Be it ever so humble...

If you wrote out a list of all the things you'd really want in a woodworking studio, you might include high ceilings, lots of natural light, a good assortment of electrical outlets, and nice neighbors. For once, I just might have what I really want.



One of the reasons I've haven't been blogging much is that moving my shop has been taking up a lot of my time. Well, packing and moving, paperwork, licensing BS and much, much more.

And even though the shop is not anywhere near being finished, the third meeting of the Sin City Woodworkers will be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00 PM in the new digs - 2267 West Gowan, Suites 106 & 107. It's pretty easy to find. The zip is 89032, in case you want to MapQuest it. Gowan runs just north of Cheyenne, and the nearest cross-street is Simmons.

When you pull into the main driveway, drive straight in; my shop will be about halfway back, on the right. I'm still moving in, and don't know how organized the place will be, but at least we'll have a roof over our head and no one chasing us out. My seating is limited.... well, OK, I have exactly two chairs in the whole place. So I suggest you bring a lawn chair with you.

Local woodworker John Eugster, of Woodworks by John, will give a presentation on making scratch stocks, favored by well known woodworker Garrett Hack. He'll show how simple they are to make, and will demonstrate how to use them in your next woodworking project. For anyone looking to add a touch of personalization to an upcoming piece, this demo is a must-see.

I was thinking it might be kind of interesting to hold a woodworking garage sale sometime in the future, and let some of us bring tools/wood/supplies that we'd like to sell or trade with other woodworkers. During the last meeting, I mentioned that at some point, we'll need to discuss dues or some sort of cash flow, so that we can cover the expenses for this group. Maybe we can discuss dues and figure out what everyone thinks is fair.

Another thing - I love the way the woodturners in town raffle off wood blanks and other goodies. If anyone has something they'd like to donate that we can raffle off to the group, I'd love to hear from you. I have a few items I'm willing to give up, and hope others will pitch in, too.



I've commissioned an LA artist to spice things up a bit. In the coming weeks, she'll be coming to town and adding some much needed color and character to the walls. Stacey Campbell is not only talented and creative, she's not afraid of climbing up scaffolding like this and painting for hours.

And finally, anyone wishing to enroll is a woodworking class with me is invited to contact me for more information. Enrollment is starting soon, and I'll have more details about classes, prices, and schedules in the next couple of weeks. If anyone has any preferences about times or days of the week, please feel free to contact me with your suggestions.

Oh - and I'm offering private lessons, too... for those with performance anxiety or a general aversion for sharing tools. If you're interested, let me know.

By the way, the SawStop gets delivered tomorrow. Let the games begin!