Diablo WoodworkersACTIVITIES. Club meetings at PHEC are the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7-9pm and Shop Tours or Sawdust Sessions are the 3rd Saturday of the month, 9am-Noon.
OCTOBER 10th, 7-9 PM AT PHEC, ROOM 112 ROBERT BEAUCHAMP, FURNITURE MAKER/URBAN LOGGER
Robert Beauchamp is from Davis, California and has been making commissioned furniture for 19 years. He logs and mills his own lumber but tries to concentrate on dead or diseased trees consistent with his philosophy of keeping trees alive as long as possible. You can read more about Robert and view his portfolio of work at www.robertbeauchamp.com.
NOVEMBER 14th, 7-9 PM AT PHEC, ROOM 112 DAVID YAGER, SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES
David Yager manages the Wood Products division of Sequoia Vista Enterprises. Their property located near the town of Mendocino is a certified American Tree Farm with the mission to promote the growing of renewable forest resources on private lands. They have been operating their tree farm on a sustainable yield basis since it was purchased in the late 1960's. You can learn more about Sequoia Vista Enterprises at www.sequoiavista.com.
NEXT SHOP TOURS/SAWDUST SESSIONS
October 20th, SHOP TOUR, 9:00 AM - NOON MACBEATH HARDWOODS, 930 ASHBY AVE, BERKELEY, 510-843-4390
Rick McDaniel's of MacBeath Hardwoods will give us about a 45 minute guide tour of the store and yard. This is one of the better hardwood sources in the Bay Area. They have recently started to carry "shorts",4 - 6 foot lengths in most woods. Rick says they will offer the Diablo Woodworkers column two pricing if you identify yourself as a member. This is not a set percentage but rather a contractors quantity price. Save up some of your money to spend on some of the very large veneer sheets and large inventory of domestic and exotic woods during the Shop Tour.
Directions: Take the Ashby off ramp from I-80 in Berkeley. MacBeath Hardwoods is on the right just after the first stoplight on Ashby.
November 17th, SHOP TOUR, 9:00 AM - NOON TOM SIMONEN, 2200 LOS ANGELES AVE. BERKELEY, 510-558-8142
Our host, Tom Simonen, moved back to the Bay Area about 2 years ago from Southern Cal. He has been a member of the Diablo Woodworkers for about a year. Tom started working on his shop as soon as he moved here. He bumped out one wall of a two car detached garage and set about creating a shop that houses all the requisite tools but is still able to house two cars when he and his wife are away for a period of time. Tom's house is a beautiful Shingle sided two-story. The house is furnished with many of the pieces Tom has created.
Directions: Take the Albany off ramp from I-80 and drive eastbound on Buchanan. Continue east bound as Buchanan crosses San Pablo Avenue and changes to Marin Ave. Continue on Marin Ave. to the circular fountain at the base. Los Angeles is the street that "Ys" off to the right. Parking on Los Angeles is a bit of a challenge so carpool if at all possible.
DW MEMBERS CAN HELP THE ADULT ED WOODSHOP
Each December a Crafts Fair/Sale is held at the Mt Diablo Adult Education facility in Pleasant Hill to raise awareness of the great classes held all year. The woodworking class has a booth at the event and the proceeds help provide tools for the woodshop tool crib. These tools are essential to help woodworker students with their many projects. You may not even be aware that the Diablo Woodworkers was originally formed from a group of Adult Ed Woodshop participants!
You can help by donating wood projects which would be sold at the fair. Some of you have completed projects, but don't have someone to give them to. Or, you could be looking for some new and
different projects. Maybe you have tested some new techniques and don't have a use for your prototypes. Please consider a donation. Some ideas are: decorative boxes, toys of all kinds, notepad clipboards, puzzles, trivets, bird houses, bread boards, Christmas ornaments, and the list goes on.
Our inventory was depleted at last year's sale so our goal is to acquire about 100 items to put on sale at next December's fair. For convenience, bring your donations to the DW meetings held the second Wednesday of each month.
Want to know more? Contact Gordon Fry at 925-685-1676 or email, .
