Message from the President
Hello Inland Woodworkers. Great to see everyone at the last meeting. I hope everybody has adjusted to the time change and didn’t suffer too much from losing an hour of sleep. With the days longer in the evening now it’s good to get out in the shops and garages and take advantage of a bit more sunlight.
I can’t wait to see the projects you’re making and all the new designs. If you have any issues with a new or old design and need to seek out advise on how to push forward, please bring them to the attention of your fellow woodworkers at the next club meeting.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Jeff Sladick, Owner and President of Royal Custom Designs, a designer and builder of inspired luxury furniture right here in Chino, CA. I met Jeff at the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas this past July. Jeff offered to let us tour his manufacturing facility and see his skilled and talented makers in process. I’m looking toward a Saturday in mid-May. I got to see it and they do some amazing work. Jeff has generously offered to supply wood to the club for toy making. I can’t wait for you all to meet Jeff. I invited him to our next meeting. By the way he is a registered member of the club. I also invited Jeff to come by the SkillsUSA State Competition 6 April at Chaffee High School to see our members supporting the event.
I certainly hope you are all well and remain that way. Have a great March and I look forward to seeing you in April.
Treasurer’s Report
Club treasurer Phyllis Minert presented the treasurer’s report. There were no outstanding debts or requests for payment.
Club Business
Welcome Back: Club President Mike Trejo is still recovering from his recent broken ankle, but was able to hobble his way back to the helm for this month’s meeting.
Request for a Bandsaw: Jonathan Bijur works at reDiscover (jonathan@rediscovercenter.org), a community-based organization reliant on donations to provide shop access, classes, and camps to youth ages 8-25 so they can gain maker and woodworking skills. They are opening a public youth woodshop this spring in the Mid City neighborhood of Los Angeles to serve the local low-income community. Jonathan is looking for a 14″ or 16″ bandsaw in good condition. Contact Mike Trejo if you can assist.
New Members: welcome Dan McClain. Dan also attended the March Inland Woodworkers CNC Training at the Rockler Ontario store.
Shaper Tools: Ben Angerer sent a note of appreciation, thanking the IW members for our hospitality, and to tell us that he was glad to attend the February IW meeting. We, too, were glad that he attended and gave a hands-on demo of the shaper tools router system.
Lumber Resources: anyone aware of a lumber yard willing to donate wood for our toy drive, please contact Mike Trejo.
High School Woodshops: there was a lively discussion regarding the closures of high school vocational training. Not every student is college-bound, and without formal training in the trades, some students are being left behind. And businesses are suffering, as trained resources are now in shortage.
SkillsUSA State Competition: the California State competition for woodworkers will be held at the Chaffey High School Industrial Arts facility (1245 North Euclid Ave, Ontario, CA) on Saturday, April 6th. IW is looking for volunteers to proctor the event. Be there at 7am. The competitions (Intro to Woodworking and Cabinetmaking) will begin at 8am and run until 4pm. Bring safety glasses, shop apron, earplugs, and a tape measure.
Business Closures: the Woodcraft Store of Orange County (Fountain Valley) closed its doors in 2023. Rockler Pasadena will close in 2024. This unfortunate trend is also affecting cabinet shops: Architectural Woodwork Institute (Montebello) and Drees Wood Products (Paramount) are also closed.
Miscellaneous: Richard MacHott has an old router that he is willing to donate to a club member, and RJ Monsma has a spare stacked dado that his is offering.
Show & Tell
Chuck Petrovich made a plaque for a friend who recently lost her pet dog. Chuck normally paints one side of the board with sealer (he recommends Bullseye Sanding Sealer). Chuck cautions against sealing both sides, as that will cause the board to warp. For this project, he soaked the board in shellac and then squeegeed off the excess. After the shellac dried and hardened, he put on 2 coats of polyurethane. Excellent results.
Rick DuVall is building a craps table. He is using his new CNC router to machines the parts and his tablesaw to cut to size. The material is steamed beech. Here are some prototype chip rails, which were machined with 1/8” ball nose end mills using the Vectric Moulding Toolpath feature. We’re looking forward to a Casino Night at Rick’s place!
Club Secretary Michael Miller is working on a new toy design for the upcoming IW Toy Drive. The material is poplar, from the club. Michael created the profile in Vectric and machined the body using his CNC Router. He noted that the jig for drilling the tail hole was as much work as designing the horse.
Tom Householder has been making rolling pins with his benchtop lathe. The oak wood came from an old church pew, possibly 120 years old. Tom converted an 1-1/4” open-end wrench into a cutting tool by sharpening the lower jaw to a 22-1/2-degree angle and removing the upper jaw. Tom was looking for ideas on getting a straight surface (i.e., no waves in the pin). Some suggestions: use a router table or a table saw. Dan Fountaine, a former shop instructor who taught lathe usage, gave the winning idea: get a longer tool rest that has 2 base mounts. This will provide a straight and parallel guide for the length of the rolling pin.
Upcoming Events
SkillsUSA State Finals: Saturday, April 6, Chaffey High School, Ontario. Volunteers needed.
Anderson Plywood Old Tool Swap Meet: Saturday, May 18, 4020 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230 https://www.andersonplywood.com/old-tool-swap-meet/
OC Maker Faire: September 14/15 https://oc.makerfaire.com/
