Greetings to my fellow woodworkers!
With Remembrance Day behind us, and the Christmas season approaching, it is time for another newsletter to bring you up to speed with the Mid-Island Woodworkers’ Guild activities – and we have been very busy!
The Woodwork Showcase is now in session at the Nanaimo Arts Council display room at 78 Wharf Street and it is truly a wonderful exhibit of the talents of many of our members! Please make sure that you get a chance to visit between now and the 29th November (last day) and encourage your family and friends to drop in also. Although some of the items are marked as “Private Collection”, many of the others are priced for sale. Of particular interest to me, personally, is the rocking horse that was recently completed at the request of Douglas Davies (who died on December 27, 2016). This horse is for sale, and all proceeds will be donated to the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation, as per the wishes of Douglas before he passed away. This item would make a “rockin’” Christmas gift for a child, and would be a wonderful infusion of funds to the NHF.
Rob Oldale along with his MIWG Committee, and the assistance of Dan Appell from the Nanaimo Arts Council have done a beautiful job of arrangements and displays! Many thanks to everyone for their participation. I was sorry to miss out on the Open House on Friday, November 9, but I will try to be there for the closing on November 29.
Now…to our Wood Recovery program. We are still looking for reasonable use of the arbutus that was donated to us by the City of Nanaimo. However, the major event taking place out at Frost Fields is the construction of our new wood storage shed – approximately 50’ long and 10 feet wide, it should be able to shelter our wood throughout its drying cycle. (For folks needing dry wood sooner that the air-drying would allow, there is always the kiln, for which we can purchase drying time.) At the moment, we have London Plane tree, beech, maple and some softwoods. In addition, we have purchased a trailer full of cut and dried wood which will be sold or donated to the High Schools in the next fiscal year.
Our meeting this week (today, November 14 at 6:30 pm at Meeting Room A at 355 Wakesiah Avenue – Nanaimo District High School) will feature our Annual General Meeting, and election of officers. In addition, we will hear from Michael Brown, an expert chain-saw carver, who will go over some of his work. He has offered his services to run a chain-saw carving workshop, and perhaps this can lead us into a discussion of one of the options for the arbutus. Upcoming meetings: in December, Steve Neil will show us his latest project and do a demonstration on dovetail cutting; in January, Warren Bailey will present to us his work on restoring antique and valuable violins; and in February, I am hoping that Arnim Rodeck will give us a presentation on some of his wonderful artistic works, including his carved leaf design that graced a recent cover of Lee Valley Magazine.
Best wishes to all, and I hope that some of you will consider offering your services as officers of the MIWG over the next year. We need your participation! For those of you who follow this newsletter, but are not yet members, please don’t hesitate to drop in to one of our meetings! They are open to everyone, and we welcome newcomers. Join us as members if MIWG can fill a social or woodworking need for you.
Tony Dobson, President,
Mid-Island Woodworkers’ Guild