Woodworking Club Ideas

What kinda ideas? Projects? Skills?

-- christopheralan http://www.projectwoodworks.com http://www.ProjectWoodworks.etsy.com My Stuff for Sale! http://www.zazzle.com/christopheralan PWW Shirts and Gear!

One thing our club did last year when we started up was to see whom actually had “better/larger workshops” and of these, those willing to “host” a meeting maybe once a year or so. We have 7 or 8 now who do some hosting so as to minimize costs by not having a place to rent every month… Last year we met once at Marc Adams School of Woodworking as we’re just 15 miles away. (http://marcadams.com/index.php)

We have a logger coming in next month with a portable saw mill to show us how to make boards. I can’t wait!

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

I should have gone into more details about the club. We are 30 members and we meet once a month at the shop where two of our members own and operate a cabinet and furniture making business. The shop holds all of us quite comfortably with plenty of room. Another member of the club owns and operates a lumber supply business and we have meetings there also. So the club does not have to pay to hold meetings and we just had a meeting where we were looking for ideas and got some good ideas but I thought I would poll the LJ community to see if any LJ’s belong to a club and what they do at their meetings. If your woodworking club has a web site maybe post the site so that so I can see what it looks like. Our club’s site is http://niagarawwclub.com We have had tool company reps out to do demos and that was OK.. but we would all rather not see that as we can all go on the internet or shop in a store to see the tools we’re interested in. So again any feedback would be grateful.

-- Kevin -- (http://www.furniturebykevin.com)

I see where lots of clubs do a piece for a school/hospital/historical site. Usually a bench or display cabinet.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

consider small projects made for assembly for cub scouts, local churches, hospitals. Was looking @ a Canadian Home Improvement site that listed a woodworking party. might be an option. I know we are planning to do the party for a membership drive for scouts. Home Envy.com archives

-- Pretzel L8agn

Get then to all join LJ. :-)

How about toys to donate to a children’s hospital.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

That’s my battleplan for for the scouts I get to work with!! Get them involved, keep ‘em involved, teach ‘em.
I hope my boys will be as active as “teenage woodworker”

-- Pretzel L8agn

I never thought about local scout troops.

Dennis—Next year we will have an ongoing project where we will spend 1/2 an hour at each meeting and follow a master craftsman (who is a club member) build a blanket box. I assuming we will then donate the blanket box to a local charity.

Zuki—I beat you to it…..I already spoke of Lumberjocks at the last meeting and I wore my LJ t-shirt proudly but I also sent a mass email to all members with the link so they can check out this community for themselves. I like the idea of a toy drive or contest even say at…christmas where we can donate the toys.

-- Kevin -- (http://www.furniturebykevin.com)

The Woodworking Club of Houston meetings include

1. Problems and Solutions – People present problems and ask for solutions or people share a solution to some problem they overcame.
2. Project Show and Tell – People bring projects they have completed and explain the motivation, design challenges, problems and soultions.
3. Main Program – Sometimes vendors. Often members sharing expertise. EX. High School shop teacher talking about safety. Show and Tell on sharpening. We do a lot of toys for charity and have had presentations from charities asking for help. We have an annual box making contest judged by professionals from a local art gallery. We have a hand tool splinter group that has presented on maintaining and using hand tools.
4. Shop Crawl – Once or twice a year we designate a day and have open house at several member shops.
5. Annual Picnic
6. Library – We have a quite a collection of books, magazines, and dvd’s you can check out.

-- Leon -- Houston, TX - " I create all my own designs and it looks like it "

Jeff thanks so much for the site and info!

-- Kevin -- (http://www.furniturebykevin.com)

Leon thanks so much for the breakdown of your meetings. I like the shop crawl “day” idea!

-- Kevin -- (http://www.furniturebykevin.com)