Keith Mitchell agreed to join the editorial staff comprised of David Whittaker and Jan Rowland to produce the newsletter on a monthly rotating basis.

Dennis Cranston reviewed the business meeting discussion concerning ways to attract new members. Dennis passed out copies of a brochure that he created describing the club and asked everyone to leave copies at the various business establishments with which they trade.

Ed Gladkowski suggested that we encourage business to include our brochure along with their mailings to customers.

Bob Rouse brought a list of machine tools and accessories he is selling due to his impending relocation. You can contact him at 409-753-2812.

Vance Burns showed a video tape on "Hot Rolling of Steel" produced by I. A. Recordings. The video covered the traditional way of hand manipulating 1200 degree C. red hot billets of steel to produce various bar shapes from multiple roller passes. Covered also was the multi-pass reverse cold roll method of straightening the finished bar shapes.

The investment casting method allows the production of multiple pieces from the same master pattern. Intricate shapes, that would be difficult to create by milling, may be built up from pattern components. Undercut sections, as found in many model railroad parts, are easily reproduced by this method.

Dennis described the steps that he uses to create castings:

Fabricate a solid machined part or master pattern.

Uses either vulcanizing or RTV rubber to make a mold of the master pattern. Vulcanizing requires heat and pressure but produces superior molds.

Cut the parting line in the master rubber mold and remove the master pattern. Additional mold vents may be necessary in order for the subsequent injected wax to displace the air.

Inject wax into the rubber mold to create multiple wax pattern copies.

Fuse the wax patterns to a wax sprue in order to provide support and create channels to supply the molten metal during casting.

Coat or encase the wax pattern with an investment material. This is often done by submersing the wax pattern in liquid slurry.

Cure the investment by air drying and subsequent heating in a kiln. The heating phase, known as "burn out" removes the wax from the investment.

Molten metal is then pouted into the investment. Several methods for ensuring that the metal is completely distributed include: Surrounding the investment with a partial vacuum. Rotating the investment or centrifugal casting. Mechanically slinging the investment just as the metal is poured.

Doug Chartier showed a jig that he uses to hold pilot lamp spacers that he mass-produces. The hex spacers are drilled and counterbored by a tool held in the tailstock. The jig is simply a common hex socket, chucked at the headstock, and has an internal backing support.

Joe Scott showed several fixtures that he fabricated to perform multiple drilling operations on antique reproduction gun parts. Of high interest was the clamping vice whose faces were molded from epoxy putty that was pressed against the part to be held. The vice grips and aligns a compound curved part during the drilling operations. With pride, Joe commented "This is the only place I can brag. My wife is not interested in this stuff."

Joe Williams showed his spindle adapter for a 3-inch ID Scotch Bright wheel and several samples of metal cleaned with the abrasive wheel. He also displayed a long reach water-cooled TIG welding torch that he manufactures for commercial use in building oil field valves. "This is a superbly designed and fabricated piece of equipment."

Rich Pichler distributed an article describing the manufacture of Damascus steel blades.

Bill Sperry distributed a line sheet from a plastic supplier that he discovered in South Houston.

John Hoff showed his "Work in Progress'", a grinder-sharpener for large diameter drill bits. He plans to employ an adjustable, but as yet unspecified, cam mechanism to generate the back relief on the drill lip.

Dick Kostelnicek demonstrated the use of a small, hand-held, battery operated screwdriver with a large square tang bit that he built. He uses the driver to rapidly remove and reverse the jaws on a four jaw independent chuck. "This sure beats messing around with a T-handle chuck wrench."

Don Foster described his trailer mounted "History of Steam Display" and invited members to view it after the meeting at his home.