Galootapalooza 8 Photo Recap

If you've never gathered together with a bunch of like-mid ed oldtool fans, you don't know what it is that you're missing. There's a good reason that everybody's smiling.

One of the reasons is Ralph's Shaker Box making class. Galoots have been asking for this class longer than Ralph's been teaching it. One indication how good it is: Ralph's list of things to bring to class is a block plane, a utility knife and a mechanical pencil. Everything else is provided. When class is over after about 5 hours every participant came away with new skills and three graduated sized Shaker boxes.

Jim Crammond, from Michigan works on his boxes while I interrupt for an action shot.

Another Michigander, Gil Chesbro taught a great class on making a bowsaw. Participants brought tools and wood blanks. Gil took us through the steps to make a beautiful, useable (of course) bowsaw. We learned the principles necessary to make saws of different sizes and designs so that the saws we made at G8 will probably just be the first of many.

Keith Pyle at Mike's shave station working on the handles for his Bowsaw.

Mike's Uncle's farm near Hampshire Illinois was voted "Best Ever Galootapalooza Venue". There was plenty of room for the two classes, great light and a breeze to keep the heat out.

Ralph explains to his class how to fit the box bottoms to their boxes then cut them out with a bowsaw.

Bowsaw class member Tod Herrli uses a spokeshave to tune the shape of his bowsaw arms. The bowsaw rough stock for this class was three pieces of 3/4 inch hardwood about 14 inches long. Species brought to class included apple, rosewood, spalted maple, walnut and birch. In a class such as this with several participants, mixing and matching wood can create some very distinctive bowsaws.

Expert toolmaker Mike Lindgren uses a gouge to shape an inside radius on his bowsaw arms. The gouge didn't start out sharp, but it eneded up that way, and that's what counts.

Before dinner started, Russ Allen did a start-to-finish casting demonstration. He showed us how a patternmaker would in this case, use a modified Stanley router plane as a pattern to cast a copy; the kind that we see all the time at flea markets marked as "Rare Stanley Brass Prototypes".

In this shot Russ is explaining how to ram the sand into the flask to make the cope mold.

Here Russ is removing the crucible from the furnace in preparation for pouring it into the mold. I left out the pictures of the melting of the pipe fittings because I'm sure that everybody's been there, done that.

After the assembled galoots were properly stuffed, we sat down to an incredibly in-depth saw presentation by Pete Taran. He brought about a million saws from many makers. I for one, learned more about handsaws during that time than ever before. Armed with new knowledge I came home and really enjoyed looking over my small stash of saws. Absolutely nothing like hearing a presentation from a real expert in his field. Thanks, Pete.

Why is this man smiling?

Is it because the intense pressure and apprehension of hosting a Galootapalooza event has finally passed into memory?

Mike Duchaj has many reasons to smile. This picture reflects the anticipation of G9, the relaxation one feels after a difficult job is exceedingly well done, and the joy of turning over a few tools to new owners in exchange for some U.S. Currency.

Thanks Mike for the best Galootapalooza ever.

Just one small table of great user tools for sale at Garfield Farm. This was the best Garfield Farm meet that I remember. Thanks to Dick Chapman for his great work organizing and pulling off this meet. If you're not yet a memeber of the Midwest Tool Collectors Association, put it on your to-do list!

My my how things follow you home if you're not careful. Some blacksmith tools, a bore micrometer, some carving tools from Mike's stash a Norris 50G and an ebony stuffed shoulder plane. In back is Irv Shaffers "Handsaw Makers of North America", another valuable take-away from Pete's presentation.

All for $76.11.

Quote of the Day at Garfield:

Nice shoulder plane. Too bad it doesn't have a mouth"

--Ralph Brendler