Woodworking with Children with Denny Krupinski

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St. Louis Woodworkers Guild August 2009 Issue 294 Our Next Meeting Thursday 7:00 PM August 20, 2009 Woodcraft Supply Store 2077 Congressional Dr.

hand to talk about the organization and discuss how it can benefit hobbyist woodworkers.

distributing information on collecting wood.

1 St. Louis Woodworkers Guild August 2009 Issue 294 Our Next Meeting Thursday 7:00 PM August 20, 2009 Woodcraft Supply Store 2077 Congressional Dr. Maryland, Heights, MO August 2009 Speaker: International Wood Collectors Society by Jerry Zipprich Gerry Zipprich, former Archivist for the International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS), will be on hand to talk about the organization and discuss how it can benefit hobbyist woodworkers. The organization, founded in 1947, is a non-profit society created for the purpose of correctly identifying and naming wood specimens and creatively using wood in various crafts in addition to just distributing information on collecting wood. Woodworking with Children with Denny Krupinski July 16th, 2009 At the July meeting, Denny Krupinski, guild member of about two years, brought in some fine examples of the next generation of woodworkers and the projects he helped them build. He brought in eight children, told his story and shared their journey as a way of showing fellow members not only the challenges of working with younger people but also the rewards of sharing our knowledge and skills with someone younger, be it a son or daughter, niece or nephew, grandchild or friend. Denny s adventure with these eight children began at a friend s house. During a break from a game of cards, he walked past a pile of firewood and was left speechless at the sight of spalted and curly white oak that had been cut into fireplace-sized pieces. He got them to save the wood for him and asked if there had been any more. He found out several others still had some firewood from the same tree. Saving the precious wood from certain destruction, he brought what he could gather back to his shop and out of harm s way. Inspired by where the wood came from, Denny asked all of his friends who supplied the wood if they would want their kids to make something cool with it. They agreed and, more importantly, the kids were excited, as well. After some discussion, they decided to make jewelry boxes for their mothers and belt buckles for their fathers (Editor s Note: this presentation focused on the boxes). (continued on page 4) Denny Krupinski

2 St. Louis Woodworkers Guild Guild Officers President Scott Wunder Vice President Wayne Watson Secretary Matt Laposa Treasurer Jim Hoeller Directors Bob Colegate Don Snyder John Wetter Mark Koritz Newsletter Michael Beaudoin Ethan Sincox Librarian Mark Gezella Web Master David Brown Membership Committee Co-Chairmen: Bill Hobson Rich Weitzman Toy Committee Chairmen: John Patton Steve Briner Woodcraft Sponsors The Wood & Shop 2650 Metro Blvd St. Charles Hardwoods St. Peters Fenton Rockler Woodworking & Hardware Hydraflow Equipment Co Hibdon Hardwood Inc Meeting Room, Mailing Address Courtesy of Woodcraft President s Letter, August 2009 Keeping It Real (Thin) Last month, I told you about my disdain for tack cloths and how you really don t need them. That holds true, bearing in mind that you follow a simple rule when doing your finishing - keep your layers thin. It s hard, though. This isn t how we are born to work. We want a thick, wetlooking finish right now and think the road to that is paved in thick layers well, it s not! When I was a teenager, I built model rockets with some of my friends. The rockets were made with cardboard tubes and had painted balsa wood fins. Everyone, including me, just grabbed some paint and slathered it on the thicker the better. Well, everyone except Allen Williford, that is. Seems as though Allen s dad knew something about finishing wood and he had Allen go through the painstaking process of multiple thin coats sanding sealer, sanding, first topcoat, sanding, second topcoat, sanding, and then the final topcoat. For me, it was painful to watch. In the time that it took him to finish his fins, I had already lost my rocket and was working on my next one. But looking back, Allen s rocket had a finish on it that would easily get it featured in Fine Woodworking Magazine. This is what I think about every time I am tempted to put a single, big, thick, wet, and sloppy coat of finish on a piece. It takes more work to do it right, but if I do it right, it is always predictable and I am never surprised nor am I disappointed with my results. I always start off with a thin sealer coat, just like Allen. There is no, no, no reason to have the first coat anywhere near thick. This first coat just gets you started. It raises the grain, gives you your first set of dust nibs and seals up the wood so it won t soak up the finish. Your goal with the first coat is to apply it so thin that it becomes a race to see how fast you can get it to dry. You are building up no finish at this point, just setting the table for the following coats. The next step is to sand or scrape with a razor. This is why you don t need to worry so much about the dust. Anything that was on your piece will now be sanded or scraped off. Since you didn t put on a thick coat, none of these blemishes will telegraph through to the next coat. Now, put on your first topcoat. It should be wet and flow nicely, but keep it thin. At this point, you can still have small dust issues, flies that land on your piece, etc., but they cause no real harm because you will sand or scrape them away. Keeping your coats thin allows each coat to completely dry quickly and not run or ooze on you later. Keep this up until you have at least three coats or the surface looks like you want it to. Here is the real beauty of giving in to this system. There is no need to fret over the last coat because there is no magical last coat. And it really doesn t take any longer to get the finish done because each coat dries fast (especially when spraying lacquer), even though it is more work. Just plan on applying ten thin coats in rapid succession and if you happen to only do three (the league minimum) and it looks good, you are done. It is that easy. If a fly does land in your finish, walk away until it is dry. Trying to get it out when the finish is wet will only make things worse. Good luck with your finishing and remember to keep it real (thin). Scott

