Being the online web log for the Southwestern Pennsylvania branch of the SCA, Inc.
I called off last weekend to avoid the marathon, so we still have a bunch of light sanding followed by staining.
It will be easier to do the sanding/staining in the garage/driveway, so please meet here at 1105 Shady starting at about 1pm.
If the weather is any good next weekend, we can do the finishing at War Practice.
Turlough, Brandubh, and Ishiyama got a bunch of work done on the gate project last Sunday, but there is still plenty more to do. If we get enough of it done, we might be able to try first assembly and make sure this thing stands up! Towards that end, let’s meet at the Sunday practice (Washington Boulevard site unless it’s raining) again (April 28) and put in a few more hours. Ishiyama can’t bring the lumber until after lunchtime, so there is plenty of time in the morning for other stuff.
I know that some of you will still be at Blackstone Raids, and some of you are not able to help with woodworking, but there will be a least a few more work sessions (including probably at War Practice), and a few different kinds of work to do (including general finishing and painted lettering) so don’t worry about missing out.
Once more the passage of time (time flies like an arrow, they say) has wrought its depredations on our Barony’s archery target stands. Two years ago, the Debatable Lands A&S community and the Woodworking Guild banded together to make new target stands, and we are planning to do so once again this Sunday, July 18th!
Come learn or practice some basic woodworking skills while providing service to the Barony and its Archers! Join us at the Washington Boulevard site from 11am to 2pm, the same time as Archery Practice. Please wear close-toed shoes, and bring your protective gear like gloves, eye protection, and mask.
Captain of Archers Ronan is providing materials, Master Alaric is providing a good set of instructions, and I’ll be bringing tools. Feel free to bring your own tools if you have them.
See you Sunday!
Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to try to ensure the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events. By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as you believe to be necessary.
I was taking a close look at some of my tools the other day, and realizing that the last sharpening workshop was almost two years ago! Please join us at the Washington Boulevard practice site this Sunday (weather permitting) for a sharpening-themed A&S Practice, sponsored by the version of me that is also the leader of the Woodworking Guild.
We’ll bring sharpening stones, blades to sharpen, and other maintenance supplies, and trade information about the best way to take care of our cutting tools. If you don’t have anything that needs sharpening, but just want to know more about blade maintenance, just bring your curiosity! If you have no interest in sharpening, and just want to hang out for a while, that’s cool too.
Join us from 10am to 1:30pm, this Sunday, June 27th. Pandemic procedures apply for one more weekend, so please wear a mask and bring your own accommodations.
Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to try to ensure the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events. By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as you believe to be necessary.
This is just a brief After Activity Report about the Woodworking Guild Field Trip this past Friday. Only a few of us managed to make it, but it was totally worth the trip. The main reason we went there was that Morikawa Rei mentioned that even though the price of construction lumber has gone up five-fold over the past year, woodworking lumber places like Woodcraft have not re-priced their stock. So, what looked like expensive specialty materials a year ago now looks like reasonably priced wood.
In addition to that, when Rei, Turlough Feolain, and I arrived on Friday; Woodcraft had just received a shipment of off-cuts that they were selling at a serious discount. They had a stock of rough cut cherry, maple, cypress, and oak boards, in 4/4 and 8/4 thickness for $5 and $10 each! Not very wide and most only ~3 feet long, but still.
Turlough was looking to make some tool handles, so the thick lumber was just perfect. Rei is planning to make some furniture, so being able to get more than enough furniture-grade lumber at a discount price was perfect. I bought some lumber, too, but I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do with it. I’ve been thinking of doing some turning.
Anyway, they probably still have a lot of that stuff left, so if you need nice lumber at a nice price, it’s worth the drive down to Canonsburg. Thanks for suggesting the field trip, Rei! I also spoke briefly to an employee, and they have a classroom there where we might be able to have meetings or workshops.
This guild and its blog account have been pretty idle for the last six months, and I regret that. There have been obvious obstacles to guild activity, and the reason I have not posted much here is because I don’t want the blog to be about me and my work. There are other blogs and woodworkers to post about, though.
One of those woodworkers was Chris Hall. Chris passed away this Spring following a battle with cancer, but his spouse has been trying to keep his blog alive as a part of his legacy. This week she posted a guest post from one of Chris’s good friends and erstwhile students. This is the first part of a longer story by a woodworker in Spain who has dedicated himself to Japanese woodworking.
In particular, his interest in Japanese planes and planemakers is great to read about, and his outlook on woodworking gives me something to consider in my own work. I hope you enjoy reading along when future installments are posted.
The woodworking guild will have a shop day on Sunday, February 16th from 10am to 2pm at Ishiyama’s house. Our spring project this year is improving everybody’s Pennsic through the glory of seating. We will be researching and recreating period seating furniture that is appropriate for our personas.
The next Woodworking Guild shop day will be on Sunday, January 19th, from 10am to 2pm. This is the day after Baronial 12th Night. The shop day will be held at Ishiyama’s home (1105 Shady Avenue, 15232).
The current plan is to spend multiple shop days this spring working on projects that take longer than 4 hours. You can work on whatever you want, but the main purpose is for us to work together making things to sit upon. Chairs! Stools! Benches! Sturdy boxes! We’ll all help out with research, planning, shopping for wood, and technically tricky bits. For this first workshop, you don’t need to bring anything other than your dreams of a persona-appropriate period-looking thing.
The hope is that we can all get something done by Pennsic, and then we can all sit at the Barony meeting on something other than a folding chair, looking awesome.
The last Woodworking Guild planning meeting of 2019 is scheduled for TONIGHT, December 19th at 7pm in the Boulevard of the Allies Panera location. These meetings haven’t been as well attended as the workshop days, so they may be discontinued next year. Please attend and help us make plans for workshops and activities for the first part of 2020.
Get some work done on those nearly-last-minute projects for the holidays, make some holiday decorations for your home, or help make some items for largess at this month’s Woodworking guild Workshop day at Ishiyama’s shop (1105 Shady Avenue, Pgh. 32) from 10am to ~2pm. This is the last workshop day for the year, and the weather is supposed to be warm-ish so take advantage.
The next planning meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 19th at 7pm in the Boulevard of the Allies Panera location. these meetings haven’t been as popular as the workshop days, so they may be discontinued next year.
