The 'Cost of living crisis' didn't appear to bother the Emerald locals as much as
expected this year with a pretty good turnout and a good result for the club. Entries
in the woodwork competition were down a little this year but we managed to pad-out the display
with some older items to keep people interested.
For
our raffle prize this year we made a collectors coffee table from Sally
Wattle with two velvet-lined drawers for easy access to the collection
housed inside. The tempered glass top came courtesy of APH Glass &
Aluminium.
At right is the raffle winner Kirsten, with Vern from the club.
Our
Club Challenge this year was similar to last year - make whatever you like
from 3 pieces of Red cedar like those at the bottom of the photo.
Ray took out 1st prize this time around with his end-table (right).
People's Choice in the Club Challenge this year went to Bryan's pirate
chest.
Ray is pictured at right with Lucy who won the People's Choice voters
prize this year.
In the general competition, overall Champion went to Vern's Red cedar box.
Left: Jeffs carved table impressed the judges and took 1st place in the
furniture section.
Right: Some new blood in the club has seen some cigar-box guitars being
produced.
The toy rifles, pirate swords and fairy wands were as popular as ever.
It's always a pleasure seeing their faces light up when they finish making
them.
2023 . . .
The rain predicted for this years show ended up being just enough to settle the dust beforehand and the weather was perfect for the show itself.
The crowd was surprisingly good with many coming through the woodwork
pavilion.
Tickets in our raffle sold really well this year, record breaking in
fact! The Sally Wattle hallstand was a hit with everyone and was won by an
Emerald local, Dave Dollard. Pictured right are John and Ray with Dave
(seated) collecting his win.
For
our club challenge this year, each member received 3 lengths of Red Cedar
about 1800x75x50 to make what ever they wanted. All entrants opted for
furniture items with the judges prize going to Vern's "braced" hall table,
and the people's choice award going to Troy for his cocktail bar.
Entries were down a bit in the general woodworking competition this year but
we still managed to fill the display area with some well made pieces.
Only a few entries in the furniture section this year. Vern's "Arched"
Silky oak occasional table took first and Jeff's Silky oak table with
drawers took second place.
Left: Novice furniture.
Right: Open wooden item.
Left: Turned sections.
Right: Childs toy section.
Left: Student wooden item.
Right: Student artistic items and novice wooden item section.
Left: Simon and Eddie, our much appreciated judges.
Right: Open artistic item.
The toys were going off again this year and the kids never seem to tire of
it. The rifles are still the most popular, with the girls as well, but
plenty of swords and fairy wands still went out the door being swung by some
happy little people.
No pics of the guy on the lathe making spinning tops for the kids this
year . . . probably just as well!
2022 . . .
This years show was slow getting started but ended up with good weather and a fair crowd to match.
Our competition display was even bigger than last years with a record number of entries while the other
show competitions unfortunately fell short of their usual numbers across all sections.
The clubs raffle prize this year was a Sally Wattle blanket box and they
also added a second prize of a large picture frame to hold A4 sized
pictures.
The
Club Challenge this year was to make a piece of furniture from a slab of
Lemon-scented gum. Not all the slabs were the same size or quality of course so the
members drew lots to see which one they got and then just had to do what
they could with the slab they got.
First prize was taken by Vern's end table with a built in bent-wood lamp
and matching remote-control holder while second prize went to Ray's end
table (pictured at right)
Our esteemed judges from Allen's Cabinets finally got cornered for a
photo. Allen's Cabinets have been the clubs most supportive sponsor
since the clubs inception. The lads are pictured here with the Grand Champion
award for Vern's jewellery cabinet in the Artistic section.
Left: Open furniture.
Right: Child's toy
Left: Wooden item.
Right: Novice artistic item.
Left: Student section.
Right: Turned item.
Lots of happy kids making rifles and pirate swords again this year even
though we didn't have any fairy-wands this time - hopefully they will be
back on the menu next year!
The old bloke turning bowls, boxes, spinning-tops and eggs was also back
demonstrating on the lathe but nobody thought him photogenic enough to
bother!
2021 . . .
