April 2008, Vol. 17, Number 4

WO O D WO R K E R SN E WS

April MeetingThursday, April 10, 2008, 7:00 pmShaker Heritage Society Meeting HouseAlbany-Shaker Road, Albany

Making Bamboo Fly RodsBy Howard Bartholomew

Howard Bartholomew first joined NWA in 1992, about thetime he started making bamboo rods commercially. Since thenhe has made about 200 bamboo rods. During his presentationhe will discuss the fine art of making rods, why other materialshave replaced bam-boo and why bam-boo is still an excel-lent choice.

His rods aremade with six sec-tors which are pre-pared from Chinesebamboo using onlyhand tools. Much ofhis discussion willbe about the specialtools needed tomake the triangular-ly shaped, taperedsectors. He uses his own forms instead of commercially avail-able, adjustable forms. The primary tool is a special 60 degreeplane.

He will demonstrate shaping, jointing and fitting of the sec-tors. Then how the sectors are glued together and the ferrulesand guides are attached.

Howard is a 1965 graduate of Union College with a degreein English history. He taught American history in SchoharieValley for 20 years, retiring in 1987 to take up furniture makingon a full time basis. His business is primarily period furnitureand reproductions. His current commission consists of twomatching chest-on-chest pieces in walnut.

You may recall that in 2002 Howard spoke to us about hisfurniture making at our May meeting.

Though graphite has taken over as the most common mate-rial for fishing rods of all types, bamboo seems to be making acomeback for fly rods. Today there are better glues, excellentbamboo cane is available and there is a much better exchangeof ideas among rod builders. If you are a fly fisherman you willwant to try one of his rods. Howard will have two rods with himthat he made recently. Fisherman or not, you will be awed bythe skill involved in making them.

March – What You MayHave Missed!Larry Zinn

It may have been the 13th day of the month, butthe unlucky folks were those of you who were not pres-ent for the “note” worthy program orchestrated by KenEvans.

Ken conducted a musical entourage of extremelyfine instrument makers who revealed their talentsthrough their works of art and their solo appearances.The audience was delighted and so interested that themusic makers found it hard to take their bows andleave the stage.

Will Willing is a woodworker/musician/geologistwho enjoys the seismic vibrations of the unique violinshe makes whenever he has a gig that will be mademore enjoyable for his listeners by the special sound ofsomething a little different. He also makes drum sticks,flutes and even a banjo with a hubcap resonator fromhis old Plymouth. His carrying case even made someof us envious.

Craig Thayer, a trained classical violinist who hastaken a turn toward more improvisational music, start-ed out restoring violins and then progressed to buildingthem from scratch. You may have heard Craig play oneof his beautiful violins at the Christmas party or thepicnic. He explained that the top of a violin is madefrom spruce, the back from curly maple and the otherparts from ebony. His finish is something he cooks upat home and applies very lovingly and carefully, sincethe “varnish” is a critical factor – it can’t be too hard ortoo soft. It has to be perfect to allow the wood tovibrate just right.

Dan Fera has been making violin and cello bowsfor 20 years. He learned the French tradition by attend-ing a special school. Dan discussed the details of con-verting a piece of rare pernambuco, some horse tailhairs from a special horse, and some very precisemetal work, into a bow that a customer will pay$2,500 to own and covet. Pernambuco, an extremelydense and strong purplish wood is no longer availableexcept from dealers who stored large quantities of itbefore access to the source in the rain forest becameprohibited. Dan uses a many special tools for his craft.Dan’s wife, Rose, was certainly a major contributor ofinformation, too.

