Westfalen Parklands. 21 Dunlop Street, Collingwood Park 4301. Founder: Dave Bird. Shed. Co-Ordinator: Kim Hodges. Secretary: Dave White. Safety Officer: Warren Kane. Entertainments Officer: Bob Kettle. Editor: Rose Payne. For information phone Kim on 3288 2002

Volume 13……………………………………………………………………………….….November, 2018 can remember that we have done a lot of good in our lives, whether anyone remembers or not, and Greetings Grandpas we can continue to do the small things each of us do to make someone else’s day a happier one. It could be a wave to someone in the street; it could be a warm smile; it could be help with a project, sharing something, even just a good story or joke Well, fellow woodies, another year has almost and the many other everyday things we do will- passed and a challenging one it has been. Most of ingly. you would be familiar with the problems that be- So to those who have struggled or done it tough set us as we age. We are faced with aging bodies, in some way, I want to say, “Well done, mate! worn out brains, less income and hopeless politi- Give yourself a pat on the back for making it cians running the country. However we at through another year.” And to everyone, “Thank Grumpy Grandpas have not lost our sense of hu- you for being one of the Grumpy Grandpas. I mour. The time we spend at the shed is generally hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a fun time with our jokes, tongue in cheek hu- quality time with those you love.” mour and good hearted teasing of our fellow woodies. It is an attitude that can restore us to be able to go home and deal with life’s ups and downs. If a bit of humour and comradery isn’t enough, there is always a friendly ear to listen to your concerns. Remember the old saying, “A problem shared is a problem halved.”

Our members have all had their share of challeng- es during the year. We have had aging parents; minor surgeries with lengthy recovery periods; severe health problems impacting our way of life; difficulties with adapting to more suitable life- But wait, there’s more………….. styles and as always concerns about our children. There has been some changes for our members with one of our valued and experienced members choosing new pastures, and new members joining us. However we struggle on with ‘a smile on our di- al’ and do the best we can with what we have. We never know what positives tomorrow can bring and sooner or later most problems pass. Each morning we wake up and get out of bed is a step Patron: Cr Kerry Silver. Councillor for Division 3. This newsletter was kindly printed by the staff at her office in Redbank forward and perhaps even a small miracle. We Plaza Shopping Centre.

1 I would also like to thank the Plummer family for their kind donation of the woodwork books and magazines they gave to us. They will come in handy and we are very grateful. You may recall that in the last newsletter I included a challenge. Participants were asked to make the wooden tape measure pictured below. I am disap-

pointed to say that there were no entrants for the challenge so therefore there are no winners and I get to keep the prize. 

I am endeavouring to get this newsletter done be- fore our Christmas lunch, so just in case I do man- age to pull it off, remember we are going to the Plantations Restaurant at the Prince Alfred Hotel, The chicken house Dave is making for a community Brisbane Road, Booval on 15th November. We will member is taking shape. meet at midday and there is a range of meals and prices to suit all budgets.

This will be the last newsletter for the year so I hope you enjoy the contents. Please feel free to email me any articles you think would make the newsletter enjoyable and informative. With that said, I will leave you with some images of work- shop life at Grumpies. Merry Christmas to all.

Now he is working on the nest boxes.

Milan watches on while Johnny demonstrates a technique. Right: Bowls made by Milan.

2 Johnny and Fred working together to perfect the job.

Right: Fred was checking his work when I told him to look up for a newsletter photo.

I finally got my garden fairy seat finished. Right is a burning I am doing as a Christmas present. It is yet to be varnished and framed.

What do you call someone who doesn't be- Why does Santa owe everything to the lieve in Father Christmas? elves? A rebel without a Claus! Because he is an elf-made man! What does Santa like to have for breakfast? What is twenty feet tall, has sharp teeth Mistle-toast! and goes Ho Ho Ho? What kind of motorcycle does Santy ride? Tyranno-santa Rex! A Holly Davidson! What does Santa get if he gets stuck in a chimney? Claustrophobic!