After a year off with COVID, the town turned out in droves for the show
this year and with 2 years worth of woodworking up our sleeve, our competition display was
the biggest yet. Best year yet for the club both financially and in
acquiring new members.
We had a choice of prizes on offer for the raffle this year and the tickets
sold as fast as we could fill them in. The winning ticket belonged to Debbie
Thompson and she chose to take the hall stand so the blanket box might be
available again next year . . . or not!?!
The club challenge was short a couple of entries as some members had
promised them to new homes when last years show was cancelled but we still
got it together OK. Each member received 2 lengths of 100mm x 50mm and one
length of 70mm x 70mm Bloodwood to make whatever they liked.
The winning entry was Verns 'Infinity' table and lamp and the Peoples Choice
award went to Troy for his windmill.
Toy sales went gangbusters again this year with a lot of little people very
happy about getting to help make their rifle, pirate sword or fairy wand.
Entries in the regular woodwork competition were high in numbers and
standard with a few novices entering as well.
Jeff took out the Woodworking Grand Champion prize this year for his rubber-band
repeater rifles and stand.
A few of the club members - from the left: Jeff, Clarrie, Robert (Sec'), Ray,
Ken and Jamey.
The usual bloke was incapacitated so Clarrie did all the lathe demonstrating
this year!
2020 . . .
Cancelled due to Covid-19.
2019 . . .
Crowds were down again for this years show but the club still put on a good display for the competition
and kept the kids busy making toys. Our raffle prize this year was a very versatile desk/entertainment unit
that sold a good number of tickets considering the low numbers passing through.
The lucky punter with her prize!
The main cabinet has four large drawers and the two narrow drawers in
the 'fly' are reversible so the fly can face either direction - a real 'fit
anywhere' item. This project was also the first time the club had tackled
large hand-cut dovetails which turned out pretty good - will certainly never
fall apart!.
The club left it's run a bit late for the Club Challenge and settled on
a theme of 'Motion' using any timber you want instead of the usual limited
supply of timber with an open brief so entries were down a bit. The
Woodturner got the nod from the judge and the Peoples Choice award.
The guys were kept busy again this year selling out of toy rifles as
well as ptting together quite a few 'fairy wands'.
Each section of the open competition scored a few entries giving us a
wide range of items.
Jeffs 'Knot' took out the overall champion award.
The 'Childs Toy' and Novice sections had more entries than usual this
year which was great to see.
A few more entries in the furniture section this year was good to see
too . . .
. . . and then there was those blokes playing on the lathe as always!
2018 . . .
The turn-out for the show this year was disappointing at best with the
crowd staying away in droves even though the weather was great. That said,
the woodwork section still attracted plenty of interest and a couple of new
members to the club so we're not complaining.
At
least the people that did turn up were a discerning bunch who helped break
our record for raffle ticket sales yet again!!! This year the club made this
desk from Sally Wattle we milled ourselves which was won by a chap from the
Gemfields.
This years club challenge timber was a 600mm length of Sally wattle slab
and 1200mm length of random 75x75mm eucalypt (example in bottom right of
picture).
As you can see, chairs were an obvious choice for a project! Clarrie won
the day with his segmented platter (centre).
A wide range of entries was seen in the general woodworking competition.
A few furniture pieces made their way into the display but the smallest
of items took out the champion prize - a collection of business-card pocket
boxes.
The new kids projects made their debut this year and proved very popular with lots of
pirate swords and fairy wands getting waved around at siblings. . . but the rifles are
still the number one choice for at least half the kids!
The girls had a ball decorating their fairy wands . . . another delighted customer!
Will wonders never cease! - there was actually a new bloke demonstrating
on the lathe this year
. . . and the same one as every other year as well!
2017 . . .
The weather for this years show was just about perfect and even though the
crowd was late building up, we still managed to break our own records for both
raffle ticket sales and toy sales. Gotta be happy with that!
The clubs raffle prize this year was a dining table made from
Lemon-scented Gum that the club harvested and milled themselves. The design
includes a pole 'stretcher' that came from an old stable which is possibly Ironbark. Hardly a soul walked past without feeling the urge to touch the
table and once they had done that, the tickets just sold themselves. The
table was won by a very happy Diane O'Brien from Emerald.
