The MWA on the Highland Woodworker

This post originally appeared at the Penultimate Woodshop.

While I was at Woodworking in America last year I had the pleasure of meeting Charles Brock. Charles is a true southern gentleman and an expert chairmaker. If you’re not familiar with his chairs, they are of the sculptural, Maloof inspired. I think they’re gorgeous.

The in progress chair in Charles' booth at WIA 2012

At WIA2012 our Modern Woodworkers Association (MWA) booth was just down the aisle from Charles’ booth. This let me wander past and gawk more than I probably should have. After a few passes I struck up a conversation with Charles. We talked of many things, including how he began to teach chair making and what the MWA was all about. I was even able to record our 5 questions with him.
 
Recently, Charles asked me to provide an intro about the MWA to be featured on his web TV show, the Highland Woodworker.

Episode 5 of the Highland Woodworker was just released and we made it. Not only is the MWA bit I recorded included at the end, Charles also interviews +Christopher Adkins & +Scott Meek during the segment on the Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event at Highland Woodworking.

For more on Charles, you can check out this interview +Shannon Rogers did with him leading up to Woodworking in America 2011 and stay tuned to the Modern Woodworkers Association podcast too. Charles will be an upcoming guest.

MWA Podcast Episode #24 - Scott Meek

Show notes:


Current/Future project description

• Tom’s found a new Router to love

• DeWalt Small trim Router DWP611PK

• Chris isn’t starting anything. He can’t decide
• Dyami
• Ghetto WorkCenter
• Doug’s Clamp Rack
• Get Woodworking Week

• Blog post that piqued our interest
• David Haniquet
• Wood Kaiser
• 11/9/13 Live Edge Bathroom Vanity and Bench
• Goings on in the MWA
• The Woodworking Shows in Somerset, NJ February 22, 23 & 24
• On Saturday morning meet the New Jersey chapter of the MWA will be meeting at the Sunset Diner at 9:00 am for breakfast before the show
• Weekend with Wood 5/17/13 - 5/19/13
• Fine Woodworking Live 8/8/13 - 8/11/13
• Woodworking in America 10/18/13 - 10/20/13

• Main topic
• Scott Meeks

• Scott recomends Making & Mastering Wood Planes: Revised Edition

• Scott’s online class
• Seasonal planes
• If you use a wooden plane made in the summer in the summer and one made in the winter in the winter, the soles will stay truer and need less flattening

 

MWA Podcast Episode 23 - David Venditto of Infinity Tools

Show Notes:

Current/Future project description

• Dyami was in the March 2013 issue of Fine Homebuiling
• Time Tested Approach To Chimney Flashing
• Bending Copper Chimney Flashing
• Don’t come to the pinewood derby if you not a Plotke
• Lie-Nielsen at Highland Woodworking
• Get Woodworking Week is coming up February 3-9

Main topic

• David Venditto of Infinity Cutting Tools
• New Woodworking School at Infinity
• Introduction to Routing & Router Bits
• Lock Miter Bits - Tom’s Arch Enemy

 

MWA - New Jersey/NY Visits the Met

Several members of MWA-NJ/NY met up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a recent Friday afternoon to check out the exhibit “Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens.” http://j.mp/WG3mHg

Attendees included, +Jonathan Sidhu, +Rusty Burwell, +Alan Ganek , Jay Siegelaub & Joe Urhane

We toured the exhibit of 18th Century European furniture and saw a mind-boggling testament to the skill of the Roentgen workshop.  Two of the items I found most interesting included this wild Gaming Table and the centerpiece of the exhibit, a large Berlin Secretary - reputedly the most expensive piece of furniture in Europe

Several of us also visited the Nakashima Reading Room (“Gallery 232”) and the Met’s ‘Open’ Storage (“The Good Stuff in the Back Room”) areas which contain dozens of various pieces of fine furniture not currently on exhibit.

We also had a nice surprise while having a coffee and ran into Mike Pekovich, Art Director at Fine Woodworking and his wife (her photo below) who were also touring the exhibits.

(L to R: Mike Pekovich, Alan Ganek, Jonathan Sidhu, Rusty Burwell, Jay Siegelaub, and Joe Urhane)

Highland Woodworking Winter Open House and Lie-Nielsen Event

Highland Woodworking will be having their Winter Open House and Lie-Nielsen Event this weekend, Feb. 1-2.  The event goes from 10am to 6pm on Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday.  If you are near the Atlanta area I really encourage you to try and make it out.  Highland is a great store to visit even without and event going on.  Lie-Nielsen will have their staff on hand to demonstrate and let you have some hands on with their wonderful tools. 

Also, at this event will be Chris Schwarz giving demonstrations of hand tool skills and Michel Auriou the maker of Auriou Rasps demonstrating the process of making the custom rasps. 

The MWA is planning on meeting at 10am on Sat for the event and will do lunch around 11:30 or 12 at one of the local restaurants.  It should be a great turnout so I hope anyone in the area will stop by and enjoy the event and join up with us.  Be sure and say hello if you do come out as it's always nice to meet members and readers in person.