The NERBs Gatherings are a unique opportunity for rod builders to spend a day learning new techniques, getting hands on answers to problems they are having, seeing and purchasing new products & blanks, meeting other local builders, and having a fun time. Each topic is covered until the builders understand “how to”. This might take 10 minutes or it might take 3 hours, but rest assured you will leave the gathering with a detailed understanding of the techniques covered. There are a lot of gatherings scheduled for 2012, I hope to see builders come back to multiple gatherings and see their progress on their rods using the info learned from The NERBs.
For 2012 the admission is $40 which includes lunch, drinks, snacks, sometimes donuts and coffee & dessert.After your first 2012 gathering the admission is $20 (or if you came to one in Fall 2011)
If anyone is looking for 1 on 1 classes with Billy Vivona, these will be available during the week day or night all year long.
e-mail xlrods@yahoo.com to sign up for a gathering or inquire about a class
To see what The NERBs are about and how much fun we have, events click a year:
8 jam packed hours of how to make grip inlays: basic trim rings, ellipticals, checkerboards, random abstracts, images, boring, shaping, sanding, installing. I will make several grips so you can see the process from beginning to end, so be prepared to huff contact cement for 8 hours. ** I will be selling cork & foam at a significant discount to all those that attend, so come prepared to stock up. **
February 11 Leominster, Mass
February 25 & 26 - High point, NC - ICRBE
March 3 Tri State Rodbuilders - Peosta, Iowa. Contact Mark Blabaum at hellsangler@live.com There is no admission and includes food and presentations from 9-4PM. Excellent opportunity to learn from a master at creating beautiful inlayed wood handles and amazing Decorative Wraps.
Gluing - how to glue properly, how to fix an inlay that splits,power reaming, installation
Sanding - which paper, what grits, sanding block, what speed, dust removal
Trim Rings - OLD WAY with pre-cut rings; how to cut rings with thread, razor blade, band saw, by hand with saw; consistant width rings (bi-cutters, dividers, masking tape, bandsaw) line up on mandrel to glue up; glue one side at a time NEW WAY - glue up sheets, determine inlay placement ongrip, cut consistant end caps, glue to sheet, punch holes with bandsaw, glue entire grip at the same time
Checkerboards - my jig, mudhole's jig, bandsaw production method, egyptian checkers, bricks, must use same ID/OD grips, re-build grip making sure ID lines up, glue up half and half, aligning pieces, marking pieces before you start.
Elipticals - squaring grip, markin ggrip, reference points, removing what you put back, eyeball cuts vs miter guage cuts, making a jig, angles and hoe the inlay shortens after turning/sanding,width of inlay strip and how the angle makes it look once turned, staying square while making grip, iprotance of boring
Randome Abstracts - square to start, glue up full sheets, cutting curves, removing what you put in on the second axis, kaliedescoping
Circles & Vees - Steve K method. Setting miter guage, adding trim, marking each piece, boring on center
Herringbones - starting with a square, cutting aperfect X, size of trim vs main inlay color, making the eye on the side, making a chevron, number of bones to make
Image inlays - BC method, printouts, tape, cut, EVA sheets, jigsaw puzzle, gluing up, digging out grip, little at a time, keep checking, PC7, using a dremel to dig out, using the Dremel router base best method, sawtooth trim My method - scrollsaw, stacking, sizing image printout, prepping image in Paint, stripping, wrapping, getting the seam to close Combine both do BC's method, wrap it around no need to dig out grip ever again. Much better for most.
February 2012 The International Custom Rod Exposition