The only toy kits we had this year was rifles and we somehow had just
the right amount of kits prepared, only running out just as everyone was
packing up!
One of our new members came up with an idea for another kit for next
years show which should make a nice change for the kids who already have
several of our rifles! - Pirate swords that the kids can put together
themselves! Come along in 2018 and check them
out!
Our club challenge this year was to make what ever we wanted from a
natural edged slab of Sally Wattle about 900mm long and 300mm wide. We left
the handing out of the timber far too late this year which limited the
number of entries dramatically but still made a fair display.
The People's Choice award this year went to Ray's 'Turtle' step which he
whipped up on the Sunday before the show - cutting it fine indeed!
Though
we didn't break any records for entry numbers in the general competition,
the variety of the entries was excellent. Everything from the usual vases
and boxes . . . .
. . . to a hammer-mill simulation and some cattle yards!
We had lots of junior entries this year which was great to see.
The Woodworking overall champion prize this year went to one of Jeff's segmented forms.
. . . . and then there was that bloke demonstrating on the lathe
. . . . again!!!
2016 . . .
With Emerald's economy still very much in the doldrums, there were fears
the show wouldn't see much of a turnout but all things considered, the club
still did quite well.
A big change in our displays this year following the expansion into another
third or so of the pavilion. The four solid hardwood workbenches the guys
made during the year doubled as display stands and hessian backdrops hiding
the junk in our shelving worked out much better than previous years.
Plenty of entries and variety in the competition this year, aided greatly by a very
productive new member. Everything from a CNC'd grandmother clock to a
replica stationary engine with a foot-switch so the kids could have a go at
making it run - it even sounded like the real thing!
Our Club challenge this year was a very real challenge - each entrant was given
two 1"x1" and a 2"x1" Northern Silky Oak 'garden stake' plus another 1"x1"
random species - all very well weathered while sitting for some years at a
disused sawmill up North. All things considered, the standard of entries was
excellent and I think the guys enjoyed trying to make the most of such
'ordinary' materials!
One day every kid in Emerald is going to have so many toy rifles stashed
at home that we aren't going to be able to sell any more . . . but still
they come!
The clubs raffle prize understandably gained a lot of attention this
year - a very solidly built kitchen bench/butchers block featuring
dovetailed joints on the frame and an 'Illusion' end-grain cutting board
recessed into the Beefwood top to pick up the spills. A very nice bit of
furniture which was won by an employee of the local hardware store that
supports the club so well - a very happy ending for all!
And there's that bloke at the lathe again! Making cute little mice this
year which proved popular.
2015 . . .
The 2015 show got off to a very slow start but finished quite well for the club considering the effect the mining slump is having on the town.
Emeralds economy might be sliding but club membership has taken off so well we've had to expand our workshop to fit us all in.
The lads designed and built this collectors coffee table for this years raffle prize from Silver Oak
they felled and milled themselves.
Ticket sales didn't break any records but were still good considering
the number of visitors . . . . and the winner wasn't a club members relative
for once!!!
This years challenge was to make something from a piece of Bloodwood or
Bluegum, 200x50x1000mm long or 100x100x1000mm long. The standard was good
and some of the new members dived right into the competition as well.
Graeme's
windmill (left) breezed in the People's Choice award, pumping water
continuously during the show helping the voting along!
Vern's suspended jewellery cabinet (right)took the main prize.
Entries in the general woodworking competition were way down this year,
many of the usuals contributors were simply otherwise occupied but hopefully
we'll make up for it next year!
Steve helping a budding young woodie put a toy rifle together. As
always, the toy guns were the main event and we sold out completely at the
last minute. Work is already underway to make sure we don't run out in 2016.
A few quick pointers on how to put a stool together and another young
cabinet-maker is born!
And that bloke on the lathe was at it again filling the pavilion with
camphor-laurel fumes!
2014 . . .
