DMWA Meeting - Buying, Selling, and Restoring Hand Planes with Greg Livingston
For those approaching hand tools for the first time, planes can be finicky and frustrating. There’s no reason they should be. Club member Greg Livingston strips away the mystery with “plane” talk and will help you find hand planes at bargain prices and then restore and fine-tune them to make them a joy to use.
DMWA Meeting - Carving Basics with Ben Ortmann
Des Moines woodworker and artist Ben Ortmann carves beautiful signs, artwork, wall decor, and even ashtrays. He’ll provide an overview of carving basics, including tools, techniques, wood choices, and more. See his work on Instagram at chipdwoodworks, then come to the meeting to learn from him in person.
Summer Tour - Antique Woodworking at Opa’s Barn
Opa's Barn is a newly constructed timber frame barn just west of Pella, filled with a private collection of over 2,000 antique woodworking tools. No two tools are exactly the same! See how wooden shoes are made, learn about classes they offer, and marvel at this amazing collection acquired over 35 years by our host, Randy Wineland. Please sign up below by Wednesday, July 29, so we can provide a head count to Randy.
Just a fraction of the tools on display at Opa’s Barn in Pella.
Summer Tour-Casket Maker Roger Jackson
Roger Jackson was a cabinetmaker until his retirement. But a request for a custom-built casket sent him back into the shop. And he’s been making caskets by order ever since. Roger will tell us about his journey into casket-making and answer any questions you may have about the process. We’ll also get a tour around his shop. Location is 43474 158th Ave., Derby, IA, about an hour south of Des Moines off of Highway 65.
Sign up below by Wednesday, July 8 so we can provide Mr. Jackson with a head count.
DMWA Meeting - Tim Thelen, BiLT Guitars
Founder of Des Moines based BiLT guitars, Tim Thelen, will speak about guitar making. See their work at biltguitars.com
Getting Started in Woodworking--Community Education
At the Central Library of the Des Moines Public Library
Getting Started in Woodworking--Community Education
Held at the Franklin Branch of the Des Moines Public Library
DMWA Meeting - Producing Online Woodworking Content with Steve Moseley
Do you follow any woodworkers online on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or other social media? Those folks look like they're having fun sharing what they do in their shops. The Des Moines Woodworkers has an accomplished online content creator, Steve Moseley, among our membership. Steve will give us a peek inside how he creates content for his various social media channels and how you can too. Check out his work ahead of time at MakingAtHome.com.
Steve Moseley’s Instagram page, makingathome.
Getting Started in Woodworking--Community Education
Held at the West Des Moines Public Library
DMWA Meeting - 4-H Woodworking
This program has been rescheduled from our cancelled February meeting.
The 4-H exhibits at the Iowa State Fair showcase impressive talent from Iowa’s youth. Several 4-H members from central Iowa will share the stories behind the builds of their State Fair woodworking entries, including an end table and a chess set. They’ll speak about what they’ve learned on their woodworking journey so far, and how 4-H has helped them hone their skills.
Join us at the Fred Maytag II Scout Center, 6123 Scout Trail, Des Moines 50321.
Getting Started in Woodworking--Community Education
Held at the West Des Moines Public Library
CANCELLED DMWA Meeting - 4-H Woodworking
The 4-H exhibits at the Iowa State Fair showcase impressive talent from Iowa’s youth. Several 4-H members from central Iowa will share the stories behind the builds of their State Fair woodworking entries, including an end table and a chess set. They’ll speak about what they’ve learned on their woodworking journey so far, and how 4-H has helped them hone their skills.
DMWA Meeting - Building a Wood Bicycle Frame with Carl Voss
Club member Carl Voss, an avid cyclist, built a stunning bicycle frame from cherry and maple after taking a class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. Carl will walk us through solving the challenges of this unorthodox build and will have the bicycle on hand for your inspection.
DMWA Meeting - Understand Wood Grain, Understand Hand Planes with John Olson
Whether using power tools or hand tools, fighting grain direction can be a major frustration for both new and experienced woodworkers. Run a router bit or a hand plane the wrong way, and you risk tearing out a chunk of wood. John Olson, design editor at WOOD magazine and a hand tool expert, will explain the secrets to reading and understanding grain so you can prevent reaching for that tub of wood filler. In the process, you'll make using hand tools easier and create finished edges and surfaces you'll be proud of.
DMWA Meeting - Apartment Woodworking with Kaleb Dale
For several years, club member Kaleb Dale crafted everything from boxes to bookcases in his 4th floor apartment. He learned a lot about working in a tight space with neighbors pressed in on all sides. He’ll share how he worked in this non-traditional shop using traditional hand tools, pass along tips for every shop, and highlight some of his work.
DMWA Meeting - How I Turned My Basement Hobby into a Business with Katie Burkhardt
An Etsy shop she started on a whim during the pandemic turned into a full-time woodworking business for club member Katie Burkhardt. She describes her home decor designs as classic, organic, and simple, and they have obviously resonated with her customers. She'll take us through the pros and cons and the ups and downs of turning a hobby into a business. See her work at carpenterkatie.co.
Katie Burkhardt of CarpenterKatie.co
DMWA Meeting - Making a Grain-wrapped Box with Vince Ancona
Learn the secrets to making a box where the grain wraps around all four corners. It takes some planning, careful stock prep, and a specific series of cuts, but most anyone can do it. Vince Ancona, formerly of Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines, and now contributing editor at WOOD magazine will walk you through the process.
Wrap the grain around not just one, two or three corners of a box, but all four with the technique Vince Ancona will share.
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders Tour
On Saturday, August 23 the club has arranged a tour of Dobson Pipe Organ Builders in Lake City, Iowa, a manufacturer of organs used in churches and concert halls around the world. They have just rebuilt their facility after a devastating fire a couple years ago, so we will get to see not only how these magnificent instruments are built, but also their new state-of-the-art facility. The tour starts at 9:30am. Please sign up here to help us provide a head count to Dobson by Friday, August 15th.
We plan to have lunch in Lake City after the tour for those who want to. If you want to carpool, please meet at the Ankeny Hampton Suites at Exit 89 off I-35, by 7:30am. See the map below. You can begin self-organizing carpools as soon as you arrive, then head out. No need to wait for everyone to arrive. Address of Dobson Organ Builders is 200 North Illinois Street, Lake City, IA.
