The Villages - July 2022 - 24

Several women hover over other tables and machines.
" This isn't just man's work; some of these women have better
skills than I've got, " he says, laughing.
One of the women is crafting fine wooden pens for troops.
It's one of the club's many charity projects they do throughout
the year. They also make urns for veterans and toys for
donation to a number of organizations, including Children's
Home Society of Florida, Operation Christmas Child and local
elementary schools.
In 2020, the club made 80 urns and have made 3,000 pens
to date. This year, they've crafted 250 pens and continue to
assemble more weekly. Villagers also are recipients of custom
pieces made by request. They simply pay for the lumber and are
asked to donate any amount to help support the club. As of April
2022, the club completed 150 projects, and sold 455 Samba
boards and 20 slant boards. Thanks to the generosity of local
doners, the club has raised more than $10,000.
" We get all kinds of requests, " Scott said. " Residents can
come in with their broken furniture, and we see if we can fix it
and how much it will cost for the lumber. "
" So far this year, I think we've had a couple of donations for
special projects, " Scott said. " They're a good source of income. "
Outside of the work floor, members' handiwork shines, filling
rooms with tables, cabinets, shelving, a wall of storage lockers
and more.
" The developer gave us the land, and we did a lot of the
physical labor, " Scott said. " We bought all that machinery; we'd
been saving for several years because we anticipated this - we
knew it was coming. "
The club put $485,000 into the shop, including an elevator.
Annual membership dues helped cover a small portion of that,
and the club maintains a fund for future machinery.
TECHNOLOGY TO MASTER THE TRADE
Various rooms are allotted for certain tasks - assembly and
gluing, supply ordering, training, glass work, carving and more.
Educational classes are available beyond the initial training as
well.
" They sign up for (a class), and we have experienced members
like myself who can work with them one-on-one - show them
how to make the cuts. "
In the technology lab, woodworkers can prepare for their
projects, via internet tutorials and advanced production
software. Scott admits he's barely dabbled in the digital offerings,
but is impressed with members who successfully use technology.
" Four or five years ago, a guy brought in the first machine
and I said, 'Yeah, okay,' but now we're seeing more of an interest
in the computer side of it. This is like, where they can get a Ph.D.
in it. The guys are pretty good. "
24
JULY 2022
The Villages - July 2022

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