Club Meeting: 6 May 2026
Report by: Cory Wyatt
Pete and Michelle
To say Pete’s got wood, is like saying the ocean is wet. True, but it is an understatement of all understatements. Pete has done most things with wood, and has several firewood yards to go with full sheds at home. The quote of the night was “you gotta have a wood cutter, to have a wood turner”.
Pete told many stories, funny and in some places illegal stories that explain the man and couple. He has borrowed wood, cut wood with everything you can think off and builds benches, table tops, to works of Art. Developing from Wood cutting to wood working with turning a part of the journey he has spent many hours in the shed like most of us. He is also a proud home kill butcher and a proud member of the Geyserland Guild of Woodworkers (https://www.ggw.nz/) in Rotorua.
His partner has helped him on the way and allowed him to store many of his works in the house including some of his 650 axes’. He may have the best and biggest axe collection in NZ, including many rare early NZ made.
While the stories were very entertaining what stood out was Pete’s willingness to share his knowledge. This included many learnings around what to take in your chainsaw kit.
- A Chainsaw Bar vice, which can be found for as cheap as $20, used to help with sharpening.
- Chainsaw spanner, wedges, blocks etc
- Sharpening Guide and tools
- Oil, a mixture of used compression oil/vegetable oil, with a ratio of 30 to 1
If you are ever in the Rotorua area or in the greater Bay of Plenty and in the need of firewood, give him a call.