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Sometime last summer, my son found and remembered a saying that he found. Told me it would make a great plaque.  Being that he was a paratrooper and jumped into Panama and led the French on their "end run" into Iraq during Desert Storm, I had to do something special that was just for him.  This plaque is the finished project.  Oh, yeh, the jump wings - - before we did our 14,500 foot jump a couple af years ago, he placed a bag in my pocket and told me to give it back to him after we jumped.  In the bag was his jump wings and his comment was "I jumped with these wings and now you have jumped with my wings.  The patch on the plaque are those wings.  Thought it would make it very special to the both of us.  Anyhow, sorry for my ramblings, here's the picture. From flying, to jumping, to fighting on the ground.  Got it all covered.   Merry Christmas, son.

Well it is that time again. We have our last meeting of the year a week from tomorrow that is when I give the members something I made as a present.
This year I made a beam compass for that once in a lifetime time they have to mark out a circle too large for the standard Scissor compass. There are many ways to do this,a string and pencil, not very accurate, a stick with a pencil taped to it and a nail driven thru,that will work. But not as good as a fancy made wooden beam compass that should last a lifetime and be handed down to a youngster who says "Whats that thing for"?
 
The first picture is the mock up and the rest is the build.
Herb

I made this shop workbench for my oldest son.  The structure is southern yellow pine (SYP) ripper from 2” x 8” dimensional lumber and is fabricated so that it can be disassembled.  The horizontal members are attached to the side frames with 3/8” dia. bolts.  The drawers sides are made from ½” birch plywood.  The drawer bottoms are 1/8” hardboard.  The right drawer is a double drawer.  All  three drawers have dovetails joints.   The drawer slides are made from SYP.  The bottom shelf is  ½” birch plywood.  The top is made from 2 pieces of ¾” MDF and 1 piece of 1/8” hardboard banded with ¾” pine.  The Craftsman vise (made in USA) attachment will be such that it can be located on any corner of the top.
The plans for the workbench is inspired from Shopsmith magazine issue 66, December 1989.
 

Happy Veterans Day (11/11) to all veterans everywhere, alive or dead, and to their families and friends. Many thanks for everything you do and have done for us. Lots of celebrations tomorrow and Saturday hat, Army infantry, '68-'70.

