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On Friday January 6th the Lord‟s woodshop got a new member with the passing of our own Tom Polhamus. I can hear the entire woodworking group in heaven saying “who is this guy? We used to have a great place to hang out and get away from the stress and grind of heaven and now this new guy wants to increase toy production to new levels and we have to give up our naps in the afternoon.” Tom was the inspiration for the toy program within the OCWA and he will be missed.

Tom was born July 12, 1921 and spent four years in the Marines. He was one of the brave grunts that stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima during WWll. Knowing Tom for many years I‟ll bet he was a one man army and the enemy was doomed when he was around. Kendra Kaufman (Navy pilot) who flies into Iwo Jima once in a while once brought some of the black sand from Iwo‟s beach to one of the meetings so we could have a small amount to show people what it was like. Tom did

not want any part of it and said he could still spit some of it out on a plate if you wanted him to. He married Rita in 1942. I asked Tom some time ago if he had any children and he said “no, but I do have two senior

citizens” (Larry and Pamela). Tom spent his working life as a Sales Engineer with the Dana Corporation selling drive compo-nents for trucks and industrial equipment. Tom‟s wife Rita lives in an assisted living home in the local area and is doing well.

Tom was a unique individual and I challenge anyone to come forward to give any example that you convinced Tom to give your method a try or at least say it

might work. I used to tease him about the use of the Deft sanding sealer. He has no use for the sanding sealer and will let you have it, if you bring up the subject. Three coats of semi-gloss is all you need. I used to tell the newcomers at the toy workshops to go next door and ask Tom if he had any sanding sealer. Tom would go off about it and say it was a waste of time, just use the semi gloss. When the newcomer would return they would always say, “he really doesn‟t like sanding sealer does he? Is there anything else he doesn‟t like?”

It won‟t be the same without Tom‟s involvement in the Toy Program. We now have his memory and passion to inspire us to continue and make the pro-gram a lasting and growing part of the Association. The picture of Tom with a little girl with her toy says it all. Look at the smile on his face and you know he‟s happy. We‟ll keep up your legacy Tom.

(Continued on page 2)

Volume 29Volume 29 Issue 2Issue 2 February 2012February 2012

I N T H I S I S S U E

President‟s Message 1

Woodworkers‟ Sawdust 3

Woodturners‟ Shavings 4

Calendar of Events 3

Show and Tell 6

Toy Story 5

The Scrap Bin 7

Meeting Dates 8

President‟s MessagePresident‟s Message Vic CohnVic Cohn

We now have his memory and passion to inspire us to continue and make the [toy] program a lasting and growing part of the Association.

2

I made it through the January meeting as your new President and I look for-ward to the New Year with great enthusiasm and vigor. I had a great time as President of the Woodturners group for the past three years and will continue to make the entire Association even better in the coming years.

Drew Shellenbarger gave us a great primer on sharpening techniques and the various stones and items needed to get that perfect edge on your hand tools. It was especially enlightening how important the back side of the plane iron or chisel is to a good clean cut and how much easier it is to use the tool if you make every effort to reduce friction between the tool and the wood. I was as-tonished to see how much that assortment of stones and diamond flat plates he used cost. Drew‟s passion in addition to woodworking is the preservation

and use of old and antique tools and it showed in his enthusiasm and in his great presentation.

In keeping with this great subject the February meeting speaker is a master at using these great tools and helped Drew set up the Tormek at the January Meeting. Bill Bruins will lead us through on the techniques in using a sharp hand tool. Every year at the fair when Bill is not a Docent he can be seen at the hand tool demonstration area of the booth using a plane or chisel to create perfect hand-cut joinery to the amaze-ment of his audience. If you have a particular problem with a tool bring it to the meeting and I‟m sure Bill can help you with a solution.

I need to give a caution to all about the use of discount coupons at stores and eateries. A couple of Fri-days ago I asked a couple to join Susan and me at Benjie‟s for dinner. When the bill came I pulled out a coupon I got on the internet to save 25 dollars on a dinner costing over 50 dollars. No problem, we spent over 50 and it would cost us about 20 a couple. The lady wouldn‟t accept the coupon because I misread the coupon details and it was a 100 dollar coupon that cost 25 dollars to save 50 dollars I think. So we ordered desert and it came to 82 dollars, not enough to use the coupon. So we ordered three pounds of deli meat to go and still not enough so I added a large bowl of matzo soup and we just made it. I was de-termined to use the coupon. The moral of the story is you need to read the small print and understand it. We had a great laugh and a great time anyway.