3

The History of the

Most of us are familiar with the lathe, particularly century BC in ancient Egypt. Clear evidence of those used in wood turning but how would you ex- turned artefacts have been found from the 6th cen- plain it to someone who knows nothing about them tury BC: fragments of a wooden bowl in an Etrus- and has never seen one? Furthermore how did the can tomb in Northern Italy, as well as two flat word lathe even come about. Well, the technical wooden dishes with decorative turned rims from definition of a lathe is thus: modern Turkey. More tenuous evidence exists from A lathe is a tool that rotates the workpiece about an a Mycenaean Greek site as far back as the 13th or axis of rotation to perform various operations such 14th century BC. There is also evidence of use in as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, deformation, Assyria and India. facing, and turning, with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object with symmetry about that axis. Well, I’m not sure that would create a very accu- rate picture in the mind of the person you are try- ing to inform, but there you have it. So what about the word ‘lathe’ itself. Amazingly I have never wondered about this particular word. However its An ancient Egyptian strap lathe full name is Longitudinal Axis Tool Holding Another article states that go back in history Equipment. I think we can stick with just ‘lathe’. over 3,00 years. Evidence of lathes has been found Furthermore, is the craft of using the going back to 700 BCE. There were even illustra- wood lathe with hand-held tools to cut a shape that tions of lathes in Egyptian tombs dating back to is symmetrical around the axis of rotation. Like the 300BCE. potter’s wheel, the wood lathe is a simple mecha- nism which can generate a variety of forms. The The archaeological record of woodturning, and thus operator is known as a turner, and the skills needed lathes, is limited to illustrations due to the imper- to use the tools were traditionally known as turn- manent nature of wood itself. ery. In pre-industrial England, these skills were The lathe was very important to the Industrial Rev- sufficiently difficult to be known as ‘the misterie’ olution. It is known as the mother of machine tools, of the Turners Guild. The skills to use the tools by as it was the first machine tool that lead to the in- hand, without a fixed point of contact with the vention of other machine tools. wood, distinguish woodturning and the wood lathe The ancient Chinese, dating to the Warring States from the machinists lathe, or metal-working lathe. era, also used rotary lathes to sharpen tools and In many parts of the world the lathe has been a weapons on an industrial scale. portable tool that goes to the source of the wood, or adapts to temporary workspaces. The origin of turning dates to around 1300BCE when the Ancient Egyptians first developed a two- So how long has this marvellous woodturning de- person lathe. One person would turn the wood vice been around? work piece with a rope while the other used a sharp We are told that the lathe is an ancient tool, with tool to cut shapes in the wood. Examples of this the first known representation dating to the 3rd type of strap lathe is illustrated on Egyptian

4 monuments. Ancient Rome improved the Egyp- tian design with the addition of a turning bow. Lathe workers would sometimes use their bare feet to hold tools in place while using their hand to power the lathe. In the Middle Ages a pedal replaced hand-operated turning, allowing a sin- gle person to rotate the piece while working with both hands. The pedal was usually connected to a pole, often a straight-grained sapling. The sys- tem today is called the ‘spring pole’ lathe. Spring pole lathes were in common use into the early Pole lathe 20th century. dry wood, then decorated with silver-gilt central bosses and rims. Woodturners in London organized into a guild on Wood Street as early as 1310 . By 1347, the Turners Company was assigned responsibility for regulating weights and measures by the Mayor. By 1591, they built their own Hall. The Company governed the apprentice system, and established pricing for goods. In 1604, they were An early pole lathe incorporated as the Worshipful Company of Turners of London. Outside of London, the craft Wood lathes work with either reciprocating or was decentralized and unregulated. Itinerant continuous revolution. The reciprocating lathe is turners, known as Bodgers, set up temporary powered by a bow or a spring, rotating the wood pole lathes near the source of wood for turning first one direction, and then in the other. The furniture parts. turner cuts on just one side of the rotation, as with the pole lathe. The reciprocating lathe, while primitive technology requiring considera- ble dexterity to operate, is capable of excellent results in skilled hands. For example, reciprocat- ing bow lathes are still used to turn beads for the Arabian lattice windows called Meshrebeeyeh that so charmed Hotzapffel in the 1880’s. Between 500 and 1500 A. D. turned wooden vessels served as the everyday bowls and cups of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch most of the population of Europe. Our knowledge of these humble vessels comes from Leonardo da Vinci, one of the worlds most fa- bowls excavated from shipwrecks or dug out of mous inventors also contributed to lathe history. deep wells, where they were preserved in a As well as an artist and sculptor he was also a nonaerobic environment. Much of this ware was scientist and engineer, who is sometimes known turned from green wood on a spring pole lathe. for one of the earliest forms of the treadle lathe. Finely crafted drinking bowls, known as mazers, His sketch of a lathe, eventually known as the were produced in very limited quantities from foot wheel lathe, dated as early as 1480 to 1500,

5

Treadle Lathes is innovative. Although, da Vinci drew the treadle A metalworking lathe from 1911, showing component parts: lathe with the flywheel, crank, and treadle to oper- a – bed ate, it could not turn fast enough for its intended b – carriage (with cross-slide and toolpost) design. Even though da Vinci’s design wasn’t prac- c – headstock tical, the use of a treadle in a lathe was an astonish- d – back gear (other geartrain nearby drives ing development advancement for machine tools. It leadscrew) was instrumental in the development of modern e – cone pulley for a belt drive from an exter- wood lathes. nal power source f – faceplate mounted on spindle Other information reports that the most important g – tailstock design of wood lathe prior to the invention of the h – leadscrew powered lathe, made in the 17th century, was the foot wheel lathe. Here the lathe is powered by a olution lathe, which led to adaptation to external treadle at the users feet but now it is connected to a power sources such as water, steam and electricity. crank and pulley mechanism to allow for continu- This lathe evolved into the ‘queen of machine tools’ ous direction turning. which made it possible to turn parts for other ma- chinery. By 1568, a separate fly wheel powered a lathe via a drive belt. A master would cut the wood while an An important early lathe in the UK was the hori- apprentice turned the crank on a huge wheel, often zontal boring machine that was installed in 1772 in several feet in diameter. This was a continuous rev- the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. It was horse- powered and allowed for the production of much more accurate and stronger cannon used with

Drawing of horizontal boring machine by Jan Verbruggen in Woolwich Royal Brass Belt driven lathe Foundry approx. 1778.

