Veterans Program Update

The class covers the use of tools like these: handsaws, handplanes, and chisels.

Updated December 19, 2020: Thank you to the people who have participated in this and who have helped spread the word on it. The pandemic of course means that I can't offer this currently, but I had decided to stop before that, due to lack of interest.

I'm very pleased to announce that my free hand tool woodworking class for veterans and active duty personnel is now part of Ayer Shirley Regional School District Community Education, and will be conducted at the ASR High School in Ayer, MA.

For details on registration, see the ASRSD Community Education classes page and page through to the Hobbies section. The class is Woodworking For Veterans, 7:30PM to 9:30PM for 12 Wednesdays from March 21 to June 13 (no class during April school vacation week). Space is limited to 4 people per 12-week session. All tools and materials provided.

For details on the what and the why of the class, see my original description of the JOTMOST program.

A big thank you to Dennis McGillicuddy, Vietnam veteran, for putting in the time and effort to find a public venue for the class. Thanks also to Pat Russell, Community Education coordinator, and Steve Tulli, technology teacher at ASR High School for making his room available.

Veteran Woodworks At Nashua Spring 2016

Ken Aucremanne at the Veteran Woodworks booth.

This past Friday and Saturday, Ken Aucremanne and I setup a Veteran Woodworks booth at the Martin J. Donnelly Auctions "Live Free or Die Tool Auction" in Nashua, NH. This is a bi-annual event featuring some of the best antique tool sales in New England.

In addition to the 2-day formal auction inside, there are always extensive parking lot sales out back, this time starting 2 days before.

You know how occasionally at flea markets you find that one good tool guy? Imagine an entire hotel parking lot like that. Yeah, start drooling. Fully half of my personal and student tools come from here.

Ken had called and spoken to Kathy Donnelly to inquire about having a space, and she had said to come on out. I brought my portable sharpening station and my portable Roy Underhill workbenches. Everyone always loves both of these, so I bring a copy of Roy's book The Woodwright's Apprentice: Twenty Favorite Projects From The Woodwright's Shopto show them the workbench plans.

The weather Friday was gorgeous, sunny and warm, all the way up to 78 degrees (the week before the low had been in the teens). We spoke to a number of people, collected names for our mailing list, and I sharpened a few tools.

Several of the vendors generously donated tools, all good users in good condition. James gave us two '20's/'30's era Vaughan and Bushnell planes, 905 and 904, plus an unmarked Bedrock 604 clone from the same period. The V&B planes were drop-forged from single ingots of vanadium steel, so were marketed as unbreakable compared to cast-steel planes.

Drew gave us a '60's era Disston hand saw and some big bar clamps. We also received donations of block planes, marking gauges, braces, and a push drill.

Thank you to all who donated! Proper storage for these items is now a priority, so my next project will be a couple of the toolboxes from Toshio Odate's book Japanese Woodworking Tools: Their Tradition, Spirit and Use, one long for saws and one short for everything else. These are simple, portable, and stackable, ideal for kitting out group sets. I'll add a sliding dovetail locking bar for the lids.

A storm moved in late afternoon, sending everybody scattering and dropping the temperature by 20 degrees. Unfortunately, Saturday was a major bust, cold and rainy, most of the outdoor vendors gone. Ken went in and asked if we could set up a table inside, and they graciously gave us a spot at the entrance.

Inside, we met Martin and Kathy. They each took a few minutes from the controlled chaos of the auction to speak with us, and were very supportive, so I want to give them a big thank you.

Building Up A Starter Set

The tools for sale inside and out run the gamut, the full range of age, condition, and price. Lots of good users and lots of obscura for collectors. From the ball of rust on a tarp in the parking lot that may or may not contain an actual tool to the spectacular one of a kind that will command eye-watering price and take pride of place.

This a great way to build up a starter set, though it can be confusing for a beginner to know what to get, especially when trying to hold to a limited budget. Frank, one of my JOTMOST students, met me Friday morning and we scoured the vendors to assemble his set.

I told him to prioritize on his primary tools and not worry for the moment about chisels, since the hardware-store grade ones he already has are usable for now. Chisels are the easiest problem to deal with. Focus on the harder-to-find items, and don't buy the first one you see, hold out for a good deal, even if it requires a little more restoration.

