Creekers at WIA (lots o pics)

[mike holden]

Woodworking in America

The conference for Galoots!

Mike Dunbar said he had waited 35 years for a conference like this.

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Frank Klausz said it was so nice to speak without a router going behind him.

It was, in a word, FANTASTIC!

If you were there, you are still riding the high. If you missed it, well, DONT miss the next one.

So, on Saturday evening several creekers met in Richmond at Sonny's Bar-B-Q for the swapping of tall tales and small lies. Two wives and a sister were also in attendance.

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Left to Right, Mike Holden, Ralph Barhorst, John Keeton, John Dykes, and Wilbur Pan.

Several others had hoped to attend, sorry we missed you.

[mike holden]

The exhibit hall had a veritable who's who of handtools.
Entering, and on the left were Tools for Working Wood (Gramercy Tools), DiLegno Tools, Fine Tool Journal, Clark & Williams, Auriou rasps, Manny's, Hock Blades, Lie-Nielsen, Japanese Woodworker, Blue Spruce, Norton Abrasives, Jim Leamy, Holtey Planes, Lee Valley/Veritas, Slav's, Czeck Edge, Ron Brese (w special guest Jameel Abraham), Adam Cherubini, Rude Osolnick's tools, and Glen-Drake! In the overflow area outside were Green Lake Clockworks, Philly Planes, Wenzloff & Sons, Sauer & Steiner, Blum planes, Vesper Tools, and Don Weber! (my apologies to anyone I may have missed)

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[mike holden]

Continuing

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Note Adam's shoes

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This is a japanese workbench, the notch in the upper right is so you can invert a plane over it and run wood across the plane

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[mike holden]

And on

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The infamous tool.

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Green lake offers clockworks and wood screws

[mike holden]

Adam Cherubini and a demonstration of 18th century chisels and there uses.

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Note the 18th century apple laptop (grin)

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The manufacturing brain trust
Rob Lee, Konrad Sauer, John Economaki, Tom Lie-Nielsen and Steve Shannesy (moderator and herder of cats)

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The infill plane brain trust, Jim Leamy, Ron Brese, Rob Lee, and Konrad Sauer.

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Seminars got you up close and personal. Mike Dunbar is sharpening the plane blade owned by the gentlemen with the yellow braces, who, if he smiles any wider, the top of his head will come off! Can you tell I'm jealous? If it were my blade it would NEVER be used. Hey Mike! sign my plane blade?

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A year's salary in Japanese handsaws. And yes you could try them out!

[mike holden]

And in closing,

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Frank Klausz' waterstone bath

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The Saw Braintrust, Joel Moskowitz, Mike Wenzloff, and Chris Schwarz

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Roy Underhill presented, signed his new book, and was VERY approachable! My estimation of him went up quite a bit.

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Mike explaining how to sharpen saws - just do it!
He took the mystery and the fear out of it, this is the major new skill I brought home.

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This is a Sauer & Steiner copy of a very rare (only one made) Norris plane.
Note the rabbeting, low angle blade that is actually longer than the body.
The adjuster is at a different angle than the blade, the handle pivots from its front screw AND pivots at its base AND is mounted over the blade and held in place by the blade tensioning screw. WOW!?


Again, this conference exceeded my expectations. The presenters, the attendees, the promoters all deserve pats on the back for a job well done!

Mike

[John Keeton]

Excellent review Mike, and I want to inform all creekers that we are an hospitable bunch! I was not able to attend the show, but enjoyed sharing some grub with the guys - great bunch of talented folks!

[Russ Kay]

I had said I'd be at Sonny's on Saturday night, but then they announced that there was a free BBQ dinner on-campus that night, and Roy Underhill was slated to speak. So I made my choice, and Roy delivered a hiliarious talk. Sorry I missed meeting you guys then.

BTW, I had dinner at Sonny's on Sunday afternoon, and it was the best ribs I'd ever eaten. Yum!

[Johnny Kleso]

Mike,
Thanks for posting the pics...

Russ,
Sonny's is like the McDonald's of ribs so all I can say is wait till you have some really good ribs

[Ken Werner]

Great photos Mike, thanks for the post.