  Introduction Every year The Patriot Woodworker's adopt a wounded warriors family for Christmas. We do this through a great veterans support organization named Operation Ward 57. The Patriot Woodworker's apply to Ward 57 to be accepted to receive our family for Christmas, and each year we are chosen to participate. And each year, our sponsors donate wonderful items for us to raffle for this cause. We use 100 percent of the raffle proceeds to purchase gifts for the kids, and a Christmas dinner for the family.   Our Mission  We need your help to accumulate funds for our Gold Star adopted family, who has given much to our nation in physical and emotional sacrifice and much more in family sacrifice.  All proceeds from this raffle will be used to purchase gifts for Camilla, Charlie, and mom Nicole and to provide a Christmas dinner for the family.    The Gold Star Family This year we are proud to be supporting the Merlo Family from San Marcos, California.  They include Mrs. Merlo (widow of Spc 4 Ivan Merlo), and her son Charlie at 4 years old, and Camilla at 7 years of age.   The Merlo's in Service Young Mr. and Mrs. Merlo.   History Spc 4. Ivan E. Merlo of San Marcos, California graduated from San Marcos High School in 2006. He joined the Army that October and arrived at Fort Campbell four months later. He was due to return home within two weeks after finishing a yearlong deployment in Iraq. He was supposed to serve as the best man at the wedding of his best friend and brother in combat, Pfc. Phillip J. Pannier. But Merlo and Pannier both died while waging an Army offensive targeting insurgents north of Baghdad. Just before being deployed, Ivan married his long time girlfriend, Nicole. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon, Weapons Qualification, M4, Expert. Ivan died in Samarra, Iraq of wounds sustained during combat operations at age 19.   Army Service 2nd Battalion327th Infantry Regiment 1st Brigade Combat Team101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)Fort Campbell, Kentucky   Gold Star Family History The term Gold Star family is a modern reference that comes from the Service Flag. These flags/banners were first flown by families during World War I. The flag included a blue star for every immediate family member serving in the armed forces of the United States, during any period of war or hostilities in which the armed forces of the United States were engaged. If that loved one died, the blue star was replaced by a gold star. This allowed members of the community to know the price that the family had paid in the cause of freedom. Read more...   Our prior years projects Operation Ward 57Adopt a Wounded WarriorFamily for the Holidays - 2015 Operation Ward 57Adopt a Wounded WarriorFamily for the Holidays - 2016   Click on the Raffle Ticket and support our adopted family! Tickets only $2 each with multi ticket discounts! Rules Sorry, only Residents of the US and Canada may participate All are welcome to participate, members, forum hosts, admins and non-members. (John Morris (Founder) and family may not participate) Please allow 1 to 3 weeks for delivery of prizes, most of the time prizes are sent out immediately You may purchase as many raffle tickets as you like Raffle ends midnight December 16th 2017, names will be drawn one second after midnight 4 names will be randomly drawn by Raffle River, and prizes will be awarded in the order of names drawn, starting with Laguna Certificate, then the Rikon Slow Speed Grinder, then the Woodriver Spindle Sander, then the Full Size Easy Wood Tools. You may also enter by mailing check or money order made out to The Patriot Woodworker and send too: The Patriot Woodworker - 977 Sussex Rd, San Jacinto, CA. 92583 You may also request one free entry by submitting your request through regular postal mail, please use address above.   This year, the items our sponsors have donated can be seen in the image below, these are some great prizes folks! The tickets are only 2 dollars with multiple ticket bargains, and your odds of winning are very high given our typical turnout. To view the ticket prices, and to purchase your tickets please click on the Raffle Ticket above! A full accountability of the proceeds will be reported on at the end of the raffle so you know your hard earned money was used for our Adopted Family. You may win one of the following prizes!                           4 Winners will be randomly drawn by Raffle River   In Closing Ok Patriot Woodworker's, it's time to muster and it's time to show everyone what we are all about! The purpose our woodworking community was created is for this reason, to help those who have served us, and paid the price. Remember this is not charity, this is not a hand out, this is payback!   Thank you sponsors! We also need to thank our sponsors Woodcraft Supply, Laguna Tools, and Easy Wood Tools for their generous support and for donating those wonderful items for the raffle! For without them, we would not have a community, nor would we be able to perform the work we do. Thank you guys!

Ok, Vacay is over, time to make a bit of sawdust....maybe.
Had a few Poplar boards sitting around, taking up space in the shop..

Not quite all the same sizes...little rough around the edges, too.   Bandsaw to remove some of the excess stuff..

Hello Skiler
I built a dining table using figured cherry. After sanding I wiped on a coat of BLO and let it cure for a few days. Then I wiped on 2 or 3 coats of garnet shellac with light sanding in between. Then I wiped on 3 coats of P&L 38. 
Good luck!
hat

Cradle Progress Report by Ron Dudelston,

Toys that started it, by Larry Schweitzer. Wonderful!

Current projects includes a Free Little Library.

As a site admin, I try to welcome all of the new members and encourage them to reach out and meet the existing members.  Those words of encouragement took legs for me this morning.  I have been blessed to get to know many of these TPW folks up close and personal and call them my friends as well as a resource for assistance.  Right now I am building cradle from a picture and late last night as I was running a mental plan through my head, I realized that there was a transition on the rails and stiles that I was clueless on how the cradle was built.  This morning I made two phone calls.  One to Gene Howe and the other to John Moody and between the three of us my problem was solved.  Tag on to that my discussion the other night with Lew on a pivot.  So folks, if I advise you to get to know these folks, I mean it.  There is so much wisdom and experience here that I stand in awe.  Even those of us with lots of miles under our wheels can learn from someone else.  Fortunately, we have a wealth of knowledge here on The Patriot Woodworker!

Cedar deck by Al B. This was a project earlier this summer. I removed the PT decking planks and replaced them with cedar. Also replaced the steps and top rails.