He sent me an email afterward detailing the results:

• Stanley #4, $30
• Stanley #5, $20 (Broken handle)
• Stanley #6, $50
• Small unmarked router plane, $22
• Crosscut saw, $3
• Rip Saw, $3
• Saw set, $2
• Saw vise, $10
• Crosscut tenon saw, $10
• Rip tenon saw, $10
• Dovetail saw, $10
• Stanley #18 sliding-bevel, $20 (this is the best style, with locking screw at the base)

So we were able to find all the rough and fine joinery saws and a full suite of planes, plus router, saw set, saw vise, and sliding bevel, for $190. With his chisels, he's now fully equipped, even for saw sharpening.

The planes are all marked with 1902 patent date. The other tools I would guess are from somewhere between WW I and WW II. The large saws of course were all fully rusted, but had good straight saw plates and good teeth, so will clean up just fine. The joinery saws just need dental work.

Clearly our next JOTMOST session will be on tool restoration!

Meet Ken Aucremanne And VetWoodworks

Ken Aucremanne at North Bennet St. School.

Tuesday I had lunch with Ken Aucremanne (pronoununced "ockerman"). Ken is a 6-year US Navy veteran from West Virginia who's in the process of starting VetWoodworks, a charitable non-profit organization to promote woodworking for veterans.

Like me, he's concerned to see veterans suffering from unemployment, depression, substance abuse, homelessness, and worse. We both see woodworking as a way to provide veterans with vocational training, a hobby, or just a few hours of relaxation.

Sometimes it's nothing more than what I call therapy shavings. No need to build anything, just enjoy the pure satisfaction of turning a piece of wood into a pile of shavings.

Part of his effort involves traveling the country making a documentary film about woodworking programs for veterans. He's currently in a 3-month furniture making intensive course at Boston's famed North Bennet St. School. NBSS has an active Student Veterans Organization (NBSS SVO).

It turns out my new job is just a 10-minute walk from NBSS. Ken contacted me following up on a comment I had put on this article about him on the Woodcraft Magazine Staff Blog. When I found out he was so close, I suggested we meet and talk about it.

Ken's still working out all the details of the organization, the program it will follow, the website, and the documentary (just a few things to keep him occupied!). For starters, he's created the VetWoodworks.org Facebook page. His contact info is on the page's About tab.

On Wednesday, he invited me to attend the presentation he was giving at NBSS to the SVO. He showed a brief video about the Sam Maloof Foundation's work with veterans, and very kindly held up my JOTMOST program as an example of what he was talking about.

His goal is to secure sponsorship funding and register VetWoodworks as a 501c3 organization. It will provide tools for veterans' programs around the country, and a network of volunteer instructors such as myself.

He's in the process of contacting potential sponsors. If your company or organization would like to help, contact him directly.

I'll post updates on this as further details become available. Among other things, two that will be needed are tool donations and volunteer instructors. The 501c3 status will make donations tax-deductible.

I'm very happy to join up with Ken because the biggest challenge I've faced is outreach and getting participants. I've contacted several agencies and organizations, but with no response. He told me the VA is very reluctant to deal with anyone who's not a 501c.

I first became interested in teaching basic hand tool usage when I kept reading in Mike Dunbar's articles that chairmaking students would show up at his Windsor Institute with tools they didn't know how to use, and weren't sharp or ready for use. He would have to spend a day of valuable class time getting them prepared.

Since I had recently climbed that learning curve myself, I felt I could fill that niche. That's the basis of what I teach, to bootstrap aspiring hand tool woodworkers and give them the basic level of competence, confidence, and versatility to take more advanced classes.

Part of the message I want to convey is that it doesn't take a huge amount of resources to set up a suitable workshop. An investment of $200-$500 is enough to equip it with used hand tools, or $500-$1500 for new tools. Building a small workbench with some kind of workholding setup takes $50-$200, or buying one takes $500-$1500.

While most people envision a large workspace with big power tools making lots of noise and sawdust, you can put together a perfectly good hand tool workspace with a 4'x2' shop-made folding workbench and shop-made footlocker-sized box of tools.

