CRAFTS Tool Talks
At regular club meetings members enjoy learning from speakers who delve into their areas of expertise related to tools, traditional crafts, history and more.
Upcoming
June 7, 2026: Something Different. At this meeting we are asking each attendee to bring with you one or two tools that will be of interest to our members. This is an opportunity for us to see tools that we would normally not see. So, high-end tools aka 'sparklers'? yes; unique tools? yes; tools with a story? yes; tools you are proud of and proud to show off? of course. No need to do a write-up unless you are so inclined, but a small note identifying the owner, the tool, the maker, etc. will be helpful. We will have tables set up throughout the room.
Past
April 12, 2026: Club member tour of Cooper Gristmill in Chester, NJ. A demonstration of this working mill will be given by the Morris County Parks Commission. Website about Cooper Gristmill: morrisparks.net/parks_trails/cooper-gristmill/
February 1, 2026: Ray Spitz-Becker on the violin-making process, from raw wood to finished instrument. He will highlight the luthier’s specialized toolkit—discussing where 18th-century tools remain the gold standard and where modern innovations have entered the shop—while demonstrating specific tools and carving techniques throughout the presentation.
November 2, 2025: Brian Murphy on New Jersey's Role in the War of 1812. Brian will showcase part of his extensive collection of letters, documents, maps, books, weapons, and other period objects that bring alive some of the brave men from the Garden State who fought and died during what some have dubbed the “Second War of Independence.” He will also display his collection of early ship building tools and if time allows will discuss the extraordinary feats of naval ship building that took place on Lakes Ontario and Champlain during the War as the British and Americans battled for control of the waterways.
June 1, 2025: Todd Hostetter on Lancaster County Tool Makers. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was home to nearly 15 Joiners & Planemakers. Some in family shops, while others were sole-proprietors. Todd has collected numerous planes and tools from these makers but also became interested in their families, business acumen, and where they learned the craft. This presentation will highlight these Lancaster County makers.
As an extension of his research and historical writing, Todd administrates a Facebook Group on the subject, and a website primarily focused on a longstanding passion project, The E.W. Carpenter Project. Todd has written numerous journal articles on the history and designs of wooden planes and has lectured to Lancaster County historical societies interested in the local craftsman of the 18th & 19th centuries.
April 6, 2025: New Jersey Tool Day. Members were invited to bring tools from their collection that were manufactured in our great state of NJ.
February 2, 2025: Richard Veit, Professor of Anthropology at Monmouth University, on Native American stone tools commonly found in New Jersey, their manufacture and use. Examples from Monmouth University's type collection will be shown. There will also be a brief flintknapping demonstration. Individuals are welcome to bring stone tools for identification.
November 3, 2024: Get-together at the Moravian Blacksmith Shop in Bethlehem, PA.
June 2, 2024: Pat Ryan on travelers: a closer look at this tool, the different categories of travelers, what a collector might be looking for, what might make one more valuable than another, etc. At last year's CRAFTS picnic Pat brought an interesting display of various travelers constructed by blacksmiths and craftsmen from repurposed tools such as files.
April 7, 2024: Elizabeth Cole and Gina Sampaio on Red Mill Museum Village: the history of the lime burners, rock blasters, drivers and day laborers who not only worked there but even called these grounds their home. Many people know the Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton, NJ, for its iconic red building that had many industrial uses over the centuries: processing wool, grinding grist, graphite and talc, even producing peach baskets and hydropower electricity! But the highly successful Mulligan Quarry is often overlooked, and the laborers who worked here are all but forgotten.
February 4, 2024: Joe Hauck on Lignum Vitae: The Wonder Wood. This material, discovered in the New World and then brought to Europe, has a unique combination of properties that made it useful for many purposes. These uses include, in no particular order, maritime, mechanical, functional, medicinal, decorative and tool making.
