Rapid City Woodworkers Association (RCWA): Toy Workshop (TWS2024-01) and General Meeting (1.20.2024)

The "Big Thaw" arrived in time for our first 2024 Toy Workshop.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE WORKSHOP:

THE TOY PROGRAM. The Toy Program effort consists of 5 major phases:

Phase 1: Tracing
Phase 2: Cutting toys to shape
Phase 3: Milling: routering, drilling, machine sanding
Phase 4: Finish: sealer coat - sanding - spray finish - sanding
Phase 5: Wheel installations

Preparation for TWS

The new numbering system has been implemented in the digital file system.

"New for 2024" Toy Tracing List is ready.

"Critters" patterns are being reorganized and new critters are being developed with child safety in mind. Approximately 50 new critters will be introduced this year.

The Red Book (now the gray book) that contains Assembly Drawings for every toy, has been updated with the new simplified numbering system. Drawings for new toys have been added.

Templates are prepared and ready for tracing activity. The new part numbers have been added to each template.

We held our first Toy Workshop (TWS) for 2024 on Saturday January 20, 2023, from 8:30 to 11:00 am. This was held at the Wood Shop at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City. The shop is in the basement of the annex to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. The January General Meeting was held from 11:00 am to noon.

The attendees at today's workshop (19) included John, Nick, Harley, Bob, Kathie, Rick, Grant, Lon, Ken, Dennis, Tony, Ed, Julian, Dee, Roy, Keith, Al, Jim Burk, and Stu.

We are starting a new year of Toy Making, and therefore are starting with Phase 1 - Tracing. So today's plan was to trace Toy Patterns onto 2" thick wood, then cut the traced toys into individual pieces with the miter saw or the band saw. Lastly we will put all toys of one kind into a box, and move the boxes to the Work In Progress (WIP) store room. Next workshop, some of us can begin working on the next phases: Cutting and Milling.

Our goal for 2024 is to build about 3,500 toys to donate to organizations who work with kids in South Dakota.

Results of Today's Toymaking Efforts:

Patterns traced: 14

Toys traced: 315

Total Patterns traced to date: 14/89

Total toys traced to date: 315

More to come: we will be tracing for the next three or four workshops, as well as starting the cutting and milling. That is, we will start phase 2 - 3 - 4 next time on the toys traced today.

Here are photos from today's event:

General Meeting. 1-20-2024

Agenda

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RCWA Meeting Minutes

Date: 20 Jan 2024 Meeting Start: 11:00 Meeting Finish: 12:00

Attendees (20): Dee Bevers, Roy Boschee, Keith Brink, Bob Buchanan, Kathy Buchanan, Jim Burk, Grant Coffin, Lon Gose, Stu Kellogg, Ken Maron, Dave Maude, Al Oines, Ed Pike, Harley Schmadeke, Nick Spano, Tony Verchio, Rick Weisbeck, Cori Weisbeck, Julian Wigen, John Wolf

Introductions:

New members included Dee Beavers and Roy Boschee. Dee Beavers moved here from MN 6 years ago. Roy Boschee has known Keith Brink for a number of years and was invited to join the group. In attendance at the wood turners interest group were Ken Ketel and Steve York, both of whom made the connection through a group of West Hills turners.

Treasurer’s Report:

RCWA collected $95 in dues and donations for November and additional of $105 in December. Transferred $265 to checking. Paid expenses for materials of $295.90. Interest on checking for November and December totaled $1.36. Interest for the two months on savings account was $0.04.

Current balances are:

Checking $5,725.58

Workshop $ 773.08

Savings $ 331.85

Total $6,830.51

Shop Tours

Al is working with Toni Gerlach for a shop tour of Mind Blown Studios for February 1 at 1:00 at the Mind Blown Studio in Deadwood.
Darwin has a friend who has a treadle scroll saw who is willing to come out and due a demo at one of our workshops.

Special Interest Groups

Next Scroll Saw SIG is February 15 at Rick Weisbeck from 1:00-3:00. Will be working on compound cut for nativity scene. 6704 Kimberly Drive, Blackhawk.

Turning SIG Jan. 24 1:00-3:00 at Brown’s. Turning will feature demos on mallets and rattles. Jim Brown made a cart for the club lathe which will make it easy for transferring the lathe for different functions.

General Meeting

Next general meeting will be February 10 in conjunction with the Toy Workshop.

Toy program

Next Toy Workshop will be Saturday, Jan 27. We will be adding some new toys this year to take advantage of the 1-inch wood that we have in abundance. We will be adding critters as one of the options. If you know someone who wants toys, we have an application for toys on the RCWA website.

We will be placing a new order for wheels. Jim Brown will pick up in Dallas. Jim brought back 5 boxes of wheels last year which saved us about $400 in shipping.

We have received a lot of thank you notes from YFS and a big thank you from Beatrice NE. We gave a toy to every kid in the school this year – read the story of the toy maker on the blog. We got a thankyou note from Chamberlain, WAVI, . . .

We did a lot of wood clean up today.

Wood Show

The Wood Show is tentative set for the third Saturday in April, April 20. Theme will be Christmas in April. Set up after 4:00 on Friday April 19. Bob will be leaving town the end of February and will be back April 1.

Royal Rangers

Friday and Saturday April 12 and 13 - we will be helping Royal Rangers with pinewood race cars.

MISC

Cori Weisbeck would like to set up a feedback mechanism for community requests to connect members with community members for the request. Please see Cori to leave skill sets. We can include a column on the member roster with skill sets.

Minutes Taken by: Stu Kellogg

Show and Tell

Grant