If you’re planning to make the Flagstaff trip, contact Josh Kulmann (kuhlbrz@gmail.com) so he can keep an accurate count. Likewise, if you simply need more information about the trip.

If you’d like to carpool rather than drive yourself, contact Doug Forsha, Dan Allaire, or Josh Kuhlmann. They (among others) have committed to make the trip, and can offer space in their vehicles to a few people (sharing gas costs). Caveat: they will be spending Saturday night at a campground near Flagstaff, and returning Sunday. See camping information below!
If you’re driving anyway,and can offer seats to others, let Josh Kuhlmann know as soon as possible.

The plan is to meet at the Riordan Museum Saturday morning at 9:30, for the first tour of the day (museum hours are 9:30 to 5:00, tours given hourly).

Riordan Museum
409 Riordan Road
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
ph: 928-779-4395
Here’s a map link…

CAMPING INFORMATION (added 8-20-07)

Jeremiah Polynone provided this update regarding Saturday evening camping:

Josh, Doug and Rhonda have agreed to get a campsite next Friday night at a place called Locket Meadow. The Directions are as follows:

To Locket Meadow from downtown Flagstaff:

From Flagstaff City Hall, go East, then North on Hwy 89. At 17.1 miles (just .7 miles past the entrance to Sunset Crater) turn left onto FR (Forest Road) 552. At the 18.3 mile point (1.2 miles further) you will see a sign for Locket Meadow. Go right. This last stretch of road is narrow and winding and all up hill. At the 21.3 mile point (3 miles from the Locket Meadow sign) you are at the entrance to Locket Meadow. Locket Meadow has a day use area and over-night camping area. There are out-houses but no water-supply. Expect temperatures to be about 10 degrees colder than Flagstaff and about 40 degrees colder than Phoenix.

Here’s a link to the official Coconino Nation Forest page for Locket Meadow campground:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/lockett-meadow-camp.shtml

Here is a link to some images of the Locket Meadow area posted on some individual’s web site:

http://www.jonfinley.com/outdoors/locket.html

WHERE:
Amazing Stairways
2331 E. Melrose St.
Gilbert, AZ
(cross streets are Germann & Greenfield)
Phone: 480-560-8185

MAP:
The exact address doesn’t render in GoogleMaps, so here’s a link keyed on the cross streets. Melrose St. is just north of Germann, and the shop should be just west of Greenfield. MAP LINK HERE

PROGRAM:
Amazing Stairways designs and builds complex, high-end staircases. Joe Pastore has offered to show us how he does what he does. He currently has a double staircase and a 170-degree staircase in progress. See Joe’s web site at www.amazingstairways.com.

Thanks to Joe for inviting us into his workshop. Everyone please note this is a WEDNESDAY meeting, and the time has been moved up to 6:30pm.

Steve Makin set this one up, so if you have questions, etc, please contact him by email or phone: azsteven99@yahoo.com or 480-736-3999 (w).

Ciao,

La scheggia grande e tagliente di legno

The Zen of CNC -

YouTube we ain’t - but here is a few minutes worth of video of John’s CNC monkey doing it’s thing. This is small format, low quality video in order to save disk space. Also viewable by just about the slowest connection in existence.
More images to follow…
MDF Chairs - The design challenge Simple Chairs concluded at this meeting with the presentation of chairs by 7 makers. The idea, you recall, was to make a functional seating object from a 48″ x 48″ piece of 3/4″ MDF. Josh Kuhlmann won the $100 prize by vote of the members present. More images to follow…

Group Project - Stage 3 - Bernie Becker had his way with the “Who’s Your Daddy?” project (pictured here), and it has been passed on to Andy Glantz for its next makeover. The other two ‘daddies’ so far are Doug Forsha and Steve Makin.

Cheers,

La Astilla de Madera

Map Link
(easy directions: from the 101, exit at Cactus, go east; turn south on 98th St.; turn left on Jenan Drive)

PROGRAM:
Architect Amit Upadhye will conduct a tour of the residence he designed that is currently under construction. The design incorporates a number of unusual features, materials, and construction techniques.

Cheers,
Der Hölzerne Splitter

Amit provided these images of the project:

It’s a huge facility, well-stocked with hardwoods and sheet goods of various types. Steve’s long and intimate knowledge of area shops and needs allows him to tailor the on-hand product selection and provide materials that are in common use here. Of course with the buying, milling, and shipping capacities of LSV at his back, Steve can get just about anything anyone happens to need, from timber to veneer to sheet stock to custom mouldings.

