We're No Brian Boggs

Last weekend, +Christopher Adkins and I (along with many other +Modern Woodworkers Association members) had a blast at +Fine Woodworking Live.

We made chairs in the build-off. They got no respect.

When they recorded on Saturday, +Ian Mackay and Chris joined +Asa Christiana as guests on Shop Talk Live. Please be sure to check out the recording. Brian Boggs was the first guest. I haven't had a chance to listen to Brian's interview yet, but I can only believe his a more interesting guest than we were.

WTO On The MWA At FWWLive

We'd like to thank the fellas over at the Woodtalk Show for helping us spread the word about the Build-Off at Fine Woodworking Live.

Think this idiots can build something?

+Marc Spagnuolo, +Matt Vanderlist and +Shannon Rogers helped spread the word on last week's Woodtalk Show. For that and for all the support they show us and the online community in general we owe them a big thanks. With their help the +Modern Woodworkers Association will dominate the Build-Off.

Help Us Dominate The Fine Woodworking Live Build-Off

This originally appeared on penultimatewoodshop.com

Fine Woodworking is shaking up woodworking conference night activities with their Friday Night Build-Off.

We'll wait until after the Build-Off to take over the bar.

While +Asa Christiana let it slip while we were talking to him on the Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast, the event has been officially announced.

Inaugural NJ and NY MWA Meet-up

A number of like-minded woodworkers who met at the recent Fine Woodworking Live event have decided to try and form another local MWA chapter in Northern NJ and NY (esp. for those too far from the Long Island Chapter.)

This first meeting is meant to help the group get up and running and to grab some bacon at a local diner before the coming Bacon Apocalypse.

Here are the particulars and apologies for the late notice.


When: September 29, 2012 @ 9am

Where: The Nautilus Diner, Madison, NJ (https://plus.google.com/117263794054809444205/about?gl=US&hl=en-US)

Who: Most of us met at Fine Woodworking Live at SUNY New Platz but anyone is welcome to come

Why: We see a need for a group of passionate amateurs in the NJ and NY area.

What: Inaugural meeting of Modern Woodworkers of NJ & NY.

• Agenda: 
• Defining this group's interests further (Ideas, Next Steps)
• Getting acquainted
• Bring your favorite (small) handtool

I hope you can make.

PS. We have also just set up a NJ/NY mailing list.  Visit here to sign up: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups=#!forum/modernwoodworkersnjny

Fine Fashion at Fine Woodworking Live

For the past few years, we've made it a habit to coordinate our attire at woodworking events.

Allen, sporting his "May The Schwarz Be With You" shirt at WIA 2010.

Saturday of Woodworking in America 2010 was "May The Schwarz Be With You" t-shirt day. This, and our rowdy behavior earned us the "brown shirt" nickname.

Friday of WIA 2011: Vic, sporting a Tom's Workbench shirt. Adam, not.

On Friday of WIA 2011, it was "Wear another blogger's shirt" day. This helped everyone cross promote and show their affection for their fellow online woodworkers.

Saturday of WIA 2011: We were modern.

On Saturday of WIA 2011, the woodworking bloggers who had attended the 2010 show busted out their "We Are Modern Woodworking" (an inside joke among 2010 attendees).

Now that the inaugural Fine Woodworking Live is upon us, we have a reputation to uphold. Here's the plan.

• Thursday: As everyone registers and joins us at Bacchus for drinks and food, wear you own shirt if you have it. This will act as a "name tag" when we all meet for the first time.
• Friday: For the first day of classes, please wear your Modern Woodworkers Association shirt. We're going to show some unity for the online woodworking community. If you don't have an MWA shirt, order quick.
• Saturday: Let's spread the love. On Saturday, please wear another woodworker's shirt.
• Sunday: If you still have a woodworking shirt not yet worn, this is the day to wear it.

Why do we do this? Because one of the best parts of woodworking is the community and by coordinating in this way we help show how much that community means to everyone who sees us.


If you're coming to Fine Woodworking Live, please don't forget to join us on Thursday night after registration. And please, visit the event page here and let us know you're coming so that we can provide Bacchus an approximate head count.

Meetup With the MWA at Fine Woodworking Live

Fine Woodworking Live is coming up in two and a half weeks. It’s looking like it’ll be a great weekend of woodworking.

The MWA is looking to start the weekend off with a bang. We’ve organized a get together on the first night. We’ve set it up with Bacchus Resturant, Bar & Billards.

We’re going to meet at Bacchus on Thursday after registration.

Everyone is welcome. There’s no need to be associated with the MWA. Just bring your love of woodworking and we’ll have a great time.