Pyrography Books by various authors Library Corner by Mark Gazella One of the many benefits of Guild membership is exposure to new or enhanced methods of working wood.

I don t recall whether we ve had anyone present this form of adornment at our meetings, but it s certainly a fascinating subject. I have two books that I m very fond of.

3 Pyrography Books by various authors Library Corner by Mark Gazella One of the many benefits of Guild membership is exposure to new or enhanced methods of working wood. I first heard of pyrography, or drawing with fire, years ago. I have several books at home on the subject, and found several more that sound pretty good. Has anyone every done this sort of work? I don t recall whether we ve had anyone present this form of adornment at our meetings, but it s certainly a fascinating subject. I have two books that I m very fond of. The Complete Pyrography by Stephen Poole is the first book I bought on the subject, and great fun to flip through. The pictures, though monochromatic (tinted with that brownish hue attributed to woodburning) astound me by their variations of shade and a perceived depth due to how the wood is burned. Seventeen-plus chapters offer instruction on burners, composition, textures, shading, color, and advanced techniques. A gallery of finished pictures at the end is fit for a show. The second book, Pyrography Workbook by Sue Walters, is my current favorite. Advertised as the complete guide to the art, it never fails to excite me with the detailed sketches it contains, no matter how many times I peruse it. Sue is a talented sketch artist, and the way she manages to impart tonal qualities on a picture by singeing wood fibers is very impressive. She also has a talent for evoking emotions with her work. Chapters in this book are similar to the first, though she delves into greater detail about the burners, specifically nibs (the working end of a woodburning tool) and how to care for and leverage them to maximize use. Another gallery and samples in a quilted patchwork assembly serve as great aids to understanding concepts. There are also several other books that have captured my interest. Designs For Pyrography and Other Crafts by Norma Gregory is perfect if you like to use flowers, animals, or traditional borders to embellish your work - a great source for ideas and inspiration. It s advertised as a sourcebook for multiple crafts, but can be used to great length for woodworking projects. It provides an abundance of ideas for using motifs, swags, butterflies, insects, buildings, country scenes, etc. - a great variety. A salient feature of this book (and some others as well) is that all designs and patterns are copyright-free. No worries if you chose to use them! Norma also authored Pyrography Designs. A great source of patterns and designs for use with woodburning, it also offers advice on pattern transfers in addition to shading and coloring. It seems her books offer better suggestions for blending color with pyrography. Even the book covers depict a transition from a faint sketch through the familiar brown tinge to a final mix of color that brings her artwork to life. Pyrography is amenable to media other than wood too (if you re in to that sort of thing!). Gourd decoration is one such adaptation that seems to gain popularity with each passing year. I guess the fall season spurs on this activity, and some creative folks have really taken it to a remarkable level. You can find several books specifically on this type of work alone. There are also a few good ones that provide drawings and patterns, regardless of how you seek to use them. One such aid that comes to mind is Wildlife Designs, also by Sue Walters. We don t have any of these in our library, so if you have any interest just let me know. I ll see what I can do about adding one or two. Library Reminders The books, magazines, and tools of the library are there for the benefit of all of the guild members. Please keep that in mind as you check materials out and try to return them in a timely manner. Announcements The Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM) is looking to establish a regional chapter in the St. Louis area. A first meeting is being planned for Saturday, September 19th, This meeting is being headed by Gerald Yungling. For more information on the SAPFM and what it might be able to offer you, visit their website at org or contact Gerald at sapfmgateway@sbcglobal.net. The SLWG board members are looking for ideas. Are there any community projects in your area where guild members could offer their assistance? Do you know of any ways in which the guild could do something to better your community? Think about it! And if something comes to mind, please contact Scott Wunder, President, at