Things got off to a very slow start this year, the mining downturn has
reduced the population a lot and slowed peoples spending but overall the
club did OK.
Entries in the general woodworking competition were down a bit this year
but the juniors had been busy which was good to see.
What we lacked in numbers for the furniture competition we made up
for in the size of the entries!
The Club challenge this year was to make whatever you liked from a
billet of Klinki Pine (200x100x600mm) - such a soft timber that making
anything from it was a challenge!
As well as the usual toy rifles and planes, we added some stools to the
kids projects this year which proved popular (even with the ones that
weren't ready to let go of mums hand yet!)
A butchers block made from Bluegum and Dead Finish for the clubs raffle
prize proved so popular it topped our raffle ticket sales record!
An additional competition for the public this year was to come up with a
name for Michael's CNC cut dinosaur, the prize being the little dinosaur
beneath him. The big fella has since taken up residence at Emeralds science
centre.
The club was happy to present our major sponsors with some CNC carved
clocks this year to show our appreciation. Eddie from Allens Cabinets is
pictured receiving his clock from Club secretary Michael Brosnan.
2013 . . .
The weather was perfect this year and while gate numbers
were down, the club still had a pretty good run.
The variety of entires was great this year with some welcome surprises
in what people are tackling in the district.
The overall Champion ribbon was taken out by Mark Hatchman this year with his
beautifully made hall table . . . . . .
. . . . and Graeme Sypher took out a well deserved 1st prize for his turned Camphor
Laurel hat.
This
years Club Challenge was to make whatever we could from four lengths of
kiln-dried 75x35mm hardwood offcuts from a roof truss maker. While entries
were down a little, the quality was still there with Mel Slade taking 1st
prize for his intarsia piece and Charlie New taking 1st in the junior
section for his long-bow.
The club raffle prize was a bar made from Blue Gum slabs which attracted
a lot of attention . . . . and the winning ticket happened to belong to . .
. . . . the club secretary!!!!
The toy making went well again this year with some kids coming back for
their 4th or 5th years - and most still have the toys they made the fist
time they came to the stand! A stool kit put together by Tony as a trial
proved very popular so look out for them on the stand next year.
Included in the display this year was a mobile kitchen stand the club
made for a property owner who was generous enough to allow us to collect
some timber on their land. The stand was all made from Gidgee from the
property and the top was Camphor Laurel.
2012 . . .
Things were looking gloomy for this years show until the rain backed off just in time. Gate numbers
were good and the club had another great time of it.
The club was very proud of the solid Blue Gum mobile kitchen bench we made
for this years raffle. Tickets sold really well and the bloke who won it
also won the second prize of a Lazy Susan!!!
Our Club challenge this year was to make whatever we liked from common
radiata pine as long as the finished product weighed between 2.5 and 5.0kg.
We didn't get a lot of entries but the standard was high and Jon's
"air-engine" which is powered by a vacuum cleaner running in reverse was a
hit with the crowd.
A record number of entries in the woodworking competition gave us our best
display yet, particularly in the furniture division where we had to extend
the enclosure just to fit them all in!
Also on display this year was some of Michael's CNC work and some
restoration work from Darryl. Please contact the club if you are interested
in either field so that if there is enough interest, a competition division
can be created for them.
Making toys with the kids got off to a slow start this year but we still
just about sold out of kits by the end of the show. People just didn't seem
to be spending as much this year.
Demonstrations on the lathe went ahead again this year with Neil visiting
from Sydney with his thread chasing tools for us to have a play with.
2011 . . .
Yet another good show for the club. Plenty of people through our
pavilion and excellent weather.
The Red Bauhinia slab bar the club made for our raffle prize proved a big
hit with the crowd and ticket sales went through the roof!
This years Club challenge was to make anything you wanted from three pine boards
approximately 16x180x900mm. While we didn't overflow with entries, there was
a good variety of projects on show with Mel's turned vase winning the senior
section and a tote winning the junior section . . . . . and as always,
Barry's cattle truck scored the people's choice award.
The general woodworking competition entries were down in numbers but still
up there in enthusiasm.
The toy making for the kids was a hit again this year...
