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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2019)
14 Wednesday, August 7, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Local woodworkers share talents and projects By Sue Stafford Correspondent Standing in a well- equipped workshop, two retired mechanical engineers extolled woodworking as a fun hobby and productive pastime. Dennis Mills, with 40 years as a woodworker under his belt, and Rich MacConnell, a relative new- comer to the craft, discussed the Sisters Area Woodworkers (SAW), a group of 76 mem- bers who all share a love of crafting projects from wood. They meet the first Tuesday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. in members9 shops. Member Terry Ferguson said, <My favorite thing is seeing other members9 shops and the projects that they do.= <I9m impressed by the woodworking equipment that is in most of the shops where our meetings are held. These men and, yes, women, are without a doubt serious woodworkers,= added Ren Broomhead. All levels of experience and abilities are welcome. <I am amazed at the expertise and ability of so many in this area to build such incredible items,= added Broomhead. Chris Frazeur, who has completed a four-year car- pentry apprenticeship and graduated to journeyman car- penter, explained, <There is great satisfaction in design- ing and building something from raw wood and seeing the beauty of wood grain pat- terns come to life in the fin- ished product.= Stephen Baer, a profes- sional woodworker, offered some advice. <As for new or beginning woodworkers, I would at least recommend that he or she attend a few meetings before spending time, energy, and money on any materials. Woodworking can be expensive, dangerous, and extremely rewarding at different times. The SAW group can help moderate the negative aspects while enrich- ing the positive aspects.= Ferguson concurred with Baer, saying <I would encour- age anyone who is interested in woodworking to attend a meeting, meet new people, and see if they find some value for themselves.= SAW grew out of Central O r e g o n Wo o d w o r k e r s (COW) in Bend two years ago when members from Sisters grew tired of the drive to Bend for meetings. They started with 15 members and now have 76 people on the rolls, with 15-20 people at most meetings, a majority of them retirees. Mills, who served as the head of the COW group, has informally taken on the role of <chief= for SAW. He stressed that SAW has no dues, no officers, no bylaws, and it has a big social aspect. <There is nearly always a lively discussion that can continue into a social conver- sation after most of the offi- cial business portion of the meeting is complete,= said Baer. Whoever hosts the meet- ing gets to determine what kind of project they will do. They have made mallets, marking gauges, oval Shaker boxes, cam clamps, and have learned to use the Beall wood-buffing system and a router dovetail jig, among any number of other projects. For each meeting, mem- bers are encouraged to bring something for <show and tell,= whether a finished prod- uct or under construction. SAW has carried on a proj- ect that began four years ago with the COW group, in con- junction with the Touchmark Retirement Community 4 making toys for at-risk children for Christmas. The woodworkers build cradles, dump trucks, and biplanes out of wood and take them into Touchmark in mid-October, where a cadre of residents does the finish sanding, stain- ing or painting, and apply- ing decals and hand-painted Off details. Other residents make little cradle quilts, some hand-embroidered or cross- stitched, and add a baby doll with handmade clothes to complete the cradle. When everything is complete, each toy is wrapped in clear cel- lophane and topped off with a bow. The woodworkers are invited to Touchmark to see the finished products before they are distributed to five different local agencies work- ing with at-risk children. Mills said they have received letters from parents thanking them for what is their child9s only toy. The first year they just used whatever wood they had sitting around. The next year Mills created kits for them to assemble. Touchmark has offered to pay for the mate- rials but SAW members don9t want to be reimbursed. For the coming Christmas, Hardwood Industries of Bend will be donating all the wood for the cradles and biplanes. Poplar is the wood used because it is an inexpensive hardwood and takes paint and stain nicely. In addition to their monthly meetings, special workshops are conducted to work more in-depth on spe- cial projects. In one that lasted over several months, seven members made Nicholson work benches, based on an With Her Hair! 152 E. Main Ave. • 541-549-8771 Jeff • Theresa • Ann • Jamie • Shiela • Terri • Shanntyl Why do you have house plants? Were they a gift or a plant left behind? Do you talk to or touch your plants? I help owners of house plants get to know each plant they adopt. Plants need nutrients. They need to be disease- and parasite-free. Plus, they need attention! I off er house-plant decorating, repotting and plant-sitting in Sisters, Redmond, and most of Bend. $15/hr. for fi rst consult Plant Care & Decorating Available PHOTO PROVIDED Sisters woodworkers make toys for at-risk children. original 1830s bench that is able to hold wood for cut- ting and planing without an attached vice. Mills is credited by other members with bringing SAW into being. David Hiller indi- cated that Mills <was instru- mental in bringing this to fruition.= Ferguson added, <Under Dennis Mills9 leadership and the talented woodworkers in Sisters, the group has flourished.= <The best thing about the Sisters Area Woodworkers group is the people. They are a generous group of individu- als with a willingness to share their skills and artistic talents with everyone,= summed up Hiller. For more information about SAW, contact Dennis Mills at 541-639-6216. Our agents are ready to meet your insurance needs As life changes, so should your policy Call or come in today for a free Farmers Friendly Review 541-588-6245 • 257 S. Pine St., #101 www.farmersagent.com/jrybka AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS 5TH ANNUAL STONE SCULPTURE SHOW Saturday, August 17 11am-4pm Suttle Lake Camp 29551 Suttle Lake Rd., Sisters, Oregon Come join the members of the NorthWest Stone Sculptors Association for an outdoor sculpture show and exhibition. Visit with artists to learn about the tools, techniques, and stones used to create the art. Many of the art pieces are for sale! Aug. 11-18, 1-4pm Come watch us carve! A Growing Business Free to the public. Donna Lee Bolt, 541-740-4906 Donn WWW.NWSSA.ORG