6 success in the American Revolutionary War in the steel. They are designed for high precision heavy late 18the century. One of the key characteristics of duty operations. this machine was that the workpiece was turning as All geared lathe—In an all geared lathe, all the opposed to the tool, making it technically a lathe. rotating components of the machine are driven Henry Maudslay who later developed many im- by the same source at different speeds by using provements to the lathe worked at the Royal Arse- gears to perform various operations. nal from 1783 being exposed to this machine in the Verbruggen workshop. Imported lathe—Imported lathes are high qual- ity lathes used for high precision operations. During the Industrial Revolution, mechanized pow- er generated by water wheels or steam engines was Depending upon the modes of operation, the transmitted to the lathe via line shafting, allowing lathes can be classified as: faster and easier work. By the late 19th and mid- Manual lathe—In these lathes, the tool handling 20th centuries, individual electric motors at each is done manually and so the precision of work lathe replaced line shafting as the power source. also depends upon the skill of the person han- Beginning in the 1950s, servo-mechanisms were dling the machine. applied to the control of lathes and other machine CNC lathe—CNC lathes are completely auto- tools via numerical control, which often was cou- mated lathes. We just have to feed the instruc- pled with computers to yield computerized numeri- tions into the computer and the lathe will per- cal control (CNC). Today manual controlled and form the operations according to the data fed to CNC lathes coexist in the manufacturing industries. the computer. Today’s wood lathes almost exclusively rely on There are also many different lathes of various electric motors to generate turning power and for sizes and uses. the most part all follow the same basic design. But prior to the industrial revolution, wood was being lathes. turned for thousands of years on increasingly so- Blanchard lathe: Named after it’s inventor phisticated man powered lathes. Thomas Blanchard, this is a specialized lathe There are several types of lathes but the woodwork- used for duplicating or copying. This type of ing lathes are the oldest variety. All other varieties lathe was able to create shapes identical to a are descended from these simple lathes. A lathe standard pattern and it revolutionized the process may or may not have legs, which sit on the floor of gun stock making in 1820s when it was in- and elevate the lathe bed to a working height. A vented. lathe may be small and sit on a or table, not requiring a stand. Lathes are classified depending upon their applica- tion and functionality as: Light duty lathe—These machines find their ap- plication in automobile, electronic, electrical indus- Patternmakers lathe. 1925. tries and are manufactured from quality tested raw materials. Patternmaker’s lathes: These are used to Medium duty lathe—These machines are more make a pattern for foundries, often from wood, powerful than the light duty lathes. but also plastics. A patternmaker’s lathe looks Heavy duty lathe—These machines are manufac- like a heavy wood lathe, often with a turret and tured from highest grades of materials like iron and either a lead screw or rack and pinion to manual-

7 ly positon the turret. The turret is used to accu- orative work—ornamental turning. By using ac- rately cut straight lines. cessories such as the horizontal cutting frames, eccentric chuck and elliptical chuck, solids of ex- Cue lathes: These lathes function similar to turning and spinning lathes allowing for a per- traordinary complexity may be produced by vari- fectly radially-symmetrical cut for billiard cues. ous generative procedures. They can also be used to refinish cues that have A special-purpose lathe, the Rose engine lathe, is been worn over the years. also used for ornamental turning, in particular for engine turning, typically in precious metals, for Glass-working lathes: This type are similar in example to decorate pocket-watch cases. The fin- design to other lathes, but differ markedly in how the workpiece is modified. Glass-working lathes est ornamental lathes are generally considered to slowly rotate a hollow glass vessel over a fixed or be those made by the Holtzapffels around the turn variable temperature flame. of the 19th century. Their ornamental lathe was developed from the continuous revolution lathe In diamond turning, a computer-controlled lathe combined with metal-working innovations like with a diamond-tipped tool is used to make preci- the automatic slide rest. These lathes worked sion optical surfaces in glass or other optical ma- from geared patterns to cut designs in terials. such as . They were favoured as a hobby by Metalworking lathes. European princes, meriting a mention by Tolstoy in War and Peace (1869). In a metalworking lathe, metal is removed from the workpiece using a hardened cutting tool, Reducing lathes. which is usually fixed to a solid moveable mount- Many types of lathes can be equipped with acces- ing called the ‘toolpost’,which is then moved sory components to allow them to reproduce an against the workpiece using handwheels and /or item: the original item is mounted on one spindle, computer controlled motors. the blank is mounted on another, and as both turn Metal-spinning lathes: In metal spinning, a disk in synchronized manner, one end of an arm of sheet metal is held perpendicularly to the main “reads” the original and the other end of the arm axis of the lathe, and tools with polished tips ‘carves’ the duplicate. (spoons) or roller tips are hand-held, but levered A Reduction lathe is a specialized lathe that is by hand against fixed posts, to develop pressure designed with this feature and incorporates a that deforms the spinning sheet of metal. mechanism similar to a pantograph, so that when Metal-spinning lathes are almost as simple as the ‘reading’ end of the arm reads a detail that wood-turning lathes. Typically, metal spinning measures one inch (for example) one quarter of requires a mandrel, usually made from wood, an inch (a 4:1 reduction, although given appropri- which serves as the template onto which the ate machinery and appropriate settings, any re- workpiece is formed. For example, to make a duction ratio is possible). sheet metal bowl, a solid block of wood in the Reducing lathes are used in coin-making, where a shape of the bowl is required; similarly, to make a plaster original (or an epoxy master made from vase, a solid template of the vase is required. the plaster original, or a copper-shelled master Ornamental turning lathes. made from the plaster original, etc.) is duplicated and reduced on the reducing lathe, generating a The ornamental turning lathe was developed master die. around the same time as the industrial screw- cutting lathe in the nineteenth century. It was Rotary lathes used not for making practical objects, but for dec- A lathe in which , like or ,

