Woodworking with Roy Druffel

​Meet Roy Druffel, a member of the Quincy Woodworkers’ Guild. Roy has been a member since 2022. A member saw some of Roy’s work and got in touch to invite him to a meeting. Roy brings into the group a love for some non-traditional means of woodworking as well as some awareness of other new, nifty tools.

​CNC routers and laser machines are not the typical tools found in a wood shop, but these are what Roy uses the most. In fact Roy has three CNC routers and three laser cutters, along with other more traditional woodworking tools.
A CNC router cuts wood with a spinning cutter like a conventional router, but control of the movement of the router is controlled with a computer driven mechanism that precisely positions it in the X, Y and Z axis according to a computer file. A laser cutter operates somewhat the same, but the cutting is done with a hair thin laser beam that engraves or burns through the wood, depending on the power setting and speed. The major challenge to this type of work is in tweaking the computer files to create the desired result. Roy’s experience as an industrial electrician helps him in this regard.
Most of Roy’s work is on a fairly small scale, such as the laser cut cross shown here, the Honor Flight plaques (also laser cut), coasters and some barbie-size park benches. Roy sometimes takes his work to craft shows but most of what he makes are gifts.
Roy often participates in woodcrafts day at the Veterans Home, where guild members work with the veterans to do the final assembly of small projects. For this activity Roy created some kits to make holders for cards or dominos. These were a big hit with some of the veterans.
Roy enjoys helping others and likewise benefits from what is shared in the Woodworkers’ Guild.