil Stones

 Dennis shared some of his philosophies with us in regards to his woodworking.  When asked about Japanese water stones he mentioned that he hates to buy new tools.  Since most of his tools were purchased prior to water stones becoming so popular he has oil stones only.  If you're unfamiliar with these methods of sharpening, here's a LINK of a quick search that you can get into to learn about the pros and cons of each method.  You know the adage, ask 10 woodworkers the same question and expect 12 different answers.  A very important point he made is that all tools you purchase will need to be sharpened prior to use.  As a general rule, the more expensive the tool is initially the less you'll probably have to do to get it super sharp.

For Dennis, this process would take about 30 minutes.  A point he made is that when he sharpens, he holds the tool stationary in one hand and moves the stone up and down on the cutting edge with the other.  He explained that with the curved blades found on carving tools it's easier to hold the tool stationary and then move the stone around it.  That's the best way to maintain the required bevel of the cutting edge.  As you hone the bevel you're creating a burr on the inner side which needs to be removed.  This is done with the appropriate sized slip stone and will create a very slight back bevel which is desirable anyway.  Stones are only needed when first preparing a new tool or after many honings or an accidental drop on the floor!  By the way, he mentioned that improper use of the tool by attempting to cut too deep or pry wood out of the cut will result in you spending more time sharpening than actually carving.

Once his tools are sharpened with the stones, he uses this set-up as he's carving.  As you can see, it is a standard bench grinder with a stone on the left side.  On the right side is his secret to super sharp tools --- a slotted, cardboard wheel that is charged with rouge.  Woodcraft sells this sharpening system.  Here's a LINK to their online listing of it.  You'll notice there are a couple of different ways to buy it from them.  I'm among many of his students that purchased this system after taking a class from him.  It did cause an interesting discussion on grinder use.  The normal rotation of a grinder has the top of the wheel coming down towards you.  Whatever you're grinding is put towards the top of the wheel and the tool rest supports it to prevent it from kicking back at you.  That's how the wheel at the left of this picture works.  However; if you use the cardboard wheel on the right that way, the edge of  your tool will catch and definitely come flying back at you much faster than you'd ever hope to get out of the way!

Because of that, to use the right side wheel to hone your chisel you have to position it at the bottom of the wheel with the cutting edge against it.  If you're like Dennis and completely accustomed to using it that way it's no problem.  One the other hand, if you're not you'd probably be safer turning your grinder around so the rotation is reversed and you can place the tool on top of the wheel to see what you're doing.

Here's a picture of my grinder, notice it's reversed.  For safety I built an enclosure around the wheel and also marked the direction on some tape to remind myself.  The only awkward thing about this set up is having to reach over the top of the machine to reach the on/off switch.

V-Chisel or Parting Tool

Dennis began his talk by focusing on the tool shown at the right referred to as either a V-chisel or a parting tool.  Traditionally, this is the tool used to outline the item you intend to carve but, as he pointed out; it is a pain to sharpen.  They come in different sizes and are usually 45 or 60 degrees.  Because they are so difficult to sharpen he relies a lot on using a knife instead.  He has also demonstrated a technique where you hold a shallow gouge at a fairly steep angle and rotate it around the design to begin your cuts.  

Lupe uploaded a short video on YouTube so you can see some of his techniques in action!  If you've never checked these out, she has uploaded a series of video and you can subscribe to that particular channel to see all of them if you'd like.  Here is the LINK to that channel and the video.

As the meeting was winding up Lupe mentioned that she wanted a tour of the house.  Dennis has always been extremely interested in Victorian architecture and the inside of his home shows that.  Here's a teaser, this is one of the columns supporting his patio cover.  If I remember correctly, each one is made of 147 individually cut and fitted pieces!  These are located outside, probably half a dozen of them.


Lupe took a whole lot of pictures which I'll put here at the bottom of this blog.  They show the floors and ceilings whose patterns, incidentally  match one and other.  Also various pictures of the mill work, doors, and furniture that he has built over the years.