November 5, 2023: Richard Veit on "All the Best Goods for America: Tools and Cargo from the Amity Shipwreck (1824), Manasquan, New Jersey"
June 4, 2023: Ronald Gabel on Kentucky flintlock rifles. We are very pleased to have Ronald Gabel as our next presenter. Over the course of his career Ron has bought and sold flintlock rifles to some of the most famous gun collectors in the world. He has found rare guns for collectors and brokered sales for many captains of industry. His stories are fascinating, true, and historically important. Ron will share some of his most interesting experiences as a flintlock rifle collector, appraiser, and educator.
April 2, 2023: Rich Veit on early iron production in New Jersey. Dr. Veit is Associate Dean of the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at Monmouth University. He presented Forging Ahead in the Somerset Hills: The Archaeology of a Colonial Bloomery Forge in Somerset County, New Jersey. His slide deck is available to CRAFTS members for viewing (in PDF format). Log in here and then click on "Presentations" under Events in the menu.
Rich's webpage on Monmouth University's site.
February 5, 2023: Michael J. Cuba on dendrochronology (tree ring dating). Michael's slide deck is available to CRAFTS members for viewing (in PDF format). Log in here and then click on "Presentations" under Events in the menu.
Michael's website.
November 6, 2022: Ivan Raupp on Pennsylvania Goosewing Axes. Ivan's slide deck is available to CRAFTS members for viewing (in PDF format). Log in here and then click on "Presentations" under Events in the menu.
June 5, 2022: Steve Voigt on traditional wooden plane making. Steve's slide deck is available to CRAFTS members for viewing (in PDF format). Log in here and then click on "Presentations" under Events in the menu.
Steve's website.
November 7, 2021: Gary Elsing (member of CRAFTS) on leather working
See report in issue #206 (December 2021) of The Tool Shed on page 9. Gary's slide deck is available to CRAFTS members for viewing (in PDF format). Log in here and then click on "Presentations" under Events in the menu.
Bruce Johnson Leather Tools website.
C.S. Obsborne & Co. of Harrison NJ website.
February 2, 2020: Jeff Donat on grist mills
See report in issue #199 (March 2020) of The Tool Shed starting on page 10.
Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM) website.
November 3, 2019: James Shomper on surveying tools
See report in issue #198 (December 2019) of The Tool Shed starting on page 10.
Surveyors Historical Society website.
Virtual Museum of Surveying website.
June 2, 2019: Mark Worthington on gunsmithing
See report in issue #197 (September 2019) of The Tool Shed starting on page 10 (PDF). Also see November 2, 2008 below.
April 7, 2019: Glen Guarano on furniture design and making
See report in issue #196 (June 2019) of The Tool Shed starting on page 10 (PDF).
Glen's business website and Instagram profile.
February 3, 2019: Marty Ridder on clocks and timekeeping
See report in issue #195 (March 2019) of The Tool Shed on page 11 (PDF).
Marty retired from his business of clock repair in December 2020 but helpful information remains on his website.
November 4, 2018: John Porritt on Welsh stick chairs, love spoons and textiles
See report in issue #194 (December 2018) of the Tool Shed on page 9 (PDF). Also see June 4, 2017 and February 3, 2013 below.
Article by Christopher Schwarz about a visit to John's workshop posted in April 2019.
June 3, 2018: Bob Amarant on turning wood
See report in issue #193 (September 2018) of the Tool Shed on page 11 (PDF).
Bob's YouTube channel.
New Jersey Woodturners Association website.
April 8, 2018: Marc Benedict on historic shoe making
See report in issue #192 (June 2018) of the Tool Shed on page 11 (PDF). Also see April 3, 2011 below.
February 4, 2018: Abiel Rios Wong on designing and making tools
See report in issue #191 (March 2018) of the Tool Shed on page 5 (PDF).
Article about him in Fine Woodworking #237 (February 2014).
November 5, 2017: Joshua Kavett on Fisher & Norris anvils
See report in issue #190 (December 2017) of the Tool Shed on page 10 (PDF). Also see November 6, 2011 below.
Fisher & Norris Factory Museum website.
June 4, 2017: John Porritt on Windsor chairs
See John's description of his presentation in issue #189 (September 2017) of the Tool Shed starting on page 6 (PDF).
April 2, 2017: Carl Ohlson on railroad lanterns
See report in issue #188 (June 2017) of the Tool Shed on page 11 (PDF).
