New England chapter first meeting is on!

[LEAP]

Hi folks,
Steve (Pensbydesign) has graciously provided us with a location at the Springfield Mass Woodcraft.
239A Memorial Ave
West Springfield, MA 01089
The date is 19 October from 11-4 or so. The store opens at 10 so come early and have a look around. Bring some of your work to show and some blanks for a swap. There is no real agenda so far so come up with some ideas. See you there.

 

[NewLondon88]

Cool .. I have some blanks ready to go..

 

[clthayer]

HOLY SMOKES!!!! NEW LONDON!!!

Too bad I cannot be there. Sundays do not work for me. I worship the One Creator and His resurrected Son, and I like to spend time with my wife and five children. Four hours on the road plus seeing all you good people doesn't fit in.

There is still an active thread for a VT/NH chapter. I have received a few emails, but if people are interested in meeting in addition to the New England chapter I am still willing to do something in my garage. Please email me if you are interested.

 

[Turner Mandrel]

I'll stop by after church. BTW the West Springfield Woodcraft Demo's came out today in the mail.

Saturday Oct 4th 10-12N 1PM-3 Pen Demo
Saturday Oct 11th 10-12N 1PM-3 Bottle Stoppers
Saturday Oct 18th 10-12N 1PM-3 Turning Green Wood
Saturday Oct 25th 10-12N 1PM-3 Celtic Knot Pen Demo
Saturday Nov 29th 10-12N 1PM-3 Turning a Holiday Ornament

Turn for the Troops will be held on Saturday November 8th from 10AM to 5 PM, this is an annual event at the store and all pens made this day will be forwarded to our troops throughout the world. Lathes and tools will be made available. If you dont have time to attend please consider making some and bring them in. Tution is free. I would imagine that we have to pay for the kits. I would contact Pensbydesign for further details.

 

[wolftat]

It sounds like a plan to me. Anyone up for car pooling from southwest CT.

 

[Mudder]

It sounds like a plan to me. Anyone up for car pooling from southwest CT.

Neil,

How are you going to go? Will you be taking Rt. 8 to 84 or coming up 691?
Either way I'm up for a carpool. My Saturn gets about 30MPG and I don't mind driving.

BTW, Fof those thinking of coming, There is a Harbor Freight in the next shopping center!

 

[LEAP]

Woodcraft and harbor freight! oh well there goes the credit card. Guess I'll have to leave the house early so I can get some shopping done before the gathering.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Phil, If I can make it, can I hitch a ride ame meet you say in Auburn off the turnpike? I assume you are comming in that way, right?

 

[LEAP]

Lee,
I'd be glad to, thats only a little detour I usually get off 495 and onto I90 near Bolton but after the first couple hours whats another 10 minutes? Make you a deal, bring and demo your sander mills and I'll even buy the first cup of coffee. Oh and I want to see some of those classic FPs you've been restoring. so be ready to play show and tell.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Phil, that can be done! I will have a few in the works that week, maybe I will bring a couple in various stages. (Damn... I might need to patent these first!)

Are you thinking about stopping at my house, oe meeting me in Auburn? I can drive into Auburn to my parents house so it's not as far off the highway for you. It's up to you...

PS... take a look in the "advanced turning" page for my latest creation

 

[jrc]

I do not think I can make the springfield meetings, that's like a long day and $60 in gas.
May something will happen a little farther north someday.

 

[LEAP]

Lee,
Auburn would work best for me. Putnam is just a bit out of the way. I'm working on getting that day off but time and tide may effect my schedule. I'll keep in touch in case I get called away.

 

[NewLondon88]

I do not think I can make the springfield meetings, that's like a long day and $60 in gas.
May something will happen a little farther north someday.

If you want to get partway down 91, I'll probably head out that way ..
Probably not far from Chester, either..

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Lee,
Auburn would work best for me. Putnam is just a bit out of the way. I'm working on getting that day off but time and tide may effect my schedule. I'll keep in touch in case I get called away.

Ok, I was just checking that you knew what I was talking about!... Do you still have my cell number?

 

[LEAP]

Lee,
I just looked through my old email messages and the one with your cell # is lost in space. Email on it's way.
Phil

 

[wolftat]

Neil,

How are you going to go? Will you be taking Rt. 8 to 84 or coming up 691?
Either way I'm up for a carpool. My Saturn gets about 30MPG and I don't mind driving.

BTW, Fof those thinking of coming, There is a Harbor Freight in the next shopping center!

Scott,
I will head up Rte. 8 and we can conect somewhere aroound you. I don't care who drives, my Jeep is getting 20 mpg highway. I am assuming we will be visiting HF while we are up there.

 

[Mudder]

Scott,
I will head up Rte. 8 and we can conect somewhere aroound you. I don't care who drives, my Jeep is getting 20 mpg highway. I am assuming we will be visiting HF while we are up there.

Hmmm,

If we drove to within 1000 feet of a Harbor freight and you didn't want to go in I would be questioning your manhood

 

[NewLondon88]

Hmmm,

If we drove to within 1000 feet of a Harbor freight and you didn't want to go in I would be questioning your manhood

I'd heard of HF before ( heard a lot in the turning groups) but I'd never
actually seen one or even seen a brochure. But last Sunday I took the trip
to the Springfield store to make sure I could find it. (and left $200 later..)
so I had to see what the buzz was about Harbor freight.

They had some interesting stuff. Seems to be a sale on fluorescent orange
plastic and the tool manufacturers bought all of it.

