HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- Members of the Village Woodworkers are putting the finishing touches on a customized wooden camper trailer, built in the teardrop style, with the proceeds from its sale going to buy more wood for the club's Christmas toy-making season.
Lee Smith, president of the Woodworkers, said club members have previously built unique items for a Village resident and the trailer is their latest venture. Smith said club members provide the labor free of charge and the resident covers the cost of materials. Individuals and small businesses have donated some of the parts to complete the trailer.
The trailer is being built in Smith garage, which also houses a large woodworking shop.
"There have been about six of us working on the trailer since January, while other members have been busy making wooden toys for Christmas for children who live in financially disadvantaged families.
"I designed the concept, and we've built it from the ground up. The buyer has been a strong supporter of our club because of our toy project, and we've built other things for him. This was the most complex. He has a collection of cars, wooden boats and wanted a camper for his collection. If he wants to, he can legally pull it because it is outfitted with turn signals and everything," Smith said.
The trailer is made mostly from ash lumber with a red oak roof. The Jatoba flooring inside the camper was donated by O'Bryan's Flooring. The color and design matches the buyer's 1948 Chrysler Town and Country, and the roof material was patterned after an old model Dodge. The rusty fenders over the tires were restored and painted, and the rims received a custom paint job as well.
The interior can accommodate a full-sized mattress and a person 6'4" tall, Smith said. The back portion has a lift door that exposes a small galley, complete with copper sink and cabinet space to hold all the materials needed to cook out and hold a picnic.
"It will be fully functional if he wants to use it that way," Smith said.
Club member Dan Moran has spent several hours with Smith working on the trailer.
"This is a total custom trailer from the ground up. There's not another one like it in the country. The results are awesome. The more I look at it, the more I like it. We get our exercise, too. We may make 50 trips a day from the garage down to the shop to get tools and parts," Moran said.
Smith holds woodworking sessions in his shop on Tuesday and Wednesday. The 80 members of the club are regular visitors, and he encourages others to come if they are interested in learning how to work with wood.
Smith did the signs for the Property Owners' Association's Grove Park that opened this summer. Other members of the club have made sewing machine cabinets out of cedar, and several piggy banks, getting a head start on the wooden toy inventory for Christmas.
"We like to work with wood, and this trailer project has been an amazing experience. All of the labor on it will be well worth it when disadvantaged children receive toys from us at Christmas," Smith said.
Local on 07/25/2014