8 or , like logs, are turned against a Transcription, or recording, lathes. very sharp blade and peeled off in one continuous Transcription or recording lathes are used to or semi-continuous roll, was invented by Imman- make grooves on a surface for recording sounds. uel Nobel (father of the more famous Alfred No- These were used in creating sound grooves on bel). The first such lathes in the United States wax cylinders and then on flat recording discs were set up in the mid-19th century. The product originally also made of wax, but later as lacquers is called wood veneer and it is used for making on a substrata. Originally the cutting lathes were and as a cosmetic surface veneer on driven by sound vibrations through a horn in a some grades of chipboard. process known as Acoustic recording and later driven by an electric current when microphones were first used in sound recording. Many such lathes were professional models, but others were developed for home recording and were common before the advent of home tape recording. Woodturning has always had a strong hobbyist presence. In the 1970’s, an explosion of interest in hobby woodturning in the English-speaking world sparked a revival of the craft. The tool in- Watchmaker using a lathe. dustry identified a new market for lathes and turning tools; and a small group of serious collec- tors invested in the increasingly sculptural explo- rations of woodturners. Although not available as a university course, practitioners of the craft have become adept at learning from demonstrations, private classes regional meetings, their own pub- lished journals, and internet technologies. Some artists began as woodturners, and moved into more sculptural work, experimenting with super object forms and other fine craft concepts. Other turners have chosen an artisan-based focus on

Watchmaker’s lathe traditional work, custom work, and the pleasure of studio practice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lathe Jeweller’s lathe: The smallest are “jewellers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodturning lathes” or “watchmaker lathes”, delicate but pre- https://www.yashmachine.com/blog/history-of-lathe-from- cise metal working lathes which, though often beginning-of-machine-tool-invention/ https://www.jfberns.com/post/wood-lathe-history-from-the- small enough to be held in one hand are normally famous-inventor fastened to a bench. The workpieces machined on http://www.wood-lathe.org/history-wood-lathe/ http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Lathe a jeweller’s lathe are often metal, but other softer materials can also be machined. Jeweller’s lathes can be used with hand-held ‘graver’ tools or with a ‘compound rest’ that attaches to the lathe bed and allows the tool to be clamped in place and moved by a screw or lever feed.

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Christmas Wine Anyone?

Thanks to a friend and the Better Homes & Gardens magazine I can in- clude some Christmas cheer in the newsletter. These wine bottle holder centre-pieces would look great on your Christmas table or as a terrific gift. You can cut out the pieces with a jig or . Here is what you will need: 1220 x 610 x12mm AA grade plywood Pencil; ruler; with curve-cutting blade or scroll saw; with 10 and 5mm bits; 80, 120 and 180 grit ; PVA glue; rag; clear poly- urethane ; brush; leather scraps; 25mm flat head nails; cut- ting pliers; hammer. Remember to wear your safety gear when using tools. As if our grumpy grandpas need to be told that. That’s what you always do, isn’t it gentle- men. Step 1: On plywood, use pencil and ruler to draw a 20mm grid meas- uring 600 x 600mm. Referring to reindeer and kangaroo grid diagrams, mark where each shape cross the gridlines, then join these lines following the shape of each part. You’ll need 2 leg pieces for both the reindeer and kangaroo. Step 2: Insert a curve-cutting blade into your jigsaw, then cut out each of the shapes. In tight corners, use a 10mm bit to drill a starter hole for your jigsaw blade. (Use the same technique with your scroll saw.) Step 3: Use 80 grit sandpaper to remove cutting marks from edges of all your pieces. Follow with 120 grit sandpaper for a smoother finish. Step 4: On body pieces of reindeer and kangaroo, use a 5mm drill bit to create the eyes. Make the hole about 5mm deep.

10 Step 5: To assemble reindeer, spread glue in the notches at the top of legs and in the underside of the body. Join the legs to the body so the notches in each interlock. Slightly splay the legs towards the head and tail of the reindeer. Only slightly mind you. These rein- deer are to hold the wine. They aren’t meant to look like they drank it. Remove excess glue with a damp rag. Step 6: Spread glue in notch at bottom of antlers and in notch in the body just behind the head. Join ant- lers to body so notches in both interlock. Remove ex- cess glue. Leave for 2 hours for glue to set. Step 7: To assemble the kangaroo, join the hips to the notch towards the bottom of the body, the arms to the notch towards the top and the legs in the large notches in the hips. Remove excess glue. Insert wine bottle in kangaroo to check that there is sufficient room between the legs. No, you don’t need to check if the wine is a suitable one for Christmas day. Leave to dry for 2 hours. Step 8: Apply 2 coats of clear polyurethane varnish to both wine holders. Allow to dry and lightly sand with 180 grit sandpaper between coats. Step 9: Cut the kangaroo’s ears out of leather scraps. You could use an old belt in your wardrobe. Yours, not your wife’s! Step 10: To fix the ears to the kangaroo, you’ll need to cut 2 nails in half using cutting pliers.

