Joe Lambert
Active member
The meeting which was held in Springfield Va was a great day to learn. Jeff Headley and Steve Hamilton presented 18th century bed construction. A discussion showing various regional characteristics of Virginia beds laid the foundation for understanding how beds were made. Steve presented a jig he used when measuring where to place the bed bolt,and a jig he used to measure the proper placement of the bed bolt. Jeff showed a simply made carving jig to hold carved/turned posts or legs to carve or reed. Another bed carving jig was presented by John Davis. After lunch Jeff came back to show how to properly dress 18th century beds and different designs in some of Virginia's historic sites. The evening was terminated with a great discussion on finishes. How to build color and the difference in stains, gel fillers, water stains, and building the final finish by Charles Neil. Few can argue that there are many products out there and Governmental standards are forcing finish makers to produce better products but a greater need to understand them. Woodcraft of Springfield was very gracious in providing a great place to learn.