Eric Marzac and Mark Pelkey came to their love ofguitar building from very different beginnings that youwill probably be able to discuss with them at

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OFFICERSPresident - Pete Howe 885-9331

phowe1@nycap.rr.comVice President - Warren Stoker 439-6089

wstoker@nycap.rr.comSecretary -Kitty Scharl 765-3189

crowridge@empireone.netTreasurer - Austin Spang 393-2859

spang@nycap.rr.comPast President - Ken Evans 753-7759

kevans1@nycap.rr.comHistorian -

Position to be FilledExecutive Secretary - Charlie Goddard

370-0388 Cgodd@aol.com

CHAIRPERSONSMid-Hudson Chapter

Joe Kennedy, President 845-473-1598jkenn23333@aol.comSacandaga Chapter

Co-PresidentsCliff Danke – 883-6011Carl Siegle – 853-3866csiegle@nycap.rr.com

EducationHerm Finkbeiner 371-9145

hfinkbei@nycap.rr.comAdult Programs

Position To Be FilledYouth Programs

William Van Brunt 767-3060wvanbrun@nycap.rr.com

Fiske FundJoe Kennedy (845) 473-1598

JKenn23333@aol.comHospitality

Al and Emily Stahl 587-2420astahl@nycap.rr.com

LibraryWilhelmina Evans 753-7759

wiltw0@nycap.rr.comMembership

Susan Howe 885-9331Programs

Ken Evans 753-7759kevans1@nycap.rr.com

PublicationsWally Carpenter 434-1776c.j.carpenter@earthlink.net

SHOWCASEKen Evans 753-7759

kevans1@nycap.rr.comTool Crib

Gerry O'Brien 459-9266go12211@yahoo.com

VideographersDave Ellison 872-0980

ellisd@rpi.eduHans Kappel 861-8753bluespruce@juno.comPat Pugsley 634-7144ideas@mhonline.net

Bob Conahan 355-9032conahanbob@hotmail.com

Kirk Hardenburg725-1997

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, PHONENUMBERS ARE IN AREA CODE 518

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The Fiske Scholarship FundBy Joe Kennedy

We have decided to start calling the Fiske Fund the “Fiske Scholarship Fund” tobetter describe the purpose of this fund.

There are five members of the Fiske Scholarship Fund Committee. Each memberserves for a term of three years, renewable once. The main thing a member gives upwhen serving on the Committee is the chance to apply for a Fiske grant in order toavoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. I hope all of you appreciate what yourCommittee members do for you. Special thanks to Jim Hartlage who will complete hissix years of service in May. Jim has done a great job over the past six years and we willmiss him. It looks like we can get Chris Knite to take over for Jim in May. Again, thankyou, Jim, and welcome, Chris.

We have several applications pending during the first quarter. Austin Spang willtake a class in Sculptural Furniture at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. GuyGarrett and Chris Knite will take a three part Classic Huntboard class taught by GarrettHack at the Shelbourne Arts Center. Robert Walker plans to take a box making class atthe Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking. Joe Benkert plans to take an advancedfinishing class at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship.

I understand there are a number of other members planning to take classes thisyear. I want to assure you all that we still have enough money to help all of you out.

Want to see your shop get nationalmagazine exposure?By Wood Magazine

Do you have the kind of shop other woodworkers like to visit? Is your shop filledwith clever ideas that help you work smarter, faster, or safer? Have you designed andbuilt special tool racks, machine bases, cabinets, jigs, or other shop helpers you thinkyour fellow woodworkers would find interesting? If so, the editors at WOOD magazineinvite you to submit your workshop or individual shop projects for review and possiblepublication in future editions of America’s Best Home Workshops. Your shop doesn’thave to be big or nit-picky clean. The ideas could be storage solutions, task-specific jigs,shop tips, or the special way you designed, built, and outfitted your shop. Mail yourentry to America’s Best Home Workshops, WOOD Magazine, 1716 Locust St., LS-221,Des Moines, IA 50309, or go online at woodmagazine.com/homeshops.

From Feb MeetingBy Ken Evans

Many requests have been made to learn more about contacting those engaged inthe OnRust Dutch Ship Building Project. Here is the information: Greta Wagle, OnRustShipbuilding Project, 518-248-1395 cell, 518-439 2096 regular phone.

