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Eastern Massachussetts Guild of Woodworkers

Upcoming Guild Events

October 19, 2024 9:00 AM • Woodcraft Walpole
November 09, 2024 9:00 AM • Woodcraft, 3 Walpole Park S, Walpole, MA 02081
December 14, 2024 9:00 AM • Lowell Makes, Lowell MA

Six of the eleven members of EMGW's Cape Cod subgroup met July 25 2024 at the home/workshop of Josh Shapiro in Chatham. We got a tour of Josh’s well-equipped shop which he assembled over the past 8 months, starting with an empty room.  Josh buys used equipment exclusively and shared with the group his tips for buying equipment on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other venues.  Contact Andrew if you are in or near the Cape Cod area.  - Andrew Davis

Pictured from left to right are Steven Contin, Walter Henry, Andrew Davis, Josh Shapiro, Mike Walter, Rob Aronson.

Upcoming Non-Guild Events

August 21, 2024 10:00 AM • 35 Duncan Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
September 26, 2024 8:00 PM • Virtual on-line -- see description for Zoom link
November 02, 2024 5:00 PM • UNH Granite State Room Durham, NH 03824
November 08, 2024 4:00 PM • WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley St, Providence, RI
February 07, 2025 9:00 AM • Historic Deerfield’s Deerfield Community Center 16 Memorial Street Deerfield, MA 01342

EMGW Board of Directors 2024-2025

On June 8, 2024, the following members were unanimously elected to the EMGW Board of Directors for the Program Year 2024 - 2025.

President: Rob Carver

Vice-President: Andrew Davis

Treasurer: John George

Secretary: Tom Shirley

Woodworking Tip for September 2024 Use Gauze, Not Cotton


Guild Project Update - Make a Shave Horse

Back in May and June invitations went out to join the Shave Horse Project.  Several members participating in the project met in August at Ed Payne’s shop for an initial meeting. We had some good discussion about potential uses of a horse, and demonstrated the two basic traditional designs: German dumb-head and English bodger’s horse. Everyone got a chance to ride a horse and use a drawknife to begin shaping green and kiln-dried wood, and a few folks did some riving with a froe. Except for a few drops of blood from a splinter, there were no injuries and a lot of camaraderie. Participants left with numerous articles and plans, heading home to decide on the best style and dimensions for their own personal shave horse. The informal consensus seemed to favor the dumb-head design, and we’ll stay in touch to learn what people decide. - Rob Carver

Please email Rob Carver with expressions of interest and questions.


A Picture of Each Monthly Meeting during 2023-2024

2023-2024

Credits Vincent Valvo

Show and Tell at the End of Year Party

June 2024

Credits Vincent Valvo and Tom Shirley

Bevel Cut

True Grit Isn't What

It Used to Be

by Andrew Davis



Sandpaper is arguably the most common tool in the workshop.  Having a smooth finish is desirable for most of your wood projects, even to the extent of using several different grits until the touch is perfect.

Despite the title of this Bevel Cut article, Andrew goes beyond grit.  Andrew has done his research including other sandpaper characteristics, namely, abrasive type, backing, and abrasive density.  So, before you purchase your next batch of sandpaper, refer to this article.  You can become a true sandpaper savant by reading True Grit Isn't What It Used to Be.

Andrew welcomes your feedback.

Measure Twice, Cut Once - Wisdom From the Shop

A Matter of Inches

by Rob Carver


With the EMGW newsletter and website on summer break, Rob has been holding back this article for a while.  During his time off he and his wife traveled through France on a path less traveled.  This likely is a rhetorical question but have you ever traveled to Guédelon? Or even heard of Guédelon, located almost smack dab in the center of France?  Well, your MTCO writer morphed into a travel historical writer for a time this summer as he and his wife explored the construction of a castle in Guédelon.  

A castle in this day and age, you ask yourself?  Now consider building the castle using 13th century designs and tools.  This raises a myriad of questions and insights but one compound question in particular is discussed in Rob's September submission A Matter of Inches -- what were the measurements and related standards 800 years ago?  This is a fascinating article I'm so glad the Carvers took that trip.

You can reach Rob by clicking Rob Carver.

Map of Member Locations


For in-person meetings, the possibility to carpool to monthly and FIG meetings, and other group gatherings may be of use to you.  Tom Shirley has updated the Member Map as of February, 2024 that displays members' locations on a Google map.  This is private information, so to access the map ou must be logged in.  To interact with the map, simply click the map above.  You can also click Member Map from the Member Map dropdown list.  Once there you can pan, zoom in and out, and click a pin to see the member's name and location.

Featured Piece of the Month

Knife Hinges –

Installation on a Small Cabinet

by Dick Belanger


Dick Belanger kicks off the first Featured Piece for 2024-2025.  The article is a perfect beginning of the season because it expands the breadth of the mission of this column.  It not only demonstrates wonderful craftsmanship of a furniture piece, but it outlines a process.  As readers of this column know, the column is not exclusive of furniture pieces.  Featured Pieces can be a jig, tools (or special use of a tool), story, or process/technique.  In this case, the use of knife hinges is the featured focus. 

Knife hinges have a reputation of being difficult to install properly.  Dick, who is an EMGW mentor and a member of the Newcomer Committee, offered to write his article without having much experience using knife hinges.  He was primed to write this stepwise installation process as part of constructing his cabinet.  If his choice of hinges didn't work out, Dick would end up without a working article.  But as you will read in Knife Hinges – Installation on a Small Cabinet, Dick has nothing but good things to say about knife hinges.

For more information, you can reach Dick at Dick Belanger.

Consider submitting an article to be published once we return to the start of the Program Year 2024-2025.  Remember this column is not necessarily dedicated to furniture pieces.  Tools, jigs, processes, and other woodworking related themes are also relevant.


Mentoring in the EMGW

Mentoring in the Guild takes many forms.  Everything from a brief conversation or email on a particular technique to a full-blown cooperative effort to build an entire piece.  Most mentoring occurs informally among members.  However, the Mentor Program provides an easy way, especially for new members, to get involved in mentoring.  Members listed on the Mentor Program page of this website have expressed a willingness to help other members in a variety of ways.

To read more about the Mentor Program, click here or navigate to About Us then Mentor Program.  To see the list of Mentor members with their interests and contact information, click here or navigate to Members then Mentors.


Starting out in Woodworking? EMGW Members Compiled a Guidebook for You

Considering getting into woodworking?  A team of members of EMGW has written a guidebook targeted for new woodworkers and a refresher for other woodworkers.

The guidebook is complimentary.  It can be viewed and downloaded for your reading pleasure.  We hope that reading the guidebook will engender interest in woodworking and membership in our guild.  Click here for a priceless copy.

Considerable work has already gone into renewing older and securing new discounts from various sources.  To review the list on the website you must first login then click Members and then Special Membership Discounts.

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