 Enjoy and see you next month -- John

August Meeting and Field Trip

This month our meeting will be held at Dennis Patchett's shop located behind his house.  Don't go to his showroom/shop where you used to visit him because he's decided to work from home.  It's located in the southwest part of town so you can Google or put this address into your GPS:

6375 Westwind    Las Vegas   89118

 The nearest major cross streets are S. Jones & Sunset.  His home is off of Post Road

Dennis plans to share some of his sharpening techniques and give us hints and information on using various knives and gouges.  I think it'd be fair to say that Dennis is a very accomplished (albeit humble) carver and maker of reproduction antique furniture where he utilizes his carving talents.  I'm sure we'll all walk away with usable information.  Personally, I find that whenever I watch him work I can't wait to go back to my shop and try his techniques.

     Even though the meeting is in a different location this month we'll follow the time proven format with introductions, a short show and tell,  the featured presentation, and wind up with swapping stories of our latest shop adventures.   It's always great to see what our members have been up to since the last meeting so bring in something to share if you're so inclined!

     The meeting starts at 7:00 pm, tomorrow night; Wednesday the 20th.  Not sure of the seating at his shop so it may be wise to bring a chair, as always guests are welcome.  

 

An entertaining evening with Jimmy Clewes

Note:

Our usual blogger John Eugster was out of town for this month's meeting, so this re-cap is courtesy of Joe Hessling, who covered the meeting in detail.... thanks for filling in, Joe! We appreciate it!

The July meeting of the Sin City Woodworkers was called to order at 7:00pm, with a packed house. I counted about 35 people but I think a few more snuck in after it started.

Jamie explained to the group that everyone was so excited to watch the guest speaker perform his magic that she opted to suspend General Business and the usual show and tell and let Jimmy take over.

We were pleased to have Jimmy Clewes in attendance. If you missed this meeting, it is your loss because Jimmy is an incredibly talented wood turner. One of the top ranked turners in the WORLD…and he lives right here in Las Vegas. Not only is he an accomplished wood turner, but he is an engaging teacher and speaker as well.

Jimmy started off with a block of Ambrosia Maple, about 4” square and maybe 7”-8” long. 

He quickly rounded off the 4 corners of the block and formed a short tenon on each end. 

Then using his parting tool he separated a small section to become the lid of this box. He installed the lid in a 4 jaw chuck and hollowed out the inside.

He then retuned the base of the box to the lathe and form a short should for the lid to rest upon. He carefully fit the lid to the base and then trued up the outside of both pieces. He then returned his attention to the lid and cut out a depression to receive the cocobolo piece he made earlier. He sealed the end grain of the lid using Zinser Shellac to keep the glue from soaking in too fast.

He then aligned the grain of the insert with the grain of the lid and glued into place with medium Super Glue.

 Then he gently shaped the lid with a gouge to create a slight domed effect. Once this was completed he used a parting tool to make a shallow V cut precisely at the intersection of the lid and the insert. He then filled this groove with Brass dust (available online from your favorite wood turner supply store) 

and glued into place using thin Super Glue. He smoothed the lid with a gouge removing any access brass. He continued by hollowing out the base and finished by sanding (180 through 600 grit) and sealed it with shellac then oil to really make the grain pop out nicely.

  This first project was completed in about an hour, much to the crowd's delight!

The second demonstration was a simple Walnut bowl approximately 8” in diameter and 4” tall. 

This beautiful block of Walnut was mounted on the lathe using a screw chuck. 

Jimmy started out by truing up the outside. 

He had a hard time doing this because the block of walnut was a little too big for the small bench top lathe and the it vibrated violently if he increased the rpm too high. To compensate for this he began removing excess material but forming the foot and then roughly forming the curve of the bowl. Once he had the basic shape he was able to increase the rpm and began refining his design. 

Once again he finished the piece by sanding (180 through 600) and sealed it with shellac and oil.