February 5, 2017: Dave Pollak on letter carving
See summary in issue #187 (March 2017) of the Tool Shed on page 10 (PDF).
November 6, 2016: Walt Antonik on metalworking and machining
See summary in issue #187 (March 2017) of the Tool Shed on page 10 (PDF).
June 5, 2016: Wilbur Pan on Japanese chisels
See report in issue #185 (September 2016) of the Tool Shed on page 7 (PDF). Also see February 1, 2015 below.
Wilbur's blog/website.
February 7, 2016: Bob Garay on Stanley bench planes type study and tune-up
See his article "10-Step Plane Restoration" in issue #184 (June 2016) of the Tool Shed on page 6 (PDF).
November 1, 2015: Ken Vliet presented his handmade toys
See brief summary in issue #182 (December 2015) of the Tool Shed on page 2 (PDF).
June 7, 2015: Anthony Pasarelli on making a Windsor chair
See report in issue #181 (September 2015) of the Tool Shed starting on page 10 (PDF).
April 12, 2015: Plant tour of the Frederick Duckloe and Brother’s furniture factory in Portland Pennsylvania
Announcement and description in issue #179 (March 2015) of the Tool Shed on page 4 (PDF).
February 1, 2015: Wilbur Pan on Japanese saws and chisels
See feature article in issue #180 (June 2015) of the Tool Shed starting on page 1 (PDF).
June 1, 2014: Ronald C. Gabel on the Kentucky rifle
See report in issue #177 (September 2014) of the Tool Shed starting on page 10 (PDF).
April 6, 2014: Richard Gagliardi on violin making, repair and restoration
See feature article in issue #176 (June 2014) of the Tool Shed starting on page 1 (PDF).
February 2, 2014: Ashley King on clocks
See summary in issue #175 (March 2014) of the Tool Shed on page 6 (PDF).
June 2, 2013: Herb Kean on restoring braces
See summary in issue #173 (September 2013) of the Tool Shed starting on page 7 (PDF).
April 7, 2013: Ethan Feinsod on marquetry and veneering
See summary in issue #172 (June 2013) of the Tool Shed starting on page 8 (PDF).
February 3, 2013: John Porritt on wood plane restoration
See summary in issue #172 (June 2013) of the Tool Shed starting on page 5 (PDF).
February 5, 2012: David Washington on sculpting in wood
November 6, 2011: Club Tour of Josh Kavett's Fisher & Norris Anvil Museum
See summary in issue #166 (December 2011) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF).
June 5, 2011: Walter Jacob on Stanley tape measures
See report in issue #165 (September 2011) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF).
April 3, 2011: Marc Benedict on historic shoe making
See report in issue #164 (June 2011) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF).
February 6, 2011: Ken Vliet on making miniatures
See report in issue #163 (March 2011) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF).
November 7, 2010: Frank Klausz on molding planes how to tune them and use them
See report in issue #162 (December 2010) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF). Also see February 8, 2009 below.
June 6, 2010: Jim Newell on horn smithing
See report in issue #161 (September 2010) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF).
April 11, 2010: Dave Fegley on making Shaker boxes
See report in issue #160 (June 2010) of the Tool Shed starting on page 4 (PDF).
February 7, 2010: Mark Hammond on historical tinsmithing
See report in issue #160 (June 2010) of the Tool Shed on page 3 (PDF).
November 8, 2009: Dennis Menscer on making cane fly rods
See report in issue #159 (March 2010) of the Tool Shed starting on page 6 (PDF).
Dennis's website.
June 7, 2009: Wil Goldschmidt on bowl turning
See report in issue #157 (September 2009) of the Tool Shed on page 5 (PDF).
February 8, 2009: Frank Klausz on chisels and other things
See report in issue #156 (June 2009) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF).
April 2009: Jim Bode on timber framing (demonstration at CRAFTS picnic)
See report in issue #156 (June 2009) of the Tool Shed starting on page 6 (PDF).
November 2, 2008: Mark Worthington in 18th Century gunsmithing
See report in issue #155 (March 2009) of the Tool Shed starting on page 3 (PDF).