ArtisticWoodturners
                                                                July  2007
                                                                  Newsletter

Hope you are having a nice summer in your shop doing what you like. It is pretty hot thru the day, so please be mindful of the heat we don’t need any heat stroke victims.

  This meeting will be on the 21^st of July 9a.m. at the Woodman Lodge. We will be having a BBQ and the wives are invited to this and any meeting they want to attend except for the paid turners. Ralph Thomas will be doing the BBQ and others are invited to bring covered dishes, bake beans, salads, potato salad, chips, ice, etc. If you signed up for something bring that, the rest is up to you.

  At this meeting the program will be up to the attendees. The committee wants you to share your ideas that you use to accomplish your projects. Example would be the jig that Jack uses to make his ornaments. This will be a show and tell of Jig and Fixtures by our own members. We would like for all members to participate, share what you have found out to be helpful to you. We will have a lathe set up for your idea to be shown to the membership, please don’t be bashful show us your stuff. Helping each other is the reason the club exists, so please share your ideas.

  It was nice of the members that stayed to help Mike and Al clean up after their demo, Thank You. Some of you may not yet know that we have an incentive program for the people that stay and help clean up so ask any committee member to explain it for you.

  The gift exchange turned out great. We had fifteen entries.  Thanks to all participants. It is time to start planning for the next event.

  We are looking for members that would like to do a demonstration for the club. It has been said that the best way to learn is to start teaching. If you would like to help please let the President know.

  Coming up in August we plan on setting up all three of the club lathes and will have a hands on session instructing anyone who wants to know what it means to ride the bevel and other techniques that may be giving them fits while they are learning to turn. Don’t forget about S&T and the auction. See you there.

 

Photos of AWT's last meeting for your viewing pleasure. Hope I live up to your expectations and if your not in any of the pictures, turn in something for show and tell, so we can get your mug shot out for the members to see. Here we go.


Looks like a big crowd has come to Mikes first meeting of his 1st term in office.


There he is still recovering from a bad fall from a ladder on to a picket fence lucky he didn't get skewed. Keep resting we need you in good health. 

The order has changed a little with Show and Tell followed by the exchange of turnings, the auction, and then the demo.


James shows his round  dyed forms. I expect to see him on the AAW demonstrators list showing off his talent. 


Two round bottom turnings made out of popcorn or Chinese Tallow Tree. If you have never turned this kind of wood you should try it. You never know what the color will be. Depends on what time of the year the tree is cut and is the wood still green or is it dry. There is a surprise in every log.


George turns another lidded box the type of wood escapes me, I guess it goes with age.


I think George is trying to give Ben a run for the money with his hollow form painted and pierced.


Achtung !!  Frank wants you to pay attention to his S&T, and that's an order.


Looks like Frank has been busy. Nice looking Mimosa bowl.


Frank has been very busy.


Another nice shallow bowl.


Very nice winged Mimosa bowl for the exchange. I would like to have that one.
I believe George got the bowl.


Very nice footed bowl Fred. He just came back from a week at the John C. Campbell Folk School for turners. This is one of the projects they taught while he was there. His children's present for Fathers Day.


Fred shows a platter he made using a piece of wood for accent that he purchased at one of our auctions.


Jen Parker shows us a very nice winged foot box. Nice design  and finish.


Darnell has kicked turning into high gear, he has been contributing every month keep them coming. I believe he will be taking them to Russia for gifts. 


Dink brought this pen to find out how he could make one just like it.


Mike brought this tool handle he made to hold the tool that James was going to grind for him. Mike was heard mumbling about how hard it was to hit the center with your drill press. I'll bet you could do better while it is still on the lathe. Nice wooden  handle.


Frank Strong has turned a nice pedestal bowl. Frank said he didn't like the plain bowl so he turned the base for it and this is the results. Jack Diamond met Frank at a local restaurant carrying a cane that he had turned. Jack invited him to our meeting the rest is coming. Good turning.