Jimmy is so talented that he was able to look away from the lathe as he answered questions from the crowd as he continued to make cuts. He also gave good general tips such as using a faster rpm because it’s actually safer and he explained how the angle of the tip of the gouge HAS to follow the shape of the piece.  Otherwise you risk that dreaded “Almighty Catch” and some tear out.

Thanks to Lupe - here are some of the highlights of Jimmy's presentation...

Jimmy was an inspiration to me and I’ll bet others as well. He makes lathe work look so easy and fun. He teaches classes at his Las Vegas studio. (Jimmyclewes.com ) With reasonable tuition and a very low 4 to 1 student teacher ratio, you are almost guaranteed a fun time and you’ll be a better woodworker when you leave.

A big thank you to Mr. Jimmy Clewes for entertaining and educating us. We hope to see him again soon. 

Next Meeting: Wednesday July 16th.

You're probably thinking -- hey, how come I'm getting this email now?

          Has John gone senile and totally forgotten how to read a calendar?

Heck no, I'm not going to be here because I'm headed for.......

........... this will be the first meeting I've missed in the entire history of Sin City Woodworkers!


The featured presenter at this meeting is Jimmy Clewes who is a top rated wood turner.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 and as always guests are welcome.  Bring chairs as seating is limited.  For any questions contact Jamie at 702-631-1870.  The studio's address is 2267 West Gowan, unit # 106.

     

June 2014 Meeting --- Another Full House!

      The meeting featured a full house of 30 members and guests.  It may have seemed a bit more crowded than usual because we met in the machine section at Jamie's school/shop.  This way Joe was able to use the panel saw for an easel as he gave his presentation on designing furniture -- more on that later but if you weren't able to attend you missed a great one!  As is tradition, we did our round robin introductions and then went the heart of the meeting.

General Business

     Lots of business to talk about and Jamie started it by telling you that the media center I entered into the Design in Wood competition was one of 6 that was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Contemporary Furniture category.  The Summerlin View published a picture of it this week, here's a LINK to that if you'd be interested in seeing the finished project.  I'm humbled and honored to have my original design and work accepted into the show and then shown in our local newspaper.  She also told us about Lupe and her success at selling her work.  You probably saw the two, Adirondack chairs she's been working on.  Like all of her work they featured no less than 5 coats of sanded in Watco and were beautiful.  There was a picture of them on Facebook you may have seen.  In any case, someone mentioned if she'd sell them after putting all the work into them and she said "sure".  Well, next day she had the money and is set to make the next great thing --- congrats to you Lupe!
     If anyone is looking for work within the woodworking industry Jamie knows of a shop that is looking for someone with experience, not only making cabinets but also doing laminate work.  Contact her at the shop (702-631-1870) if that's something you'd be interested in.
     Big news about our next meeting in July.  It will feature Jimmy Clewes who is a woodturner living in Las Vegas.  He is ranked among the top 5 woodturners in the world and he will give a demonstration at the meeting.  I've never taken a class from him but from what I've heard he's not only an outstanding woodturner but an interesting speaker/teacher as well.  Here's a LINK to his website.

      To keep the news coming, there is a new woodworking club that started three months ago.  It is the Las Vegas Woodcarvers.  The club meets at Woodworkers Emporium every 4th. Saturday of the month.  Hours are 9:30-11:30.  The club is led by Dennis Patchett and Randy Glau who are both members of the Sin City group.  You can see some of the types of work done but we will do everything from caricatures, eggs, apples, relief work, etc.  Since the club is in it's infancy,  more members means more ideas on how the club will operate.  So far one of the members has led us in tutorials on doing the type of faces you see in the center of the picture.  If you're a carver or always wanted to know more about it come by the next meeting, June 28th.  Woodworkers Emporium is located at 5461 Arville Street, between Tropicana and Russell.