Step 11: Using the cutting pliers to hold it, hammer the nail through the ear, then place it on the head and nail the ear to the head. Repeat for the second ear on the other side of the head. Poor kangaroo is going to have a headache before it even sees the wine. And there you have it fellas. I think the reindeer could be quite decorative if they were painted white and dust- ed with silver glitter instead of being varnished. You will find your templates on the next page. oOo

11 12 Christmas Wreath Scroll Saw Pattern

This is one of Steve Good’s digital patterns. If you would like to make the large one, email me and I will send you the complete file. The backing board pattern is on the following page. The Editor

13 14 Timber Profile: Queensland Leichhardt

At a recent timber auction I was keen to buy some Queensland Kauri Pine so that I could ex- commonly referred to as cheesewood. Billets of tend the dining room table. After purchasing the the timber cut into turning blanks really do look Kauri I was intrigued by two lots of Leichhardt like wheels of cheese. Not only do the turning pine listed in the auction. As the day came to a blanks look like cheese, they also have the greasy close lots 546 and 547 fell to me for the bargain feel of a ripe cheddar. price of just $140! Not bad for 0.2 cubic metres of rough sawn cabinet timber. The Leichhardt tree thrives in swampy and mon- soon-affected lands as well as in rainforests and The plan had always been to insert drawers into can be found in a band all the way from Darwin the apron of the dining table to make use of the down to Gladstone in Northern Queensland. The otherwise wasted space. The yellow tone of the timber is quite rare, however trees do get milled Leichhardt Pine looked like it would be a perfect when land is cleared. Similar species are available companion timber for the Kauri Pine table. from Asia, but it is always best to purchase local timbers that have a known provenance and not It is obvious from the photo that Leichhardt Pine timbers that may not have been logged legally. (Nauclea orientalis) is not a pine at all. The broad leaves and the fruit indicate it is a hard- wood and not a conifer. It is the pine-like profile of the tree when seen from a distance that has led to the tree being described as a pine. Ludwig Leichhardt named the tree while on his first ex- pedition to the top end of Australia. Leichhardt trekked the 4800km from Moreton Bay in Queensland to Port Essington in the Northern Territory in 1844 (at the time both Queensland and the Northern Territory were still part of New South Wales. The tree has many local names in aboriginal dia- lects, however it is also known as Yellow Cheesewood, Canary Pine and the Bur tree. Notice how the yellow shavings seem to cling together. Morris Lake lists Leichhardt Pine as Cheese- The terpenes in the timber act as a natural lubricant, wood in his landmark Australian Rainforest . It is not hard to see why the timber is allowing the cutter to machine perfect dovetails.

15 nesser to strip away the grey oxidised face so I could take a look at the colour hiding underneath. The end result was a colour palette that ranged from bright yellow with red streaks all the way to blue/grey tones in the predominantly yellow back- ground. The timber turned like a dream. One listed use of cheesewood is as a patternmaker’s timber. I can really understand why this is so. The grain is con- sistent and the timber can be turned to crisp edges without any chipping or tear out. The bowl pictured was turned with a gouge and Billets of Leichhardt really do look like discs of then burnished with its own shavings. No sandpa- cheese. The bowl has been burnished with its own per or oil was added. The greasy nature of the shavings. timber means that it seems to seal itself when bur- Cassowaries and fruit bats enjoy the sweet fruit of nished. the tree. Cassowaries have spread the seeds across I have been using Roger Gifkins’ clever the rainforests of the top end, while fruit bats system for more than 10 years now. It really is my have carried the seeds across the top end and on go-to system when I need to quickly fabricate to New Guinea and the Asian subcontinent. dovetailed drawers. I machined my stock to 13mm thickness and then chose 70mm as the best width to fit both the router template and the space available in the apron of the table. I removed the aprons, ripped and docked the sections to form false drawer fronts and went about building draw- ers to fit available spaces. You will notice in the image provided that I chose to cut three pins and left the outer edges . This makes for a neat dovetail that looks hand cut and not machined . The greasy nature of the Leichhardt timber meant that not one dovetail suf- fered tear out or was chipped when being ma- chined. The end result speaks for itself. The renovated dining table and the Leichhardt timber can be ap- preciated each day when the drawers are opened.

Australian Woodsmith. Issue 131. Feb/March, 2017.

The consistent grain and yellow tone is evident in these d rawer components.

