PATINA September 13, 2026 Meeting featuring Bruce Johnson, Chapin Tool expert

The September 2026 in-person CLUB meeting in McLean VA, will be SUNDAY September 13. Start time is 9:00am.

Our September program will be with Bruce Johnson, a descendant of the Herman Chapin family.
Bruce Johnson was raised outside Syracuse, New York, and attended college at Rochester Institute of Technology majoring in mechanical engineering.  He has recently retired from a career that has taken him from designing industrial paper, film, and foil converting machines to high-speed automation machine lines.  Now retired, he has been able to dedicate more time to his passion for collecting molding planes and other tools manufactured by his ancestors the Chapin family of New England and documenting the shared families genealogies.  

During the meeting he will talk about how the connection between his family to Hermon Chapin occurred, the history of Union Factory of Pine Meadow, CT, and the transitioning of Union Factory over the generations until it was acquired by Stanley Rule and Level.  He will also have an assortment of tools, documents, and letters from his collection on display.

The Hermon, Nathan, and Philip Chapin businesses were probably the most prolific plane makers and they also made Boxwood and Ivory rules. We encourage anyone with Chapin documents or tools to bring them for show and tell or for sale.

As always, we will use the upper lot only for tailgating. Please park in the lower lot if you are not planning to set up a table. Start time: 9:00am for tailgating.  Our mini-auction will take place after tailgating around 11am, and will include a Shipwrights tool chest with beautiful mahogany panels on the lid interior, twisted rope trim, a painted canvas top cover typical of the use, as well as the contents of molding and smooth planes, saws, chisels, etc. The original owner worked in the Baltimore Shipyards.

Other incoming donations will be added.

After the tailgating and mini-auction, The club will feature the guest speaker’s presentation and demonstration.