Notification from NWA NominatingCommittee

The nominating committee is announcing per the By Laws of the NWA the follow-ing names for this year’s Presidency:

President Warren Stoker Vice President Owen ArkinsonSecretary Kitty Scharl

SHOWCASE IS HAPPENING !!!April 5-6 in Saratoga • Be There !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOODWORKERS NEWS ispublished by the NortheasternWoodworkers Association for itsmembers. The Association’s aimis to provide a common meetingground for lovers of woodworkingwho want to know more aboutwood and the techniques forforming it. The newsletter ispublished monthly. It is assem-bled in QuarkXPress 5.0on an iMac G5, duplicated byShipmates, and mailed to morethan 1,000 addresses.

Your next issue ofWoodworkers News

will be publishedin early May Copy deadline:

April 15Wally Carpenter, Editor

(518) 434-1776c.j.carpenter@earthlink.net

Elizabeth Keays Graphic ArtistDesigner

WEBSITE(S)www.woodworker.org

www.nwawoodworkingshow.org

Blog Site:http://woodworkerorg.blogspotcom/

Website EditorPosition to be Filled

NWA maintains two websites,the first noted here

operates continuously. We also offer selected

links to other sites of interestto our membership.

Webmaster - Justin Rohrerrohrej@woodworker.org

The second site operates fromJanuary 1 to May 30and carries specific

information about SHOWCASE.

NORTHEASTERNWOODWORKERS ASSOCIATION

P.O. BOX 246Rexford, New York 12148

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Miller Family MarvelsBy Herm Finkbeiner

It has always been clear that theMiller family, Ken, Brunhilde, and Johnare talented but the fact has never beenmore obvious than at the “Wood andFibers” exhibit which the family puttogether at the Small Gallery in HubbardHall, The Hall at 25 Main Street inCambridge, NY hosts frequently has dis-plays of work by this region’s outstandingartists and artisans. The Miller exhibit wasno exception.

There were turnings, furniture, andbread boards form Ken, turnings, tablesand a beautifully done jewelry case byJohn and a number of intriguing fiber artpieces that Brunhilde had made oftenfrom scraps that others would have rele-gated to the “rag bag”.

I was especially interested in the jew-elry box. John had made it as a model fora full sized side board, with hand madehinges and drawer pulls shaped to con-form to the overall design concepts of thecase itself. John has promised to have itat Saratoga in Woodworkers Showcase’08. Look for it!

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MEMBER PROFILE

Man with a MissionBy Chuck Walker

Most of us may not be aware of theintensity and dedication of one of ourfounding members, Herm Finkbeiner.There has scarcely been an activity ofNWA that has not been touched or insti-gated by Herm. With the support of hiswife Fran, much has been accomplishedto bring the club from the initial eightmembers to the 800 plus we now havein the short space of 17 years. Thiscould not have happened without thesteadfast vision of Herm.

It has been a privilege for me toknow Herm for, well, let’s just says along time. We were fellow chemistrymajors at the same undergraduateschool. Although his class was a yearahead of mine, it would have been diffi-cult for our paths not to cross in aschool of around 400 students in a fouryear curriculum. Herm’s intelligenceand seriousness of approach to educa-tion was an inspiration to me then andstill is. Our paths separated for a timeand it was a surprise to find Herm andFran living not all that far away fromwhere Jeanne and I have sort of settled.

Herm started woodworking veryearly at about 12 years. His father had aworkshop which included only two sta-tionary power tools, an 8" Craftsmantilting table saw and a grinder. He coulduse the saw as long as no other kids

were in the shop. My, how times havechanged! His father had 20-25 bee hivesand Herm made some of the "supers”or boxes that hold the honey combframes. He also did lots of typical "proj-ects" for 12 - 16 year olds. He maderubber band guns, a desk, a shed for hisham radio equipment, lamps, mudscraper, book ends, and many more.

Right after he and Fran were mar-ried he started a shop in the basementof the house where they lived inPittsburg, Kansas. In this shop he made

book cases, a cornertable, cabinet for thestereo system and ofcourse more lamps,all typical of thekind of thing ayoung couple withlittle money wouldneed to do for them-selves. Fran is fondof saying that eventhat first year,Herm’s Christmaslist was a wellmarked up tool sec-tion of the Searscatalog.