    For the Christmas challenge we'll follow the Food Network show, Chopped format.  More details will follow but it was decided that the project can be one of your choice that utilizes the following materials:  1" x 6" x 8' piece of lumber (your choice), a dowel, some type of brass fastener, and a non-wood material.  These must be featured prominently in the project (75%), it would be nice to take a picture of your materials in their rough form to accompany your work.

     Last, but certainly not least:

       Jamie has been selected to host a Lie-Nielsen tool event in October !!

Just in case you're not familiar with Lie-Nielsen here is a LINK to their page about their tool events.  Mark your calendar and start saving your money!
   

Show and Tell Session

          There was a lot of participation this time for show and tell and everyone did a great job of keeping their presentation to 5 minutes or less.  I could see Joe sweating it, looking at the clock, and knowing he had lots of great information to share with us.

Beth started off with this beautiful bench she built for her husband that will go in to their bathroom.  My first thought was water + wood= uh oh! but I think the finish she put on it will hold up fine.  Beth is one of Jamie's students and gets a lot of teasing about her nails and jewelry but this project proves they don't stop her talent.  The size of this is 18" x 18" x 30" and the top is made primarily of scraps of wood which were laminated into 3 long strips then cut to size.  The frame is traditional mortise and tenon and it's a very nice piece of work.

Neal is one of the members of the carving club I talked about earlier.  This is an example of relief carving that he is currently working on.  One of the nice things about carving is that, if you can get away with it, it can be done in the air conditioned comfort of your living room instead of your hot shop/garage space.

Another way to carve is through the use of CNC controlled machines.  Leo brought in two examples he has done with one of his three, CarveWright machines.  This is a Walnut piece that features scenes from the wine country plus an inlayed clock.  Unfortunately the other piece he brought in didn't photograph very well.  If you were at the meeting you know how cool it was! It was a piece of Corian, about 1/4" thick that had a photograph carved out of it.  He mounted it in a box with lighting and it looked pretty darn cool!  If you're interested in what CNC can do, here is a LINK to CarveWright.

To help us all with the never ending quest on how to get our tools the sharpest they can be, Eric shared this recent article from Fine Woodworking where the latest offerings of water stones were tested and rated.  You may recall Eric's demonstration on sharpening -- he knows a lot about it.  He mentioned that having tried many of the stones in the article he agreed with their findings.

Jim has been working on a beautifully crafted and well thought out sewing center for his wife.  It's been a work in progress for a year or so and is made of Red Oak.  Obviously too big to bring in he brought in several pictures of it to show us.  His wife must have been more than pleased since he offered his old ShopVac to anyone in the club who could use it ---- now that he has a Festool that noisy old machine is no longer welcome in his shop!

Ed has been busy at the lathe and showed off this three tiered candy dish made of Myrtle.  The center section he thought was Maple.  What he's holding is a nicely turned honey dipper -- it's not only made of Olive wood but it's protected and finished with Olive oil as well!

Ted returned from his travels and out of state work with a collection of some new tools.  Jamie does have an unofficial title for him as a Tool *&$&%**# but since this is a family publication you'll have to fill in the blank!  Here he's holding an antique ink line (China or Japan) and it's just exquisite.  Tools of old were not only functional, they were artistically designed to be a work of art as well.  Turned handles, filigree on knobs, etching on the metal, etc.  Besides this ink line he also showed some clamps from the 1800's, plumb bob, craftsman made router plane, and a copy a rare furniture book.

The last of our show and tell items also made it into the raffle, that was very generous of you Jon!  It's a jig used for cutting splines into the sides of a mitered box, you can see the box in his hand.  What sets his design apart from others is the fact that you won't destroy the bottom of it during use.  There is about an inch of clearance which prevents the blade from cutting the jig.  Although the original design was for it to straddle the fence, Joh chose to box in the bottom and guide it against the fence.  This made for a much more rigid jig.

Featured Presentation

   

     Joe Hessling gave us a very interesting and informative presentation on ways to go about designing our furniture pieces.  Actually, these methods would hold true for anything we plan to build.  Like I would tell my students, you don't just go into the workshop to build a table and just start grabbing wood and going to it!  This craft requires time and planning for us to be successful and Joe gave us the tools to do that.  

