March Meeting: Advanced Router Techniques with Marc Gaertner

We had 8 new visitors to the CJWA meeting this month.  Frank Vucolo gave a report on how our booth at the Somerset Woodworking show did.  Traffic and interest was high throughout the weekend, and we distributed 500 flyers.  We also had a writeup in Wood Magazine, and the article can be seen on the Wood Magazine website. Frank also mentioned that Lie-Nielsen has one of their Hand Tool Events coming up in Hillsborough on June 25-26, and that CJWA would likely have a presence there as well. Stay tuned for details.

The featured presentation was by Marc Gaertner on advanced router techniques.  Marc showed a number of jigs and setups he has used to use a router to greatest advantage in his shop.  He showed a router table built from plans from the book “Router Jigs and Techniques” by Patrick Spielman. This book is out of print, but used copies can readily be found on the internet.

The top of the table was initially made from MDF, but over time it warped, and was eventually replaced with 2 layers of 3/4” Baltic birch plywood with a laminate top. Marc did not put a miter slot in his router table, as he felt that the need to align the router table fence with a miter slot was more trouble than it was worth.  The fence on his router table is much taller than is usual, but the added height allows for easy clamping of jigs and hold downs.

Marc also showed a base he made for a plunge router with a series of circular Lexan inserts which are sized for the router bit being used at the time.  This provides an easy way to provide clearance for router bits ranging from narrow straight bits to large panel raising bits.  He also showed a sliding jig used to make precise stopped cuts, how to use a slot cutting bit for splines in boxes and picture frames, how to use a Microfence with a trim router for inlay, and how to use a router to quickly make quarter round molding.

Frank Vucolo and Matt Greco also shared advanced techniques that they developed for using a router for various tasks.  Frank showed a jig that he made to use a router to shape a fluted bobbin for a Sheraton table leg on the lathe.

Matt showed how he set up a router to make these detailed feet for boxes.

There are recommendations for setting the maximum speed of the router based on the diameter of the bit. A nice chart with this information can be found at the Woodline website. If you were a CJWA member, you could get a discount on orders from Woodline. So why not sign up for a membership?

Northeastern Woodworkers Association's 19th Annual Fine Woodworking Show

As mentioned at the March meeting, the Northeastern Woodworkers Association’s 19th Annual Fine Woodworking Show is taking place the weekend of March 27-28 in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Demonstrations will be given by David Ellsworth, Ernie Conover, Christopher Schwarz, and Phil Lowe, along with displays of furniture and other woodworking items made by some really talented craftsmen.  More information is available at the NWA website.

March Meeting: Advanced Router Techniques with Marc Gaertner

The March CJWA meeting will be at 7 PM on March 10, and features a discussion about advanced router techniques led by Marc Gaertner.  Marc will be demonstrating techniques using a router table and hand held routers that go beyond simply making a dado for a bookcase shelf.  Frank Vucolo and David White will also be sharing their methods of using a router.  There will be ample opportunity for members to contribute their experiences, so feel free to bring and share your tips on router use.

CJWA Booth At The Woodworking Show, Somerset, NJ

If the number of flyers that we passed out is any indication, it seems that our booth at the Woodworking Show in Somerset on Feb. 19-21 was a huge success.  We went through several hundred flyers, and traffic at our booth was quite steady throughout the show.

Our booth featured an impressive display of projects made by CJWA members, including a rotating tree of projects. We had demonstrations on a wide variety of topics, including showing bandsaw techniques and a number of demonstrations on how to use hand tools to their greatest advantage.

Congratulations and thanks go to Frank Vucolo, Simon Stark, and John Tamaino for organizing the best booth we have ever had for the Woodworking Show.  They really did an excellent job putting together the booth, and thanks also are due to all the volunteers who helped out over the course of the weekend.  It was your efforts that made the CJWA booth such a success!

February Meeting: Steve Altman on Box Making

We started the meeting by welcoming two new visitors. Frank Vucolo, Simon Stark, and John Tamaino gave our final update for our booth at The Woodworking Show at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset on Feb. 19-21. They really have done an excellent job organizing the displays and demos at our booth.  Here are some of the projects made by CJWA members that you will be able to see at the show:

Steve Altman gave an excellent presentation that was ostensibly about box making, but the talk wound up covering a wide and fascinating range of topics.  Steve touched on design considerations in making a box, methods of working with smaller pieces of wood, and modifying tools to suit your purpose.  He also showed how he cuts the lid for a box, examples made by famous box makers such as Peter Lloyd, Andrew Crawford, and Philip Weber, and even found time to run through a survey of glues.

The highlight of Steve’s talk was his run though of this jewelry case that he is in the process of finishing.  The jewelry case is made of pommele sapele, spalted maple, and ebony, and features a slide out section to hold necklaces, and a hidden cash box specified by Steve’s wife.