TENNESSEE VALLEY WOODWORKERS  AUGUST 1989

SPLINTERS

 

The Ides of August are upon us. With our recent “cool weather” one might think we were experiencing the Ides of March. Doesn’t it just make you want to get out there and start raking leaves? I’ve had several uncontrollable urges to start up the chain saw and start cutting fire wood. Just you wait the true “DOG DAYS” of August will soon be with us. Now for the educational message. Sitting hare with this “fancy” word processor, I’ve just asked it for some synonyms for the word “August”. In a matter of seconds we have our lesson for August. I’m sure this will come as no news to most of our wordie woodworkers———august synonyms are:

dignified, illustrious, lofty, majestic, or regal. Don’t say I never told you.

 

THIRD TUESDAY THIRD TUESDAY THIRD TUESDAY THIRD TUESDAY

 

 AUGUST        15 AUGUST     15 AUGUST     15 AUGUST     15

 

Don’t let the third Tuesday slip up on you like we did. It can’t come any sooner- then the 15th and that’s when it is so don’t forget to be at the Duck River Building at 7:00 PM for our August meeting. All of you folks who have been on vacation and busy with the kids all summer, come back and join us this Tuesday.

 

 

PICNIC IN A CAPSULE

 

We had a big crowd at our annual picnic, close to 60 folks, and plenty of chicken and vegetables, chicken and salad, chicken and bread, and chicken and desserts. Did you get a good look at that dessert table ? It closely resembled the one at the Opryland Hotel at Sunday Brunch. Our thanks to Judy Davis and Jack~ Townsend for making sure there was plenty of food for everyone. Richard Gulley made sure there was plenty to drink. And Richard, Tom Baskin and Tom Gillard ran the contest and judging with their usual smoothness.

 

Special thanks must go to Janey and John Lovett for their help in setting up the picnic and picking such a beautiful setting for us. The sound and sight of the waterfall down the creek was beautiful and everyone there particularly enjoyed the tour of the mill and the restored log cabin. For those of you who are not aware of it, there is a restored log cabin that is available for rent. It sleeps four and has a continental breakfast included.  There is also a fireplace and furnishing and finishing work by a famous local craftsman. Tom Cowan.

 

 

CONTEST IN A CAPSULE

 

If I make any mistakes here just hollar out at Tuesday night. It was getting dark, late, and I eaten too much when the result were announced.

 

BEST OF SHOW         Bill Moye won this with his carved and woodburned pelican        

 

 

FURNITURE

.

1st        Jim Van Cleeve, a grand chest

2nd       Tom Cowan

3rd        Henry Davis

 

TURNING

 

1st         Tom Cowan, beautiful walnut cup

2nd        Bill Chew

3rd        Bill Knight

 

CARVING

 

1st        Bob Reese intricate Last Supper

2nd       Winfield Bennet

I think he won third, too, more later

 

CRAFT

 

1st         Henry Davis, loved that rocking horse

2nd        Jack Townsend

3rd        Bill Knight

 

JIGS     Bob Reese and his bodacious bow saw.

 

NON WOOD

Betty Jane Davenport, Chuck Williams daughter, won for her quilt. The stitching

was perfect, this was her first one.

 

There is still the little matter of Winfield’s pig and it’s tail to be resolved. We will have to surround him at the next meeting, but Winfield, if you think we’re going to fall for the fly story, well  —~~ one of us is crazy.

 

 

RECENT NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

 

Back in June. there was an article in the Tennessean that really fascinated me. It was about Alf Sharp of Woodbury, Tennessee. Out of the five Supreme Court justices’ chairs at the Tennessee State Capitol, four of them were made in the 19th century. The fifth one was made in 1988 to match the originals. On a recent visit there, momentarily even Alf had trouble spotting the one he made. He says he not only build them to look old, but he finished them to look old, too.

 

He graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in English and French and then went on to Law School. Soon after this, he decided he wasn’t cut out for the nine to five, gray flannel suit life and opened a production shop to make money. But with 25 people working for him, he found that he spent most of his time behind a desk and never touched a piece of wood. He eventually sold this business and settled into a shop at his home on Doolittle Road.  He survives on commissions and has two helpers now.

 

In addition to the Supreme Court chairs. other work includes a set of 25 chairs for the State Library, a set of small Windsor chairs that were patterned after the single existing one that is one of the earliest pieces of furniture in Tennessee. He has also built two mantle pieces for the Hermitage, and other pieces for individuals, including breakfronts up to 16 by 10 feet.

 

 

Even though Sharp’s pieces range from $450 tp $20,000. he manages to stay busy. Alf Sharp says that he’s really not self taught. He has picked the brains of dozens of people and hung around a lot of shops. And he says he listens to historians and decoraters, too. That they know what is good and bad from different eras. Sounds like things are pretty busy out on Doolittle Road.

 

 

LONG LOST FRIENDS

 

Thought you all would like to know that Gina and Ricky Bishop are still alive and well and still building their house. Things are going along well and as soon as they are finished, they promise to come back and join us at the Woodworking Club.

 

 

VISITORS

 

Jack has been busy with his recruiting for the Fall semester and has issued special invitations to the following newcomers this week——Jerold Miller, James Jackson, and Carol Comptom. Let’s hope to come and join us and let’s he sure to seek them out and introduce ourselves.