Saturday, 6 October was a record breaking day in Ladoga, Indiana. The sky was clear, the sun was hot and the temperature reached 90 degrees, the hottest 6 October on record. However, the heat didn't stop more than 120 woodworkers and wood collectors from attending the Great Lakes Regional meeting at Bob and Judy Chastain's farm.
Trustee and hosts Bob and Marilyn Nunan, welcomed members from six states. Among the attendees were two past Presidents, Eugene Himelick and Bill Perkins.
 Bill Perkins auctioning craft items.
Bob Chastain had been sawing lumber for 5 weeks on his wood mizer sawmill. Since he was too busy to saw during the meeting, Alan Zackary sawed logs to the size members wanted. A farm wagon stacked full of wood donated by the membership along with many beautiful exotic pieces donated by Garry Roux and Dave McWilliams were a welcome sight to those who came to buy wood.
Gary and Dave's dumpster diving adventures always gain some beautiful scrap pieces of exotic wood from W.T. Hibdon's Hardwood Mill in St. Louis, MO.
Members were treated to a great lunch cooked over an open fire by Judy Chastain and Marilyn Nunan. A feature of the meal was the pie baking contest. There were three categories with Marion Maxwell, Theresa McWilliams, and Pam Munger winning first place in their respective categories. Pam Munger's delicious peach cobbler won the grand prize, a beautiful wood rolling pin made by Bob Chastain. Bob used maple, cherry, walnut, and hedge apple wood to turn the rolling pin.
 Pam Munger, winner of the Pie Baking Contest.
Larry Ward and Bob Chastain won the bird house contest. Larry Ward's apartment size bird house, crafted from eastern red cedar, was the champion entry. Bob Nunan's first place unique bird feeder was created from a sycamore tree limb drilled full of holes and filled with bird food.
On a table loaded with donated craft items, was a large wooden giant (morel) mushroom, chain saw carved and donated by Larry Ward. Larry demonstrated his chain saw carving techniques at the meeting.
Larry Ward with his carved mushroom.
Kenny Mayes demonstrated is pen turning abilities. He finished his beautiful wooden pens with 4 to 8 coats of cyclomate glue which gave the pens a hard finish enhancing the beauty of the wood.
 Kenny Moyes finishing a pen while Loren Wright looks on. |
Tom and Sharon Fortenbury arrived in their restored 1932 Ford touring car. His mini lathe was loaded in a small trailer towed behind the car. Tom who instructs wood turning at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts at Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the Appalachian School of Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee as well as in his own home, demonstrated his wood turning techniques with his new tool which employs laser to help him determine the thickness of the remaining wood.
 Fortenbury's restored 1932 Ford.
Bill Poynter demonstrated his carving techniques and displayed his carved wooden canes and walking sticks. His favourite wood is diamond willow which is found in several of the colder northern USA states and parts of Canada.
 Bill Poynter displayed his carved wooden canes and walking sticks.
Bill Airola, owner of Smiley's Cafe in Crawsforsville, Indiana also displeyed many wooden canes and demonstrated carving "wood spirits" faces in tree trunks.
 Bill Airola's 'wood spirit' faces carved in tree trunks.
 Tom Fortenbury demonstrates accurate turning with his new laser turning tool.
Bill Perkins, Jerry Zipprich, Bob Chastain, Jerry Humphreys, Garry Roux and several members helped with the wood craft and wood auctions. The auctions netted $1,917.00 for the IWCS Treasury.
Hoosier hospitality resulted in four (4) new members applying for membership during the meeting.
Thanks to Bob and Marilyn Nunan and Bob and Judy Chastain for their hospitality and a well organized meeting. |
