What a hoot! Damp Wood Society gathering

[Roger Chandler]

Well, this was the day for the gathering of the DAMP Wood Society. What a hoot this group of guys are! We had a day full of turning, sharing, eating burgers and going to the gallery to see Tony's work on display [that will have to come in another post.......had to take those pics with my cell phone, cause my digital got left back at the shop!]

What a surprise to me that Baxter Smith showed up .....all the way from Delaware, and with a DAMP Wood Society turning smock on to boot! Mike Cruz was also there.....he trucked in Tony's new air compressor. Peter Elliot and Mark Zimmerman and of course our gracious host, the man......Tony DeMasi.....and yours truly.

It will take several posts to get just one pic of the interesting things going on.......so I will try to share them as I go.......

First one ......a show & tell table that was really WoW!!! IMGP3719.jpgIMGP3731.jpg
this was not even all that ended up on the table........when it finally filled up, there were some exceptionally well done pieces...........huge bowls and platters........these guys really get some wood that most of us would envy! Of course, that little American Beauty there was another drool producer.....Tony had to wipe it off several times!

The second is a pic of the group before we called it a day. IMGP3739.jpg
The next one is Baxter in his oh so fashionable 3M air respirator turning a nice walnut bowl.IMGP3734.jpg


Next is Tony's wall for rough-outs....quite nice stuff! IMGP3730.jpg


I was the first one up on the AM. Beauty to rough out a 3 sided bowl with pedestal from hard maple......it
went flying on me once!
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Up next is Tony's shop companion ......what a sweet natured dog....Ziva IMGP3720.jpg

and here is Peter and Tony discussing the finer points of pepper mill turning! IMGP3723.jpg
What a great way for friends to spend a day around a common interest and create memories that will warm our hearts for years to come, when we reflect on this time! More to share..........

[Steve Schlumpf]

Definitely looks like you guys had fun! Looking forward to seeing more photos!!

[Roger Chandler]

Here is a pic of Mike preparing some pen blanks.......funny thing, though........all day Mike tried to get to actually make a pen, but for some reason, he could never get to the mini lathe........we won't say why........ We also got serenated by Mike with greatest Christmas hits volume one with songs like "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" "I'll have a blue-oh-oue-ooh Christmas without you" ....of course sung "Elvis style, and others!

IMGP3725.jpg Then Mike shows me some of the really great figured maple he just seems to trip over not even trying ! [drool ]

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This is Mark Zimmerman and Mike....Mark is a member of the Apple Valley Woodturners, and it was really nice to meet him! Mark turned a really nice maple bowl with stepped sides.....beautifully done form, that I don't have a picture of, unfortunately!

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This is Peter working on his ambrosia maple peppermill.....he turned a Jam chuck from walnut, and even used a skew chisel with some finesse....
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That will conclude this post......I have to upload a couple of pics from my cell phone.....for the gallery, etc.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks like a great time was had by all.

[Roger Chandler]

Here are a few pics of the gallery Tony has some of his very nice work in.......Delilah's..

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and something truly dear to Tony and his wife..........a hutch and sideboard that matches a table and eight chairs built by Tony's grandfather..........the inlay, bookmatching and other work were just high end and superior craftsmanship!

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Tony gets his love of woodworking honestly! Must be in the family genes!

[Harry Robinette]

Thanks for the enjoyable pictures of a day in the life of friends with lathes. That has to have been ball even without turning.

[Rick Markham]

Looks like great fun to me! That's an awesome shop

[Mike Cruz]

Roger, it was a pleasure seeing you again. And even with limited lathe time (I did get to rough the outside of a sassafrass HF for Tony to hollow out later), Harry you are right, it is still a blast! I purposefully wasn't on the lathe much today. I had knee surgery two weeks ago, and was planning to just sit on my duff and enjoy the day as a spectator. Had some pens to complete for some people, so, I brought my stuff along to work on them if I had time. I ended up getting them prepped, but didn't turn any of them...

Roger did a great job avoiding all the beer bottles in his pictures! Not sure how he did that... Of course, the ONE he did get was in front of yours truly.

Mmmmmm, those were some tasty burgers! And Tony's display was quite nice. That walnut bowl/platter in the upper left hand corner was a really stunning piece! Can't believe that hasn't flown off the display...

Thanks, Tony, for everything. And thanks everyone else for another great day! See ya'll next month.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Just color me "Jealous!"

[Roger Chandler]

......but didn't turn any of them...

Roger did a great job avoiding all the beer bottles in his pictures! Not sure how he did that... Of course, the ONE he did get was in front of yours truly.

Thanks, Tony, for everything. And thanks everyone else for another great day! See ya'll next month.

Uh, Mike.........I wasn't sure if it was your beer or another reason you could not seem to get your pens turned ...........okay, we will just say the mini was "already occupied" ........but I am almost certain your Elvis impersonation of "Blue-oh-ue-eoooh Christmas" might have the beer you drank as a contributing factor!

Hey, you brought it up..........I wasn't going to say a word!

[Roger Chandler]

By the way..........Tony D. was the most gracious host.........he just opened his shop and home and let everyone else go at his tools, shop, and wood..........a most charitable friend, who speaks with his actions, more than words!

[Mike Cruz]

That was light beer, Roger, it would have taken that whole carton to get to me! I am, however, a singer... I'm not saying I'm a GOOD singer, but I am one that WILL sing, and therefore, a singer of sorts. One of my many issues is that I'll get a song in my head and it will stay there for DAYS!

Anyway, the occupation of the mini lathe IS what kept me from turning pens. But that's okay. I was better off being off my knee. Plus he who occupied the lathe had some "figuring out" to do that was probably more important anyway.

And, yes, he is a gracious host, full of hostility...I mean hospitality.

[Peter Elliott]

Roger, it was my "way" of telling Mike his time was better spent elsewhere. On a DAMP Day, he needs to bring his A game and I'm glad he finally got the hint and roughed out a blank on Tony's awesome new Robust lathe...

Nice meeting you today!

[Roger Chandler]

Mike.........whether it was all you or your "light" beverage.........I think you are a great singer............either way, you made the time enjoyable, my friend! Hope you iced down that knee when you got home....good luck with your physical therapy next time.........maybe it won't hurt so much next go 'round!

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, it was my "way" of telling Mike his time was better spent elsewhere. On a DAMP Day, he needs to bring his A game and I'm glad he finally got the hint and roughed out a blank on Tony's awesome new Robust lathe...

Nice meeting you today!

Nice meeting you as well, Peter..........that was a pretty nice peppermill you had going there.......your skew prowess was on display! Hey..........how does a fellow get a DAMP hat or a smock? Send me a PM, please?!