The December meeting was our Dessert Party and learning from the 2005 Dessert Party riot where members attacked the tables groaning with desserts, ample security was at hand. Again, the tables were groaning with many, many varied desserts from pies to home baked Danish treats.

Bill Henzel began the meeting by thanking all of the officers, committee chairs and contributors for their efforts throughout the year. He had each person stand up to be acknowledged.

Then came Announcements.

Stan Booker presented three Bird's Eye Maple boards as the raffle prize and encouraged everyone to purchase tickets. Remember, tickets are a $1 each or 6 for $5. Wow! What a bargain! The door prizes for the evening included a sand paper eraser, an outlet strip, clamps and two Acacia turning blocks.

Mark Rand announced that anyone not renewing their BAWA membership would not be eligible to participate in the door prize and raffle programs and would have to donate the prize, if they happened to win, to him. Simply pay your $30 dues to stay eligible for door prizes. (Note: Our evil note taker inserted this. I take the 5th).

Mark also announced the opportunity to purchase wooden segmented belts for $12.50 each if many are ordered.

The featured speakers for the evening were Bill Henzel talking about his world travels with Habitat for Humanity and Stan Booker presenting a photographic journal of his travels to Africa, specifically Uganda and Tanzania.

Bill Henzel: Traveling the World with Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity started in 1976 which began as a humble effort in Georgia to help people to afford to buy their homes by contributing sweat equity. Today Habitat has built over 200,000 homes throughout the world. The individual sweat equity contribution is 200 to 500 hours of labor.

In 2004 Bill was invited to go to Ulan Ude in Siberia with a Habitat team. They left from Los Angeles and flew directly to Moscow. They had one day for sight seeing in Moscow, then flew to Siberia to build houses. The team was supplied with milled logs which were then drilled for joining with hand hewn dowels. Fortunately they had a power drill. The caulking material between the logs was native moss. There was no indoor plumbing in the houses.

In 2005 Bill traveled with another team to New Zealand where a complete house was constructed in two weeks time. With plentiful timber, the construction was traditional 2 x 4 framing. The house was fully insulated with foam sheeting and covered with a metal roof.

In 2006, it was back to the east, this time to Kyrgystan. Bill's wife Annie who participated in this project described it. The team lived in yurts (tent houses) during their stay. The house was built with reed walls covered with mud, then allowed to dry. The exterior was covered in stucco and painted. A circulating, radiant hot water system was installed in the floor. A metal roof capped the house. The house was comprised of 2 rooms and a kitchen. The bathroom was outside.

In 2003 Bill had traveled to Csurgo, Hungary. The house was already framed upon Habitat's arrival. They had only to drywall, plaster and paint. Sounded like they had lots of time to socialize and learn the local culture on this trip.

In 1999, the Habitat accomplished the Herculean in Beius, Romania. The team built 12 houses in 10 days. Yes, it was a big team, 400 people. Each house had 4 bedrooms, a tile kitchen and indoor bathroom.

In 2000, Habitat team learned all about heavy construction. The framing was concrete beams made with rebar and concrete. Metal framing was used for stud walls. It was the most dangerous job of any in which Bill has participated.

Volunteerism, Bill says, is unusual and most appreciated in the old communist countries where it has been virtually unknown. The Habitat projects that Bill goes on require that you pay your own costs, plus a donation to the host nation. It was obvious that Bill has taken valuable life experiences from his contributions to Habitat for Humanity. It appeared to be a tremendous learning experience.

Stan Booker: Hand Tools to Uganda and Tanzania, or Starting From a Small Idea to Build Big Opportunities.

In 2001 Stan began traveling with his wife to Uganda and Tanzania as his wife searched for local arts and crafts that could be sold here in the United States. She had become acquainted with an African visitor to their church who was selling crafts from Africa. The visitor sought Stan's wife's help and the adventure began.

In one of their first visits to Africa, Stan noticed that the vocational schools had few if any tools, especially basic hand tools. He commented on the industry and resourcefulness of the students. The response was that the students could be so much more productive and learn more with better tools. Stan asked if he could bring some hand tools on his next trip, not realizing how big that offer would become.

Airlines offer each traveler 50 additional pounds of luggage. Several months ago, Stan presented the opportunity to BAWA and the response was overwhelming. Expecting to take something like 100 pounds of old chisels, hand planes, saws and drill bits as excess luggage, Stan was surprised to collect over 300 pounds of tools to take to Africa. The BAWA members showed their generosity and support for an excellent program.

On his trip, Stan took over 475 pictures, selecting only a few to show us the night of the meeting. At a school in Hai, run by a Bavarian organ maker, we saw exotic woods used for common purposes, door jambs, window framing as well as raised panel cabinetry and intricate wooden ceilings. All the metal planes had cracked soles from having been dropped on cement floors. The students pay to go to these schools to learn a trade and then graduate with a tool kit. Among the objects made by the students are fine wood work benches that are exported to Germany for sale.

In Kotella, Stan was able to contribute one suitcase full of hand tools that would guarantee that a wood program could be started.

Stan still has tools to send to Africa. The BAWA members have continued to support Stan's program by paying for the postage to send parcels of tools to Africa. Well done, BAWA. It is hoped that members will continue to support the program by contributing hand tools and money to be used for shipping.

Favorite tools

A new meeting segment began at this meeting. An idea presented and implemented by Frank Ramsey. Several members gave short talks about their favorite tools.

John Blackmore: the Dadowiz

The Dadowiz, developed by past BAWA member Jim Wise, is a tool used to cut accurate and precise dados with a router, a bar guide and the Dadowiz, a slider that runs along the bar guide. The beauty of the Dadowiz jig is that it can be set to cut the exact width of the material to be placed in the dado.

Per Madsen:The Hooked Steel Rule

The hooked steel rule is useful because of the hook on the zero end of the rule. By hooking the rule over the edge of the material, there is no need to adjust the ruler end to the end of the material being measured.

Tony Fanning: The Japanese Wood Saw

Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke, not on the push stroke characteristic of Western saws. The Ryoba saw can be used for crosscutting and for ripping. The Dozuki saw with a reinforced back, is used for fine crossing cutting in joinery work.

Don Naples: the Mathison Infill Hand Plane

This plane is Don's pride and joy. Many people collect fine old planes like this one, but Don uses his everyday. It is unsurpassed when planing highly figured wood.

Craig Mineweaser: The Zorin Pull Saw

Last year Craig took a timber framing class in anticipation of building his own structure. In this class he was introduced to the Zorin, a beast of a saw. To say that it is aggressive simply does not convey the appearance of the teeth on this saw. It comes in a special protective scabbard.

Roy Presley:The Lee Valley Dovetail Cutting Guides

We have all struggled with holding the dovetail saw at the correct angle when cutting dovetails. That saw blade goes off vertical, off angle or off to the unknown with the slightest provocation. Roy was delighted to find two metal guide jigs that attach to the end of the work piece. The jigs, from Lee Valley, either hold the saw blade on angle or on vertical by the use of a rare earth magnet imbedded in the metal jig.

Next was Show and Tell.

John Blackmore showed the group a Cherry bedside table he is making for the woman who has worked in his household for over 20 years. The matching pair of tables is designed in the Craftsman style and constructed with floating tenons in mortises cut on a horizontal mortiser. The drawers will be guided by guide strips mounted inside on the bottom rails. Top rails are installed to prevent the drawers from tipping within the case.

Another wonderful meeting ended with members staggering off after eating too many desserts and a few lucky ones carting off their door prizes. Of course your editor won nothing.