April 2013 Newsletter

• We have been chasing funding for the cost of printing this monthly newsletter. We’d like to make it a regular bulletin, but we need input from the members.
• If you have job ideas, funny stories or news from the shed, tell Robert or Doug. Congrats to the pen makers. Don, Ross and Peter have been producing quality gift pens for a thriving market. Prices are $ for timber stems, $ for plastic.
• We plan to have regular Car Boot sales at the Jetty on the second Sunday of each month to turn over toys and other wood products. Volunteers are needed – have you helped yet ? Put your name on a roster time slot.
• The kitchen / toilet clean up roster seems to be working well with fewer dysentery cases lately. Job includes emptying dead food from the fridge and ovens on a Friday.
• Please use then replace the red bummed drills from the visible rack on the Northern bench. The old drill drawer now has only masonry, flat and spur tipped drills. Screws and nails are now grouped by SIZE in the rear cupboard and rack. Perhaps someone with spare time could further sort into TYPES within each shelf size slot.
• Please return unused fasteners to the CORRECT slot.
• We recently sent about 30 kg of unwanted fasteners to BLAZEAID at Coonabarabran to repair fire damaged fences and buildings.
• Good to see sprayer Col back in the shed after taking a dive about a week ago. Don is having eye test lately – all the best.
• Could all qualified operators be kind to the new thicknesser. It’s nice and quiet at the moment. Get a lesson before attempting to use it.
• Apparently we only have about 6 neat reliable woodworkers for commission jobs. Try to “upskill” if you have spare time in the shed. 
• “Finish” is very important in selling products. Take a bit more time and care so the painters can give a smooth coat. Sanding end grain without burning is particularly important. Its usually easier to sand parts before assembly rather than after.
• To cut down on replacement costs of sanding discs and belts, use the rubber restorers regularly. You won’t need to press as hard either !
• Shed policy is to supply your own drills up to 4mm (or bludge them from the regulars).
• Hope your cup has your initials on it. Texta from Robert.
• Ross Cowan has constructed a Panto ………. From an internet plan. Makes instant mortises and tenons etc. Check out the video. Brilliant!
• Barry Cassidy has shadowed and coloured all rack tools lately Any tool without a colour, lives in a drawer.
• If your main activity at the shed is coffee drinking / smoking / yarning, how aboutvolunteering for a useful shed job ? It would be appreciated.
• Did you realise that our shed started with a bare floor ? Derek tells me that Rotary added the offices and mezzanine level.
• Things look promising for our new location at Christmas Bells Rd. Watch this space for definite news.

There are many unfinished projects gathering dust up there. No one is sure which are being worked on, or are orphaned by long absent members. Please gather and mark with your name wanted timber bits before the big PURGE next month. A cardboard box to hold your bits would ensure no lost bits (and make storage easier)