As the Marketing Manager for Easy Wood Tools I put together promotional materials and ads for our company.  I wanted to share with all of you a full page ad that will appear in an upcoming issue of Woodcraft Magazine.  With Lew's permission....

As the Marketing Manager for Easy Wood Tools I put together promotional materials and ads for our company.  I wanted to share with all of you a full page ad that will appear in an upcoming issue of Woodcraft Magazine.  With Lew's permission....

Big brown truck brought me something nice today....
26 board feet of 8/4 Macassar Ebony...
Time to get the wheels spinning...

 

 

I will post some pictures later after I get the film developed!
 
Got the CNC working today. I am cutting dadoes and shelf pin holes for the ten cabinet sides that I am building. These are the wall cabinets 39 inches tall. I have to flip the pieces once end for end because I don't have the cutting capacity to do it in one pass. If they were 37 inches, or shorter, that would be perfect. I could lay them on the x axis and make the cuts in one pass.

So, I start the cut, then go inside the house (only a few steps away), and watch a little drag racing or other things on the computer. When I hear the router shut down, I go out and flip the piece and run the file again. The sides are identical with the dadoes cut 2 inches from each end. Then half of the shelf pins are drilled starting 8 inches above where the shelf bottom (or top) will be. So I end up with identical pieces that can actually be flipped if needed, but I won't do that. I have the top of each piece marked.

Note: The work pieces are already cut to final width and length, and clamped to the bed of the CNC with the long end on the Y axis. My file cuts the dado and half of the shelf pins (1 1/4 inches apart). After flipping the work piece and cutting the remaining half, I have one side that is complete.

OOPS!, I just heard it shut down. Gotta go. Only two more sides left and I will be through. Tough job, but somebody's got to do it!

 

Ron has a good idea about the lathe and the person using it.. Comfortable to use so a person don't get wore out before he gets started using it.

 

THIS is why

 


 

Dang, hate it when that happens. Have done a few successful forms the last couple of weeks and I guess I just got to aggressive on this one. Didn't have any idea I was in trouble until it separated. I was really pleased with the form on this one too. Oh well, it's how we learn!! Movin' on

 

Steve

While building some cabinets for a kitchen remodel, I had to apply edge banding to several shelves. OK, it was 14 of them!
 

I had seen a Woodsmith video where they demonstrated how to trim the edge with a router, so I tried it. That was easy and went fairly quick also.

 

Basically, you do two or more shelves at a time. Put them on edge with a spacer in between. Then run a router with a flush trim bit along the edges. Zoom, zoom! I think the pictures tell the story better than I can describe it. The wooden hand clamps worked very well to stabilize the whole thing. Well, I might have used a couple more clamps to keep everything stable.

