Hello fellow woodworkers,
This brief newsletter is to inform members and non-members of the first of our scheduled mini-courses that we intend to offer to members only. (Did you see how I did that? We really want non-members to join us!)
Our first course is “Woodwork Shop Safety” and it is going to be held at Vancouver Island University at Building 110 this coming Saturday, November 25, at 9:00 a.m. for 3 hours. The course will cost $20 per member, and will be instructed by Stephen Pelley, the head of the Carpentry Program at VIU. The requirement to wear steel-toed boots in the workshop has been waived for this event, but you should bring safety glasses! The first 8 new members will be given FREE safety glasses!
The workshop is for a maximum of 16 people, so please get your name in to Dave Workman as soon as possible through the email: programs@miwg.ca. Let him know that you plan on attending and he will reserve a seat for you. You can pay him at the workshop. (Our insurance requires that non-members join the Guild. In addition to the course fee, a one-time initiation fee of $25 plus the pro-rated membership fee to December 31 of $12.50 will be required.)
At our November meeting we heard from Brian Rigby, from Jonanco about the club workshop that is out on White Rapids Road in Cedar. For anyone needing access to a workshop, this is a very low cost option with user fees of $6 per day, or an annual fee of $125! I have visited the workshop, and was very impressed with the quality of the tools and the activities that are undertaken there.
The second presentation was by Ed Tremblay who showed us how he has built a jig for using a router to flatten large boards. He brought the jig to demonstrate the process.
The third presenter was Nick Spronk who showed us a Moxon vice that he uses as well as some plywood corner clamps that he has created for squaring corners.
The regular General Meeting was followed by our Annual General Meeting at which our new Board of Directors was elected. The Directors for 2018 will be:
President: Tony Dobson
Vice-President – Programs: Dave Workman
Vice-President – Membership: Ed Tremblay
Treasurer: Steve Neil
Secretary: Bill Beese
Our December meeting will feature our most popular agenda – members’ “Show and Tell” with folks showing off their favourite projects. In addition we will celebrate the upcoming holiday season with a more relaxed social setting including food and drinks. If you are not already a member, we warmly invite you to come to the meeting to see what the excitement is about!
Best wishes to you all for a happy and safe holiday season!
Tony Dobson,
President, Mid-Island Woodworkers’ Guild
A Wood Horse Whisperer