Bob Grames with his rendition of our very own Wildhorse Grill design. Look closely and you can see each individual end grain square.
Joni Matthiessen
We have a lot of new, inexperienced members in the woodshop who are benefiting from our mentor program. We have also gained several new members who have been working with wood in their own shops for years. They really know what they are doing and are already mentoring.
One such guy is Bob Grames who has only been here at the Ranch for a few months. Bob had a full shop before moving to Robson, but like most folks, sold a lot of his equipment before relocating. Bob did bring along his own CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) machine and is very proficient at programming and has been creating beautiful stuff for quite some time. One of his latest pieces created in our shop is a beautiful rendition of our very own Wildhorse Grill design. A lot of time was spent cutting, arranging, and then gluing the wood back together to get this designed block of wood. Looking closely, you can see each individual end grain square.
While Bob was working on this piece, another new member came in and needed help in selecting wood and then getting the wood prepped. So, Bob let the CNC machine run its course and stepped up to help. He showed our new member how to use the compound miter saw to cut a length of rough wood, clean it up on the planer, clean the sides using the jointer and, lastly, use the table saw to get strips of wood ready for a project. This is one of the best perks of being a member of the shop—there is always someone willing to stop what they are doing and help another member learn how to safely use the equipment.
Be on the lookout for Bob’s creation—it may show up at the Grill, it may be in our display window, or it may just be an item for sale this fall in the annual Women’s Club Craft Sale in October. Its final resting place has yet to be determined!
Special thanks to Bob, as well as all our mentors, who take the time to make sure the shop stays a safe and informative place for all of us to learn and play!