September 11th 2001, I woke up and went to the living room and asked my mother what movie she was watching. She turned with tears in her eyes and said it's not a movie it's the news. I was going to St Pete Community College to enter the military as an officer. I continue to get ready for the day and went to school. When I arrived the first class we turned on the TV and continued to watch. They then cancelled classes for the rest of the day. I left and immediately went to my recruiter. I told him I no longer want to finish this as an officer application but I want to go in as enlisted now. He processed my paper as fast as he could and next thing I know I was on my way to basic training. I had signed on as a uh60 helicopter repair with the possibility of going flight and being a crew chief door gunner. My first Duty station was Camp Stanley Korea with 2nd Infantry Division. When we arrived we went straight to the sergeant majors office. He asked the five of us "who would like to go into maintenance?". Three of them raise their hands and he said perfect, that's just what I needed, you two are going flight. I then reported to my company and was sent to Green platoon to learn how to be a non-rated crew member. I spent my tour in Korea doing air assault resupply missions Etc. I was then transferred to the general officer platoon due to my ability as a crew chief. I then was the personal crew chief for the assistant division Commander maneuver assistant division Commander support and the division Commander under VIP missions. When I left Korea I was sent to Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras. The main missions were humanitarian Aid and Counter Narcotics. In 2004 we had a major deployment to Haiti for "Operation Secure Tomorrow". The mission was to overthrow and oust Aristide. After 3 months we had completed our mission and preparing to redeploy back to Honduras. We then got word to stand down one week before we were going to leave due to a major incoming storm. We then provided humanitarian Aid throughout the country as it was devastated by said storm. We delivered rice water cooking supplies Etc. This is where I first truly experienced death. Bodies floating in flood waters along with bodies crushed underneath landslides with arms and legs sticking out just to name two things. We then redeployed to Honduras and I continued my missions until I I went to my next Duty station. I then was stationed with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. In 2006 we deployed to FOB Speicher, Iraq. We did resupply missions for troop movement missions and air assaults and air coverage for ground assaults Etc. On October 26th 2006 we had a mission to bring VIPs to determine how to repair and guard an oil pipeline that was blown up. We dropped off the VIPs and loitered in the area. Well wheel ordered the wind shifted 180 degrees and our new Landing Zone was in the area of Fallout from the fire. We were approximately 40 ft above ground level when the dust kicked up and stuck to the windows due to the oil in the talcum powder dust. The new pilot that was flying next to the instructor pilot panicked and dumped the collective instead of transitioning to instruments. I was standing up outside the crew window to ensure we didn't contact the pipeline. When we hit the ground I crumpled into the window frame on the side of the butterfly grips of my machine gun and the lower window sill. We then rotated on to the right landing gear and somehow managed to land back on the left. I don't understand how this happened as we were past the point of dynamic rollover. This is when the aircraft is past a certain degree that will not be able to recover and continue and roll. They denied what happened due to not wanting it on record.   After about a month I went to my platoon later and told him I cannot fly anymore as I was hurt too bad. I was denied medical care or medical evacuation and immediately transferred to the support battalion. While I was there the same aircraft came in for phase maintenance. I immediately told them not to touch the aircraft and we need to perform a hard Landing inspection due to what happened. they then went to my unit and asked where the records of this hard landing were. I don't know what was said but it was recorded somewhere and when we redeployed I was able to get checked out by the doctors. That's when they found out my neck back hips knees ankles feet and wrists were injured.   I was then transferred to the Wounded Warrior Battalion where I received treatment and was in the process of medical retirement. Unfortunately I had a suicide attempt and was inpatient at Tripler Medical Center. If you miss two appointments during your Retirement Board they cancel it and send you back to your unit. I had already been back to my unit as I was told that's where I had to be to finish my paperwork. My unit had already deployed to Afghanistan so I was placed on the rear detachment. The persons in charge were the ones that they didn't trust to deploy or hold a weapon or lead troops. While I was in the hospital the acting platoon Sergeant illegally made appointments for me knowing I couldn't make them due to being inpatient. When I saw the acting Commander he threatened me with a bat and acts, as well as another Soldier to shoot him when we go to the range next time. a short time later my wife who was pregnant with her second child and was having a complicated pregnancy was in the emergency medical care unit on base. I was told to return to my unit and I replied with "I cannot as my wife is here with serious issues". They then sent other NCO's to escort me back. I said under my breath if he threatens me again I will throw them out the window. At the time I was so medicated that I was literally drooling on myself. I was then given uniform code of military Justice punishment. they stripped me of my rank and placed me on extra Duty and as soon as that was finished I was discharged on a personality disorder.   I have spent the last seven and a half years fighting the VA to receive treatment and care that was appropriate and to receive my disability. I am still fighting with the Army to receive my medical retirement and that is where I currently stand. I was approved for Social Security disability and now currently waiting on my back pay and check but they have yet to make a decision on how much it should be. Hopefully it is what it should be as this will bring us out of the hole as I support a family of 5 solely on VA disability and a small caregiver check that my wife receives to take care of me. I personally think this is a ridiculous hell veterans! We can provide all sorts of things to illegal immigrants Etc but yet we cannot help homeless veterans and we make it extremely difficult for injured veterans to receive benefits. And that is just a brief summary of what happened during my Enlistment in the army.      

