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Eastern Massachussetts Guild of Woodworkers

Upcoming Guild Events

November 09, 2024 9:00 AM • Woodcraft, 3 Walpole Park S, Walpole, MA 02081
December 14, 2024 9:00 AM • Lowell Makes, Lowell MA
January 04, 2025 9:00 AM • Eliot School of Fine and Applied Arts, 24 Eliot St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Six of the eleven members of EMGW's Cape Cod subgroup met July 25 2024 at the home/workshop of Josh Shapiro in Chatham. We got a tour of Josh’s well-equipped shop which he assembled over the past 8 months, starting with an empty room.  Josh buys used equipment exclusively and shared with the group his tips for buying equipment on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other venues.  Contact Andrew if you are in or near the Cape Cod area.  - Andrew Davis

Pictured from left to right are Steven Contin, Walter Henry, Andrew Davis, Josh Shapiro, Mike Walter, Rob Aronson.

Upcoming Non-Guild Events

August 21, 2024 10:00 AM • 35 Duncan Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
November 08, 2024 4:00 PM • WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley St, Providence, RI
December 06, 2024 10:00 AM • NBSS
February 07, 2025 9:00 AM • Historic Deerfield’s Deerfield Community Center 16 Memorial Street Deerfield, MA 01342

Woodworking Tip for October 2024. Miter Bars for Miter Slots


Guild Project Update - Make a Shave Horse

The shave horse project is progressing with

the next meeting on October 7th.  There are 

eight definites and three more considering

whether they will enough available time. 

Project participants have become familiar with the workings of the shave horse and now have experience riding one.  This will not be their first rodeo.  With this enrollment the project is a go.  Work will begin this month.  

 

Please email Rob Carver with expressions of interest and questions.


The Drum Maker | Rope Tension Drum | A Craftsman's Legacy

At the September 2024 meeting a presentation by Bill Whitney was performed.  You can see a few representative pictures below.  Click any of the following links.

This is the primary video that caught our attention. In this way you will get to see more details that the pictures cannot convey.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN8kkjGS-98 (36:46)  

Calderwood - Hellcats Drum Line [Showing the project overview, 10 snares, 2 bass drums] (7:48)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltAceF9kQy4

Hellcat Drums - Maiden Voyage (short clip playing demo, 3 snares, 1 bass)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80nPE3NLsTk (0:39)

Rope Tension Snare Drums, Process and Demonstration

Bill Whitney, CalderWood Percussion Instruments

September 2024

Credits Vincent Valvo

Bevel Cut

Butting Heads Over Screws

by Andrew Davis



Like other members, I use screws a lot.  Not necessarily in furniture I make, glue is go-to adhesive for that.  But screws are widely used around the house in repair jobs and in the shop for jigs and fixtures.  But when I want a special screw often I don't know the name of the screw head or drive, which is a problem if I need to discuss an issue with someone or Amazon.  Now that issue is solved for me.  What about you?

Keep this article handy.  Eventually, you will find the article under the archive RESOURCE tab on the HOME page.  But for now read this well organized article Butting Heads Over Screws.  And, by the way, at the end of the article you get another Bevel Cut tree diagram of woodworking screws plus several helpful links.

Andrew welcomes your feedback.

Measure Twice, Cut Once - Wisdom From the Shop

Multiple Identities?

by Rob Carver


Rob discusses the recognition and value that people can be many things.  We members woodworkers are one thing, one category, one dimension of ourselves - woodworkers.  Rob knows there is more to us as humans.  It becomes evident when we meet over meetings, projects, or post meeting lunches.  These gatherings when taken the opportunity enhance our understanding and shared interests, knowledge, backgrounds, and stories.  Don't misunderstand this is not a Kumbaya story.

Rob writes to share a story that triggered this article of realizing the intrinsic value there is to get to know the other dimensions of others, not just the shared dimensions but also the different ones. Read Multiple Identities.

You can reach Rob by clicking Rob Carver.

Mentoring in EMGW

Mentoring in the Guild takes many forms.  Everything from a brief conversation or email on a particular technique to a full-blown cooperative effort to build an entire piece.  Most mentoring occurs informally among members.  However, the Mentor Program provides an easy way, especially for new members, to get involved in mentoring.  Members listed on the Mentor Program page of this website have expressed a willingness to help other members in a variety of ways.

To read more about the Mentor Program, click here or navigate to About Us then Mentor Program.  To see the list of Mentor members with their interests and contact information, click here or navigate to Members then Mentors.

Featured Piece of the Month

Greene and Greene Walnut Bed

by Dave McCormick



It is a pleasure to see another Dave McCormick furniture piece come our way.  Dave has shown his desks, cabinets, and other furniture in this column.  Also, Dave has presented more abstract pieces, especially when he contributed articles of his work using quilted maple.  You can review those articles (December 2022 and January 2023) from the website archive by navigating to RESOURCES  > Featured Piece of the Month.  Dave's newest piece is very functional with accents, typical of Dave's work.

Dave recently visited the Gable House (links about the house can be found in the article) in Pasadena, CA.  In it were Greene and Greene single beds. Dave liked them so much he took the challenge to make one with a couple considerable extra features.  Dave's design was a G & G Queen-size bed with holly and sapele inlay on the head and foot board panels.  Read Dave's latest contribution called Walnut Greene and Greene Bed.

For more information, you can reach Dave at Dave McCormick.

Consider submitting an article to be published once we return to the start of the Program Year 2024-2025.  Remember this column is not necessarily dedicated to furniture pieces.  Tools, jigs, processes, and other woodworking related themes are also relevant.

Map of Member Locations


For in-person meetings, the possibility to carpool to monthly and FIG meetings, and other group gatherings may be of use to you.  Tom Shirley has updated the Member Map as of February, 2024 that displays members' locations on a Google map.  This is private information, so to access the map ou must be logged in.  To interact with the map, simply click the map above.  You can also click Member Map from the Member Map dropdown list.  Once there you can pan, zoom in and out, and click a pin to see the member's name and location.


EMGW Board of Directors 2024-2025

On June 8, 2024, the following members were unanimously elected to the EMGW Board of Directors for the Program Year 2024 - 2025.

President: Rob Carver

Vice-President: Andrew Davis

Treasurer: John George

Secretary: Tom Shirley


Starting out in Woodworking? EMGW Members Compiled a Guidebook for You

Considering getting into woodworking?  A team of members of EMGW has written a guidebook targeted for new woodworkers and a refresher for other woodworkers.

The guidebook is complimentary.  It can be viewed and downloaded for your reading pleasure.  We hope that reading the guidebook will engender interest in woodworking and membership in our guild.  Click here for a priceless copy.

Considerable work has already gone into renewing older and securing new discounts from various sources.  To review the list on the website you must first login then click Members and then Special Membership Discounts.

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