4 St. Louis Woodworkers Guild Toy Report 136 toys were made and delivered in July, bringing the total number of toys donated this year to To date, almost 28,500 toys have been donated by the Guild. If you need patterns, wheels, axles (dowels) or have suggestions for projects, make your needs or ideas known to John Patton ( ) or Steve Briner ( ). Other Notes There were 48 guild members (and 8 kids) in attendance at the July 2009 guild meeting. The raffle for the $50 gift certificate to Woodcraft went to Keith Lissant. Lately, people have been gathering at Woodcraft around 6:30 to socialize before the meeting. It is a great opportunity to meet some of the newer members and catch up with friends. Woodworking with Children (con t) That spring, Denny set up a sled on his bandsaw and cut the firewood into rough boards approximately 5/8 thick. Then he had the kids help him build a solar kiln out on his deck with black plastic. As they built it, he explained the concept and purpose of the kiln to them. After four months, the wood tested to about 9% moisture content perfect for woodworking. With the kids creating an assembly line of sorts, Denny then jointed and planed the boards down to about 1/2 thick, chain-feeding the boards through the planer to minimize snipe as much as possible. During this part of the process, they learned a lot about tool safety, such as the use of ear protection, goggles, and dust masks. It is important to note here that while the kids did help with the transportation of the wood, they were not allowed to use the power tools themselves. After several afternoons of hard work, all of the boards were planed and straight-line edged. Before Denny brought the kids back into the shop to work on the jewelry boxes, he made three prototypes on his own to work out dimensions and construction techniques. He decided to make them using frame-and-panel construction for the lid and all four sides, with the spalted curly white oak as the panels and non-figured walnut as the frames. With the design kinks worked out, he brought the kids back into his shop in groups of two and three. Denny again used the power tools to cut the wood to size as well as the joinery. Once the pieces were cut, however, the children did the pre-sanding, glue-up and assembly, final sanding, and applied the finish. Several lessons were learned through this experience. Denny learned it was best to work with the kids in smaller groups. While it was nice to have a large number of hands available when building the kiln and dimensioning the stock to final thickness, it was much easier to work with them in the smaller groups during the box assembly part of the process. He also learned that kids will focus on their work and do as good a job as many adults if you take the time to work with them. The children learned a great deal about power tool and shop safety and the rewards of diligent and patient work. Some of the children have already expressed interest in future projects, such as book cases and shelves. At the end of his presentation, Denny threw down a challenge for all of the other guild members find a friend or a grandchild or a niece or nephew and see if they are interested in doing some kind of project. Not only will you have the chance to spark an interest in woodworking with the next generation of woodworkers, many lessons will be learned by both you and the child! SLWG Mentoring Program In an effort to promote the trade, the Saint Louis Woodworkers Guild is trying to organize a mentoring program. Are you looking for someone to help you advance your woodworking skills? Or do you have the knack for teaching and want to share your knowledge? If you answered yes to either question, then contact Mark Koritz (mkoritz@charter.net or ) or Wayne Watson (workswood@earthlink.net or ) to get involved in the SLWG Mentoring Program.

