WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE

Transcription

1 ROHM A ND H AAS C OMPANY WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Volume 24 Issue 12 December 2011 WOODWORKERS GUILD OFFICERS FOR President: Peter Leavens VP: George Hoffman Treasurer: Jeremy Noblitt Newsletter Editor: Tim Sabo Librarian: Tony Knisley Raffle Manager: Tony Knisley Webmaster: Richard Dell Program Committee: Jim Stevens Charles Given Pell Sherman Jim Kirkbride At the November meeting Tim Sabo showed how to make a Victorian Christmas tree ornament on the lathe. A finished example of the design is shown above in the right photo. This particular ornament was made in his shop a couple of days prior and was included in the ornaments decorating the tree being auctioned at the Festival of Trees. The concept of this style ornament follows the symmetry of an icicle attached to a tree branch on a cold winter s day. It starts off thick and narrows to a point approximately 5 inches later. It s shape, length and materials of construction are limited only by its maker s creativity. I ve seen some nice examples where the ball sections were segmented, some made out of burl, and some with laminated plywood. The spindle can contain any number of cove and bead profiles. Its size is best determined by where on the tree its going to be hung. Smaller ornaments are appropriate near the top of the tree while larger ones usually are placed near the bottom. This type of ornament consists of 3 separate pieces; the long spindle (finial) at the bottom, the ball, and a top hat (with an eye hook and ribbon for hanging for hanging on the tree). The first step in making it is to fabricate the ball. It doesn t need to be spherical. I ve seen them tear-drop shape and oval. The key to a successful ornament is to make it light enough so that it doesn t cause the branch to droop too much. For this to happen the ball has to be hollow (or made from balsa wood). First, shape the outside of the ball. Then drill a hole all the way through it using a 5/8 drill bit placed in the tail stock. Next hollow out the center so that the side walls are slightly less than 1/4 thick. A hook tool works well here. While its still attached to the lathe sand the outside, add a finish and part it off. The second step is to make the bottom spindle. Here it s important to use a chuck and let the tail end of the stock spin free. Only three chisels are needed for this step; a spindle gauge, a skew chisel and a parting tool. Your approach to the wood should be to form the finial s bottom in the tail stock end of the block. This will allow you to draw out a fine point at the tip from the free spinning blank. When you turn the finial follow this simple rule. Start at the end (the tip) and finish this section before moving on to the next. This includes sanding. Then repeat. As the piece becomes thinner and thinner it will keep you from accidentally breaking the wood and having to start over. The last profile that needs to be formed is a short tenon to fit snuggly in to the 5/8 hole drilled in the ball. A set of calipers can be used here or a 5/8 open end box wrench. Keep in mind that the ball surface is curved so you ll need to undercut the back of the last profile so that there isn t a gap between the finial and ball when fitted together. The last piece is the cap, or top hat. This piece contains the eye hook and is made in a similar fashion as the finial. It also contains a tenon that slips in to the top hole of the ball. This piece also needs an undercut on the backside of the last profile in order for it to fit well. A small hole for the eye hook is drilled in to the top while it s still spinning. This way it can be centered properly. A high gloss finish is best. You ll want the tree lights to sparkle off its surface, especially in the evening when the room s lighting is dim. Additional photos on page 2

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3 Page 3 Bill Walters & George Hoffman Mike Okner Rich Dell Dave Webber Show & Tell Christmas tree ornaments for the Festival of Trees Jim Kirkbride, David Webber and Jeremy Noblitt

4 Page 4 WOODWORDS ON THE BRANDYWINE Guild Contest Small Table To be judged during the December meeting Rules: 24 maximum width with appropriate height Must have an apron Drawer is optional Any traditional style; Shaker, Victorian, Hepplewhite, etc. No Modern or Abstract styling Must be recently made Prizes will be: $75 first prize $50 second prize $25 third prize (possibly two awarded) Shaker style table to right courtesy of Charlie Given 2011 Meeting Schedule Guild meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month. All interested persons are invited. Our upcoming meeting is: Holiday festivities planned for December s meeting Place & Time 7:00 PM Woodcraft 166 South DuPont Highway New Castle, DE Editor s note The Festival of Trees was a great success. This year our group made ornaments to decorate a tree sponsored by Delaware Today which is on display at the Brandywine Library. The tree made $1,365 for the Delaware Hospice organization. We also used the auction to sell the finished Walnut desk made during the last collaboration project. It went for $900. Keeping with the spirit of the auction the guild donated 50% of the proceeds to the Hospice. 1 Raffle Winners Treasurer s Report 12/01/2011 Chuck Skelley won the raffle prize (Veritas Marking Gauge) Vince Passalacqua won $5 in the 50/50 Raffle Income $ /50 Income $ 5.00 Current balance $ Dues are now being collected see Jeremy for payment Yearly dues are $ 35.00

5 Volume 24 Issue 12 Page 5 Classifieds The classified section is open to any paid member. Have your classified information into Tim Sabo by the first of the month to be included in that month s newsletter. your information to: TSabo@Dow.com Jim Stevens has the following for sale: call (302) Rockler Clamp Storage Rack Asking $ Freud Super Dado Asking $50.00 Porter Cable Biscuit Joiner Asking $ Jerry Sheeran has a mortising attachment Delta Model # with bits barely used. $50. Jerry at Pjsheer@aol.com or call (610) Joe Tomeo has the following for sale: Bosch plunge router 6 speed soft start, 3hp 15A Collette 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 15 carbide bits included Barely used Asking $ Bear, Delaware Phone: (302) Woodcarvers of Delaware club The Woodcarvers of Delaware club meets every Monday night (6:30-8:30), while school is in session. We meet at McKean High School in the old woodworking room. The meetings are informal. People bring and work on their projects at the meetings. Experienced woodcarvers are available to help you master the art of woodcarving. If you would like to add a new dimension to your wood working skills, come and check this club out. For additional information contact Roger Earley (president) at Dave & Anne's Sawmill Dave Peregmon Custom Sawing, Hardwood lumber for sale Hardwood Lumber for sale 33 Chestnut Street, Pennsville, NJ Phone: (856) (cell) or (215) (home)

6 Woodworkers Guild of Delaware 38 Jay Drive New Castle, DE WE RE ON THE WEB Open to all woodworkers novice to experts Woodworkers Guild of Delaware Benefactors of the Guild Please keep these friends in mind when you make purchases: Woodcraft Lee Valley Veritas