Chuck shows off his golf ball bottle stopper with a little show and a lot of tale. Thanks Chuck for the great idea.



Ralph turns more than anyone in the club. He is showing some of the turnings that he turned during his last demo. The turnings are finished and he wanted you all to see the finished product. You may remember he turns an open ended hollow form and then replaces the bottom. Good show nice shapes. Retirement is great, right Ralph.


Our newest member Rick Herrick shows off a finial he made for a grandfather clock he is restoring. He did have pictures, said the clock was to big to bring. How many of you have done a S&T the same day you joined the club. Great job Rick its all up hill from here. The club is here if you need mentoring, tapes, magazines, and DVDs.



Some of the Exchange items for this cycle. You can start working on the next one coming up. Great selection, hope to see more participation. Next time wait for the photographer so we don't miss a thing.


Here are some of the items that we sold at our auction. Great job Ralph.


There were plenty of viewers for the S&T table. Seem like interest is rejuvenating


The Mutt and Jeff show. The club needs some one to volunteer to do the camera work so the demonstrators do not have to do it, anyone out there want to help?

Al and Mike have the demo for this month. Al is showing the club how to take care of our lathes with a little maintenance. Dressing the tool rest with a mill file using it as a draw file. Remember the file is a single cut.


Draw file the tool rest is smooth and the nicks are gone, then lubricate.


Notice the rust on the bed. As a club we should  remember to take care of our own equipment. We have two more lathes to clean. This is can be cleaned with any medium such as WD-40, mineral oil or a light oil and Scotch Bright. Spray or wipe rusty area and rub with the Scotch Bright rub till the rust disappears then wipe off the medium with a clean rag or paper towel. You can then spray some clean WD-40 or wipe on oil to protect the surface. Clean the bottom of the banjo and the tail stock. You will find  the lathe works better with lubrication, wax, paraffin etc. Hope you remember to keep your lathe ship shape. It will help your lathe work.


That's much better. Two more to go.


The next part of the demo Al shows how to sharpen a bowl gouge using his own set up using the wolverine attachment and his high speed grinder. Al said if he has to replace the grinder he will buy a slow speed grinder or a variable speed. You have to be careful with the HS one the tools get hot and sometime discolor, but has not had any problems. 


Al explains how to use a dressing tool to true up your wheel. This tool was made by Al for about $25 the wolverine sells for $70 and works the same way. It is used to remove the glaze that clogs up the wheel and also will true it for roundness. There are a few other tools to help clean the wheel a diamond tool dresser, a wheel dresser, and a silicon carbide stick, they all work. They can be ordered from Woodcraft or go to Home Depot, Lowes and purchase them.


Al shows the use of the wolverine sharpening system. No matter which one you use develop a repeatable method that gives you the results you want, which is a tool that has one bevel to ride. Here Al puts fingernail grind on Floyds Sorby tool with Floyds own jig. I feel that a sharp tool will increase your skills as a turner. Sharpen often when  turning. Start each day with a sharp tool and keep it sharp while turning using a repeatable method.

Mike shows a set up for installing a wolverine system on his own grinder. Mike says that his is the wrong grinder, but it can be used if set up is properly. If you choose to use the wolverine jig, set it up according to the furnished instructions. If you loose the instructions or choose to make your own tool, you can go on line to oneway.com and print out the instructions.


This is a different set up but it will work.


Here Mike shows how to put a burr on a scraper. We will try to have more details on how to put a burr on a scraper and put in on our website in more detail, Keep looking for it.


Robert McBroom showed us an alternative rig used in conjunction with the wolverine system it works well. For more info call Robert.


Here Robert adjusts the distance, the tool protrudes from his jig, for the proper cutting edge before sharpening. Thanks Robert for showing a different choice.
Question for members. Would you like to see more demonstrations like we had this past meeting? if so please let us know.