This requires minimal space both in use and folded up, is quiet, and produces only a small mess that's easily swept up. A 6'x4' corner of a room is all it takes. Put a dropcloth down for even easier cleanup.

For anyone interested in assembling such a workspace, the following minimum inventory of tools per workbench is sufficient to work on a wide range of projects. Tools can be new or antique as long as they are of good quality.

The very act of gathering and preparing these tools and building the shop-made items is an excellent learning experience.

Different people have different versions of what comprises the minimum, but this is what I use:

Handsaws:

• Ripsaw, 6-8 ppi
• Crosscut saw, 6-10 ppi

Joinery Backsaws:

• Rip/dovetail, 12-15 ppi
• Crosscut, 12-15 ppi

Handplanes:

• Jack plane, #5
• Jointer, #6 or #7
• Smoother, #3 or #4
• Router plane (not an electric router)

Chisels:

• Bench chisels in sizes from 1/4"-3/4"
• Mallet

Sharpening:

• Polished marble or granite floor tile with sandpaper for back preparation
• Coarse, medium, and fine sharpening stones, any style
• Leather strop with stropping compound
• Saw files
• Saw set
• Saw vise (commercial or shop-made)

Measuring and Marking:

• Combination square
• Dual-pin marking gauge
• Marking knife
• Winding sticks
• Straightedge

Appliances and Miscellaneous:

• Sawbench (shop-made)
• Bench hooks (shop-made)
• Shooting board (shop-made)
• Vise (commercial or shop-made)
• Holdfasts
• Wax block

There are of course many other tools, both hand and power, that can be added to this to extend the range of choices. For instance, Ken would add a shoulder plane and a brace and bits.

Then the most critical things are the skills to sharpen, maintain, and use these tools, and the ability to teach those skills to others. When you keep your tools ready to use, it's much easier to learn new skills, and the work is intensely satisfying.

Good tools, good maintenance, good instruction, and good practice make for good results.

For another perspective on the tool list, including some additions, see Evaluating The Tool List By Function.

Another Day Of JOTMOST For Veterans

On this day of remembrance and thanks to those who have sacrificed for the rest of us, I'm happy to announce that I've added another day of JOTMOST each week. JOTMOST is the Joseph O. Thornton Memorial Open Shop Time, in memory of my father-in-Law, USMC Capt. Joseph O. Thornton.

I've added Tuedays from 7:00PM to 9:30PM. Open to all US military veterans and active duty, I offer free lessons in hand tool woodworking, all tools and materials provided. You can learn some new skills, work on a project, or just make shavings to relax and have some fun with a few fellow veterans.

Full information is at this page. I have room for four people at a time. This is my tiny way of paying back the debt we owe as a society.

JOTMOST Underway For Veterans

A young lady tries out the spokeshave at my booth during the Ayer Fourth of July celebration at the town park. Photo by Amelia Pak-Harvey, used by permission of Nashoba Publishing.

JOTMOST, the Joseph O. Thornton Memorial Open Shop Time for veterans, has been going well. I currently have four participants learning hand tool woodworking skills in my basement workshop on Wednesday evenings.

This is a free program open to all US military veterans and active duty, any service, any era. Full information is available here.

One of my past students came over for the first session and wanted to help pay for things. So I used his donation to stock up on materials for the program at Parlee Lumber in Littleton (they celebrate their 200th anniversary as a small working lumber mill next year!).

Generosity begets generosity; as I was chatting with the yard manager at Parlee and told him what I was using the lumber for, he told me to take a couple of extra pieces off the stack.

To help get word out, I setup a booth at the Ayer, MA Fourth of July celebration. I had a number of people of various ages stop by and try out the tools.

I also sent a notice to the town Veteran's Officer, and he very kindly posted it on the town website and Facebook page, helping to bring several people in.

The reporter from the local paper who had taken the photo above asked if she could do a story, so she visited the workshop a couple weeks ago to meet several veterans and get some photos. She wrote up a very nice story that you can read here.

While I only have space for four people at a time, if you're interested in attending or know someone who might be, I can start a wait list and notify you when a spot becomes available.

