TENNESSEE VALLEY WOODWORKERS        OCT. ‘92

 

 

SPLINTERS

 

ONCE AGAIN WE ARE BLESSED WITH “OCTOBER’S BRIGHT BLUE WEATHER”... 

 

O SUNS AND SKIES AND CLOUDS OF JUNE,

AND FLOWERS OF JUNE TOGETHER,

YE CANNOT RIVAL FOR ONE HOUR

OCTOBER’S BRIGHT BLUE WEATHER.

 

YES WE CAN EXPECT FROST ON THE PUMPKINS ANY MORNING NOW. THE COLORS OF FALL ARE BEGINNING TO GRAVITATE DOWN WE MOUNTAIN ... TOP TO BOTTOM ... THE GREENS OF SPRING LEVITATE UP THE MOUNTAIN .BOTTOM TO TOP. I REALLY LOVE THE FALL.. .MAYBE SOME OF YOU DON’T GET EXCITED ABOUT IT OR EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF DREAD ...IF SO JUST TELL ME ABOUT IT . . .I’LL ADJUST YOUR ATTITUDE. 

 

OCTOBER GATHERING OF SPLINTERS, WOOD WORKERS & SAWDUST-MAKERS

 

THE THIRD TUESDAY FALLS LATE THIS MONTH.  OUR MEETING WILL BE

ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 20 A T 7:00 IN DECHERD A T THE DUCK RI VER

ELECTRIC BUILDING. WE’VE GOT ANOTHER GREAT PROGRAM PLANNED... TOM

COWAN HAS ARRANGED FOR JIM WRIGHT FROM MURFREESBORO TO DISCUSS &

DEMONSTRATE HIS CARVING TECHNIQUES. TOM SPEAKS VERY HIGHLY OF

JIM’S WORK AND ITS UNIQUENESS. GUESTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME.. .PLEASE

INVITE A FRIEND, NEIGHBOR, SPOUSE, CO-WORKER, CASUAL ACQUAINTANCE

OR ABSOLUTE STRANGER. EVERYONE IS INVITED TO GATHER AT SHONEY’S

IN DECHERD TO DINE AND SOCIALIZE WITH JIM WRIGHT AND ALL OF YOUR

FAVORITE TENNESSEE VALLEY WOODWORKER CHARACTERS AT 6:00 ... IT’S

DUTCH TREAT. DON’T FORGET EVERYONE’S FAVORITE.. .SHOW & TELL.

 

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

 

GAZING INTO MY CRYSTAL BALL::I SEE ABRIGHT FUTURE ....YOU

WILL ATTEND A MEETING IN NOVEMBER AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE

PRODUCTION UF GALLAGHER GUITARS...IN DECEMBER, YOU WILL ATTEND A

CHRISTMAS GATHERING WITH MARTA MAIERBACHER... I ALSO SEE ME MAKING

A PHONE CALL TO CONFIRM MARTA ‘S PLANS FOR OUR DECEMBER GATHERING.

 

SEPTEMBER GATHERING

 

WE HAD A FINE CROWD WITH THIRTY SEVEN MEMBERS AND VISITORS

LAST MONTH. OUR PRESIDENT, TOM GILLARD, REMINDED EVERYONE THAT

THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAY BE CALLING ON YOU TO SERVE YOUR CLUB

THIS YEAR. REMEMBER MANY FOLKS HAVE WORKED HARD THIS YEAR TO

MAKE OUR CLUB A SUCCESS, NOW IT’S THEIR TIME TO COME TO CLUB AND

VISIT AND WATCH OTHERS TAKE CHARGE. TOM GILLARD IS A FINE

EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO JOINED OUR CLUB, STARTED PARTICIPATING IN

EVENTS, SPENT A YEAR AS SECRETARY AND WENT ON TO SERVE AS

PRESIDENT THIS PAST YEAR. TOM’S A BUSY FELLOW, WITH A FULL TIME

JOB, BUILDING LARGE AND SMALL BOATS, TWO BOYS INVOLVED IN

EVERYTHING BOYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN, AND A FULL TIME JOB AS

HUSBAND. So SAY YES WHEN ASKED TO SERVE.

 

SHOW AND TELL

 

STARTING THE EVENING OFF WAS JIM VAN CLEAVE WITH SOME

DRAWERS WITH BEADING AROUND THEM. JIM SAID HE CALLED SOME

ANONYMOUS SOURCES FOR SOME EXPERT ADVICE, BUT COULDN’T GET ANY.