Since the dayswhen eight men atGE research sataround a lunch tableand wondered whatthey would do ifthey started a wood-working club hiswoodworking proj-ects have ranged

from a number of tables, a 10' longtriple pedestal oak desk, clocks, toysand uncounted boxes. And that doesnot include the workbenches he hasmade many of which have been donat-ed to benefit NWA in one area or other.

Herm has an extreme fondness fortrees and wood and has said “I’ve nevermet a tree that I did not want to plant”!His yard in fact is a veritable arboretumand makes an enjoyable tour as well asa learning one. He has prepared a num-ber of wood specimens from his andother trees called “Backyard Exotics”.Many of us do not think of using woodfrom small trees and shrubs like lilac oryew or flowering dogwood just to namea few. But a little experimentation mayyield unexpected beauty.

Herm’s dedication to woodworkingand more specifically to education ofpeople about it is what has really madeNWA the outstanding organization thatit is. The motto of NWA is “for thosewho love working wood and want to getbetter at it”. Right away, you know thatNWA is more than just a social organiza-tion and that is what makes it work sowell. Of course there is socializationamong members but it happens bestwhen members are busy workingtogether on a common project or shar-ing quality shop time or just visiting oneanother to get help on a problem. Agreat deal of it happens with membersbusy setting up and working at theannual Showcase. The ease with whichthis great show happens is a wonderand camaraderie is evident everywhere.It is infectious and obvious to any visi-tor. They just enjoy being there. Andalmost as an aside to the exhibit, thereis a variety of experienced membersand professional woodworkers present-ing free lectures to stimulate interestand offer knowledge about woodwork-ing.

This is not the only area where hisinfluence is felt. Many of us are familiarwith the now famous “Finkbeiner freelunch”! When Herm invites you to lunchit is almost a guarantee that you willbecome involved in something that willadvance the purposes of NWA and inci-dentally enrich your own being. Heinstigated the “WoodworkingWeekends” held at Sears a few yearsback. These were a series of seminarsprepared by members to share with oth-ers. He was behind the formation of“Special Interest Groups (SIG) and he isalways looking for opportunities to pro-mote group activities. An example ofthis is the “Saturday Hole in the Woods”group that meets in the late JimKennedy’s shop and shares work onprojects for the Hole in the WoodsCamp for children with serious illnesses.They do other projects as well but theyalways have learning sessions as well asfun.

Continued on Page 9

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Folk Crafts in North CarolinaJohn Campbell Folk SchoolBy Stanley Coventry

From 1908 through 1910, John Campbell andhis wife Olive traveled through the Appalachianregion from Georgia to West Virginia. The purposeof the trip was to gather information on mountainlife in the region. They interviewed farmers to learnthe methods used in running local farms, they col-lected music and musical instruments of the region,and they collected traditional folk art, and craft skills. Whileexploring the region they came to the conclusion that aregional school would be of value to make local communitiesmore productive and vibrant.

John died in 1919. However, his dream of establishing afolk school was kept alive by his widow. She toured Europewhere folk schools were common and decided that the DanishFolk School system was the most adaptable to the south. Afterdeciding on the format, Olive and a friend Margueritte Butlerhad to find a location where they would be accepted and sup-ported by the community. They looked to establish the schoolin several areas, and after meeting with the local leaders andmeasuring local support, they settled on Brasstown, NorthCarolina.

The schoolwas establishedin 1925 on 75donated acres,using donatedmaterials anddonated labor.The school wasviewed as a valu-able asset to thecommunity. Thefeeling in thecommunity wasthat local residents could attend the school and not leave thefamily farms.

The original curriculum taught skills that were farm andfarm life related. Over time courses have been changed toteach more contemporary skills. The latest catalog offers 47general categories of craft from beading to quilting. Some ofthe most popular are the woodworking and turning classes,fiber arts, digital photography, painting, cooking and variouswriting and music courses. Whatever your interest in crafts,sometime during the year there is a good chance that you willfind a class at the school that will interest you.