JOTMOST: Every Wednesday Is Veterans Day

Captain Joseph O. Thornton, USMC.

For the last several years I've been hearing a series of disturbing news reports on NPR. These concern the difficulties US veterans face when returning home: unemployment compounded by severe injuries, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and difficulty getting care.

Whatever your politics, whatever your feelings for or against the policies or actions of one administration or another, it's important to remember that these are the people who have put themselves in harm's way for us, sometimes at great cost to themselves. These are the boots on the ground, on the sea and in the air.

They've done their part, and it's our responsibility as a society to take care of them. This is my contribution to that. It's also my way of saying thanks and showing my appreciation.

JOTMOST is the Joseph O. Thornton Memorial Open Shop Time, in memory of my father-in-law, Captain Joseph O. Thornton, USMC.

If you're a US military veteran, any service, any era, or active duty, you can come and take free hand tool woodworking lessons or work on your own with the tools, every Wednesday night from 7PM-9:30PM at my basement workshop in Ayer, MA.


The student workspace, two benches on the left...

This is similar to my private lessons, but at no charge. I have room for up to 4 people at a time. For full details about my workshop and student area, see my Hand Tool Instruction page. I provide all the necessary instruction, tools, and materials.

...and two more on the right,...


...with enough hand tools for 4 people.

You can treat this as occupational therapy, or vocational training, or a new hobby, or just a fun way to spend some time. You can follow my standard curriculum, focus on some specific skills, work on a project, or just enjoy the simple pleasure of turning a piece of wood into a pile of shavings.

If you have injuries, we'll improvise, adapt, and overcome. The only limitation is that my basement is not wheelchair accessible, but if you can make it up and down the stairs we'll figure something out.

This also fits in with another news thread, that employers looking for employees with hands-on skills are having difficulty finding people. There's been such an emphasis on the high-tech information-based economy, with concomitant emphasis on college education, that vocational training has all but disappeared.

The result is that according to some sources, some 3 million good jobs are going unfilled, and non-IT US manufacturing companies are having trouble competing. Some of these jobs are just as high-tech as the information economy, building things like specialized parts for aircraft and submarines.

An unemployed workforce and unfilled jobs? What's wrong with this picture? These need to meet in the middle.

I'll let the policy wonks debate the relative merits of one job versus another, with all the political overtones (these issues are so loaded with politics it's a wonder anything gets accomplished). Meanwhile, this is hands-on training. Maybe not building jet engines, but I would argue that building stuff is building stuff.

Whether building out of wood with hand tools or machining titanium with the latest high-tech equipment, it all involves many of the same vocational hand and cognitive skills.

You have to understand the properties and limitations of your materials, and how to perform the production steps. You have to be able to visualize how the parts are joined to form subassemblies, and how subassemblies are assembled into the whole. You have to take and evaluate measurements and tolerances. You have to be able to deal with problems that arise. You have to keep the tools in working order.

If you'd like to join in, send me an email at sdbranam@gmail.com, or leave a message at 978-772-0030.

References

I don't remember exactly when I started hearing about these issues, but here's just a tiny sampling of the news stories and related links in no particular order:

Veterans:

• Sonari Glinton, NPR: Fresh From War, Vets Fill Unemployment Lines
• Yuki Noguchi, NPR: Recent Veterans Find Higher Jobless Rates On Return
• Guy Raz, NPR: Vets Return With Brain Injuries Oft Seen In Football
• Daniel Zwerdling, NPR: Lawmakers Demand Treatment For Troops With Brain Injuries
• Steve Kastenbaum, CNN: Why many vets are struggling to get jobs
• CNN: Thanks for your service, vets! Now try finding a job 

Skilled Worker Shortage And Vocational Training:

• Chris Arnold, NPR: To Fill Job Skills, Firm Brings Training In House
• Guy Raz, NPR: 'Soulcraft' Honors An Honest Day's Work
• CNN: Desperately seeking Americans for factory jobs
• Mike Rowe: Profoundly Disconnected. Mike Rowe, best known as the host of Discovery's "Dirty Jobs", advocates for skills training. Check out his website. It's a lot more complicated than I can summarize here in a few sentences.