HE SAID HE BROUGHT THE BEST ONES WITH HIM, BUT THEY ALL LOOKED

GOOD TO ME. TOM COWAN HAD A CHERRY BOWL THAT WAS EL PERFECTO.

JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW SMART TOM’S DAUGHTER, EMILY, IS, HE SENT HER

TO TOWN TO GET SOME OIL TO FINISH THE BOWL (SOMETHING HEALTHY)

AND SHE CAME BACK WITH SOME MEDICATED MINERAL OIL THAT SHE GOT AT

THE DRUG STORE AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY. I THINK EMILY SHOULD GET

AN 800 NUMBER AS AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE.

BILL KNIGHT HAD FIVE BOWLS AND ONE OF THEM WAS SPALTED

WALNUT.  BUT BILL REPORTS THAT PROFESSOR ANONYMOUS SAYS THAT

WALNUT DOESN’T SPALT. I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION

BUT I DID GO TO MY FUNK AND WAGNALLS TO LOOK IT UP. ONLY PROBLEM

IT WASN’T IN MY DICTIONARY. Now I’VE GOT THIS OTHER DICTIONARY

THAT IS A REAL TOME. IT’S AN UNABRIDGED WEBSTER’S THAT WAS

PUBLISHED IN 1894 AND IT IS ABOUT SEVEN INCHES THICK. IT GIVES

TWO DEFINITIONS FOR SPALT:

1.      LIABLE TO BREAK OR SPLIT; BRITTLE; AS SPALT TIMBER.

2.      HEEDLESS; CARELESS; CLUMSY; PERT; SAUCY; GIDDY AND FRAIL.

Now THAT DOESN ‘T SOLVE THE DILEMMA AS TO THE SPALTING PROPERTIES

OF WALNUT, BUT IT DOES DESCRIBE SOME SPALTED WOOD I’VE SEEN. So

KEEP BRING THOSE SAUCY BOWLS, BILL.

L UCINDA HOWARD, HAD TWO TYPES OF TURNED PLATES THAT SHE HAD

WORKED CHIP CARVING INTO THEM. ONE PLATE SHE PURCHASED AND THE

OTHER SHE TURNED HERSELF. FOLKS, THAT PLATE SHE TURNED HERSELF

WAS SO MUCH FINER AND LIGHTER LOOKING. BILL CHEW HAD A GOBLET

WITH A RING TURNED INTO THE STEM AND BILL• SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE

SOME APPLE WOOD TO GIVE AWAY TO PLEASE GIVE IT TO HIM. TOM

GILLARD HAS GREATLY EXPANDED HIS BOAT MAKING BUSINESS AND IS NOW

MAKING FULL SIZE JOHN BOATS. HE SAYS HE STILL STAY WITH CANOES

FOR FLOATING DOWN THE ELK RIVER. BOB REESE HAD A BOARD DULCIMER

THAT HE IS THINKING OF SELLING IN LOCAL AREA SHOPS. IT PLAYED

REAL PRETTY AND SOMEHOW THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH BUYING A

NEW LATHE. I DIDN’T REALLY UNDERSTAND AND THAT PART BUT I’VE

HEARD THAT STORY MYSELF. TED BALDWIN CERTAINL Y TOOK THE PRIZE

FOR BRINGING ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL THING TO SHOW AND TELL. IT

WAS A POST DRILL AND IT WAS BIG AND LOOKED LIKE YOU COULD GET

SOME BIG MUSCLES WORKING IT. TOM CHURCH HAS A NEW ORBITAL SANDER AND

THE STORY WAS SOMETHING LIKE I NEED A NEW LATHER ONL Y SECOND

VERSE.

 

ENTERTAINMENT EXTRAORIDINAIRE

 

FOLKS, IF YOU MISSED RICHARD HAGARS EXCELLENT PROGRAM ON HOW

TO BUILD A DULCIMER, YOU MISSED ONE OF THE FINEST PROGRAMS WE

HAVE HAD ALL YEAR. RICHARD NOT ONLY WENT FROM START TO FINISH,

BUT HE WENT THROUGH THE THOUGHT PROCESSES, TOO. HOW HE WENT

ABOUT SOLVING SOME OF THE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS AND COMING UP WITH

COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS WAS OUTSTANDING. AND THEN HE CAPPED THE

EVENING OFF WITH A FINE SELECTION OF MUSICAL NUMBERS. THANKS

RICHARD.