People attending the school come from across the coun-try. Their backgrounds are as varied as their interests. Mealtime offers the opportunity to meet different people and hear

interesting stories. Meals are served family style and seating isnot assigned, giving you the opportunity to sit with differentpeople at every meal. An amazing number of the people arereturning students, some have been multiple times.

In November 2007, my wife and I made our third trip toJCC. I enrolled in the 10-day Windsor Settee class. One of therequirements was that all the legs, stretchers, and arm stumpshad to be turned before arriving at the class. About 3 monthbefore the class, I received a packet containing detailed specsfor all the parts that needed to be turned. I also got the list forthe wood needed to complete the project. The class wastaught by two professional chairmakers, Tommy Boyd fromSalters, SC and Brian Cunfer from Lancaster, PA. They did aterrific job in addressing the various skill levels of the studentsand managing the tasks necessary to ensure everyone stayedon schedule to complete the settee in time allowed. Thingslike preparing parts to be steam bent then bending and allow-ing them to dry require about 5 days from start to finish, timemanagement is critical. Chair making operations are for themost part done using hand tools, that allows talking and work-ing at the same time. The ability to talk and get to know theother members of the class led to a very congenial class envi-ronment.

The amount of work that needed to be accomplished waschallenging. The average shop day runs 9:00 until noon, 1:00to 5:00 and then 7:00 to 9:30 with breaks for lunch and din-ner. It’s total immersion, tiring and at the same time a mostrewarding experience.

If your class schedule allows any free time, the school hasfunctions beginning with nature walks at 7:00 am, history dis-cussion or music. In the evening there are class demonstra-tions, concerts, folk and contra dancing and tours through thestudios of local artists. You are welcome to take a break duringthe day and stop in any other class to observe other crafters.

Brasstown is about 950 miles from the Capital region andabout 20 hours driving time but a stay at JCC is worth thetime and effort.

The Fiske fund offers NWA members the opportunity toapply for grants to underwrite the cost of a woodworking classof almost any description. I applied and was awarded a gener-ous grant for the Windsor Settee class at John Campbell FolkSchool. If you are interested in applying for a Fiske Grant, youcan find the necessary forms and instructions on the NWAweb page: www.woodworker.org

Showcase, where we hope you will see some of their beautifulwork. Eric morphed into a guitar maker after 35 years ofwoodworking. His first experience was with a kit, but he nowinsists on doing every bit of the work with his own handsguided by his own creativity and his knowledge of the historyof great guitars. Mark, who was playing an electric bass injunior high school, talked his shop teacher into letting himbuild his own guitar, and he has been doing it for the past 20years, much to the pleasure of his clients. Eric and Mark col-laborate on teaching classes that any of us can take. Howabout making a guitar for your kids or grand kids?

Host, Ken Evans, banjo maker extraordinaire, graciouslyyielded his time to his guests, so we didn’t get to hear abouthis new venture into instrument building. We did see twovery beautiful banjos that he has made and a layout of thesteps in the process. No speech this time! Ha! Who knows,maybe he will have a banjo at Showcase. After all, he is theguy in charge!

What You May Have Missed!Continued from Page 1

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MidHudson ChapterBy Wally Cook

CHAPTER NEWS

Tool for John's drawer construction class -- the doughnuts areessential

Congrats: All hail to Matt Clarke, the Mid-Hudsonchapter's Woodworker of the Year! Matt was voted theWWotY at the last chapter meeting and will be honored atthe Seventh Annual Chapter Dinner on April 18.

Matt has contributedmightily as President of theKaatskill Woodturners SIG.Under his leadership the SIGhas added a number of specialworkshops conducted by nota-bles such as Stuart Mortimer,Beth Ireland, and BillGrumbine. Matt has alsoworked hard to ensure thatequipment and tools are stan-dardized for student training.

By the way, the dinnerwill be held again at TwinLakes in Hurley (open bar at5:30PM, dinner at 6PM).