... and this is our youngest member, Charlie, showing me how it's done!
We also had the trophies we had made for the Twin Hills Rodeo on display.
...or maybe it was this smile that sold so many raffle tickets!?!?!
2010 . . .
Another great show this year saw us spreading out a bit into the next
pavilion.
Entries were down a bit but good crowds and great weather made up for it.
This years challenge theme was 'Recycling' with a common pine pallet as the
source of timber. The standard of entries was high even if the numbers were
low.
A carved Gecko trinket box took out 1st prize.
The cattle truck that won the Peoples Choice award.
A couple of entries making excellent use of their pallet.
The woodworking section enjoyed a wide range of entry types this year
with everything from large furniture items to carving and complex models.
This years raffle prize was a set of cattle-yards which proved very popular
with the club also scoring orders for a few more from those that didn't
trust their luck in the raffle.
The toy kits went so quickly this year that by the end of the show we were selling off the display sets!
Hmmm! - wasn't that kid
in the line-up last year too?!?!?
... and there was that bloke demonstrating on the lathe again!
2009 . . .
The weather could not have been better this year (for a change) with winter
holding off completely until after the show. We didn't get time to make
anything big to raffle this time but a Gidgee lamp still attracted a lot of
punters.
Our judge for the competitions was Dave Drescher of SouthEast Queensland
Woodworking Supplies and his mobile shop outside the pavillion was an added
attraction.
This year we got to demonstrate on our brand new lathe, courtesy of the Gambling
Fund grant.
The
general competition this year was a bit down on entries compared to last
year but it's been a busy year for the club which doesn't leave much time
for our own projects. Mel Slade's wooden clock pretty much stole the show
and scored him the Champion award.
The
challenge competition this year was using 2 pieces of Spotted gum, 50 x 150
x 600mm supplied by the club. Entry numbers weren't that good but the
standard of entries was high.
Winners of the senior challenge from left to right... John New (2nd), Vern Bunn (1st)
and Mel Slade (peoples choice).
The junior challenge entries.
Show steward and EWG member, Kev Pearce, presenting the junior challenge 1st prize.
The toy kits went off like frogs in a sock this year. We added rifles and
tommy-guns to the range this time and could barely keep up to the demand.
The girls were just as keen to swing a hammer as the boys with maybe a
future chippie or two among them.
Of course the boys couldn't get enough of the guns and the parents all said
they would prefer these to the plastic ones in the showbags that cost five
times more and wouldn't last until the weekend.
All in all a great show for the club and a good time had by all.
2008 . . .
A club challenge was introduced this year where people could purchase a
random pack of NG Red Cedar (well we think it was!!!) and produce whatever they liked to
enter into the competition. The response was great
attracting entries from outside the district as well and some
excellent work was produced.
These are a random selection of the entries...
... and the winner is!
We added toy cars and doll cradles to the DIY kits menu this year and the kids
loved them. Lots of future woodies out there if we can spark their interest
early enough.
The raffle prize this year was a bloodwood outdoor setting which had no
trouble attracting ticket sales.
The woodturning demonstrations ran again for 2008 - outside the pavilion as the weather was good.
Entries for the general competition were of a high standard this year with
some coming from outside the district - here's a few examples...
A NSW Rosewood collectors cabinet that won the Open woodworking section.
2007 . . .
2007 was a bigger undertaking with more going on than just the competition and even though the
show was washed out with rain, the event was still quite a success for the club. A Bloodwood Squatters
chair and a huge blanket box made by the club were raffled off with keen ticket
uptake by those who braved the weather.
Bloodwood Squatters chair.
Discussing the finer points of blanket box construction.
Woodturning demonstrations were running almost constantly throughout the
show plus a video display of club activities and other woodie related items
looped continually.
An idea that proved very popular was some toy aeroplane
'kits' the club cut out and predrilled for the kids to put together themselves.
We ran out of the kits very early so will be doing a much bigger batch for next year.
2006 . . .
The group took over managing the woodworking competition and display at the annual
Emerald show in 2006. Not a bad display for our first shot at it.