Dear Folks, as is tradition here on The Patriot Woodworker, leading up through the days to Memorial Day, we recognize and honor the service and sacrifice's made by our fallen countrymen and women.   We'd like to invite and encourage you to submit your stories, images, and family and friends remembrances, of those in your life who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our nation. Feel free to share anything related to Memorial Day as well, perhaps you have some historical information regarding this very important holiday, or more important facts that are worthy of reading and viewing.   Memorial Day, May 29th 2017 A Memorial Day Message by John Morris (Founder of The Patriot Woodworker)Memorial Day, a day of memorializing the men and women who died while in service. This is a solemn day, a day that, in a perfect world we should never have to recognize. But the reality is our country has been the tip of the spear in conflicts around the world since the time of our existence as a nation. And we have lost many Americans. In today's challenging world environment it's even more crucial than ever to give our attention to the service members who have given all to our nation in order to ensure that the citizens of our nation can go about our daily lives, living and enjoying the fruits of labor that our military and the men and women who serve have provided, and continue to provide. All too often many people in our nation will forget what this day is all about, the youth today are losing sight of what it means to give, to sacrifice, to put the person standing beside them first, instead of putting themselves first. As adults, we need to remind our youth constantly that we live in a very exceptional country, and they should take nothing for granted. We should teach them the importance of our military, and we should remind them that if for one day our military stopped working, that would be the day life as they know it would change in an instant. Our enemies would exploit the weakness, and over run our shores. Our military is a great wall, a barrier between us and the bad actors of the world. Sometimes our military has to take the fight to them, instead of letting them come here to our nation. And our men and women have given their lives on some far off piece of land in order to ensure our safety here at home. We need to drive that message home to our own kids, their friends, and even often times, the adults around us.Lets enjoy the day off, lets enjoy being in the company of the ones we love, but the whole while, lets not let the feeling of solemness, and remembrance leave our hearts. We owe those who are no longer with us, that. Just one day is all they are asking. Memorial Day, May 29th 2017. I pray that God will keep in a very special place those who died in service and long after, for they are the ones who gave of themselves selflessly, and they will be "Forever Young". And we'd like to ask all who read this to pray or offer a word of thanks at your barbecue for our troops both past and present, and set out an empty table setting over an empty chair at your dinner table, in memory, and in hope that our men and women serving today will always return home safe, and whole in mind and body.   Also may God Bless our great and very special nation, and may He protect those in harms way as they serve our country and its people today, and into the future.   Links of interest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day http://www.usmemorialday.org/ http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history http://www.military.com/memorial-day

WIN A FULL SET OF MID-SIZED EASY WOOD TOOLS!     Introduction We are pleased to bring you another great opportunity as presented by our sponsor, and friends at Easy Wood Tools. We are having a raffle! Presented to you are three beautiful turning tools donated to us, by Easy Wood Tools for the purpose of raising funds for our woodworking community.   Description The tools you will have an opportunity to win were custom made by Easy Wood Tools for us, and you. The wood used in the handles were hand picked by @Jim from Easy Wood Tools these handles are made from curly maple that Jim acquired from a nearby Woodcraft Store. Unfortunately I am not able to show you the actual handles with the curly maple, I have tried without success to take a picture displaying the curled handles, and my photography skills aren't able to capture the quality of the wood handles, but just know, they are beautiful! Above are the Easy Wood Mid-Sized Tools that are displayed on their website, you will receive the Easy Wood Mid-Sized Finisher, Rougher, and Detailer, with Curly Maple handles made just for us by the fine folks at Easy Wood Tools.   Enter the raffle Click on the green "RAFFLE" ticket! You will be presented with a choice of ticket quantities to purchase, the more you purchase, the cheaper the tickets are! Fill in your billing info at the secured server, and you're done, and good luck!     Rules Raffle starts March 3, 2017 (immediately) and ends May 28th, 2017 at noon pacific time. Everyone (guests, members, forum staff, and admins) is welcome to enter, except the owner of this website and his relatives, and the staff of Easy Wood Tools, and their immediate relatives. Sorry, but only participants who reside in The United States and Canada are eligible to participate. Raffle purchases are non-refundable, (unless a fat finger mistake was made at time of purchase, such as you meant to purchase 100 tickets, not 1000) we can work with you on that. Mistakes happen. Last but not least, have fun! And thank you for your support!   Where your money goes Typically we hold fundraising raffles for our causes that support our wounded veterans, or we'll use the funds to outfit a shop for a disabled woodworker in need, or we'll donate the funds to our two main recipients, Homes For Our Troops, and Operation Ward 57.   This time, we are directing the bulk of the raffle proceeds to offset the costs associated with running this woodworking community, yes, this community cost money! And we need you to help us keep us live, thus in turn, keep us helping our Wounded Warriors and disabled veteran woodworkers.   So, if you live here, if you have benefited from this community at all, if you visit us and you are entertained by our woodworking community, if you login and hang out and call us home, please consider participating in this raffle. This is your community, this is your chance to help in a direct manner by contributing to offset the costs associated with running our woodworking forums and the causes we support.   In closing Our entire community would love to thank the folks at Easy Wood Tools. EWT has been a staunch supporter of our woodworking community from the beginnings of our existence. I have had various phone calls and email interactions with the folks at Easy Wood Tools, and each phone call I had came with a question from Easy Wood Tools, "What can we do for The Patriot Woodworker's and our veterans?".   Easy Wood Tools, from the days of Craig and Donna Jackson, to the days of Chris Caliendo and @Jim from Easy Wood Tools , there has been a common thread in their philosophy, support American Labor, Support our Veterans, and Support The Patriot Woodworker's.   We are honored to have such a great American company with us. Without our sponsors Easy Wood Tools and our additional main sponsors, we could not stay live as a woodworking community. Thank you Easy Wood Tools!   Links of interest Easy Wood Tools Easy Wood Tools You Tube Channel Easy Wood Tools Facebook Page        