Tickets are $27 apiece and must be purchased no laterthan April 7. The bill of fare will include choice of a chick-en or beef entry. Send your checks made out to the NWAto Bill Fiederlein at 795 Cold Spring Rd, Stanfordville, NY12581 (845-868-7819). We will also hold the traditionalraffle, so bring a piece to the dinner to contribute. BillReynolds is coordinating the raffle prizes -- please let himknow what you are bringing (845-331-0394). Bill alsoreports that he has been very successful in obtainingdonated gift certificates and magazine subscriptions for theprize table.

Directions to Twin Lakes:• Exit 19 off the New York State Thruway• Go around the Traffic Circle to Washington

Avenue exit• After 4 Traffic Lights, Turn Right• Go 3.4 Miles on Lucas Avenue• Turn Left onto Heritage Drive

Twin Lakes is at the end of the road at:198 Heritage Dr in Hurley, New York.

Found his Niche: Congratulations are also in order forKeith Tompkins, who was a finalist in the 2008 NicheAwards with two entries "Skippin' School" and "Steppin'Out". Check it out at http://www.americancraft.com/NICHE_Awards/2008/f_professional/wood.html#Turned

Project News:Thanks to BillFiederlein for con-structing junior sizedwork benches foruse with Toy Factoryand other K-6 wood-working projects.The benches are lit-tle gems and willhold up for a longtime. Clever projectcompleted by JoeKirk features mov-able picture cubewith four familymembers picturedfor mix 'n match.

Classes: JohnGrossbohlin recentlyheld a class, con-structing drawerswith hand tools.John showed thegroup tricks of thetrade in makingdovetail drawers.

Matt Clarke- Mid HudsonChapter Woodworker of theYear

Junior workbenches -- John Grossbohlinin background

Joe Kirk's picture cubeproject

Check out our

SHOWCASE website:

http://www.nwawoodworkingshow.org/

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Sacandaga ChapterBy Gary Spencer

The Sacandaga Chapter of the NortheasternWoodworkers Association had a meeting sched-uled for March 12, and fortunately this timemother nature decided we could meet.

Our program this month featured NWA’sPresident, Pete Howe.

Pete recently completed restoration of anantique barber chair. He restored not only theoak components but replated metal and replacedthe leather. The chair weighs about 1600 Poundsand thus could not be moved to our meeting. SoPete took careful photos of the restoration andpresented a slide show on the completed processof restoring this unique piece of history datingback to the early to mid 1880’s.

This chair was on display at this yearsShowcase on April 5th and 6th. Hope everyonegot to see it just inside the entrance into theShowcase!

Our Chapter program for April 9, will fea-ture Stanley Krolikowski of Amsterdam. Hebuilds miniature cars, trucks, earthmovers, trainsetc. all to scale usually one inch to one foot. Hewill bring samples of his work to our meetingand will describe the planning and the process tocomplete one of these miniatures. This should bean outstanding program!

Following Stan’s presentation we will have acritique of each of the three team projects thatwere built to raffle off at the Showcase. Eachteam will show pictures of their projects and dis-cuss the positive aspects of their projects as wellas any difficulties they may have met in con-structing them.

Team A – This team was composed of CliffDanke, Ed Tanner, Neal Mayer and Jeff Vass.They cooperatively built a Jelly Cupboard atEd Tanners Shop.

Team B – This team was composed of ClydeCheney, Kirk Hardenburg, Tom Rulliffson, andCarl Siegle. They built several Step-BackCupboards at Tom Ruliffson’s shop.

Team C – This team was composed of FritzHenze, Rod Neilson, Ralph Simonsen, andPaul Vingerhoet. This team built a DeluxeShop Storage/Bench System at both FritzHenze’s and Paul Vingerhoet’s Shops.

Each of teams projects were at the April 5 &6 Showcase and were up for raffle. Hope every-one saw see them and bought lots of tickets!

Our regular monthly meetings are the sec-ond Wednesday of each month and begin at7:00 P.M. at Mayfield High School woodshop.Our next regular meeting will be April 9, 2008.Come on out!

Remember we have door prizes and lightrefreshments are served.

