On Tuesday, April 21, the SaddleBrooke Woodworkers Club met in the MountainView Sonoran Room, which provides additional table space and a television for PowerPoint presentations.
Since our previous meeting, volunteer members completed several community projects, including the repair of shelving for the HOA-2 library, a credenza for the HOA-1 Clubhouse, refinishing an antique toy chest for a resident, restoring another resident’s antique side tables, assisting with the sale of shop tools and began the refinishing of 12 tabletops for the Preserve Clubhouse.
During the show and tell segment, Dan Williams presented eight beautifully carved and decorated carousel horses originally intended for a carousel he hoped to build for his grandchildren. After completing the horses, however, he realized the carousel itself would be quite large. Fellow club members suggested transforming each horse into a Christmas ornament for his family.
Bill Brown shared a video and photo presentation highlighting a set of dining chairs he repaired for a SaddleBrooke couple. The project proved more extensive than originally anticipated because the wood surrounding the metal hardware had deteriorated. Evidence also suggested that a pneumatic nail/stapler gun had been used during a prior repair attempt, causing portions of the wood to split. Adding to the challenge was the intense heat in his garage workshop. Fortunately, a recently purchased large fan provided some relief—something many without garage air conditioning can appreciate. Bill also showed a video demonstrating how unstable the chairs were before restoration. They are now sturdy, fully repaired and greatly appreciated by their owners.
Michelle Kouri brought in a bowl that her husband had turned and that she later carved. The bowl was originally rough-turned in Michigan but warped after being moved to Arizona because of the change in climate. Following 12 hours of carving and painting, her husband completed the final turning and finishing process. Unfortunately, because the wood had become extremely thin during turning, the bottom “blew out” during finishing—a mishap woodturners kiddingly and commonly refer to as creating a “funnel.” Fortunately, a matching wood plug supplied by a fellow club member allowed the bowl to be successfully repaired.
The club’s members consistently dedicate their time and talents to personal woodworking projects as well as projects benefiting SaddleBrooke residents and facilities.
Residents of HOA-1 and HOA-2 with an interest in woodworking—including carving, turning, or furniture building—are invited to attend the club’s meetings, held on the third Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. in the MountainView Sonoran Room. Additional information and examples of members’ projects can be found online at sbwoodworkers.org.