Professionals are welcome to visit the facility at 443 W. Alameda Dr., Suite 125, Tempe 85282. You can contact Steve by phone at 480-736-3999 or by email at stevenmakin@lsvlumber.com.

Furniture Society Conference - just another reminder, it’s in Victoria, BC Canada this year, June 20-23. There will be some WSG presence in attendance - Paula Cooperrider and Andy Glantz are on the FS board, and David Fleming (L’Éclat) works on the FS web site and database.
Riordan Mansion tour - Josh Kuhlmann and Jeremiah Polynone are working on organizing a group schlepp up the hill sometime this summer for a tour of the Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff. Stay tuned for more info.

GROUP PROJECT…

The 2007 “Who’s Your Daddy?” project has undergone two iterations so far. Doug Forsha started the trouble with a veneered panel of pomele sapele; next, Steve Makin placed the panel in a mitered frame of yellowheart. The piece now goes to Bernie Becker, and we’ll see next month what Bernie decides to do with it. There are no restrictions on what each succeeding maker can do with (or to) the piece as he or she receives it. Saw it in half, paint it, grind it up into sawdust and cast it in epoxy resin - whoever has it can have their way with it, no questions asked.

SIMPLE CHAIRS…

The deadline for completion and show-and-tell has been officially moved back to the June meeting.

MAY MEETING…

Architect Amit Upadhye is scheduled to lead a group tour of a residence he designed that is now under cnstruction in Scottsdale. Tentative date is the morning of Saturday, May 19. Location and other information will be posted here as soon as available.

Cheers,

La Scheggia

Out in the workshop, Andy showed off his favorite machines and power tools, especially his SawStop tablesaw. The group applied considerable pressure for a live demonstration of the saw’s amazing ability to stop within a fraction of a second when contact is made with living flesh (or similar - such as a hot dog). Andy wisely resisted even though we offered to take up a collection to replace the sensor unit, which is a one-shot deal. As I recall, there was no offer to cover medical expenses in case the saw didn’t work as advertised

Andy showed us two other devices of which he is fond - the Wixey digital angle gauge, for setting sawblade and other angles precisely, and an adjustable curve (flexible spline) for full-size drafting. The Wixey gauge (pictured here, which seems to indicate that Andy is listing 2.9 degrees), is available through the company’s web site, www.wixie.com, or through Rockler (the local store, or www.rockler.com). The AcuArc flexible splines can be found at www.artstuff.net, an art and drafting supply house.

Andy and his work were featured in the May 2007 issue of the Woodshop News.

Cheers,

L’Éclat

Lane Stanton Vance facility
443 W. Alameda Dr., Suite 125
Tempe, AZ 85282
(access code: 4283)
ph: 480-736-3999

Map Link for directions

Woodmeister Steve Makin will give us a tour of the new LSV yard he manages. Steve is also providing the refreshments, which is likely the only way any of us will see the benefit of those WSG dues we’ve been forking over to him all these years

Speaking of dues, Tuesday night would be a good time to forketh over yours, if you haven’t done so already this year ($25 does it, and Steve Makin’s the guy to give it to).

WSG Prez Josh Kuhlmann has announced that the MDF chair project deadline has been postponed until the June meeting (it was to have been May). Most likely that’s because Josh hasn’t started his yet, but that’s probably true of the majority of us. Now’s a good time to get started, and there’s still plenty of time left to finish. See the Projects Page for details. Just so you don’t feel bad, here’s an image of my own work so far:
See you all Tuesday night. Word has it there may be a door prize. Hmmm… lumber yard… 100bd.ft. of Honduras mahogany? A 300# amboyna burl? Well, we can hope. Or maybe there’s not a door prize, after all. I forget.

C’est bon ,

L’Éclat

Lane Stanton Vance, a distributor of wood, wood products, tools, and other supplies related to woodworking and furniture making, has announced the grand opening of their new facility in Tempe. The facility will be managed by Steven Makin, longtime WSG member and treasurer.

LSV is located at 443 W. Alameda Dr., Suite 125, Tempe, AZ 85282. The phone number is 480-736-3999. Already open for business, the grand opening will occur Wednesday, April 4, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Access code is 4283. Click on the image to see the invitation full-size.

Here’s a map link for directions to the facility (don’t forget the access code)

Everyone is welcome to attend. Call Steven at the number above if you have any questions.

University of Victoria (conference host) offers affordable housing options ($50-$60/night). Round-trip airfare from Phoenix to Victoria can be had currently for as low as $310 (Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, etc). Cost of the conference is $285 (higher after April 15).

If you have any questions about the conference you can ask Andy Glantz or Paula Cooperrider (both FS board members) or myself (D. Fleming).