Thread: The Cooroy Toymakers Album

Hi Woodies,

I've attached a downsized copy of our newsletter for you. I had to remove 4 pages, some photos and all the advertising.
3 of the pages removed were the back page which has club details and a 2 page story on the history of the old mill kilns by an ex mill employee.

Regards

The Cooory Toymaker and Newsletter Editor

NL 221 Janurary 2016 - downsized Copy.pdf

I always look forward to your posts and you never disappoint!!

Again, great examples of the wonderful work you do!!

Really like the cars and all your work

Regards

Keith

That looks like a very fruitful and generous club you belong to, with fantastic facilities to boot. You always have very interesting toys in your collection to give us inspiration.
Good luck with your brochure, it's coming up a treat.

Thanks for the compliments guys, much appreciated.

I just had a request for a piano smaller than 1/12 scale. Managed it ok but if they get any smaller I'll be fitting them in a match box.
Who knows, I might just try it to see how small I can make them.

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Hi Woodies,
Things just stranger and stranger.
An order this morning for 10 zen mini rakes for mini zen gardens.
I dressed them up a little with some accessories and took a few pics. I hope to get $5.00 each for them. They're about $10.00 each online.
I'm feeling calmer just looking at them .

IMG_0229 - Copy.JPG Rakes, sand smoothers and a shovel made from bamboo

IMG_0227 - Copy.JPG

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IMG_0231 - Copy.JPG Japanese seat and bamboo bucket

84b5f6f710064d8b0a67c84d99a6e3ed.jpg this is the sort of mini garden they're used in.

Keep Calm measure twice and cut once.

Regards

The Cooroy Toymaker

Nice work if you can get it!!

Lovely pieces sire!

There is something strangely relaxing and mesmerizing about these gardens.
One of the many Japanese exchange students we had over the yeas gave us one as a gift.
I don't often rake it or rearrange it but it certainly is a pleasant way to relax.

I have watched young children playing in the garden and they are always surprisingly gentle
in how they approach things/

Really nice work on the rakes.

I am wondering if you were going to french polished the grand piano?

Hi Fellow Woodies,

News from the sawdust cave under my house.
Valentines day is over and ""the one who should be obeyed"" is happy with some cute wooden love trinkets.
A couple of orders filled with the completion of the 2 educational toys and a lot of work making toys for the Clubs Wood Show in May.
And of course the never ending job of creating the newsletter for the club.
and so to this weeks photos.

IMG_0292.JPG A new style of woolen scarf pin.

IMG_0293.JPGIMG_0294.JPGIMG_0295.JPGIMG_0296.JPGIMG_0297.JPG New hearts
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IMG_0301.JPGIMG_0307.JPG More items for the Zen gardens. A bridge and a Japanese Tori Gate

A couple of educational toys ready to be painted, both of camphor laurel. I'm sure you've seen this type of toy online somewhere brightly painted in rainbow colours.

IMG_0329.JPGIMG_0330.JPGIMG_0334.JPG Mushroom puzzle house
IMG_0331.JPGIMG_0332.JPGIMG_0333.JPG A rainbow

Until next time,
be safe out there
and don't get captured

Regards

The Cooroy Toymaker

A new neighbour at the back of the house with 2 children and a request for toys guns along with some fairy furniture for the little girl.
I'm not a big believer in making toy guns for children but boys will be boys.
So, 4 hours of sanding later.

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An iconic Thompson Sub Machine Gun and a 45.
A little alteration on the original design for more strength and scaled down of course. Made from Red cedar finished with sanding sealer and coated with Tung oil.

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A little while ago during a visit from the grand daughters I was asked to make real stick people. The girls decorated them.
Ever been asked to make a wooden head band 3 cm wide to fit on a stick lady? No? You probably never will.
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The grand daughters are living in England now and still collecting sticks. Chips off the old block.
Their Mum makes fabric and woolen toys for the girls as well.
As my grand daughter says , " We don't buy toys in our family, we make them."

All the best till next time
The Cooory Toymaker

Hi fellow Woodies,

Well, where do I start? There's good news and bad news. Firstly the bad news, it's always nice to end on a high.

As you all know I've been the newsletter editor for the Cooroora Woodworkers Club in Cooroy Queensland for a few years and a member for 6 years. While the club secretary was on holidays recently I covered that position as well. The bad news started a couple of months ago when a few hard working and honest members of the management committee made inquiries about timber being stolen from the club. The backlash to the president and other committee members from a few "concerned " members was disturbing, unjustified and nearly came to blows. As a result of the unrelenting verbal abuse the Club President and three other committee members resigned from the club, including me. What I witnessed was a complete disregard for the objectives for which the club was established and blatant breaches of the N.P.O. constitution. In the last 60 days 45 members have not renewed their membership. From a club boasting over 110 members it now has 70 financial members. Quite a number of whom are honorary members (wives ) and life members who have given their best. As is the norm the 10 new members who just joined will fall by the wayside and leave because of lack of support. The remaining members in control have no time or desire for shepherding new members.
I personally witnessed homophobia, anti antisemitism and bulling of men who suffer from depression and other personal issues. Nothing was done about any of it. There is a reason why nothing was done, but I can't state it here in a public forum.
I could not remain in a club that condoned such outrageous behavior. The controlling members have now seriously upset the local council, the club sponsor and other Associations and Clubs associated with the Cooroora Woodworkers Club by refusing to cooperate with them in a civil manner. The club is now collapsing from within with infighting, disharmony and disillusionment.
I can only say, they brought it on themselves and will reap what they sow.
You have heard just a little of the ongoing problems the club has faced over the past few months. I've restrained myself by highlighting just a few incidents.

On a more uplifting note the Men's Sheds of the Sunshine Coast are having an influx of new members with a corresponding increase in funding and infrastructure.
I have now joined the Pomona Men's Shed and will teach toy making there. Additionally the Camphor Laurel Group , a club situated next to the C.W.C. in Cooroy has offered me membership, a dedicated area to work in and supplied me with all the bench top tools I'll need to teach them toy making as well.
Further to all of this I'm now partnering with another woodworker to sell our wares online Australia wide. It's the way to sell your product these days. The overheads uncured selling at local markets is prohibitive and from personal experience, putting your wares on consignment in local shops is problematic.
So onwards and upwards.
Recently I've been concentrating on the Waldorf style of toys to sell online. Pretty much what I've been doing for the past 5-6 years.
13239193_492773300920294_9025987838318861603_n.jpg Puzzles

20160524_141304.jpg Barn

That's all the news to date, the good and the bad.
Thank you for allowing me to vent a little and listening to a sad story about the demise of a once good woodworkers club.
best regards
The Pomona Toymaker

A great disappointment to see the club collapse, especially ib such a way!!

I have never been able to understand any of the sorts of behaviour you describe
and you are well to be away from it!

Hope your new niche provides you, and us, with the same levels of past satisfaction
that should be had from wood working!!

Cheers mate!!

Thank you for your thoughts.

It's a shame that woodworkingclubs disappear because of reasons like this. Where I live, these clubs are already very scarce, I don't know of one in the neighbourhood.
I hate to hear that people are discriminated because of race, religion, gender or sexual preferences. People should be judged because of their actions, not on anything else.
Focus on the positive and don't let the negative drag you down.