Grahamstown Woodworkers Grahamstown Woodworkers

Highlights from 2013


The first meeting of 2013 on February 12th was a demonstration of the turning of wooden lamps by Rob Moss (the new chairperson), Andy Hatting and Chris Terry (the new treasurer) and tips on finishing using polyurethanes by Chris Terry.


Rob Moss (new chairperson)

The router lathe

Routing the spirals

The result

Another view

Other patterns

Standard lamp (not done on router lathe)

Andy Hatting setting up to bore

Auger bit in action

Reversing the lamp using a modified drive piece

Hoping to meet in the middle!

Chris Terry's finishing kit

Brushing technique with polyurethanes

The final finish

The March meeting was a demonstration by Waldo Nel and Winfried Heimerl of ALLCUT POWER PRODUCTS from Port Elizabeth of the Logersol machine for cutting logs into planks. The demonstration was at the Municipal Gardens division through the kind permission of Kevin Bates

Visit the ALLCUT POWER PRODUCTS website


gum log

The Logosol stand and part of the audience

Stihl chainsaw

setting up

setting up

setting up

first cut

after first cut

second cut

surfaces

cutting planks

the products

Also in March, the Woodworkers did their usual bit at the annual Hobbies Fair, run by the Masons in aid of local charities. Some scenes from the Fair are shown below.


Old woodwork tools

Router lathe

Jet lathe

Andy Hatting's toys

Some of Rob Moss's products

Laptop gallery

Koekoe Jonker's miniatures

Koekoe Jonker's miniatures

The April meeting was a demonstration by Andrew Stevens of how to get flat surfaces on wood.The visit of Strand Hardware from Port Elizabeth had to be postponed because of Andre Esterhuize's illness and Andrew stood in at very short notice.


Rob Moss and Andrew Stevens

The problems of grain direction

Setting up

The planing action on an edge

The planing action on a face

End-grain chopping board and block plane

A selection of Stanley planes

Smaller planes and a spokeshave

The May meeting was the postponed demonstration by Andre Esterhuize of Strand Hardware, Port Elizabeth, of "Routers, routing and routing jigs". Brian Jolly and Gerard Wong also brought along a wide range of items for sale. The photos below are a record but can't really do justice to Andre's outstanding demonstrations.


Strand Hardware display

Sorby turning chisels

Trend routers and jigs

Andre Esterhuize and Brian Jolly

Basics of routers

Router bits

Routing an edge

Control of the router

A template for patterned doors

Plunge routing the pattern

Separating the template held by double-sided tape

Routing guide

Various door patterns

Trend jig for mortises and tenons

Arrangements for tenons

Arrangement for mortises

Angled tenons

Routing the tenon

Perfect fit

Huge range of Jet woodworking equipment

VISIT STRAND HARDWARE WEBSITE

The JUNE meeting was a visit to the workshop of RowanWood in Dundas Street next to the Phoenix Roller Mills building. Rowan demonstrated"Vacuum pressing and veneering". Unfortunately none of our regular photographers were there.

In JULY, as usual, several of our members manned a very successful stall at the National Arts Festival. (See separate pages).

The AUGUST meeting was a visit to African Musical Instruments, where Chris Carver demonstrated the amazing things that their state-of-the-art laser equipment can do. The photos below, by John Keulder, give a good idea of what is possible. If you wish to know more or discuss projects, please contact Chris on christian@kalimba.co.za


Chris Carver at African Musical Instruments

Loading the laser equipment

Laser engraving wood

Design selected on computer

The resulting carving by laser

Trophies engraved

Corporate gifts

Model boxes

Club badges

Laser art

The SEPTEMBER meeting was a "Show and Tell" session at the Design and Technology Centre at St. Andrew's College, where we have been offered a "home base" for our meetings, courtesy of the College and the Centre's Director, Mr Keith van Winkel.The photos below, by Andy Hatting, John Keulder and some supplied by Graham Shepherd, give some idea of the projects described by the enthusiastic presenters.

The first presentation was by Keith van Winkel, who spoke about the Centre and described some of the projects that had been done.


Entrance to the Design & Technology Centre

Interior of the Centre

Keith van Winkel, Director of the Centre

Some of the projects

Architectural design

More architecture

Rob Moss then spoke about turning walking sticks and making the handles and Steve Craigie demonstrated some techniques in making radio-controlled model aircraft.


Rob Moss

Walking sticks

The important handles

Steve Craigie

Model aircraft parts

Radio control

Although it had no connection with woodwork, a highlight of the evening was a talk by Grahamstown's "Mr Meccano", Graham Shepherd, who since his retirement from the Mathematics Department at Rhodes University has been building probably the largest fully working Meccano model in the world. The model is of a Bagger 288 bucket-wheel excavator made by Krupp in Germany and used for excavating and transporting 240 000 cubic metres of coal per day from the open-cast colliery to the power station.

Graham started making the parts in mid 2009 and assembly started in April 2011. In making most of the parts himself he has drilled about a million holes in 1 mm plate, which is equivalent to drilling 1 km through steel! He has used about 80 000 each of bolts, nuts and washers.

..........The actual Bagger288 .................. The MODEL
Length:.......705 feet .............................. 41 feet + 16 feet ground conveyor
Height:.......311 feet .............................. 16 feet
Mass:........14 500 tons ........................... 1250 kg
Cost:.......$100 million .......................... ?

To find out more about this amazing project, you can e-mail Graham at shepherd.meccano@gmail.com


Graham Shepherd and parts of his model

The real thing!

Another view

Back to the model




Wouter Holleman showed some carved Chinese screens.

Wouter Holleman



Chris Terry then demonstrated his drum sander attachment for a lathe, which is particularly valuable for thinning down pieces of wood too thin for a normal thicknesser.


The drum sander on the Jet lathe

The adjustable ramp

Chris Terry and the sander

Another view

The OCTOBER meeting was a presentation by Mr Frikkie Greeff of WOODOC products and their correct application. This was held again at the Design and Technology Centre at St. Andrew's College. The photos below, by John Keulder give some idea of the presentation but more detail can be obtained by visiting their website.

Visit the Woodoc website.


" Mr WOODOC" - Frikkie Greeff

The enthusiastic audience

The WOODOC factory in Fort Beaufort

Some of the huge range of products

Deck protection

Product display

Coated samples

Refreshments provided!

The AGM AND END-OF-YEAR MEETING took place on Tuesday, NOVEMBER 12 at Rob Moss’s farm.

The current Committee was re-elected for 2014 and is Billy de Klerk(Chairman), Chris Terry (Treasurer), Mike Brown (Secretary), Andrew Stevens, Rob Moss, Peter Breetzke, Patty Zipp, Koekoe Jonker and Wouter Holleman. Rob Moss stood down as Chairman as he is retiring to Bushman's River. He was thanked for his energetic leadership during the year.

Many toys, books, cash donations and items of clothing were collected for Hospice.


Collecting for Hospice and the Auction

Some of the Committee

Accompanying persons and Guests

AGM audience

Chris Terry and finances

Rob Moss, retiring Chairman

Rob Moss, auctioneer

Sold to ????

Patty Zipp's lucky draw

Pick a Prize

Some of the Grahamstown Woodworkers manned a stall at the NGK Christmas Market, held this year for the first time at the PJ Olivier School hall. Some photos of the goods on display are given below.










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Page last modified on 20 DECEMBER 2013