MONTHLY HAPPENINGS
Monday January 5, 2026 the first meeting the second meeting will be Monday is December 19, 2025. Meetings are 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The following Saturday is the 24th is the fourth Saturday and our first “Workshop Meeting” from 9:00AM to Noon.
Ralph Cooper will present the financial report followed by a business meeting.
The first Monday meeting will include a knife drawing raffle.
Ralph Cooper will be collecting dues for 2026—$25 per individual and $35 per family—so please plan accordingly.
At our first Monday meeting of each we’d love for everyone to bring any new carvings completed since the last Show‑N‑Tell; Ralph will be on hand to photograph them for the club’s website.
In preparation for next year’s ornament program we have purchased wood for approximately 225 ornaments. If you have a particular ornament pattern that you would like to include in the carving available please bring those to the meeting. Ralph has offered to produce custom laser cut patterns from your design. Thank all of you for participation with the children’s ornament project.
We will be continuing a discussion about the Expo in 2026. If we do not get additional people to help form committees for the show we will be forced to cancel the show. It is simply overwhelming for just two people two members as was last year’s show. Ralph has outlined a preliminary list of show tasks and we need other members willing to fill some of these tasks. If you have a particular interests in an aspect of the show please express this interest in the pass around. A copy of the tasks is included with this mailing. .
CLUB PROJECTS
We will begin the year with a project to carve one or more Gnomes. The basis for this carving comes from Youtube videos by Doug Linker. Please feel free to preview the videos prior to the meeting. He tends to make the step by step procedure simple with good carving technique tips as a bonus. Being able to stop the video throughout the carving is handy. He presents two variations of gnomes one male and one female with links enclosed
(How to Carve a Simple 6″ Gnome -One Knife -Full Tutorial – YouTube) and (Carve a Simple 6″ Female Gnome -Knife Only -Full Tutorial).
In advance of spring we have created some spring themed variations of the base gnome. If you have an interest in a particular variation I can produce side and back views for them. We have blanks for at least a dozen gnomes. The cost for the wood blank is $5.00 including any additional artwork.
Reworking the Saturday meetings changed to a “Carving Workshop day” will begin on the fourth Saturday meetings in 2026. The first workshop will be an exploration of how we keep our knives sharp and in good working condition through the year. Over the last years I have accumulated various techniques for keeping my equipment sharp and I an m sure others also have a preference. We will also include the equipment that the club has in the cabinets to maintain sharpness. This is a chance to share this knowledge with the group for the betterment of us all. A future workshop will address how to reshape and sharpen a damaged knife blade.
Ralph Cooper will present two designs for walking‑stick toppers, inviting members to consider them as the featured projects for the upcoming 2026 monthly activities. Anyone who has a project they would like to lead the group through is encouraged to speak I am sure that there are plenty of individual projects that can become club projects!
PAST HAPPENINGS
We delivered over 220 ornaments to inner city Covington school Kindergarteners and 10 ornaments were delivered to an adult workshop in Indiana and provided 35 ornaments to the orphanage for this past Christmas. Photos of the workshop people receiving their ornaments will be posted on the web site.
FUTURE HAPPENINGS
Miami Valley Wood Carving Show: This year’s show will be Saturday, March 7th, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday, March 8th, 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM. Those desiring to enter the carving competition must do so on Friday evening, March 6th. RVWC has already reserved a club table. Additional information can be obtained at http://miamivalleywoodcarvers.com/index.php/annual-show/. Please consider supporting our sister club up north.
April 24th,25th, and 26th we will have guest instructor Floyd Rhadigan in the area to provide expert tutorial of carving technique. The cost of the three day instruction is $160.00 and Floyd will be selling his rough outs for the instructions. Please feel free to visit his web site (Floyd Rhadigan – Caricature Carvers of America or www.fantasycarving.com) if you are interested we need a minimum of 8 people to make it worthwhile for Floyd to come. Floyd is a member of the Caricature Carvers of America organization. I will have a signup sheet at the first two meetings this month.
Buckeye Woodcarvers Roundup will be July 15-18, 2026 at the Poor Farmers Campgroundlocated at 7211 Lostcreek-Shelby Road in Fletcher Ohio 45326 phone contact number 937.368.2449. Contact Barb Foster for the show at 937.214.0790 for the show or visit the web site at www.buckeyewoodcarversroundup.com. This is a excellent opportunity to see the mechanics of how others create their carving and to meet some very good instructors and fellow carvers.
MISCELLANEOUS
Speaking of the web site, be sure to stop by and check out the latest posts; a heartfelt thank you goes to Ron Gabelman for his diligent work keeping everything looking fresh and up‑to‑date.
Robin Hahn
Mobile Phone 513.205.8839
Home Phone 859.441.2635
