SPLINTERS

 

Vol. 12/ Issue 5     Tennessee Valley Woodwprkers Editor; Tom Gillard May 1998

 

***Important Notice***

 

The next meeting of the Tennessee Valley Woodworkers will be held, May 19th at 7:00pm in the Duck River Electric Building in Dechard, TN. Club member Skip Baker will demonstrate how to Inlay Mother of Pearl.

All interested woodworkers are invited!

 

 

 

May 30,1998

“Back to the Basics”

Spring Seminar

 

The theme of the Spring Seminar is “Back to the Basics”. This format was decided on in an effort bring to the woodworkers that have not been exposed, some of the fundamental things commonly used in woodworking, or just to renew some old ideas in some “old woodworkers”. Several of our members have agreed to be presenters for the gathering.

 

The date is to be May 30, with registration from 8:00am until 9:00am. The presentations will be from 9:00 until 4:00. A lunch break will be taken from 12:00 until 1:00 with an eat as you wish at any of the local restaurants. The program location will be in the classroom at the Foothill Craft building in Manchester. There will be presentations on sharpening, carving, steam bending, gluing, and especially for the ladies decorative finishes and basket making. All guys need to know how to finish and baskets need handles so all presentations will be to the entire group. There will be a $5.00 early

registration fee and $6:00 at the door to cover necessary items.

Please register at the May meeting or contact Doyle McConnell, Bob Reese or Jim Roy. Early registration will help very much on planning for the event.

 

 

Treasured Ebony

 

I do believe that woodworkers are inherent scroungers. Old pieces of wood, antique tools, bits of hardware that may still be useful are all attractive booty to the keen eye.  So I could not pass by and let a venerable building in my New England hometown fall to the wrecker’s ball without searching for some memorabilia. Flashlight in hand, I clawed my way into the rat-infested building and was soon deep in the cellar poring over heaps of old files, busted furniture and curios galore. On a wooden girder deep in the dust I spotted a veneered box. It contained no gold trinkets, but a treasure nevertheless. The box was filled to the brim with black and white piano keys! The blacks were of the finest ebony and the whites pure ivory. Over the years, I saved this ebony for  making small pieces in musical instruments and found it far superior in color and grain to any other ebony I have worked.

Ebony was used sparingly in ancient Egypt, and Chinese pieces of art from the Ming Dynasty were embellished with it. Three centuries ago, ebony’s prevalence in fine marquetry gave the French their work for a master

cabinetmaker-e’be’niste. It continues to this day to be a prince in the kingdom of wood.

Just what is this exotic wood? The first thing one thinks is that it is black, but not all ebony is black. In the plant family Ebenaceae (ebony) resides the genus Diopyros with over 400 species. Only a chosen few produce true black wood.   The common persimmon, D. virginiana, for example, shows a trace of black in its heartwood only when it reaches a very old age. I like to think that the piano keys I found were D. ebenwn, the cre’me da La cre’me of all the ebonies. This species is known as Ceylon ebony, and was as extremely scarce 100 years ago as it is today.

In today’s marketplace there are perhaps a half-dozen species of ebony or Macassar ebony (D. celebica), are from the East Indies; others like Gabon ebony (D. dendo) come from Africa. Most are not jet black but range from gray-black to shades of green, often striped with tan, yellow, gold or orange. It is best to consider carefully  your supplier’s description of the wood’s color, stripes and other characteristics. Also, be aware that products are available to effectively stain ebony that is not pure black. There is also high variability in the density of various ebonies, with species ranging from 45 to 60 pounds per cubic foot.

Working with ebony is unlike working with more common woods. Small pieces tend to be very brittle, a problem if you are coaxing a narrow strip of banding around a bend. Carvers develop a knack for carefully controlling the pressure of the chisel to avoid splitting the wood. Ebony will glue and hang in tightly if you wipe its edges with a solvent to remove the surface oil. Finishes can be applied with care, but the wood really does not need it. Polishing with 1200 grit sandpaper produces a bright and lustrous shine needing only a coat of wax.

