The Triangle Woodworkers Association (TWA) is a woodworking club located in central North Carolina. The major cities in the immediate area are Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and Wake Forest. However the club is comprised of members from
both those cities and smaller communities in the surrounding area.
The club has been in existence from more than 20 years and has a membership of nearly 200. Monthly meetings are hosted by the local Klingspor shop, with about 60 -70 members in attendance.
In the past we have entertained such featured speakers as Kelly Mehler, Lon Schleining, Roy Underhill and Frank Klauz. Most recently we have enjoyed a number of local speakers, some of whom teach at the John C. Campbell Folk School in western North Carolina. Topics cover the range from shop safety, finishing, turning, tool maintenance and even occasional club member only auctions! Each meeting features a break during which time, snacks are served and attendees are given the opportunity to socialize. Almost one half of the programs are accompanied by a hands on workshop at minimal cost. As the year end approaches, there is a members banquet to provide a time to socialize, kick off the Toys For Tots program and do "show and tells".
The club is also very active in the Marine Corp's annual Toys For Tots program. The last few years we have produced in excess of 1200 hundred wooden cars, airplanes, doll cradles and pull toys. In 2008, more than 60 members contributed in excess of 2,300 (twenty three hundred!) wooden toys. A number of the toy workshops are hosted by club members in their own shops and provide not only work space for creating the toys, but an opportunity for building friendships and even opportunities for new woodworkers to get hands on experience with tools such as bandsaws, routers, sanders and table saws!
As a general rule, the club meets the third Tuesday of each month. However, as this sometimes changes to accommodate featured speakers, it is best to check the meeting schedule at the
Triangle Woodworkers Association website. It is also possible to browse the current and past newsletter and photos at the site.
Visitors are ALWAYS welcome at club meetings!