Website Changes

This blog is used by the Web Administrator to list updates to the website. This blog is summarized on the front page to make it easy for the members it locate new material without having to go  through the entire site. 

  • March 15, 2022 12:59 PM | James Russell (Administrator)

    Video of the March 12, 2022 presentation Special Table Saw Techniques by Bob VanDyke

  • February 28, 2022 5:50 PM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)


    Various Volunteer Furniture Projects

    by Steve McKenna and His Group of Lexington Guild Workers

    Steve has been has been a prolific woodworker.  You may know that Steve is one of the guild's professional woodworkers.  Some of his projects have graced this column.  I say that sincerely.  Check out two commendations he received from the World Category of Australian Wood Review magazine "Maker of the Year".  The commendations were awarded for the Black Walnut Couch and Black Walnut stepstool.

    In addition to his business, Steve finds time for volunteer projects in Lexington that he leads with a group of Lexington Guild woodworkers.  His article is brief showing four projects.  Read Steve's article Various Volunteer Furniture Projects.  Lexington is fortunate to have this accomplished group in her town. 

    To send your comments, click Steve McKenna.

  • February 28, 2022 5:48 PM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)


    The Empire of Cookies

    by Andrew Davis

    Come and get 'em, while they're hot!

    The proliferation of the bench cookie and its accessories have dominated the woodworking ads and emails.  Woodworkers have always used something to protect the working surface.  It doesn't take much brain power to consider lifting your work piece to protect an expensive workbench. So what's the deal, that is, the innovation that makes the bench cookie ubiquitous in woodworking?  The friction surface?  Being the first woodworker on your street to have one?  A nice size as a stocking stuffer?  A substitute for a missing hockey puck?  The revenue margins?  We may never know the answer but Andrew's article The Empire of Cookies gets us a little closer to understand the cookie phenomenon.

    Yum!

    Andrew welcomes your feedback.

  • February 28, 2022 5:47 PM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)

    It's Not Too Late to Make a Mistake

    Rob Carver

    Rob is famous for coming up with certain adages that have implications, even originations, in woodworking.  Although he does not use a fitting adage in this month's article, he could have used the popular (and polite) adage not limited to woodworkers - "Stuff Happens".  You see Rob had a mishap while building a wardrobe in his shop.  Reading his It's Not Too Late to Make a Mistake, it's fair to feel empathetic about the accident.  After all, if one performs woodworking long enough - and it doesn't take long - we all have been in that why-the-hell-did-I-do-that state of mind.  But beyond the pity, you can learn something of which I had no knowledge.  Perhaps you too!

    You can reach Rob for comments and additional information, click Rob Carver.

  • February 26, 2022 12:21 AM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)

    The process appear on the Home page entitled "

    EMGW March Meeting Offers Hybrid Attendance: In-Person (via Preregistration) and Zoom"

  • February 15, 2022 2:46 PM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)

    February 2022 meeting with Mickey Callahan as presenter titled "Creating Special Moldings".

  • February 02, 2022 10:16 PM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)

    Covid cases are declining in Massachusetts after peaking in January.  So, we are planning how to proceed as the cases continue to decline.  We realize that another variant may emerge or that the pandemic is not going to end abruptly.  But that does not mean we will wait for zero cases for a specific consecutive number of months before we re-institute in-person meetings.

    With that in mind, we want to alert you to what has been going on.  Our plans consist of both health and logistical concerns.  Our earliest opportunity, assuming a further decline in cases, is to have the March 12 meeting in-person with strict adherence to Covid vaccination, social distancing, and mask wearing.  Specifically, all members planning to attend in person must: 

    • Preregister with affirmation of being fully vaccinated including booster shot.
    • Agree to wear an effective, non-cloth mask, such as a surgical mask, or the preferred N95 or KN95 models, throughout the meeting in deference to the speaker and fellow members.
    • Adhere to EMGW guidelines for social distancing while in the building.

    The mechanism for preregistration will be performed via the EMGW website, and further instructions will be included in the March meeting reminder email, along with status regarding the viability of a March in-person meeting.

    In addition, we are working to provide Zoom access and video recording during in-person meetings.  The ability to offer these features are based on volunteers to video the speaker and pertinent props.  Please contact Ken Zoller if you would like to help. 

  • January 31, 2022 1:17 PM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)

    Lubricate Often 

    by Rob Carver

    Rob trusts that this article is PG quality.  In fact, Rob provides lessons learned for folks of all ages.  Keeping things well-oiled is a great preventative course to maintain working machinery.  But there is a philosophical perspective to this article, one in which this column excels.  There is no spoiler alert here nor is there a change to an adult rating, but there is much more to lubricate than metal.  Rob presents his thoughtful article and asks for your feedback.

    For a clever read, click Rob's Lubricate Often.

    You can reach Rob for comments and additional information, click Rob Carver.


  • January 31, 2022 1:15 PM | Vincent Valvo (Administrator)


    Halley's Comet

    by Andrew Davis

    Andrew steps outside the sphere of making furniture to address his opinions on the cyclical nature of topics published in woodworking journals.  His thesis is that there is a finite set of recurring topics (e.g., Turning) in the woodworking universe.  Beyond that, the half-life of each topic is on a regular basis of 86 weeks when any given woodworking topic is ready to be seen again.  That spacing may be a lot of time, but Andrew goes further.

    Andrew lists the topics that are repeated as though they have a gravitational pull to return our world in eastern Mass.  Why are these publishers so short-sighted?  All these topics are within the orbit of woodworking, but one wonders when there will be a change (delta?) in the velocity or momentum before we see something new.  We can always hope for an expansion to that universe.  Click to read the aptly named Halley’s Comet article.

    Andrew welcomes your feedback.


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