- Vic Cohn

(Continued from page 1)

• C L U B O F F I C E R S & C O M M I T T E E S •

Board of Directors Club Committees Woodturners Committees

President Victor Cohn 562-252-2580 Badges Len Musgrave 714-532-4778 Outside Programs Dick Foreman 714-637-6175

Vice President Drew Shellenbarger 714-450-2365 Nominations AAW Membership Victor Cohn 562-252-2580

Treasurer Ralph Crowther 949-588-2922 Mentor Chairman James Santhon 949-481-2821 Challenge Dick Foreman 714-637-6175

Secretary Ed Straub 714-536-4568 Webmaster Larry Marley 949-412-6710 Special Projects Jerry Nininger 949-631-7530

Turners President Robin Hoff 714-505-2688 Toy Program Bill Rogers 714-637-2912 Pen Projects Ruthe Ingram 714-536-3624

Public Affairs Larry Marley 949-412-6710 Refreshments Glenna Whitlock 951-245-6342 Audio/Video Ralph Alder 714-544-3328

Director at Large Bill Rogers 714-637-2912 Resources George Plummer 714-540-4527 50/50 Drawing Ruthe Ingram 714-536-3624

2nd Director at Large James Santhon 949-481-2821 Library Ollie Vaughan 949-278-5939 Wood Supplies Jeanette Gonzales 562-417-7750

Past President Craig Chambers 714-761-9245 Welcome Art Dunbar 714-536-4568 Nominating Harold Hardy 562-429-1671

Newsletter David Tilson 714-330-4786 O.C. Fair Ed Straub Nominating Ross Gilroy 714-680-4570

President‟s MessagePresident‟s Message

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Happy new year, woodworkers!

It‟s great to start the new year with new projects in mind, and be finishing the ones from last year. For you who missed the January meeting, I‟ll be stepping down from the Vice Presi-dent position and ask one of you to fill it. It has been a great run, but I just have to step away. I‟m also sorry for the loss of Tom Polhamus. What a great „ol woodworker and toymaker. He‟ll be missed dearly and was a hard working member who we could never replace.

January‟s speaker was a guy named Drew Shellenbarger. He brought us his sharpening tools to show us how he goes about keeping his chisels and plane blades super-sharp. Starting with discussing basic blade design, i.e. Japanese chisels with their hollowed backs and basic western types with flat backs, he then showed the Tormek system he uses to get the hollow 25° bevel, and then moved to the wet stones, using the side slide way of sharpening a chisel. He then flattened the back and honed the face to an extremely sharp edge in a matter of minutes. Remember, working with dull tools is not only a chore, but makes for bad joints and terrible edges to wood.

Next month, Bill Bruins is going to show us how to use the sharp chisels for mortising, paring, chopping and slicing of veneers. See you in February!

- Drew

Welcome Welcome -- New Members!New Members!

Jack Bloomfield Huntington Beach

Richard Henderson Santa Ana

Saeid Karimzad Costa Mesa

George Kulakowski Huntington Beach

Isaac Rigaud Rialto

Fred Robledo

Anaheim Woodworking Interest: Turning,

Furniture, Carving

Tim Senzig Anaheim

• M A R K Y O U R C A L E N D A R •

Monthly Toy Workshop Bill Rogers‟ House Feb. 4, 9:00 AM

Alan Lacer at Inland Woodturners Call Jim @ 951-707-9524 Feb. 11-13

Old Tool Swap Meet Austin Hardwoods Mar. 10

Utah Woodturning Symposium Orem, UT May 17-19

AAW Symposium San Jose Jun. 8-10

San Diego County Fair Del Mar Fairgrounds Jun. 8-Jul. 4

Orange County Fair OC Fair & Event Ctr. Jul. 13-Aug. 14

Woodworker SawdustWoodworker Sawdust Drew ShellenbargerDrew Shellenbarger

4

Robin Hoff, our new President, is in Southeast Asia on vacation and asked me to fill in for him at the January meeting. Vic, our outgoing President, made a farewell speech to the group expressing his thanks for the three years he was president and he looks forward to his reign as the new President of the entire OCWA for 2012.

Richard Hodgin gave a great presentation on his art of making North Ameri-can Native Indian Flutes. Not only did we learn how to make them, we were in-

troduced to the soothing sounds of the Indian flute. Richard had a great handout (which is now on the website) that explained the fine points of the sound chamber and had many examples of the flutes he has made and acquired over the years. The flute material ranges from bamboo, cedar, maple, clay and PVC. Yes, PVC. You can use schedule 40 or 80, 80 having a thicker wall thickness for the sound chamber. I was very impressed on the sounds of the flute and how easy they are to make and tune. I‟m anxious to give it a try and I‟m sure it will be more challenging than Richard made it seem. If you make a flute in the future give Richard a call and I‟m sure he would help you tune it give you a few lessons on play-ing it.

The February challenge will be make a musical instrument of some sort. It doesn‟t have to be turned, it can be a gui-tar, drum or a kazoo etc. The only requirement is that it be made in 2012. In 2012 the Challenge will again be a monthly event except there will be only one category to all skill levels.

The Ironman winners for the year 2011 were presented with their prizes of a hat with the words “2011 Ironman” on the back. The Ironman Award is awarded to the members who have submitted something every month to the challenge contest. Ralph Crowther and Robert Bilevich were the winners. Con-gratulations to them and the other 38 members who par-ticipated during 2011.