So that we can let Bacchus know about how many of us to expect, please fill out the form below. I’ll be re-posting it many places, so please only fill it out once. No matter where you do. Also, please re-post yourself. We'd love see everyone there.

We’ll see you in New Paltz. Remember, nothing is shiny in New Paltz, except your Future.

Al Navas' Woodworking Editors, Authors & Bloggers

Our friend, Al Navas, of the Sandals Wood Fine Woodworking is starting a series of Google+ Hangouts on Air. In the Hangouts, Al will be having discussions with Woodworking Editors, Authors & Bloggers. He was kind enough to allow me to joint him on this, his first Hangout of the series.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Asa Christiana and Matt Kenny of Fine Woodworking magazine. We discussed returning to the shop safely after an absences, Fine Woodworking Live, how to submit and article to Fine Woodworking and the use of hand and power tools to get to business and build something. We also snuck in a Simpsons reference and I totally missed a Harry Potter reference.

We ask you to check it out, enjoy and have fun woodworking.

MWA Podcast Episode #3 - Fine Woodworking Live, Asa Christiana Interview

So, Asa, I was wondering . . .

This week we'll be interviewiewing Asa Christiana, editor of Fine Woodworking about the upcoming Fine Woodworking Live event.

Please comment with any questions you have about the event and we'll do our best to get them answered.

Anyone Have Questions about Fine Woodworking Live?

Fine Woodworking's inaugural conference, Fine Woodworking Live will soon be upon us. While any gathering of woodworkers to talk about woodworking is sure to be a success, I'll soon be talking with Asa Christiana, the Editor of Fine Woodworking, to find out more about Fine Woodworking Live and see what his vision for the event it.

I'd love to hear what you think before I speak with Asa. If there's anything you've been looking to find out about Fine Woodworking Live let me know in the comments so I can find out.

Also, don't forget that we'll be having a Modern Woodworkers Association meetup on the opening Thursday night of Fine Woodworking Live. Everyone's welcome.

With The MWA Community's Help, We're Gonna Rock FWW Live

I’m late in reminding everyone, but tickets to Fine Woodworking Live, August 2nd - 5th in New Paltz, NY have gone on sale. Though I don’t know how many have bought tickets yet (I have), the event is limited to 300 participants. Tickets for the conference are currently at $400 as the “early bird special offer”. There’s no indication as to when the early bird deal will end, but when it does tickets go to $450. I’d recommend you buy tickets as soon as you can.

A woodworking reception (typical).

The opening day, Thursday, August 2nd is a quite day with just registration and a welcome reception from 5:30 to 6:30. I think we’re going to change that.

After the welcome reception, we’re going to have an MWA get together. Hopefully it’ll be like the fantastic event Nik Brown pulled together at WIA11.

Woodworkers, talking wood (& Vic getting his groove on) at the
WIA11 Blogger Community Party Nik Brown organized.

Here’s where I need my fellow MWA member’s help:

1. It’s been about 15 years since I was last in New Paltz. All I remember about the place is that nothing is shinny . . . except your future. Does anyone know the area well enough to recommend a bar/pub/restaurant for our Thursday night get together? Would anyone be willing to set it up?

2. If our get together is anything like the evening activities at WIA, then we’ll be out late, and in no condition to drive. That’s why I’d like to suggest that we all stay in walking distance of the college and location of the get together. Based on a quick scan of Google hotel finder, the 87 Motel New Paltz seems like a decent choice, but it’s on the opposite side of the through-way (and it’s site says it’s not available those dates), so it might be a bad choice for walking. Again, if anyone is familiar with the area and can make a recommendation for us, it’d be appreciated.

Thanks for the help. Let’s have a discussion in the comments below. I’ll post again when there’s some consensus and a plan.

Modern Woodworking Live?

Fine Woodworking has announced their Fine Woodworking Live event.

FWW is billing it as:

Your chance to enjoy the company of other passionate craftspeople as you learn from the experts whose work you've seen in our pages. Live demonstrations and hands-on workshops are at the heart of this limited-attendance event.This three-day conference will give you the opportunity to enjoy a range of sessions created specifically for this event. Friday and Saturday will each start with a general session, followed by three complete small-group sessions on topics by each expert. On Sunday, a range of additional sessions will be offered for specific concentrations on detailed areas of interest.

It's being held in New Paltz, NY on August 2nd through the 5th. New Paltz is an upstate New York college town about 2 hours north of New York City (1 hours south of Albany). It should be fairly easy to ready for all of New England, much of the middle Atlantic and beyond. As Modern Woodworkers, I think we should try to attend and even organize our own dinner or other event during the conference. Hanging out at events like this are what the Modern Woodworkers Association is all about.

As we used to say in high school; Nothing is shinny in New Platz, except your future.