SDFWA

San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association

Author: Isaac Smith

The 2025 Holiday Gift Sale is Almost Here!

One of our most popular events and one of our best fundraisers, our annual holiday gift sale offers exquisite pieces hand crafted all year long and donated by us, all proceeds support our woodworking programs.  Here’s some things from previous sales.   FridayNov 21 20259AM-5PM SaturdayNov 22, 20259AM-1PM San Diego FineWoodworkers Associationa 501 (C) (3) […]

Opener: Motoko Smith, Oct 25

Join us at the October Eye Opener to see Motoko Smith, a woodturner who works from her home shop in San Diego where she blends woodworking with other crafts, to create works from salt cellars and spoons to designing stools, cabinets, and more unique pieces.

Saturday, October 25, 2025

8am. Coffee and donuts

9am. Special speaker

10:30am. Digital SIG

Next Old Tool Swap Meet

If you need tools or if you just love to see what is available, you won’t want to miss the Old Tool Swap Meet hosted by Rockler.

Be sure to get there early for the best selection.Sunday, November 2, 6 AM – 12 PM

Rockler Woodworking parking lot
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd

Annual Meeting Dec 6th

Mark Your Calendars….December 6th Annual Meeting You won’t want to miss our Annual Meeting. Sure we’ll be electing our 2026 officials, but we all know we’ll be there for the Boy Scout pancakes and other fun things planned. Mark your calendar now so you don’t miss it.

Wood: A Furniture Show: Submit by Dec 13

It’s time to get your submissions ready for Wood: A Furniture Show XVI, presented by Escondido Arts Partnership and sponsored by Murphy’s Fine Woodworking, due by Dec 13, 2025 for the exhibit from Jan 10th – February 27, 2026.

Tool Spotlight: Avoiding tablesaw kickback

Table saws are a common source of serious injuries, often resulting in lacerations and amputations, particularly to fingers and hands. Kickback is a major cause of these injuries, understanding and avoiding kickback makes us all safer.

New Preferred Partner: Murphy’s Surplus Warehouse, 30% off! 

Murphy’s Surplus Warehouse is joining the Preferred Partner Program and will be offering a 30% discount to SDFWA Members. 

Alan Murphy specializes in buying closeout merchandise and offering it to his customers at very attractive prices.  Alan’s pricing is about ⅓ of what you would pay at other retailers…and now it’s an extra 30% off this low price! So, remember your membership card.

401 N. Johnson Ave in El Cajon

Eye Opener: Chairs for the Community, Aug 30

Saturday, August 30, 2025
8am. Coffee, donuts, brag table.
9am. Special speaker
10:30am. Digital SIG

Jim Strawn will bring in ~50 chairs made at this year’s DIW for us to finish. He’ll discuss how to prepare the chairs for finishing, the two different finish option (water-based and oil-based), and application of the finishes.

You can help by taking a chair home to finish and give back to our community. Each person who takes a chair will receive a one small jar of the finish of their choice.

Sorry, no photos this month.

Holiday Gift Sale Workshop

Drop off your projects or join us in the shop as we make things all year long for the Holiday Gift Sale in November.

Friday Mornings: 8am–12pm
First Saturdays: 8am–11am

SDFWA Member Shop
5360 Eastgate Mall, Suite E, San Diego, CA 92121

Craftsman Referral Terms

BACKGROUND
The San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the education, promotion, and execution of the principles of fine woodworking.
The SDFWA frequently receives requests from people seeking the service of a woodworker. Therefore, although custom woodworking for hire is not the purpose of our organization, we offer this referral service to the public so that they might connect with a woodworker.

SCOPE
SDFWA does not screen or warrant the skills or work of any craftsman. The public should use their own discretion and due diligence before hiring any craftsman, from any source, including this one.
The sole role of SDFWA in this referral service is limited to providing our member woodworkers with your completed form. It is up to each craftsman to initiate a contact with the requester.

PROCEDURE
After a requester submits a project, the form will be emailed to our list of participating craftsmen. If a craftsman is interested in the project, they will contact the client directly, and a two-way conversation can begin.

As the craftsmen themselves choose which projects to respond to, this means that it is probable that some project requests will receive no response. If you do not receive a response in a reasonable time, please submit your request again, using the provided referral form.
Note that contacting SDFWA directly will not achieve the desired results.

DISCLAIMER
By agreeing to these Terms, and by continuing to submit this Referral Form, and by utilizing one or more of the services of any of these craftsmen, you are agreeing to contract exclusively with that individual craftsman and to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the SDFWA Organization, its officers, officials, employees and volunteers from any and all claims, injuries, damages, losses or suits including attorney fees, arising out of or in connection with the performance of this agreement, and any and all failures, damages, or otherwise negative outcomes caused directly or indirectly by the craftsmen you employ to do any project initiated by this Form. This does not preclude you from pursuing legal remedies from the individual craftsman that you employ. But any remedy you pursue is restricted to that individual craftsman, and does not include the SDFWA organization or any of its volunteer members.

Agree
Disagree