For Directions or information contact: Cliff Danke – 883-6011Carl Siegel – 853-3866

Gary Spencer – 863-6433

Adirondack WoodturnersAssociation Monthly NewsBy Celia Carpenter

March’s Demonstration:We had a very interesting demo with Mike Kross showing us how to

turn trembleurs. Mike did an excellent job in previewing the history of trem-bleurs and also how you prepare.He seems to be hooked on theprocess and after his demo I thinkmany of our members will beattempting this unique turningFor a bit of history, Trembleur is aFrench word that relates to trem-bler or wobbler. This turned objectis a test of your turning skill. It wasoriginally used as a test for appren-tice turners in order to pass tohigher jobs. The trembleur is madefrom one piece of wood in a spin-dle orientation. It is then turnedwith a turned element at the top,followed by a 2 or 3 mm thin spin-dle then another element and thenanother spindle and so forth untilyou get to the end. This is a techni-cal exercise to improve your turn-ing skill, but your work can also

create a beautiful piece of art. (Taken from an article from www.Woodturningonline.com )

Kross tailstock steady

Kross most recenttrembleur

Kross lathe bed steady

April’s Demonstration:This months demo will be a different spin but

what the members at the December meetingwanted. We will be having a question and answerperiod. It will be a very casual meeting with any-one and hopefully everyone participating. We havean incredible membership with much talent so beprepared to ask questions and get answers fromour experienced and knowledgeable membership.

2008 Mushroom Winner!This year’s winner of the acclaimed

Mushroom Award is Paul Petrie. His beautiful,pierced and artistic bowl captured the votes.Thank you for everyone for participating. We willneed to wait for his choice for next years chal-lenge. Let’s try to get involved early so that wehave many choices for out favorite.

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Woodworker Safety MessageBy LoRay Gannon

Now that winter has broken it is time to gather up the damaged bird houses and replace them or fix up the remains. This wouldn’t be a bad place for a word about care while working with tools, so be careful down there in the basement! If you

get blood on the birdhouse you could drive away the vary creatures you hope to attract. Besides, bloodstains are hard to removeand unsightly, they could mean that you’ve been seriously hurt.

Remember to do what the warnings printed with the tool instructions tell you to do. Then the whole experience can be apleasant one.

”Scranton Tribune”New Species of Tree Discovered in SmallPennsylvania Town

By Ken Evans

The Shickshinny, Pennsylvania town board of supervisors inconjunction with the Dendrology Department of Virginia StateUniversity have announced the discovery of heretofore unknownspecie of deciduous tree known locally as the Shinny Maple.Robert Rhus of the Shickshinny Board of Supervisors made theannouncement at a press conference Monday March 21, 2005.

According to Mr. Rhus, the Shinny Maple, a DNA, variant ofthe Sugar Maple has been used widely in the area by locals as ajunk wood. Unlike the true sugar maple which has significant eco-nomic value for Maple Syrup, and as a source of wood for furni-ture, the Shinny Maple because of its very unique cell structure, isunusable as material for furniture or for most construction appli-cations. Although it produces significant amounts of sap, thesugar content is so low as to make the Shinny Maple unsuitablefor Maple Sugar production.

Dr. Phil Rubens, of the University of Virginia stated that tax-onomy experts from U. of Va. have classified the species as AcerSaccharin. Dr.Rubens described the unique cell structure of theShinny Maple in scientific terms, but basically the ring structureof the Shinny Maple is such that the growth rings are broad onone side of the trunk and narrow on the opposing side. Thisunique characteristic makes the flat stock cut from this tree veryprone to splintering and therefore virtually useless as a buildingmaterial for furniture or any type of timber framing.

John Banister, a local and rather queer cuss who owns andoperates Banaster’s Treated Pallets Inc. says his company usesthe vast local forests of this maple for making both pallets anddeck railing balusters. The objectionable splintering of the woodnot a problem in the pallet industry due to the short lifetime of ashipping pallet, and the unorthodox ring pattern is not a problemin turnings as turnings do not release the stresses produced byflat sawing. Banaster says his baluster business is the biggest cus-tomer of his pallet business as he uses the pallets of ShinnyMaple to ship the balusters of Shinny Maple all over the country.Shinny Maple balusters are treated with Copper Arsenate andsold in the treated lumber market for the building of deck rail-ings.

