Loss of a legend
Renowned studio furniture artist and teacher Jere Osgood passed away October 10, 2023 at his New Hampshire home. A graduate of the University of Illinois and RIT, he received national recognition in the 1970s after a series of Fine Woodworking articles exploring bent lamination techniques. He taught classes at schools including RIT, Boston University, and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. Clean lines and compound curves defined Osgood’s work, which features in many public and private collections including the Museum of Fine Art Boston, the Museum of Arts & Design, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Osgood was 87.
Guiding light
I read Bob Berner’s review of the Rikon 10-3061 (Oct/Nov 2023) and, having the same saw, agreed with him about the lack of lighting. I picked up a sewing machine light with a magnetic base and long flexible neck. Then I drilled a small hole in the saw’s frame just above the power cord inlet, chamfered its edges, removed the plug end from the light, and connected the light to the motor function. Now the light comes on with the switch. And the magnetic base means it can be mounted anywhere on the saw for the best lighting.
Denny Mandeville
Sedona, AZ
Turn for the troops
Woodcraft’s 20th annual Turn for Troops National Turn-a-Thon brought in more than 12,000 handcrafted pens to be distributed to U.S. military personnel deployed overseas. Since 2004, the turn-a-thon event has distributed nearly 250,000 handcrafted pens to active-duty military troops around the world. For information on donating pens, visit woodcraft.com/pages/turn-for-troops.
Another one bites the sawdust
After 36 years and 215 issues, Woodworker West has announced the decision to stop producing the publication in print form. After missing only one issue since 1988, the editors of the bi-monthly event-oriented magazine have cited rising printing and postal costs, and declining subscribership and advertising rates, plus the health of its editors, Pam and Ron Goldman, in driving the decision. In a letter to readership in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of Woodworker West, the Goldmans expressed hope that the publication may continue in an online format under new leadership, but had no definitive plans.
Sliding dovetail
I’m building the Chimney Advent Calendar (Dec/Jan 2023). Page 51 says “switch to a dovetail bit,” to cut the slot and wedge that Santa rides on, but doesn’t specify size or angle. Does it matter what specific bit I use?
Mike Pilgrim, via email
Coordinating Editor Ken Burton replies:
You can really use any dovetail bit you have. As long as you use the same bit to cut both parts, the angles will match. If you need to purchase a bit, I’d go with a standard 14-deg. 1/2”-dia. one.
A jolly good fellowship
Boston’s Society of Arts + Crafts awarded the prestigious 2023 Mineck Fellowship, a $25,000 unrestricted prize to an early-career furniture maker, to Sarah Watlington. Watlington is a woodworker, artist, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. Since 2016, Watlington has served as Project Manager at the Offerman Woodshop in LA, and plans to use her Mineck funding to shift her focus to her personal studio work and teaching practice.
Layered solutions
Garnica Plywood, a leading global plywood supplier, has published a guide detailing the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the availability and acceptability of Russian Birch plywood. Available on the company’s website, the booklet outlines the sanctions levied by the U.S. and EU on Russian and Belarussian birch products, before suggesting alternative products that are available, sustainable, and legal.
A Unit of Water, A Unit of Time
by Douglas Whynott
These days wooden boats are something of an anachronism, a throwback to an earlier, simpler time. But there are still a few places where highly skilled craftspeople can be found lovingly coaxing wooden planks into seaworthy vessels. Joel White’s Brooklin Boatyard in Down East Maine is one of them. This book follows White as he designed and built his last boat, creating a portrait of a master craftsman and of the community in which he worked.
$21.95 – Simon & Schuster 2000
The Artisan Furnituremaker
by Darrell Peart
At first glance, you might think this is simply another Arts and Crafts furniture book, but there is a lot more to it than that. The author uses his deep knowledge of the era to provide a masterclass in developing the creativity, design sense, and craft skills necessary to become a better furniture designer no matter what style you prefer. Clear writing backed with well-chosen photos and illustrations bring the subject to life and make for an enjoyable read.
$26.95 – Linden Publishing 2023
