After your access has been granted sign up for the member communication email list here.
August Membership Meeting – Kathleen Duncan
Kathleen is an accomplished woodturner and artist who is a proud and engaged member of the American Association of Woodturners, the Cascade Woodturners and the Southwest Washington Woodturners. She served two terms on the AAW Board of Directors (2015-2020).
Kathleen’s start in woodworking truly began in early childhood watching her dad, Oscar Frey, build various wooden objects. She enjoyed watching him puzzle out how to make and build the different pieces and elements of his projects. Even at an early age she was absorbing his problem-solving methods and inventiveness as he progressed on a project. One of her most cherished pieces that he made for the family is a beautiful clock that Kathleen dubs the “Incredible Time Machine.” She also recalls a decorative spinning wheel that dad made for mom, Margaretta.
Kathleen will demonstrate the wing element of her interpretation of an umbrella ornament during our August 21st, meeting. She will include key elements of turning the wing form, design considerations and how she forms her piercings. This is certainly a timely topic leading into our September Mini- Symposium focused on holiday ornaments.
Social hour starts at 5:30, meeting starts at 6:30 at the Almendinger Center.
Upcoming Woodturning Symposiums
The Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild is holding their Turning 2025 Symposium at the Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center in West Harrison, Indiana from October 10th through 12th, 2025. Featured demonstrators include Andy Cole, Pat Carroll, Elizabeth Weber and Rebecca DeGroot. There will be a vendor show, Instant Gallery and auction. Lodging is available on site and nearby, including an RV park and campground.
The Segmented Woodturners Chapter of the AAW has rescheduled it’s Segmenting Chicago Symposium September 25 -27, 2026 at the Hilton Chicago Northbrook Hotel. The list of demonstrators is really a who’s who of the segmenting world. There will be an instant gallery, trade show, segmenting swap and raffle. There will also be a Beads of Courage collection box. There is much more information on the symposium website.
July Membership Meeting – Brad Stave
Those who know Brad Stave will tell you that Brad has always worked with wood in some form or another. And those who don’t know Brad, but meet him, soon experience the intense love he has for wood. If names are omens in a person’s life, then Brad Stave‘s name was sure to destine him to a life of woodworking.
Brad began working with wood at the age of 5 when he received his first toolbox. “There hasn’t been a time that I can remember, where wood has not been a significant part of my life,” recalls Brad.
After graduating from college, Brad remained true to his heart. He realized that working with wood was not enough. He wanted to share his love for wood through teaching; and it has rewarded him with many enriching experiences. Brad taught Graphic Arts in Mukilteo, WA and then moved to Wyoming, where he taught woodworking to Arapaho and Shoshone Native American Children (grades 3-8).
Then in 1985, Brad moved to California. There he started a new job and became a father of a newly born daughter. Sensing her husband’s need to find some avenue to work with wood, Brad’s wife Silvia bought him a wood lathe. And from that point on, Brad knew he had found his niche. Brad says, “Of all the creative endeavors I have pursued, wood turning has been the most rewarding, it is the pursuit of my heart.”
By 2006 Brad was ready to get back home to the Pacific Northwest, so Olympia is now home; let the chips fly!
June Membership Meeting – Dan Stromstad
Dan recalled passing by a small shop somewhere with his wife. Inside that shop, they admired some handmade wooden pens. Dan said to his wife, “I could make those.” A while after that, Dan walked into a woodworking store and saw pen making supplies. Dan purchase enough to get started and received a quick lesson on how to turn a pen. Shortly after he started making pens on that original lathe his uncle had given him many years ago. The funny thing about that lathe was that his dad had mounted it on a light weight, repurposed stand that wobbled a bit when he used the lathe. Dan endeavored to turn pens on that wobbly first lathe with some success.
Dan’s fourth lathe is the Powermatic lathe he has in his shop today. Here is Dan with a large maple blank in his previous shop. He calls this, “My Happy Place.”
Dan’s involvement with the SPSW grew over the years. Between 2010 and 2012, Dan served as club president. These days Dan looks forward to mentoring new woodturners and supporting charity causes by turning and donating wooden bowls.
Dan will be demonstrating Inside Out Turning a Christmas Ornament, timely subject giving you plenty of time to turn yours.
A story in every turning
Note – This post is from our newsletter archives. It was the President’s message by Pat McCart from the March, 2009 issue of Chips & Shavings.
I was recently explaining the markings on the bottom of a highly figured spalted maple bowl with stone inlay to a coworker who remarked that I had a story for each piece that he had seen me turn. That is when I had one of those wow moments to which I stated that I probably had at least a half a dozen for each piece that I had ever turned, some pieces have even more.
When you consider all the steps that go into turning an item worthy of display it should not be a surprise to me that many of lifeʼs little stories would become imbedded in that bowl.
Stories like, where did you get the wood? Buy it or get it free? Cut it green or starting to punk out? What shape. Where did it go? What tool to use? Is it sharp? What cut? How much? How thin? What shape now? What finish? Who is it for? What piece is next?
If you have a favorite story about a piece of wood, and your journey with it into a turned item and on, let me know.
What’s Happening at Other Chapters
The Northwest Woodturners in Beaverton, Oregon are meeting on June 5th. Danny Bartlett will be demonstrating Trembleurs. The monthly challenge is a natural edge bowl.
The Mid-Columbia Woodturners in Pasco, WA are meeting on June 14th. The presentation will be on Making a textured and dyed Moroccan style bowl from a piece of wood. Textured, dyed and waxed finish to appear like pottery.
The Willamette Valley Woodturners in Salem, Oregon will be meeting on June 12th. Members will be demonstrating Christmas Ornaments (it’s never too early).
The Southwest Washington Woodturners in Vancouver, WA are meeting on June 12th. Doug Wooden will be demonstrating embellishment by using wood dyes and making inlays.
The Fraser Valley Woodturners Guild are meeting on June 12h at the All Saint’s Anglican Church in Mission, BC. They will be showing a 30 minute video by Richard Raffin on “skew chisel basics”.
The Woodturners of Olympia are meeting on June 13th. Brad Stave will demonstrate turning a Tapered Square Box.
The Inland Northwest Woodturners will be meeting on June 14th. Professional presenter, Matt Monaco will be the demonstrator. Matt previously was a demonstrator for Craft USA, and has been featured in Fine Woodworking magazine.
The Olympic Peninsula Woodturners are meeting on June 16th. The program for the evening has not been announced.
The Seattle Woodturners are meeting on June 19th. Jamie Straw will demonstrate Sharpening.
The Northwest Washington Woodturners are meeting on June 19th. Dave Pettenski, Rod Parker and Tom Thorton will be demonstrating a variety of methods and equipment to safely and effectively hold wood on the lathe. These gentlemen did Part 1 of this presentation back in October of 2023, so they will do a recap of that presentation and then complete Part 2 for in our June meeting.
The Cascade Woodturners in Portland, OR will be meeting on June 19th. Kevin Jesequel will demonstrate “How Kevin Cuts Up”.
The Oregon Coast Woodturners are meeting on June 21st at Hastings Coastal Woodworks in Newport, Oregon. Dale Larson will be demonstrating turning a roughed out bowl from a log.
The Greater Vancouver Woodturners Guild are meeting at Sapperton Pensioners Hall on June 26th. Bruce Campbell & Alan Jones will be demonstrating turning Handles.
