Metro Detroit Metalworking Club

September 2005

President’s Message: Greetings. Leonard Kopich’s wife mentioned to me she likes to grab our club newsletter and read it before Leonard does. I took this as a compliment. Thanks for the kind words. Maybe we should go national… One thing that would make it even better is if we could get articles or other submissions from members. While an article is the most obvious, a submission need not be that formal. How about a chart you find handy, a list of your favourite vendors, metalworking jokes, book reviews, or Internet address that you frequent? Give us whatever you have and we can take it the rest of the way. So show what you know and get your name in bold print!

Meeting Minutes AUG 10, 2005 .

Meeting opened at 7:40 with John Osborne Chair.

Editors note: Minutes were apparently taken at the Aug 10 meeting by the Vice-President, but were unavailable to me at press time.

The following Show & Tell report and photos are courtesy John Osborne.

SHOW & TELL

Joe Pietsch seems to be unofficial club librarian. He brought in the magazine pictured to the right and a catalog of all the shows related to old farm equipment and engines. It was 1 ½” thick! I had no idea of the popularity of this kind of thing.

MDMC Field Trip, Sunday August 21/05 to the 48^th Annual Western Ontario Steam Threshers Show at Brigden , Ontario .

Unfortunately, this event was not well attended by MDMC, but Bert Campbell and Joe Pietsch met up with Brian and Frances Lawson about 11:30AM Sunday. Joe and Bert had driven all the way back from a visit with Bob Lorenz in Mesick in time to attend, and brought along just perfect weather with them. A truly gorgeous day, with the grounds in perfect condition, and you’d never know that the show had torrents of rain just the day before. Everybody was very enthusiastic about all there was to see, and had a good look around at the numerous displays and activities. Photos follow. And we had a burger BBQ at Brian’s late in the afternoon, along with some of that good Canadian beer!

Here is Mark Clark, a local Thresherman and a friend of Brian’s, moving his traction engine into position to run the saw mill.

At the show, I met two Australian steam buffs who were “doing a walk-about” of North America , attending as many of these shows as possible, and they were having a great day on a great trip. Sorry I didn’t get their names!

A young steam/ tractor enthusiast who was doing a “ride-about” hauling firewood for the BIG boiler. I worried the whole time that he would get flattened by one of the huge traction engines which were moving along the same roads as he was, but he was a very careful driver, and was waiting patiently for the tractor pulls to begin.

This was the largest fly-wheel at the show. It dwarfs the boiler providing steam to it.........

...and the boiler needs two men feeding it when it burns wood. Note the fire-box roaring away.

Unique to this show, a great newly restored veneer lathe, from a basket factory in Forest . At top, short logs in the front, thin slice out the back-side below.

The Sarnia ME club was out in force.......including.....

master craftsman Dirk Henkeman, a mainstay at the Bluewater club for many years.

He has modeled any number of farm machines including this detailed packer/bailer....and we even got to see Dirk

demonstrating making an on-site belt replacement for it...........or..(cont’d)

...or was it for this very unique cross-cut saw?

A whole table of the group’s fine workmanship, all turning silently,.... on air pressure of only 7 PSI. Wow!!! And that also jncluded ....

.....this 4 cylinder “elbow engine” which turns not only the fly-wheel, but the cylinder block too.

After the show, it’s on to the Lawson’s in downtown Bothwell. As you can see, the house isn’t much.....

....but there was lots to eat!!! It’s like this everyday!!