Here are two fallers using Spring Boards - another reason to use them was to allow the "down hill" faller to work at the same level as his partner. Note: This would not be considered "Steep" country on the Oregon Coast.     Here is pair of fallers cutting an old growth Douglas Fir. Note, they are NOT using a Humbolt undercut:     Here is another Pair of fallers using a Humbolt undercut. Note: The Humbolt undercut allowed the "waste" of the undercut to be on the stump rather than the first log.     Here is a man bucking a log. Judging from the diameter where he is bucking, he probably at the 3rd log:   Here is a diesel powered donkey (yarder) moving itself into position. A lot of times, they would fall the timber and the donkey would pull itself to the landing site, where they would "cold deck" the logs and build a road to the cold deck later to haul them out. Or, rather than drag the donkey down a road system, they would go cross country, as in the photo, to save time getting they donkey to a landing site. My dad showed me a place one time where they crossed a fork of the Coquille River (it wasn't wide or deep there) and went straight up the mountain to the landing. If they were to have gone by road, it would have been about 10 miles with a strong possibility of lack of tail holds to move the donkey with.     Here is a diesel donkey on a log crib. My guess is that they are yarding to a spar tree below them and cold decking from the angle of the main line and haul back lines.   Picture of a landing with the spar tree being rigged. One climber is at the top of the spar and the second climber is riding the pass line. It looks like they have just started rigging. There are not very many guy lines hung yet and the buckle guy lines are not there.   This photo shows a "cold deck". Later they will build a road into this deck and load the logs onto trucks to haul to the mill.

Anyone for a cool game of billiards. Now the contests are over I would like to show off my 2017 Pen Box entry. This too happened to take first place. I had this idea in my head for over a year but was just not able to make it till I was able to return to my shop. I have to say I am sort of strutting my feathers on this one because it came out almost as nice as I envisioned it. I will say I had to make many jigs to pull this off because every detail needed a cut that is not normal. Doing all the compound angle cuts was challenging. Drilling the holes for the pockets needed a jig as well as cutting the rails and trim work. The rails and pockets are joined with mortise and tenon joints because end grain is not a very strong glue joint. I did have an oops when I tried flocking the table and rails. The paint/glue I used was too thick and the fibers did not stick well. I had another can of the stuff so I was able to sand back the old and add the new and it came out well. Was able to get it done in time too. Thanks for looking and any questions or comments are always welcomed. Hopefully I can get the pen I have designed for the box done, very soon.    I have included a full size billiard ball that I make clocks out of 2-1/4" for size reference.My replica pool table box is made from Birdseye Maple and Gabon Ebony. It's measurements are 4-1/2" X 9" which is a scaled down version of a professional table. It was dipped in BLO and then top coated with 6 coats of satin lacquer. The table top has green flocking on the table as well as the bumpers. The cues were turned from maple blanks and are also satin lacquered. The butt grips are wrapped with carbon fiber. The billiard balls are miniature replicas. The rail sites are round black Swarovski crystals.All the materials used were cut and angled using various jigs. The table is an easy lift off to access the pen box compartment which has a green plush felt cushion for any size pen. The lid has guide blocks to properly seat it easily on the box.This is a neat little box which will enhance that special pen for that special billiard fan.