WOODWORKING COMPETITION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
LETTER TO LOCAL WOODSHOP TEACHERS
Diablo Woodworkers, a Contra Costa County woodworking club, in cooperation with Mt Diablo Unified School District's Adult Education program, is pleased to announce the creation of a woodworking competition for high school students. This non-commercial competition is designed to reward students who display excellence in woodworking. During the 2007/2008 school year prizes will be awarded to students in a series of categories. In addition, the high school judged to have the best woodworking program, based on its student's collective entries, will be rewarded.
When is the competition? The program will be initiated during September 2007 and will be open to student projects completed during the 2007/2008 school year. Projects will be submitted for judging during the latter part of May 2008. Awards will be granted at end of the school year.
Who is eligible? Any Contra Costa County high school aged student who participates in their school's woodworking program and is deemed by the school to be in good standing is eligible for the competition.
Who are the judges and what are the student awards? Judges will be drawn from the Diablo Woodworker membership. They will be a mix of professional and amateur woodworkers with an emphasis on persons with teaching experience. We are currently in the process of finalizing the awards structure. It is our intent to provide substantial prizes that help to further develop the recipients' woodworking interest. Woodworking power and hand tools will be the primary prize emphasis.
How will a school be selected for an award? The school judged to have the best collective group of woodworking entries will receive an award in the form of woodworking equipment to enhance their shop's capability.
How do I get my students involved? Complete a provided form in order to express your interest in participating in this competition. At the beginning of the 2007/2008 school year we will mail you a packet with registration forms, a list of award categories and the prizes, promotional materials, dates for project submission and all the other competition details.
If you would like to attend a Diablo Woodworkers meeting, just show up on the second Wednesday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Mt Diablo Education Center, Room 210, One Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant, CA 94523 Hill. Consult our web site www.diablowoodworkers.com for directions and details on meeting content. The club is open to anyone over the age of 18.
We hope that you have an interest in this program. If so, please fill out the enclosed information form. It is our intent to conduct this competition annually. Please assist us in making this, our "kick-off" year, highly successful.
Dick Ellis, Chairman [Retired MDUSD teacher]
Committee Members: Richard Schwerin [Retired MDUSD teacher]
Gordon Fry [Retired business owner]
George Lucido [Volunteer woodworking teacher assistant, Los Lomas High School]
Jeff Traeger [Woodworking instructor, MDUSD - Adult Education]
Mark Saake [Retired business owner]
TOY Special Interest Group: Bring your finished toys to the meetings.
The Toy Makers are Diablo Woodworker volunteers. They participate in two ways.
As individuals making toys in their home work shops.
Build from your own plans or use plans available from the Toy Group
Use your own materials or we provide the materials
As members of the Toy Group in weekly sessions.
A group of about 12 volunteers
Usually meets at the Mount Diablo Adult Education School
Build toys on a production basis.
What happens to the toys? All donated to charitable organizations. We are currently building for:
Monument Crisis Center
Christmas for Everyone
To volunteer or for additional information contact: Ronald Kersey, , 925 944-5471
Router/Shop Tips Special Interest Group - Meetings at John Summers' Shop, 1672 Clayton Way, Concord, 925-681-1407, the first Monday of each month. No meeting in October.
Don't forget your hearing protection!
We had a great turnout Monday in September and an informative meeting. Bruce Thom brought in a In/Out basket combo that he made using sliding dovetails for the trim pieces across each end. Ed Steffinger brought in a child's rocking chair which he made in a class at PHEC.
The main topic of the meeting was making zero-clearance throat plates for the table saw. John demonstrated his method (for craftsman table saw) using a template and the router in a router table. Ed Steffinger gave everyone a handout describing the method he uses in making a zero-clearance throat plates for a Delta table saw.
John also demonstrated a new "flush trim spiral router bit". We have had many discussions about using a flush trim router bit which should be used only for cutting man made wood (MDF & plywood), never on solid wood. A straight edged flush trim will grab the end grain of solid wood and "blow it out" resulting in a damaged edge. As we suspected, if we could find a "flush trim spiral router bit" which cuts with a shearing action it could cut solid wood. John demonstrated this new bit cutting a small handle out of white oak and it did a beautiful smooth job.