Calendar of Upcoming Events September 17th, 2009 Cecil Robertson will give the first of several presentations on building a Windsor chair.

October 15th, 2009 Denny Krupinski and the children he s helped with their woodworking projects. Andre Strzembosz is going to spend some time discussing the process of making a guitar.

Because of structural concerns, he used a modified lap joint in the construction of it, adding strength and making the whole assembly very rigid.

Scott Wunder said he always buys his Vic Barr hardware from Compi Distributers. Bill Siebert recommended www.fastenall.com as a good place for screws and drawer hardware.

5 Calendar of Upcoming Events September 17th, 2009 Cecil Robertson will give the first of several presentations on building a Windsor chair. In this first presentation, he will discuss the construction of the seat and then actually carve the seat outside behind Woodcraft. October 15th, 2009 Denny Krupinski and the children he s helped with their woodworking projects. Andre Strzembosz is going to spend some time discussing the process of making a guitar. The Show Vic Barr made a shelf system out of mahogany and curly maple for his daughter. Because of structural concerns, he used a modified lap joint in the construction of it, adding strength and making the whole assembly very rigid. and the Tell Tom Tupper asked if anyone was familiar with the Woodrat. Vic Barr said he had one and would be happy to sell it to him. Tom also asked about a good supplier for drawer slides. Scott Wunder said he always buys his Vic Barr hardware from Compi Distributers. Bill Siebert recommended as a good place for screws and drawer hardware. More Announcements Shop at Rockler: Get A Discount And Help the Raffle Use your SLWG membership card to get your 10% Discount at Rockler. Every time you do so, Rockler will put $1 towards a gift card we can use for the raffle. They will issue the gift cards to the guild in $20 increments. Green Woodworking In an effort to reduce expenses and save trees (for a more worthy cause, like lumber!), the Saint Louis Woodworkers Guild is now reducing the number of printed newsletters we circulate. Beginning with the August 2009 newsletter, any guild member with a valid address will only receive a digital copy of the newsletter. Any guild members without an address will continue receiving the printed newsletter as per usual. If you have a valid address but would like to continue receiving the printed newsletter as well, or if you did not receive a newsletter via or the USPS, then please contact Scott Wunder ( or wunderwoods@sbcglobal.net).

6 St. Louis Woodworkers Guild Frank Klausz Class Announcement In March of 2010, join 15 fellow guild members in a hands-on class with Frank Klausz. Frank will provide the wood, but you need to provide sharp tools and an intermediate skill level in woodworking. After two full days, you will leave the class with a high-quality jewelry box made entirely with hand tools. The cost for this class will be approximately $300 per person. More details will be provided as is it available. Contact Mark Koritz (mkoritz@charter.net or ) if you are interested in signing up. A $50 deposit will hold you a spot in the class. You will then have until the end of the year to pay the remaining amount. There are only 16 total spots available, so hurry up and get your deposit turned in if you are interested. Name Address Membership Application Date City State Zip Phone Occupation Type of woodworking you enjoy address Where did you obtain this application and learn about this Guild? If you would like to join the St. Louis Woodworkers Guild please attend our next meeting or mail this application and your check for $25 for one years dues to: St. Louis Woodworkers Guild, 2077 Congressional Drive, St. Louis, MO St. Louis Woodworkers Guild St. Louis Woodworkers Guild 2077 Congressional Drive St. Louis, MO 63146

Woodworkers Guild. March 2013 Meeting Annual Show & Tell and Silent Auction. April 2013 Issue 332. Our Next Meeting

Woodworkers Guild. March 2013 Meeting Annual Show & Tell and Silent Auction. April 2013 Issue 332. Our Next Meeting St.Louis April 2013 Issue 332 Our Next Meeting Thursday 7:00 PM April 18, 2013 Creve Coeur Community Center 300 North New Ballas Road Creve Coeur, MO 63141 Chair Building with Brad Bernhard Join guild