Irvine, CA (PRWEB) July 15, 2012
The First Annual Whirligig Wars, sponsored by Laguna Tools and the Woodworkers Guild of America (featuring $1000.00 in prizes) is currently being waged in woodworking shops, garages, backyards, kitchen tables – any place wood can be transformed into a whirligig. So, just what is a whirligig? According to Catherine Helshoj, spokesperson for the event, a whirligig is any object (made from wood in this case) that spins or whirls, such as a pinwheel or weathervane.
Laney Shaughnessy, one of the co-hosts for the event and owner of A Simple Design of Ocala, Inc., a custom woodworking and furniture company based out of Ocala, Florida spear-headed this event in order to bring the woodworking community together in hopes that novice and expert woodworkers alike will let their hair down and have a little fun creating these fun air actuated whirligigs. Laney also provides the woodworkers of the world with instructions on building various projects through his YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/flatiger4u in the form of "How To" videos.
The idea for the event arose after Steve Ramsey (also hosting the event) built his whirligig, the reaction from the viewers was quite inspiring. It was a collection of a few comments on this project where viewers stated "This would be a great contest" that sparked the plan to put it in action. From that point, Laney began putting together a prize package and layout for the event to make it happen. "I am all about action" , Laney says, "Whenever I see an opportunity to get the viewers involved and bring a little fun even education to their lives, I'm all for it." "Also I'm a big fan of Laguna Tools, and this gave me an opportunity to work with them", Laney adds. Not only are whirligigs fun projects to build, but there is a lesson to be learned in building one. Not only the obvious, where you learn about woodworking and your own creative ability, but it also teaches you about mechanics as well as engineering. Whirligigs are a part of history and have been around for a long time, some are considered "Folk Art" and can range from simple to very intricate with multiple moving parts. "That's what makes these interesting", Laney says, " The limits are endless".
Honestly, the possibilities are as boundless as somebody’s imagination,” said Helshoj, who is also Vice President of Laguna Tools, a Southern California-based company that caters to professional woodworkers and serious hobbyists alike with affordable tools and machinery. “We had one person who was considering making a Zombie Apocalypse Whirligig, but opted for a much more whimsical woodsman splitting a log instead. I personally think he made the right decision.”
Helshoj says the First Annual Whirligig Wars is designed to bring attention to creativity of woodworking enthusiasts across the country, and will feature a number of outstanding prizes to the winners of the event, which closes for entries on July 23rd. About $1000 worth of prizes are up for grabs to Whirligig War winners, says Helshoj, including the Grand Prize of a DriftMaster Fence System from Laguna Tools, a Resaw King Blade, a $100 Gift Certificate from Rockler Woodworking, and a three-pack of “How To” Videos from Woodworkers Guild of America.
“Being able to create a whirligig requires a good knowledge of woodworking, and a great deal of creativity,” she said. “We think many people may discover they have a real talent for woodworking and continue with the hobby long past our whirligig wars.”
Often used to add a splash of art and animation to a front yard setting, whirligigs range from birds flapping their wings and bumblebees buzzing to woodpeckers pecking on a tree. “The reaction to the First Annual Whirligig Wars Contest has been nothing short of amazing,” she said. “I think everybody is waiting with anticipation to see what woodworkers come up with, especially since we’ll be getting entries from all of the country, and no doubt outside the U.S. as well.” Helshoj continued.
There are two ways to enter the contest. Participants can submit a photo of themselves and their whirligig to contest(at)asimpledesignofocala(dot)com along with their name, a brief description of their project and a way they can be contacted. The second way to enter is in video form a participant can submit a "Video Response" in the comment section of the Contest announcement video on YouTube. You can view the video here and submit your entry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIP0rHg-f-I . All entries must be submitted on or before July 23rd. “And every Whirligig Wars submission (in good taste) will be uploaded at lagunatools.com,” she added.
In case you’re wondering just how to make a whirligig in the first place, there are excellent “How To” Videos available on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y0SnkLCiyI&feature=g-user-u. or by simply typing "How to make a simple Whirligig" into the search form on YouTube.com . For more Whirligig Wars Contest information call, 352-404-3951 or email your questions to WhirligigWars(at)asimpledesignofocala(dot)com and Laney will be happy to answer them.
For more information on Steve Ramsey check out his website at http://www.woodworkingformeremortals.com
For more information on Laguna Tools contact Catherine Helshoj at 949 474 1200 or email – catherineh(at)lagunatools(dot)com