History

The machinery folk were originally members of the S.E. Brisbane Triton Users Club which started up in mid 2002. The members met at a local hardware store at Cannon Hill, on the fourth Wednesday evening every month.

The activities on these evenings were mainly simple demonstrations and show-and-tells by members, product experts and guest speakers, who included a scroll saw demonstrator from Bayside Woodies.
Owing to insurance constraints, members were not allowed to use the hardware shop’s Triton Machinery.

As the group grew to about twenty five, we realised that we needed to have a meeting place where we could do our own thing. Our skills development was based on meetings at members’ sheds, hence the term sheddy meetings, using Triton saws, routers etc. These meetings were great, as members formed close networks and friendships, and were able to satisfy their need for knowledge through sharing.

Our Own Facilities

The cost of establishing our own clubroom facilities was an issue.

We saw that getting premises central to members’ addresses was an expensive exercise, so the committee then looked around to see if there were woodworkers with similar or aligned interests with whom we could amalgamate.

Bayside Woodturners and Woodworkers Club was a well known enthusiastic group who had close ties with the bayside areas of Manly, Wynnum and adjacent suburbs. They had a high profile in the woodturning and woodworking club scene. The facilities and potential of this club was such that the Triton Committee had meetings with the Bayside Woodies to discuss the possibility of amalgamation.

Over a period of three months the amalgamation was finalised, and in early 2003, the SE Brisbane club members became members of the Bayside Club.

Triton Supports the Move

Triton Manufacturing came to the party and gave the Triton group a 2000 Workcentre, a Triton circular saw, a Triton router table and their excellent Triton router. The Finger jointer and other Triton products became the Bayside Club’s equipment nest egg used at amalgamation.

On Easter Saturday, Bayside invited the Triton Club members to a demo day. The Triton members were impressed by the genuine friendly reception we received, and, as they say, the rest is history.

Working Together

Our first major combined exercise with the Bayside Club was the May 2003 Brisbane Working with Wood Show. We made small boxes with either finger or dovetailed joints and nice contrasting timber colours.

One of our members made an excellent squatter’s chair which was raffled at the show. This gave our group a focus and the ability to work as a team. As a result of these first efforts, we were a success socially and financially in the club. Since the amalgamation, the club has purchased a large thicknesser and band saw and supporting machinery.

The great thing is that all club members are now eager to develop skills in woodturning, carving, pyrography, scroll sawing and the Triton machinery.

We are now a true woodworkers’ club, where all woodworking disciplines are available for all club members, and all members are encouraged to use the equipment.

- Len Maloney (author)

When we Meet

Machinery group meets at Bob's shed (where we can make noise after hours) on the 4th Wednesday night of the month at 6pm. The group also meets on the 2nd Saturday morning of each month at 9am at the club shed.

Photos

Some examples of our member's work can be seen here.

Our first 2005 group project was a jewellery box.