We will have our next regular meeting on Sunday, June 1st at 12:00pm.  It will take place at the Masonic Lodge in High Bridge, NJ.  Tailgating starts at 9:00am(earlier for many).  

Presentation: 

We are delighted to have as our guest speaker, Crafts member Todd Hostetter.  Todd will present the following, "Lancaster County, 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 project, The E.W. Carpenter Project.

As a retiree, 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. His love of tool collecting began in his Junior High School years, most likely enabled by his father, a gunsmith; his one grandfather, a patternmaker/cabinetmaker; and his other
grandfather, a plumber.

Note: For those of you who can't make our meetings, we often  feature the presentations in 'The Tool Shed' journal.  So, keep an eye out for the June or September issues to see if we do that for this particular presentation.

Crafts Auction Results: April's tool auction was both successful and enjoyable.  I imagine many of you are interested in the results, regardless of whether or not you attended.  If you are, please click on, or go to, the following link.  You must log-in to see the photos and hammer prices of the 545 lots...

<https://craftsofnj.org/auction/past-auctions>

We wish to recognize the hard working auction team, lead by Cliff Nagle, as well as the numerous volunteers who help to collect the tools, set-up the auction and act as runners to display tool lots and bring them to the winners.  Special thanks to Scott Fulmer for preparing the results and loading them onto our website. 

Thank you one and all! 

To see a YouTube video of the tailgating that accompanies the auction, please see 'Videographer' Bob Amarant's (Bob's Woodshop) video of the event.  As always, he does a great job.  Thanks Bob!

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my-XgXRez-E>

Meeting Times and Location/Directions:

Tailgate sales in the parking lot begin at 9:00am (as I always say, you may want to get there earlier than that:).  The meeting itself starts at 12:00pm and runs until about 2:00/2:30pm.  It is held at the...Masonic Lodge, Ridge Road & Dennis Ave, High Bridge NJ 08829.

Directions:

Take I-78 or Rt. 22 to Route 31 exit at Clinton. Go north on Route 31 two miles to the second traffic light (sign for "High Bridge"). Turn right and go about half a mile to Dennis Avenue. Turn left on Dennis, then two blocks to the Masonic Lodge (on the left).

Hope to see you this June,

Stew