Events
World Migratory Bird Day event with FWP
Join us at Montana WILD to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day! This free festival will include over 20 bird-related stations run by partner organizations including the Forest Service, Montana Discovery Foundation, Lake Helena Watershed Group, Birds and Beasleys, Prickly Pear Land Trust, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Last Chance Audubon, and the Bureau of Reclamation. These stations will feature guided bird walks, educational activities, live raptors, crafts, a taco truck, the book-mobile and so much more! We hope to see you there!
We had been ask to participate. Jake and few others will be in attendance, helping out at the bird house building table.
Ahead of the event we are seeking wood donations to precut material needed to build the bird houses. If you have any pine or native wood species 1in thick 6in wide 10 ft long to donate please contact any Cabinet member or email.
Please visit Montana WILD to learn more about the event details.
Helena Spring Art Walk
We have been welcomed back to Brothers Tapworks to display our wares during the Spring Art Walk. They have mentioned that we can utilize space outside on the walking mall, weather permiting.
Visit Omerta Arts to register as a participating artist starting April 1st. Dont forget to NOTE that your host is Brothers Tapworks.
We ask that all our participants are active MTWG members in order to display at Brothers Tapworks.
SponCon with Habitat for Humanity and Rotary Club
SponCon challenges community teams to push the boundaries of creativity! Using free upcycled materials from the ReStore, teams have seven hours to design and build the most innovative, functional, and visually stunning creations imaginable. This event is a joint fundraiser for the Helena Area Habitat for Humanity and the Rotary Club of Helena.
Participant Rules and Guidelines can be found here.
6 person per team. We can have more than one team competeing.
If you are interested in joining a team, please sign up below.
Helena Meeting - Sharpen up
As the weather warms some of us hobbyists are moving back into the shop, and after a good spring cleaning what do most of us do? We sharpen our tools.
Join us at Rising Sun Woodworking where our host Jeff Camplese and others will demonstrate how to sharpen chisels and plane irons.
Feel free to bring your own equipment and we can all sharpen together.
Getting up into the Gulch this time of year might be challenging, but the snow is melting fast. Parking could be limited, please carpool.
Please RSVP for this event by filling out below
Joinery Show & Tell - Meeting
The joint making fun continues with a show and tell of your joint creation. We ask that all participate and bring a prefabricated joint to show off. This can be a completed project, or a simple practice piece done with scraps. If you want to get fancy and bring some glue and do the glue up in front of everyone that would be a great addition! Stay tuned for further details.
Mortise & Tenon "Router Style" - Workshop 2
Andy Thornton will demonstrate a different technique for completing a M&T joint using router methods. Seeing two different techniques for completing the same joint should make for some interesting conversation and learning.
Workshops are limited to 12 attendees. Slots will be fullfiled on a first come first served basis.
Any active member can reserve a slot by emailing admin@montanawoodworkersguild.org
Please specify in the email that you would like to attend one or both workshops.
We will send you a confirmation email with the location and further details.
No food or alchohol will be allowed during workshops.
Mortise & Tenon - Workshop 1
Jacob Franklin will be giving a demonstration on the simple methods of mortise and tenon creation. Featuring a table saw tenon and a hand mortise technique, this lesson will leave you with some tips and tricks that you can apply with little equipment and easy steps. This will be a confidence booster for those who have yet to tackle this joint
Workshops are limited to 12 attendees. Slots will be fullfiled on a first come first served basis.
Any active member can reserve a slot by emailing admin@montanawoodworkersguild.org
Please specify in the email that you would like to attend one or both workshops.
We will send you a confirmation email with the location and further details.
No food or alchohol will be allowed during workshops.
End of year gathering
Come help us celebrate the Holidays, Bill's retirement, and deliver a thank you to Brother's Tapworks for hosting us at the Fall Art Walk.
Helena Fall Art Walk
Come see us at Brother’s Tapworks on the walking mall in downtown Helena! Several Guild members will be be there selling and displaying their work.
Helena Meeting - Japanese Tools and Techniques
We have the opportunity to get to know Chris Weslosky this Month. Chris was bitten by the wood bug around 12 years ago while in college studying architecture. He has been woodworking professionally ever since and has had projects ranging from foundation to finish home building, timber framing, production cabinetry, and fine furniture. His most recent work exemplifies his passion for Japanese woodworking tools and joinery. He is a member of KEZUSA, The Timber Framers Guild, and is always looking for more ways to craft and make connections along the way.
Join us at Chris' modest abode to talk shop and try out a Japanese pull plane. He is located at 1700 5th Avenue in Helena. Please bring a snack and drink of choice. We will not be serving a main dish at this meeting.
Details:
October 14, 2024 at 5:30 PM
1700 5th Avenue, Helena Montana
Bring a snack and a drink of choice
A folding chair might be a great idea
Agenda:
Update from the Cabinet
Open Treasury seat starting in December
Fall Art Walk
Sponsorship program
Logo design competition
Chris Weslosky will introduce himself
Helena Meeting - Clancy Timber Frame
Kyle Hilmer has invited us to his timber frame carriage house he built with hand tools and raised with a capstan winch, blocks and tackle.
Parking is sparse, there is only room for about 15 cars, so please RSVP so we can make arrangements to shuttle people up to the site from the vacant Legal Tender restaurant if we have a large group. Or consider carpooling with someone you know.
Kyle and his wife have graciously offered to make pulled pork sandwiches for us. We will be putting out a wooden bowl for donations to cover their costs. Please bring your drink of choice, and a side dish, dessert, or a bag of chips to share.
Helena Meeting - Hand Planes
Please consider joining us for the next guild meeting at Andrew Thorntons garage shop on August 5th. Jeff Miller has a garage shop just across the alley as well. Maybe we can rope him into this.
We are hoping to discuss the current structure of the guild and put some new leadership in place. Jacob Franklin has ideas that he would like to share with us, but this will be an open discussion so all ideas are welcome.
Meeting Details
Date and Time: August 5th. 5:30-7:00 pm.
Location: 211 S Montana. Enter the backyard through the right side gate.
Food: The guild will provide a main dish. Please consider bring a side or drink to share.
Agenda
Call for nomination of all roles.
Call a vote for all roles.
Discuss future agenda. (proposed by new leadership)
Talk shop.
Andy will showcase his hand tool collection. Easily the most Lie Nielsen one will encounter in one space at one time! Unless they tour the factory. Each tool lends an interesting dialog. Perhaps they could be set up to be demonstrated/tested.
Hope to see you all there!