The first thing you notice when working with Leichhardt timber (I find it hard to call it a pine when it really is a hardwood) is its greasy nature. It feels like . This greasy texture makes it very easy to turn and machine. The auction lot included several 120 x 240mm planks, perfect for bowl blanks. The first thing I did was to send some boards through the thick- 16 Timber Products at Yungaburra Markets

I recently went to visit my family in North Queensland and what a whirlwind of a trip it was. My daughter had all these wonderful places lined up for us to visit, and I am always on the lookout for newsletter ideas, no matter where I am. I was quite excited to find some wonderful ideas at the Yungaburra markets which I thought would inter- est my dear Grumpies. So, out with the camera to capture as much as possible in print (saying ‘film’ just doesn't work anymore). The first stall that intrigued me was owned by Ray & Lucy Wearmouth ,who originated in Rose- wood and Boonah, not far from my home. Their business name is R & L Timber Creations. Anoth- er interesting stall I found was run by Serena Vine from DiVine Timber Designs. One stall owner wasn’t impressed with my pho- tography until I explained what I was doing. She was Tamara Blomquist from Edgehill in Cairns. This lady is just so creative with natural bits and pieces. Unfortunately I don’t have a number for her but if you want to know more you could try Facebook or the web. One more interesting stall featured some wonder- ful copperwork art but by this stage my camera had gone flat. If you want to see this work you can look him up on www.facebook.com/copaguy So with no more ado, here are the market photos. Another interesting series of photos is a little fur- ther on.

On the left is a set of wooden placemats and coasters, while above is a terrific idea of a miniature chicken house to keep your eggs in. Maybe Chalky will make this to go with the pen he has just made.

17 The pictures on the left are from either one of the timber stalls and the very creative artwork above is the work of Tamara Blomquist.

18 Herberton Historical Village was our next stop and if you ever get the chance to go there, defi- nitely do so. We had to rush through in half a day but you could easily spend the entire day looking through the restored houses, sheds, mines and the like. There is a nice café in one of the Queens- landers with chairs and tables on the veranda. The buildings are interspersed with gardens and well cared for lawns. It isn’t a cheap place to visit but it is the best historical village that I have seen. I thought the Miles historical village which I visit- ed quite some time ago, was pretty good but Her- berton is even better. We were lucky enough to be there when there was a display of blacksmith- ing being held. Unfortunately, my daughter missed out on buying herself a gadget for lifting the camp oven or billie out of the hot coals. You need to be there first thing in the mornings to get one of those. For the newsletter I will attempt to limit myself to photos that may pertain to work- ing with wood. In regard to old tools, I am rather uneducated in that field; so for most of them I have no idea what they are for, but I am sure there will be some that you will recognise.

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Corrugated Iron Curving Machine C1900-1940

Fret Saw. Rockford Illinois, U.S.A.

W.F. & J. Barnes & Co. Late 1800s

A workshop of some sort with lots of man tools.

This beautifully restored Queenslander houses various interesting displays of the way of life in earlier times.

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The three photos above are items made in the Blacksmith shop. Above right: Advertising in early Australia at the Etamagogah Pub. Right: A statue at the entrance to the Pioneer Set- tlement which is situated just before the collection of old cars, trucks and some farm machinery.

21 HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1000cc V-Twin. 1923 When William Harley and his friend Arthur Davidson in their Milwaukee backyard shed during 1904 conceived a design for a motorised bicycle, they had little idea that they would set a trend that would spread around the world and continue to attract ‘Harley’ enthusiasts for more than a century. This 1923 Harley Davidson is recognisable from the distinctive shape of the fuel tank and the V-twin cyl- inders. The swept back handle bars incorporate the hand brake (rear wheel only) and accelerator (right side grip) while the advance distributor control and the ‘kill’ switch are mounted on the left. To ride this Harley, good road sense had to be accompanied by dexterity of hands, needed not only to steer; but to op- erate the ‘low’, ‘neutral’, ‘second’ and ‘high’ gear lever as well as the clutch. This model was occasional- ly modified by owners to link a foot control to the clutch lever. Atop the fuel tank can be seen the oil dripper with caps for the petrol and oil. The Overhead Valve inlet, with Side Valve exhaust was still used in production models for another seven years.

22 George M. Hendee and Carl Oscar Hedstrom, their Indian Prince Motorcycle. company sold the first ‘Indian’ motorcycle during Springfield Massachusetts C. 1925 1902 and later became the largest producer of mo- Selling under the optimistic slogan “You can learn tor cycles in the world. ‘Indians’ broke many long- to ride it in five minutes”, this Indian Prince Mo- distance records across America with ‘Scouts’, torcycle, built during a very short production run, ‘Chiefs’ and ‘Fours’ predominating. became a rarity among other much larger machines In Australia, the ‘Prince’ was ahead of ordinary produced by the Indian Motor Cycle Company. lightweights and during the 1920’s was selling for With a light weight frame, a low seat located be- 72 pounds 10 shillings. hind lengthened handlebars and a simple mainte- Parker’s Motor Garage, Colac, Victoria was per- nance routine for the single cylinder side valve, 21 haps the best known Australian garage specialising cu. in. 350cc engine, the Prince was designed to in this brand of motorcycle. attract first-time motorcycle buyers. A three-speed transmission gave the driver control over speeds up to 55m.p.h. (88k.p.h): but when speed exceeded 35 m.p.h., or the going was heavy, the hand oil HERBERTON HISTORIC VILLAGE pump was needed to supplement the mechanical oiler. This pump, along with other controls,- GPS: S17° 22.4587’, E145° 23.1049’ decompression, clutch (on left handlebar) and gear 6 Broadway, Herberton. Queensland. 4887 lever are located around the wedge-shaped fuel tank. The design of this tank changed to ‘rounded’ after 1925. Founded in 1901 by bicycle racers