Banaster is concerned that as word of this specie spreads tothe turning world, the forests of Shinny Maple, so important tothe continued success of his company and the economic stabilityof the Populous of the Shickshinny area will be jeopardized by thedemand for this wood among woodturners.

….and all we can say is April FOOLS !

It has been Herm’s drive and direction that has led tothe outstanding array of educational offerings at theStillwater shop. He has taught many a session there him-self on making stools and his home based sessions onmaking a workbench have become legendary. Many afine looking and useful workbench has been made underhis tutelage and inspiration. It takes both because makinga good workbench demands a lot of work and knowledgefrom the builder. Instructor experience and motivation isa key to success.

These few words can only hint at the depth of thisman. Many have thought that he has no sense of humorbut they would be very wrong. His humor is wry in theextreme and may require a little thought but in the end itis very good and never at anyone’s expense. Herm, wehope you remain the spirit of NWA for a long time tocome!

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Member ProfileContinued from Page 4

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PS SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs)

Adirondack Woodturners Association - The AWA is active throughout the year.Meetings are every first Wednesday of the month (except in January and July whenit is the second Wednesday), and are held at the Curtis Lumber conference room onRoute 67, Ballston Spa. Beginners’ sessions begin at 6 pm; the main program at6:30 pm. Wednesday “Learn and Turn” sessions in Stillwater are also scheduledfrom 6 pm - 9 pm except on AWA member meeting nights. www.adirondackwood-turners.org Contact Ken Evans, 753-7759 or Kevans1@nycap.rr.com

Carver’s Guild - meets every Friday at the Clifton Park Senior Center from 9:00 amto 1:00 pm. Sessions are intended for every NWA member who is interested in carv-ing, from beginners to those wanting to learn a new technique. No reservations arenecessary, just show up! Contact Bill McCormack, 233-7260.

Scroller’s Guild - Meets on the third Wednesday of the month at The School atNortheast, 1821 Hamburg St., Schenectady. A beginner's session starts at 6:30 PMfollowed by a general meeting at 7:00 PM. Contact: Donna Phillips, (518) 372-3337or dlphill@nycap.rr.com.

Kaatskill Woodturners - Meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. atthe Opdahl property in Hurley. Contact George Norton, (845) 331-1705.

Jim's "Hole in the Woods Gang"Meets every Saturday, from 9:00 am until noon at Jim Kennedy's shop at 86Guideboard Rd., in Halfmoon. (just 1 mile east of the Halfmoon Diner on Rt. 9).Our general purpose is public service work for various charitable organizations,including the Double H Hole in the Woods camp for children. We strive to foster alearning environment for our members through the projects we work on and theinformal training/learning sessions given by and for our members. Sharing fellow-ship and relating experiences are a major part of our sessions, as we do accomplishmany tasks during our times together as well.Contact Dick Flanders, (518) 393-5215 (rflander@nycap.rr.com) or Darrell Welch,(518) 477-8431 (ydwelch@taconic.net) for more information.

CHAPTERSNWA Mid-Hudson -The chapter meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday, exceptJuly and August, at the Hurley Reformed Church. The Church is just off the theHurley exit from Rte. 209. Right at the exit, right at the stop sign and left into theChurch parking area. Contact Joe Kennedy, (845) 473-1598

NWA Sacandaga - The chapter meets at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of eachmonth at Mayfield High School in the woodworking shop. Park by the section of thebuilding that protrudes further into the parking lot and enter the nearest of the (5)doors. Contact Gary Spencer, 863-6433.

NWA Program Schedule2008

April 10 ,2008Fly Rod making

(Howard Bartholoemew)

May 8 ,2008Spec. display (By Mid Hudson Chapter)

For meeting cancellationinformation,

call Ken Evans 753-7759or Charlie Goddard 370-0388

April MeetingThursday, April 10, 2008, 7:00 pm

Shaker Heritage Society Meeting HouseAlbany-Shaker Road, Albany