TURNING Special Interest Group: - Meetings in the Woodshop at Pleasant Hill Adult Ed. at 7pm the first Thursday of each month. To join in the Turning SIG call George Lucido at 925-254-3659. The meetings schedule is as follows:
Oct. 2007 - Sharpening your lathe tools including spindle gouges, scrapers, skews, and bowl gouges. TBD
Nov. 2007 - Bowl enhancement including how to fill cracks, use of color mixed with epoxy, use of Turquoise, etc. TBD
Dec. 2007 - Bill Tarleton will demonstrate how to turn a bowl which is bigger than the swing on the lathe. This is done off the end of the lathe using an auxiliary tool rest. This can't be done on all lathes but is a good method to learn for those of us that want to make a 24" Cesar salad bowl.
Jan. 2008 - Andrew Baxter will demonstrate how to do "off-center" turning. Using this method some very interesting shapes will evolve.
Metal Special Interest Group (Metalheads): The meetings will be held at the Ygnacio High School Metal Shop the 3rd Thursday of each month, 7-9 pm. Anyone interested in adding metal work to their hobbies and join the Metal SIG needs to contact George Hawks, 510-222-1408, or email .
Memorial Flag Case Project
We have Memorial Flag Cases, for a donation of $35 to the club, to families that have received a Military or Public Service Memorial Flag after the passing of a loved one. These cases will also be given out free to any local Fire or Police family member that is lost in the line of duty. Plans for these cases are on our club web site. Gordon Fry, 925-685-1676 is the Chairperson for this project. Call him if you know of someone that would like a Flag Case or would like some help building them.
Flag Cases were given to several local police and fire fighting families in the last couple of years. It is our honor to help in memories of these men who lost their lives in their community's service.
Sign Up for Wooden Name Badges and Reminder: If you don't have a Name Badge, contact John Stout 925-676-7271 and get one. They will be very important in getting discounts at local lumber yards and other stores in the area. While we are on the subject of discounts, if you can, the next time you find a convenient supplier ask if the club can get a club discount. We will gladly add them to our Favorite Supplier's list and mail them a Newsletter. Wooden Name Badges sign up is ongoing. Contact the John Stout to get on the list. The Wooden Name Badges will cost $4 each.
John has several Wooden Name Badges that need to be picked up. Some are paid for and some not. Please contact John at 925-676-7271.
TOOLS FOR SALE/SWAP, JOBS, WANTED: - Here is a place to advertise a job or your need to get rid of that little used but beautiful tool or supply or ask for something. Call Bill Tarleton 925-939-8052 or email to get it in the Newsletter.
Woodturning Class offered at PHEC: Part I Spindle Turning, September 11 - October 16. Class registration fee is only $58.00 for six weeks - almost 20 class hours! Instructor, Jim Rodgers. Register for Course Number: 95744034. Call Pleasant Hill Adult Education Center to register, (925) 685-7340, Room 210, One Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Black Walnut Lumber ¾"x 4" needed for the next batch of DW made Flag Cases. Lengths of 20", 28", up to 72". If you have some extra boards you can spare, contact Gordon Fry at or call 925-685-1676.
PHEC CRAFTS FAIR project needs redwood and clear pine! Redwood will be used to make a display unit for the fair. 10 pieces of ¾" x 8" x 48" (minimum size)
Clear Pine will be used to make items for sale. ¾" x 8" x 48" (minimum size), clean, no paint!
Items for Sale: Donate your projects to benefit the Adult Education Wookshop.
How to Donate: Contact Gordon Fry at or call 925-685-1676 or bring your items to a DWW meeting.
For Sale: Makita 9820-2 Sharpener, $175. Delta Universal Tenon Jig, $60. Woodhaven Delux Miter Gauge, $125. Veritas Stone Pond, $20. Incra Miter 5000, $225. Located in Albany. Call Gene at 510-527-5805
Diablo Woodworkers Library - See Andrew Baxter before or after the meeting. No videos will be given out during the meeting unless there are break periods. There is a $1 charge for borrowing a video or book. The videos and books must be returned at the following meeting.
FOR MORE ABOUT THE DIABLO WOODWORKERS Phone Bill Tarleton at 925-939-8052 or email . Please let us know if you move out of the area, or are no longer interested in the club activities so we can take you off the mailing list.
The Toy Makers are Diablo Woodworker volunteers. They participate in two ways.