  Final Debrief Once again I'd like to thank all those who participated and all those who sent positive thoughts and prayers to this wonderful project we held, and we will hold once again this year in 10 short months.   Many of you did not win any prizes, but please keep in mind, the grand prize was helping the Akins Family to have a wonderful memorable Christmas. So we all won in that regard! Thank you to all who participated!   To view our project please visit this link Operation Ward 57 Adopt-a-Family for the Holidays Project 2016 Raffle River hosted our raffle, you can see the total contributions by you, our supporters at Raffle River Patriot Woodworker Portal   Total Raffle Proceeds and Expenditures   Gross $1159.00 Service fees $43.86 Cashiers check fee $5.00 USPS fee $8.95 Gifts $306.02 Check to Akins $700.00 Check to Akins Disbursement to occur 01-23-17 $95.17 Balance $0.00   Fees Definitions Gross - Total contributions by you, our generous contributors Service fees - Fees charged by raffle system per transaction, for example, a $50.00 raffle ticket purchase had a $1.75 service fee attached. A $5.00 raffle ticket purchase had a $0.55 service fee attached. USPS fee - Cost to send cashiers check to the Akin family, "Express Service". Gifts - The amount that was spent per Operation Ward 57 Guidelines on the children. A maximum of $100.00 is allowed per child. Check to Akins - The amount of the check that was sent to the Akins for their additional holiday expenses. (They purchased more items for the kids, they had a wonderful meal, and they used the funds to offset the costs of their automobile trip to Texas to visit their parents, Jessica Akins mother and father. Without this disbursement, the trip would have been complicated to make. Check to Akins - The remainder of the funds in the coffers to be sent to the Akins on January 23, 2017. (The Patriot Woodworker community will update this debrief topic with a copy of the last check.) Balance - Account clear and closed.   Gifts and Disbursements Numbers and addresses cleared out for privacy       Letter to Akins Please see attached (below) Word Doc letter that accompanied the check for $700.00 to the Akins.   Last email from Akins to all of you Thank you again for all the stuff, we are so incredibly appreciative of all The Patriot Woodworkers did to help us. We had a rough trip and your generosity made it easier on us! Alexander absolutely loves his desk, and Xavier really loves his new superhero toys! My husband, Thomas, wants to get in touch with you all as well, because he has been making wood projects, and is thinking about making them to sell, as he is very talented. His email is thomasakin25@gmail.com if you don't mind contacting him. Thank you so much again. I will send you some pictures of Alexander with his desk and Amelia when we replace the clothes with larger sizes for her. We, unfortunately, did not get pictures of Xavier Christmas, but hopefully we can get some soon and will share with you. Happy new year! The Akins   In closing Dear friends, this was a wonderful and memorable project we undertook, and it was a mission well executed with all your help. The Akins had a wonderful Christmas thanks to all of you. We have made this a tradition here on The Patriot Woodworker, and we will hold this event again in 10 months.   We'd like to also thank our sponsors, for without their contributions and help, this project would not have been possible. Thank you to all who participated, and thank you to all for your interest in our Operation Ward 57 and The Patriot Woodworker Adopt-a-Family for the Holidays project.     If anyone has any further questions regarding this project, you can contact John Morris by Private Message or email at administrator@thepatriotwoodworker.com   Letter to Akins with Check1.docx