     Just as most other things in woodworking, there are many ways to go about it and we'll all develop our own methods.  His presentation was enhanced by a hand out emailed to all of you prior to the meeting.  It's well worth keeping for reference and I'm especially thankful he made that so I don't have to try to give you the information second-hand!  In summary, projects will begin with a need, purpose, and an intended use.  Then begins the drawing and sketching phase.  This can be as simple as the proverbial "drawn on the back of a cocktail napkin" or many carefully drafted and detailed drawings.  It's always wise to make mockups, especially of larger pieces so you can see them in actual size.  Good materials for that would be cardboard, foam insulation board, plywood, etc.  Once those items are determined it's time to consult with your client (paying, spouse, neighbor, or speculation) to get any input.  The budget will determine many things such as materials, finish, hardware, etc.  Joinery will need to be selected based on your abilities and tools but most importantly what gives the structure and strength required.  Then begins the fun part --- the actual construction of the piece.

To help illustrate the presentation he  brought in this piece of his work.  Along with it were many of the sketches and drawings he made prior to construction.  Notice the pull?  Joe likes to enhance his work with his own, unique hand carved hardware which adds to the over-all design.  As part of the hand out there is a list of reference books he recommended.  

Thanks to him for an informative presentation and the time he took to prepare the hand out for us to refer to as we go about this business of woodworking. 

June 2014 Meeting

Whether you do it "Old School"

   

Or can handle it "New School"

  You have to work your design into your project.  The number of ways the style and design is worked into projects is probably as numerous as the number of woodworkers!  However; there are certain things that will apply no matter what your own process entails.  For many of us, some pieces come from a "seat of the pants" technique that started out with nothing more than an idea in your head or a quick sketch on a piece of scrap wood.  Others projects may take all of the factors into account and result in a full drawing, cut lists, and joinery details.  The featured presentation this month will be by Joe Hessling who will guide us through the basic design process.  He also plans to have us do a simple sketching exercise and discuss joinery selection and the Golden Rectangle.  


Please Note:  Joe has provided a PDF document which I'll mail out to you in a separate email.  It might be to your advantage to print it out and bring it to the meeting so you can follow along easily and take notes if you want.

Show & Tell

     As always, we will have a short show and tell session at the beginning of the meeting.  I understand that we may be surprised at a piece that Beth plans to share with us.  Please keep your show and tell to less than 5 minutes so we don't take away time from our featured presenter.

The Purpose of our Raffles

     Something new for our meetings is to have a raffle at the end.  Let me explain the purpose and reasoning behind this new addition.  We have always had a voluntary dues of $20.00 per year which covers the cost of the MeetUp site, our Christmas party, and gift cards for random drawings and contest winners.  There have been requests to bring in outside speakers to demonstrate or hold workshops but these folks charge money!  Here is where the raffle comes in -- most of us have experienced buying a tool, book, or instructional DVD that we were sure we needed but then once we had it in our hands it really wasn't what we thought it was after all.  Maybe you have some extra parts, knobs, hinges, etc. that are just gathering dust and taking up space you could put to better use.

Ted belonged to a large woodworking group in San Diego that used this concept to generate funds for things members thought would enhance the group.  If you have anything that you would like to donate, bring it in and give it to Ted.  He will also be the one selling the raffle tickets at the beginning of the meeting.  I'm sure there will be an opportunity to buy tickets just prior to the drawing if you notice a "must have" item you want to take a chance on.  In case there aren't enough items brought in for a particular meeting he'll hold on to them and we'll have the raffle at the next meeting.

Time and Place

As always, the meeting will be held at Studio: Wood It Is! aka as "Jamie's place".  Her phone number is 702-631-1870 if you have any questions.  The address is 2267 West Gowan #106.  Visitors are always welcome and remember to bring a chair as seating is limited.   

See you then --- John