The trees producing black ebony never reach above 50 feet, with trunk diameters of at most one to two feet, so don’t expect to find many large pieces of ebony, except as veneer. Many hardwood suppliers have turning blocks and other small pieces in stock and the prices are what the limited supply dictates. Ebony is best used to highlight some focal point, such as drawer pulls, or to lend contrast to a wood that seems dull by itself, perhaps as banding around table legs. There are all sorts of decorative inlays, marquetly and turnings that use ebony to perfection. It is a real artist’s delight. Work a piece into your next project and join the long line of users who know how enchanting this wood can be.

Home Furniture by James H. Flynn.

 

 

We would like to welcome our newest members:

Mike Carroll from Readyville, Mike has the honor of driving the furthest to our meetings!

Dave Cortner from Winchester.

John Mayberry from Manchester.

Gary Lyle from Tullahoma.

Ruth and Maurice Ryan from Winchester, our latest husband and wife team!

We hope your association with the TVW is a long and pleasant one.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                 April 23, 1998

 

TENNESSEE VALLEY WOODWORKERS

MEMBERSHIP LIST

ACKERMAN LOYD                            662 MAGNOLIA DRIVE                                                WINCHESTER 37398                967-3678        __
ARNEY GEORGE                                 704 LOWRY                                                                   MANCHESTER 37355                728-2020
BAKER SKIP & EDNA                        408 E. ENGLAND ST.                                                               COWAN 37318                967-2388
BALDWIN TED                                    111 STONE BLVD                                                        TULLARHOMA 37388                455-8364
BENNET WINFIELD                           102 9TH AVE.                                                                  WINCHESTER 37398                967-3185
BISHOP PHIL & SHIRLEY                  1656 HOLDER’S COVE RD.                                           WINCHESTER 37398                967-4626
BROWN MANUEL                              910 WESTWOOD DR.                                                    TULLAHOMA 37388                455-5611
CARROLL MIKE                                 8631 MANUS RD                                                             READYVILLE 37149                890-8702
CARTER HARVY                                 402 HEIGHTS AVE.                                                        TULLAHOMA 37388                454-1089
CHATTIN MURRELL & GLADYS 111 EASTBROOK RD.                                                   ESTILL SPRINGS 37330                649-5417
CHURCH TOM & SUSAN                  723 FARRIS LANE                                                              BELVIDERE 37306                967-4460
CLARK HOUSTON & LILIE               125 ELKINS ST.                                                          ESTILL SPRINGS 37330                649-5398
COLE RAY                                            1836 WILLIAMS COVE RD.                                          WINCHESTER 37398                962-1633
COOK JAMES & SHIELA                   1905 BELAIRE DR.                                                        TULLAHOMP. 37388                393-4066
CORTNER DAVE                                 P.O. BOX 93                                                                     WINCHESTER 37398                962-0054
COULSON HOWARD                         204 HINES ST.                                                                            COWAN 37318                967-7365
COWAN TOM                                      4085 WILLIAMS COVE RD.                                          WINCHESTER 37398                967-4835
DAVIS HENRY & JUDY                      247 DELIGHT LANE                                                      TULLAHOMA 37388                393-3191
ELLIS JOE & PAT                                603 FLOWER LANE DR.                                           ESTILL SPRINGS 37330                649-2689
EUBANKS BOB                                   905 DAVIS SPRINGS RD.                                              TULLAHOMA 37388                455-8382
FARMER ROY                                     131 BEL AIRE                                                                  WINCHESTER 37398                967-3703
GIERSBERG COLIN                            116 HOLLY DR.                                                               WINCHESTER 37388                967-3660
GILLARD TOM                                   103 LEMONT LANE                                                      TULLAHOMA 37388                455-6651
GRAHAM STEVE                                151 WATERS EDGE                                                   ESTILL SPRINGS 37330                967-3634
GREEN JOHN & LOUISE                    760 YOUNG LANE                                                         WINCHESTER 37398                967-0997