The Ebony guy will be at the Feb 16th meeting and will have larger pieces of ebony than the usual little sticks you get at the retail outlets. I‟ve been told he has some 4x6 and larger hunks at great low prices.

- Dick Foreman

Woodturners‟ ShavingsWoodturners‟ Shavings Dick Foreman, for Robin HoffDick Foreman, for Robin Hoff

Over 100 people turned up to see Richard Hodgin‟s presentation on Native American Flutes!

5

The January Toy Workshop wasn‟t the same without Tom being there. We had a great workshop at-tended by over 30 workers in-cluding Tom‟s son Larry and a friend of the family. We had a small memorial set up with sev-eral pictures and Tom‟s favorite toys he made in great quantities. This month we assembled about 40 of Ed Smet‟s boxes and were sanding roadster parts for Roger Balling. We should have plenty

of spraying to do at the February workshop. With the passing of Tom and the eventual sale of his home next door to Bill‟s place we have to get rid of the wood that Tom has been storing in the trash containers. I have taken all I can and there are still more. If anyone can take some of these containers and store them at their home it would be greatly appreciated. Call me at home any-time and we‟ll set it up; even one container will be a big help. The next workshop will be on February 4th at 9am until noon. I have been getting many letters of apprecia-tion from the groups we made toys for and I will share them at the next meeting.

- Bill Rogers

Toy StoryToy Story Bill RogersBill Rogers

To download plans for some of

the toy makers' greatest hits, visit:

http://ocwoodworkers.com/Woodworking_Plans.html

6

Show & Tell PhotosShow & Tell Photos

7

Do you have any woodworking-related tips, tricks, news, or comments? Email them to the editor (library@davidtilson.com) or write them down and hand them to David at a club meeting. In an Association of woodworkers, every member, even a nov-ice, can contribute something to improve everyone‟s knowl-edge and skill in the craft, be it a new trick or technology, a “learning experience,” or a reminder of an old-school tech-nique.

Tips & More from OCWA’s Online Forum

Epoxy & Cold Weather

My favorite epoxy is System Three's T-88. It is strong but it needs 24 hours for a complete cure at its "standard" temperature, which is 77°F. Research shows that 18°F (or 10°C) increments either halve or double the time to cure. When the weather is 96°F it will cure in 12 hours. But at 59°F it will take twice as long, 48 hours. In the winter we get days where the HIGH may be 59°. Given the average temperature in an unheated shop is probably in the 40's it is reasonable to think the time for a full cure could be three to four days. Just something to think about the next time you are stirring parts A and B together.

- David O. Wade

Just to add to that note. Epoxy that is left to cure at low temperatures will have a weaker bond. Cold material (the wood) can also cause moisture con-tamination at the bonding surface if the temperature rises too quickly. It is preferable to heat your mate-rial (the wood) first. Most epoxy manufacturers will offer different hardeners that are for use in different temperature ranges. "Fast" hardener will usually be good at the lower temperature range that we see in winter. It is also preferable to apply heat after the epoxy has reached its initial cure and before remov-ing clamps. This is known as post curing. A 100 watt lamp will usually do the trick. You need to al-low that initial cure though, otherwise you will cre-ate an out-gassing (bubbling) problem for your-self. These tips will allow that epoxy to reach a full cure in less time and with greater strength. If any-body has questions about epoxy use, feel free to contact me.

- Rich (rhenderson)

Clamps With Slippery Handles?

Maybe it is age, but even spitting on my hands doesn't always give me a good grip when I am tightening bar clamps with old and slippery handles. I started wrapping a couple rubber bands around the handles and they became as easy to grip as the new-fangled expensive clamps with the molded rubber inserts -- and much cheaper. The down side is the rubber bands don't last long and need to be replaced after a few months. However, I can re-place a lot of rubber bands for the price of a wall of new clamps.

- David O. Wade

A fine figured Claro Walnut Fly Fishing Net

Check out the OCWA’s very own online forum to-day for more tips, project photos, or to post your own tips or questions!

http://ocwoodworkers.com/forum/

The Scrap Bin: Comments and EditorialComments and Editorial

Hand-carved inlay of a Royal Wulff fly in a highly figured Claro Walnut fishing net handle, by Greg Madrigal

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ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

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WHERE?

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WHEN?

Woodworker’s Meeting Thursday Feb. 3rd, 7:00 PM

Woodturner’s Meeting Thursday Feb. 17th, 6:30 PM

Board Meeting Thursday Feb. 3rd, 6:00 PM

Sawdust &

Shavings

Is The Monthly Newsletter of

The Orange County

Woodworkers Association

Visit us on the Web at: OCWoodWorkers.com

Sawdust & Shavings is pub-lished monthly before the Woodworkers Meeting. The deadline for submissions is the Monday after the Turner‟s meeting.

Do you have an idea for an article, shop tip, or tool review? Please contact the editor at:

library@davidtilson.com