For anyone looking to photograph their pens with a soft box (diminishes
harsh shadows, gives more even lighting) they had a photo cube on sale
for around $22. I think it's about 18x18 .. plenty big enough.
My 24x24 cost me $100 four years ago.

They have a low speed wet grinder/sharpener that looks pretty decent
for short money.. :biggrin:

 

[LEAP]

Well folks it's one week until the first gathering of the New England Chapter of the IAP!!
Let's hear some suggestions for topics, maybe a volunteer or two for a demo, requests for anything you would like to see demo'd. Remember to go raid your blank stash for a swap and box up some of your work for showing off. Oh and sound off if you are planning to attend so if anybody want's to car pool and save a few bucks on gas we can touch base and make plans. Hope to see you there!

 

[NewLondon88]

I can make up name badges for anyone who wants one. Just send me your
name, screen name and pic or avatar (the one off of the website is low res,
not good for printing) and I'll bring them to the meeting.
(sample below) I wish I knew how to "clip text to path" in an editing program
so I could put "New England" at the bottom of the logo..

Does anyone know what we bring? Tools? kits? Glue? Or, most important,
who brings the big hammer for the ones that don't come out right? :tongue:

 

[greenmtnguy]

Charlie,
Nice card. Email sent

 

[wolftat]

I'll be there. As far as topics, I'm open to just about anything. Do we have access to a lathe there? If we do, maybe we should bring a couple of pre-tubed kits with us. A blank swap would also be an option.

 

[NewLondon88]

I'll be bringing some blanks and other things.. but I've never been to one of
these, so not sure what to expect. I did a 'recon' trip there last week. I didn't
see the lathe, but I did see some other things on a rolling cart. They may
move things in and out as they need.

Anyone else want a name badge for the meeting? :biggrin:

 

[LEAP]

Sure sign me up for a badge Charlie.

 

[NewLondon88]

OK .. PM with a name, screen name and a photo if you want.
Can be your avatar or a picture, doesn't matter to me..

Anyone else want one?

I'll bring them to the meeting

 

[LEAP]

Name and screen name is cool for me.
Thanks

 

[pensbydesign]

we have several lathes on the floor we can move in for demos, and other tools as needed.
i just need to know what to set up. do have any volunteers to do a demo, let me know what you need and i will set up.
i would also like to offer everbody who comes to the meeting a 10% discount at the store
not including power tools and festool of course.

 

[LEAP]

we have several lathes on the floor we can move in for demos, and other tools as needed.
i just need to know what to set up. do have any volunteers to do a demo, let me know what you need and i will set up.
i would also like to offer everbody who comes to the meeting a 10% discount at the store
not including power tools and festool of course.

Steve,
Thanks thats very generous of you. Just guessing but I think one or maybe two lathes will be plenty. The only one I have managed to volunteer so far is Lee Thomas with his sander mills. I was thinking that if I have so time I'd turn up a bunch of slim tubes and let everybody demonstrate their CA finishes so we could compare notes. This first gathering is going to be a little free form. give us a chance to meet each other, show off some of our work and figure out where we want to go from there. Thanks again for providing us with a place to meet.

 

[greenmtnguy]

I have been wondering how to handle the meeting at Woodcraft. If we do a blank swap, should we limit the blank swap and other possible trades to outside the store or is it acceptable to Steve for us to do this in the store. Also, as we bring pens and other items into the store, we need to be aware that we are carrying into the store items that the store sells. My concerns come from years of retail experience, where there are individuals that will take advantage of situations and make the job more difficult. I would not want to see anyone in a difficult situation. Steve has more experience with groups, is this a problem and how do we address it? Or do we need to. Any does or don'ts

 

[LEAP]

Steve,
what do you think? any comments? personally I tend to trust people until they prove otherwise and never considered we would have any problems.

 

[holmqer]

Manchester Woodcraft

I was just told that there is some event at the Manchester Woodcraft for Pens for Service Members.

Is this IAP affiliated or is this a Central Connecticut Woodturners and Connecticut Valley School Of Woodworking event? Or perhapse is this just one element of a broader nation wide Woodcraft event?

 

[LEAP]

Eric,
It's part of the Freedom Pen Project. Click on the American Flag on the top of this page to learn more. If anyone would like to contribute a few pens to the project bring them to the meeting I would be glad to gather them and send them in. Include a card saying who you are to go with them.

 

[pensbydesign]

bring iteams in the store shouldn't be a problem.

 

[pensbydesign]

all woodcraft stores are collecting pens for the troops including west springfield, if anybody
whants to drop them off.

 

[LEAP]

It's just a few more days until the first ever New England IAP chapter gathering! We have a cuple of demos planned and a blank swap. Add a show and tell and we have a bit of time to make up. How about everyone brings their favorite CA finish materials and we can each do a tube or two and compare notes. Bring what ever CA you use and the application method of choice. BLO if you use it, anything that you might need to finish a slimline. Also bring you favorite tool(s) for pen turning we can compare notes of why we like it and how it works for you. Hope to see you there.

 

[dachemist]

I'd like to join in too. Unfortunately I won't be able to make the first meeting (I just found this thread today). If the meetings continue to be held at the Springfield Woodcraft I'm there. I have some in-laws who live a few towns over so I've spent a few bucks at that woodcraft.

 

[NewLondon88]

So .. how many are coming on Sunday?

Show of hands?

 

[holmqer]

I plan to attend, but I will not be there at 11:00, I'll probably be an hour late

 

[Mudder]

I'm going to be there

 

[LEAP]

Guess you can count me in.