23 Why does timber need to be dried?

One of our newer members recently asked about drying timber. Hopefully this article will provide an explanation. Freshly felled timber contains a large amount of water, which holds substances of value to the tree. The amount of water can be large, often half the dry weight of most timber and up to 200% in swamp cypress, an exceptional case. Before the wood can be made workable (brought to a stable condition), the water content has to be reduced to an acceptable amount. wood. Sometimes wood was placed in an open- It would be unsatisfactory to remove all the wa- sided shed to protect it from extreme weather. ter, but for normal use the content has to be re- Natural seasoning is still practiced and, where duced considerably. Fortunately, the figure is not time allows, it is a very good method; but because critical; a water content between about 6% and wood is usually wanted much quicker than this 18% is usual. method permits, methods of speeding the process Seasoning, the reduction of the water content, is are used today. done for a number of reasons. Unseasoned (or One way of speeding seasoning is to soak the ‘green’) wood is difficult to work: ordinary wood for a few weeks in fresh, running water. will bind and not cut; planes and other surfacing This is particularly suitable for , as the tools will not work, making a good surface unob- water washing through the grain removes the sap tainable. Unseasoned wood is unstable, it will and the many things suspended and dissolved in warp, shrink, and twist. And not only will it be it. Floating logs downriver to a actually heavier and weaker than seasoned wood, it will aids the eventual seasoning of the wood. (Leaving be more apt to decay. the wood in water also protects it from fungi and Wood, being a natural material, may still suffer insects.) After soaking, the wood is stacked in an from some of these defects (to a lesser extent) area with good air circulation to dry out the un- after seasoning, but proper seasoning will bring it wanted fresh water— in a much shorter time than to the stage where the qualities wanted will be as the sap would dry out naturally. This, like meth- close to the acceptable standard as possible. ods of artificial seasoning, may remove some of the strength and elasticity of the wood, but this Traditionally, wood was subjected to natural sea- has to be accepted for expediency. soning, leaving it to dry slowly under normal at- mospheric conditions. The log was cut into broad Many methods of artificial seasoning have been boards and stacked with spacers so air could cir- used, providing a controlled method of drying culate. A requirement of seasoning is that the out- wood in a short time. The most commonly used is side should not dry much quicker than the inside, kiln-drying. A modern kiln allows very careful otherwise cracking and distortion may occur A control of temperature, humidity, and air circula- damp atmosphere is an advantage in the early tion. But care has to be taken to prevent the wood stages, as it prevents too rapid drying of the outer from twisting and warping. Excessively fast dry-

24 ing may get the outside too dry, while trapping moisture in the centre. The wood is stacked with Christmas Jollies spacers, and battens are nailed across the ends to reduce the risk of shakes or splits.

Timber bought from a commercial yard will al- How do you know that Santa is good at karate? most certainly be kiln-dried. This method of dry- ing allows timber to dry uniformly in a matter of He has a black belt! days versus months or years. A kiln heats the tim- Why does everybody like Frosty the Snowman? ber at a constant temperature and maintains a Because he is so cool! consistent humidity to prevent cracking or warp- ing. What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Kiln drying also helps kill any fungus or insects Tinselitus! living in the wood which could migrate to other Why is Santa so jolly? timber nearby. Wood that has been kiln dried is Because he knows where all the naughty girls live! also less susceptible to fluctuations in humidity. (This is known as sorption hysteresis.) As a re- How can you tell if a family doesn’t celebrate sult, kiln-dried wood may have less seasonal ex- Christmas? pansion and contraction than air-dried wood. But Because the lights are on but nobody’s a gnome! it also means that kiln-dried wood can be less re- How does Santa get his reindeer to fly? ceptive to . He uses Red Bull because it gives you wings! What does Santa bring naughty boys and girls at Christmas? A pack of batteries with a note saying, “Toy not include”! What do you get when you cross a snowman with One downside of kiln-dried timber is that it can a vampire? alter the colour of the wood. A good example is Frostbite! black walnut This photo show the effects of kiln How do sheep in Mexico say ‘Merry Christmas’. drying. Additionally, drying timber too quickly can create stresses in the wood that result in Fleece Navidad! warping after being cut. This is referred to as case What do you call a gingerbread man with one leg hardening. Overly dry wood can also become bitten off? hard and brittle, making it more difficult to work Limp Bizkit! with hand tools. What do you call a sheep that doesn’t like Christ- Which timber to use may come down to the pro- mas? ject at hand But when done properly, both drying methods can produce excellent furniture-grade Baaaaaaa Humbug! timber. The Woodworker’s Bible by Percy W. Blandford. Australian Woodsmith. Issue 131 Feb/Mar 2017

25 Tips for Beginners in Wood- work

We’ve all heard the adage: work smarter, not slightly because you have threads in both boards. harder. It makes good sense, so here are eight The top part of a wood screw, on the other hand, woodworking tips to make your shop work easier has a smooth shank that won’t grip the first and more efficient: board. This makes it easier to two pieces of 1 – Sanding made easier wood together. There’s another reason to avoid drywall screws: The hardened, brittle steel shafts of drywall screws will often break during installation, espe- cially when screwed into hardwoods. Removing them from a finished material is nearly impossi- ble and getting them out damages the surface. Wood screws are made of thicker, softer metal, so they’re break-resistant. Wood screws do, however, require you to drill:  A pilot hole for the threads  A wider counterbore hole the length of the Sanding woodwork by hand may seem like a non-threaded shaft chore, but with special tools and high-quality  A countersink hole for setting the head sandpaper, you’ll get excellent results that often outshine a power sander. Besides, it’s quieter, However, you can easily handle all three drilling doesn’t produce clouds of dust, and may get into chores by buying a set of three countersinking places power sanders can’t. bits. They handle most common screw sizes. Use a sanding block for faster, more efficient re- 3 – Know your wood’s moisture content sults. It distributes sanding pressure more evenly and maintains a flatter surface than merely fold- When building with wood, you must know ing a piece of sandpaper. Also, change sandpaper the correct moisture content of each piece of often. wood. Sand with the grain of the wood, especially for Too dry, and the finished product may swell or the final grits. To remove deep scratches and crack. Too moist, and the end product may shrink stains, angle across the grain up to about 45º for or warp. It’s no wonder experts say incorrect the first sanding. Before moving to the next finer moisture causes 80% of all woodworking prob- grit, sand with the grain to remove all cross-grain lems. scratches. Therefore, it’s critical to know the moisture con- For sanding painted surfaces, buy clog-resistant tent of each piece of wood before it is used. For sandpaper. The paint will build up slower than on instance, if you’re planning an inlay job using standard sandpaper. two different species of wood, you’ll need to know the moisture content of each type so that 2 – Avoid drywall screws for woodworking your inlay glue joints stay intact. When screwing two pieces of wood together, use A failsafe way to avoid a ruined project is to use the traditional wood screw over the drywall screw a moisture meter. for better results. Wagner Meters is one provider for both profes- A drywall screw is threaded the full length. Since sionals and hobbyists a variety of highly accurate, the top threads tend to grip the first board it en- professional-grade moisture meters. ters, this can force two pieces of wood apart

26 Use a free wood moisture app Pay special attention to lighting. You should To help solve your moisture problems easily and have consistent and ample illumination on all quickly, Wagner offers you the FREE Wood H2O work areas so you can work from any angle mobile app. This handy app calculates equilibri- without casting shadows. This ensures safety and um moisture content (EMC), troubleshoots many productivity. common wood moisture problems, and accesses Consider: helpful resources.  Overhead lighting Download your FREE mobile app:  Focused lighting  On-tool lights Painting walls and the ceiling white can help dif- fuse the light. 8 – Keep your blades sharp Dull tools such as , blades, planes, scrap- ers and gouges don’t cut cleanly. They tear at the wood fibre's resulting in a fuzzy, uneven, unpro- fessional look. Tools that have been chipped or nicked re- quire grinding. A bench grinder, wet grinder, or https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/ even a belt sander can be used. wood-info/wood-moisture-mobile-app/ Avoid letting your tool get too hot when using a 4 – Prevent excess glue stains bench grinder or belt sander to prevent it from To eliminate stains caused by oozing glue along losing temper. Dipping it in a pan of cool water joints, clamp the pieces together without glue. every few seconds will help. Apply masking tape over the joint and then cut it After grinding, proceed to honing using either a with a utility knife. flat wet stone or oil stone. A wet stone is pre- Next, separate the pieces, apply the glue, and ferred when doing fine woodworking. clamp them together again. The glue will ooze The final step is polishing using a fine wet stone, onto the tape, not the wood. Remove the tape be- a stropping wheel or leather. fore the glue dries. Tools with sharper blades make woodworking 5 – Measure with a drafting square easier, more efficient, and safer. Make accurate measuring and marking layouts on Closing comments… boards faster and easier with a drafting square – available at any art supply store. Achieving efficiency in your shop won’t just im- prove your productivity and help you work faster When you need an accurate square in the 2 to 3 and easier, it’ll also make you feel accomplished foot range, drafting squares beat the cumbersome and more satisfied. drywall squares for accuracy and eliminate the http://www.hardwooddistributors.org/blog/postings/8- hassle of hooking up a carpenter square. woodworking-tips-to-boost-your-efficiency/ 6 – Keep a clean, orderly workspace Achieving efficiency in your shop can sometimes The 4 stages of life: be as simple as clearing clutter from your work 1. You believe in Santa Claus area. A disorderly work area can hinder your productivity. 2. You don't believe in Santa Another tip: Only keep out items that you use Claus daily. Everything else should be put in designated 3. You dress up as Santa Claus areas so they’re quickly retrievable when needed. 4. You look like Santa Claus 7 – Keep a well-lit shop

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our Members and all our Helpers

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