An interesting tip from the Diablo Valley Woodworkers: double-stick tape is an annoyance; it mushes around a bit and is hard to get off.  A method to avoid it is to use masking tape on both sides of what you want to hold, then glue the masking tape with super-glue.  Nice video at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub6PsY4cgwg

The user, Bob Hoellwarth, says he has “ used it safely on the table saw, band saw, drill press, and router, and never plans to use double sided tape again.”

I’ve been reading Donald Peattie’s 1953 A Natural History of Western Trees with real enthusiasm.  This is a fine book for woodworkers who have traveled some in California and the Western states.  After a botanical description of the tree, Peattie goes into describing the tree in layman’s terms, the areas where the tree might occur, its commercial uses, if any, and the history and lore of the wood.  He is aware of the difficulties that exist, and does not wear rosy-colored glasses, but it is a 1950's book, and of course he doesn’t see the climate disaster coming.  Thus the book makes one nostalgic for the good old days such as they were.  This is about the trees and the woods we use and love, like Doug fir, Redwood,  Port Orford Cedar, Bay Laurel and Osage Orange.  The prose is charming, like a ramble through the West with a dignified, erudite gent, who knows his trees and where they fit in the landscape.  You might find the book in libraries, unless they have been culled out like the one I got from Amazon.

The Guild Lending Library of the SCWA is now open.  We have accumulated a number of high quality instructional DVDs on various woodworking topics and they are available for viewing by all current SCWA members.  To request a DVD for viewing simply Login and go to the Guild Lending Library page in the Members Only submenu where you will find instructions.

The following DVDs are available to SCWA members:

Building a Maloof Inspired Low-back Chair by Scott Morrison

Building a Simple Rocking Chair by Scott Morrison

Build A Maloof Inspired Rocker with Charles Brock

Essential Band Saw Techniques by Woodworker’s Journal

Bandsawn Veneers with David Marks

Scrapers by David Marks

Gilding and Patination with David Marks and Grace Baggot

Double Bevel Marquetry with David Marks

Jigs and Fixtures for Curvilinear Woodworking by David Marks

Router Joinery with Gary Rogowski

Sharpening Planes and Chisels with Ian Kirby

Dovetail Techniques with Stephen Hammer

Tablesaw Techniques with Marc Adams

Hanging Tool Cabinet with Michael Pekovich

The New Turning Wood with Richard Raffan

Google SketchUp for Woodworkers, The Basics with Dave Richards

Arts & Crafts Style Coffee Table with Gregory Paolini

Not-So-Big Workbench with Ed Pirnik

Woodworks Season 1 with David Marks

Woodworks Season 2 with David Marks

Woodworks Season 3 with David Marks

Woodworks Season 4 with David Marks

Woodworks Season 5 with David Marks

Fine Woodworking, A Magazine Archive 1975-2013

Special thanks to Taunton Press, David Marks and Bill Anderson for their generous donations to our DVD library.

The new Wells Fargo Sculpture Garden with about a dozen of Bruce Johnson's wonderful sculptures opens to the public on June 6th.  It is free to the public and definitely worth checking out.  Go on Saturday mornings and you can shop at the Farmers' Market too.  Find more at:  http://wellsfargocenterarts.org/new-outdoor-sculpture-garden/

I caught the last day of the Shaker Furniture show at Sonoma Valley Art Museum.  Quite worthwhile.  The Shakers were a religious sect that thrived for a long period in the eastern U.S., from 1775 to the 1920's, mainly in the north.  They had flourishing colonies in New York and New England, and into Ohio.  They practiced celibacy, but had plenty of converts, plus took in the orphans and misfits and rejects of early industrial society.  Their very spare, undecorated furniture style is well known, and influenced many designers and furniture makers.  A pleasure to see this small exhibit, very nicely displayed.  Here is a link to a series of photos on Picasa:  Shaker Furniture

About a month ago Art Hofmann and I ventured down to Sausalito to take in what was going on in the big white tent near the Bay Model.  I had heard from a kayaking enthusiast about a large boat being built there.  As we entered the tent we were surprised at the scale of the project.  The ship being built is based on a brigantine design by Mathew Turner, the most prolific builder in history, with 228 vessels built by the end of his career in 1907.  The ship measures about 100 feet long with a beam of about 25 feet, and the transom had just been lifted into position and fastened down before we arrived.   They were now starting with the planking.  We chatted with the foreman on the project and he mentioned that the lead keel was cast in Seattle – all 86,000 pounds of it.  It was trucked down to Sausalito in two trucks.  All of the timbers used in the project were locally grown and harvested Douglas Fir from Mendocino County.  All of the work done on the ship is by volunteers and funded by the non-profit organization, The Educational Tall Ship for San Francisco Bay.  After the ship is completed it will provide both on the water and shore-based educational experiences for Bay Area students.  There are many great videos about the project at the website  http://educationaltallship.org/San-Francisco-Bay-Educationa-Tall-Ship-Mission.php

They were in need of cabinet makers when Art and I visited so if you would like to lend a hand use the website to contact them.

On the last day of 2014 Bob Moyer, Art Hoffman and I met with Dana Woodman of Chimera Arts, Sonoma County’s first community arts and maker space.  We toured the 3D printing workstation, the jewelry making area and the electronic arts section of Chimera’s current workspace and then took the short walk to the site of its future home.  Dana said Chimera plans occupy at least 4000 square feet in the new facility and maybe up to 7000 square feet if plans progress rapidly.  Those plans include developing venues for woodworking and metal working, including welding and fabrication.

Dana, Bob, Art and I discussed possible collaborative efforts including possible discounts for SCWA members and opportunities for both teaching and taking classes. 

More information can be found at: http://chimeraarts.org/

Check out this charming short film about a traditional Norwegian boat builder in the far north:

http://vimeo.com/113221063
 

Artistry in Wood 2014 is featured in a small article in the latest issue of the American Woodturner: