Highlights from 2008
The first meeting of the year was on February 12 in the Rhodes
University Maintenance Workshop, when the latest Triton equipment (including
some impressive thicknessers) was demonstrated. This was kindly arranged by our
local Triton Agent, Richard Boshoff (Rentit@telkomsa.net or 072-685-9056).
At the March meeting, three very experienced woodworkers, Eric
Tasmer, Andrew Stevens and Chris Terry, demonstrated various ways of sharpening
plane blades and chisels, as well as dealing with the setting of hand planes.
Andy Hatting demonstrated the setting of planer/thicknessers. Members were then
able to sharpen their plane or chisel blades on the equipment available, with
the help of the experts.
Notes on sharpening by Andrew Stevens
Notes on setting planes by Ian Kirby from Woodworkers Journal No. 142 August 2000
In April there was a woodturning demonstration by Ashwin Ramhith. Ashwin
displays his artistic bowls regularly at regional and national woodturning
exhibitions. He brought some of his work to display (visit the Gallery or his website via links).
On Saturday April 19 the annual HOBBIES FAIR (admission fees go to local charities) was held at the Masonic Hall. Members of the GWG displayed their work for the first time as a Group, although individual members have exhibited their work in the past. The Fair was great exposure for the Group and aroused a lot of interest and some sales. Some photos of the display are given below.
Greg and Dougall from Triton show how to make a raised-panel
door
The
Triton planer/thicknessers
Eric
Tasmer shows how to set a wooden jack plane
Andrew
Stevens using a sharpened plane
Chris
Terry at the grindstone
Ashwin Ramhith in action
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In June there was a joint meeting with the Lower Albany Woodworkers' Guild at the Bathurst
Agricultural Museum. This museum is one of only three agricultural museums in the country
(the others are in Pretoria and in Worcester). The Bathurst Museum has an amazing amount of material
and has the potential to become a major tourist attraction. The two woodworking groups are
hoping to be able to assist the Museum in some of their restoration projects. If you missed
the meeting, it is well worth making a special visit. Some photos of what is on view are given below.
In JULY a DVD/VIDEO evening was held. The videos on Basic Routing – Roy Sutton (about 40 mins) and Record Tools (Lathe, bandsaw, planer/thicknesser and dust extraction) (about 80 mins in total; although it focuses on Record's products, it gives very good discussions of what to look for and how to use these items to best advantage). These DVDs are available on loan from the Group's library.
On 15 July some GWG members travelled to PE to see an artistic woodturning demonstration by Nick Arnull, visitor from Norfolk, UK. The demonstration was well attended and we were made very welcome at Nico Swart's workshop in North End. Some photos from the evening and of Nick's beautiful and unusual work are given below.
In AUGUST, Andre Esterhuyse and Brian Jolly from Strand Hardware in Port Elizabeth demonstrated their range of Trend jigs for making dovetails, finger joints and mortice and tenon joints. Some photos are shown below.
In SEPTEMBER, our meeting was arranged by Richard Boshoff at his RENTIT/ TOOL WAREHOUSE in Rautenbach Road in the industrial area. Richard demonstrated a rang of air-driven tools and Gerard from Vermont Sales demonstrated a Tork Craft router lathe, a disk sharpening system for planes and chisels, and a sharpener for twist drills. Some photos are shown below.
In OCTOBER Chris Terry hosted us at his immaculate workshop and demonstrated the huge number of skills required in the making of bagpipes. Although the pipes are made of African Blackwood, the trimmings and fittings require skills in metal work and in the turning of ivory and composites. Some photos from the evening are shown below.
THE WORKSHOP ON 18 OCTOBER
We are most grateful to Bruce Macfarlane for making this Workshop possible and to Andrew Stevens for hosting
it in the Rhodes Education Workshop. Hardboard for the lap and bed tray/desks was kindly donated by Jamie Sholto-Douglas
of Pennypinchers and cut to size by Richard Boshoff of Rentit/Tool Warehouse. Photos of some of the members who gave of
their time are shown below. The completed products of this community project will be distributed to local homes for the aged and disabled.
NOVEMBER MEETING AND AGM
Members who had attended the October Workshop (see above) brought their completed tray/desks
to the meeting and these were on display. The meeting expressed its gratitude to Bruce Macfarlane
for all the enthusiasm and preparation put into this project, and to Pennypinchers and
Rentit/Tool Warehouse for materials and assistance. Patty Zipp prepared the labels for the items.
The Meeting ended with a braai and the Group expressed its gratitude to Mr Cromwell Dyala
for his assistance during the year.
Chris Terry on fine finishes
Andy Hatting on spray finishing
Chris and Andrew Stevens on finishing turned work
Welcome!
Coffee and home-made bread
Old tools
Wagons
Spinning
Engines
Tractors of all kinds
Grinding mealie meal
The starting blank of jacaranda
Some assistance from Andrew Stevens
GWG Members in the audience
The Celestial Bowl
Wood somewhere under decoration!
More examples
The final meeting of the year (on November 11) included the AGM. The existing Committee was
re-elected with the addition of Patty Zipp and Chris Terry. The programme for 2009 is "under construction"
but the first meeting in February is planned to be a demonstration on Picture Framing by Andrew Stevens.
After the AGM there was a talk on Restoration of hand weapons by Steve Craigie and a demonstration of
his routing jig method by David Forsyth. The item on Restoration of cannon wheels has had to be postponed to 2009.
Mr David Barker from Hospice attended the meeting and
was presented with some of the tray/desks. Others were presented later to Matron Peewee Tomlinson
of Somerset Place Frail Care, Mrs Ethel Moolman of the McKaiser Home, and Sister Sue Whiteley of the Palliative Care Unit of Settlers' Hospital. A few are still available for distribution.
Page last modified on 20 FEBRUARY 2012