GRISARD FRANK                               122 HIGHLAND DR.                                                      WINCHESTER 37398                967-9682
GULLEY RICHARD                             103 SHELLY ST.                                                                    Decherd   .37324                  967~5477
HEWGLEY HAROLD                          P0 BOX 6                                                                             WARTRACE 34183                389-9736
JACKSON LEONARD & MARY        JO 403 FLOWER LANE                                             ESTILL SPRINGS 37330                649-5284
KIMBLE KENNETH                            104 WHITE OAK DR.                                                   MANCHESTER 37355                728-0837
KNIGHT BILL & EVELYN                  185 KNIGHT LANE                                                        WINCHESTER 37398                967-1371
KOLLSTADT BERNIE                        308 TARA BLVD.                                                           TULLAHOMA 37388                454-2429
LOVETT JOHN & JANIE                    134 FALLS MILL RD.                                                         BELVIDERE 37306                469-0259
LYLE GARY                                          200 OLD FORD ST.                                                       TULLAHOMA, 37388                455-6692
MAIERBACKER JOSEF                      MOTLOW COLLEGE RD.                                                WARTRACE 37183                455-0430
MAY BILL                                            4203 OWL HOLLOW RD.                                                   BELVIDERE 37306                962-0215
MAYBERRY JOHN                             700 RIVERSIDE DR.                                                      MANCHESTER 37355                728-2806
MC CONNELL DOYLE & JUEL 701 LOWRY ST.                                                                        ANCHESTER 37355                728-7315
MC GILL TOM                                    1131 DRIPPING SPRING RD.                                        WINCHESTER 37398                967-2811
MILLS WILL                                         P0 BOX 657                                                                             SEWANEE 37375                ~98-9591
RAITHEL DAVID                                578 GOSHEN RD.                                                            WINCHESTER 37398                967-0917
REESE BOB & RHETA                        1977 MC MI1~INVILLE HWY.                                    MANCHESTER 37355                728-7974
RIDDLE CHARLES                              248 LAKE HILLS                                                            TULLAHOMA 37388                454-~374
ROBERSON CROCIA                          P0 BOX 404                                                                      WINCHESTER 37398                967-17~8
ROBINSON ERIC                                 2978 ROBINSON CREEK RD.                                          HUNTLAND 37345                469-7940
ROEPKE ROSS                                     1102 BRAGG                                                                   TULLAHOMA 37388                455-8310
ROY JIM & JEANETTE                      207 LAKE HILLS RD.                                                     TULLAHOMA 37388                455-2760
RYAN MAURICE & RUTH                1966 MANSFORD RD.                                                   WINCHESTER 37398                962-1555
SARGENT JOHN & AMY
--                                                 ~i67O OTTER FALLS RD.                                                    SEWANEE  37375                598-5716
SMITH CARL                                       561 CARTER FARRIS LANE                                         WINCHESTER 37398                962-0195
THOMAS DOUG                                 10815 TULLAHOMA HWY                                          TULLAHOMA 37388                455-3075
TOWNSEND JACK & DORA             209 SCHWARTZ ST.                                                  ESTILL SPRINGS 37330                649-5165
TROXLER JOHN & IRMA                 505 TWELVE OAKS DR.                                               TULLAHOMA. 37388                455-5559
VAN CLEAVE JAMES & MARIE 109 LAKE HILL RD.                                                             TULLAHOMA 37388                455-8150
WALKER CHARLES                            P0 BOX 212, WOODBURY HWY.                               MANCHESTER 37355                728-2088
WHITE EVERTT & BETTY                315 2nd AVE. SE.                                                               WINCHESTER 37398                967-3219
WHITEAKER BEN                               834 MCARTHER ST.                                                      MANCHESTER 37355               728-7398
WILLIS RUSS & MARYDELL             326 SALEM LEXIE RD.                                                       BELVIDERE 37306                469-7021