June Demonstrator – Russell Nymen

This month’s demonstration, “Airbrushing and Other Methods of Adding Color,” will be presented by a familiar face: Russell Neyman, a longtime friend of the South Puget Sound Woodturners.

“I came to the conclusion very early in life that I wanted to do many different things,” Neyman said recently. “Perhaps I’m easily bored or maybe I have some sort of ADHD disorder, but doing the same thing for any great length of time bores me.”

Woodworking and, more specifically, woodturning is in his blood. His grandfather, built cabinets and furniture, and many of his tools are in Russell’s shop today.

Russell makes tall, dramatic hollow forms – vessels with incredibly small openings through which he has removed the interior with a series of hooks and scrapers – typically adorned by a sweeping finial or decorative feather. He also makes gift boxes and cabinets, often featuring a secret compartment.

Neyman was President of the Olympic Peninsula Woodturners for more than three years, taking over when the previous club leader was unable to complete his term in 2013. Since leaving office in January of 2016, he has dedicated himself to promoting the craft, mentoring new woodturners and teaching formal classes in his Port Orchard studio. Currently, he conducts one-on-one sessions for would-be turners through a program called, “The Woodturning Experience.” Nearly 1000 individuals have turned with him.

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May Demonstrator – Ken Conte

Ken took up woodturning in 2008 and has been a member of the AAW and the Woodturners of Olympia since then. He has served on the Board of the Woodturners of Olympia since he started turning and served as Club President from January 2014 through June 2018. Ken has lived and worked in Olympia most of his life. He retired in 2013 after a 35-year career in Washington State government.

In addition to general turning, Ken has always enjoyed finding ways to displays spheres. A few years ago, he took on the challenge of developing a method to make a sphere float in air. This led to him writing an article for the August 2022 edition of American Woodturner titled Levitating Spheres. Ken’s demonstration will show how he uses electromagnets and dipole magnets embedded in his turnings to make a sphere float in air. Due to time constraints, he won’t actually turn a sphere but, instead, will focus mostly on the steps he takes to prepare a sphere blank, dividing it in two and embedding a magnet in what will become the bottom of a sphere. He will discuss making the base that holds the electromagnet but, in less detail as it requires only basic woodturning skills.

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April Demonstrator – Note Meeting Date and Time

For April we are excited to present Glenn Lucas live from his Woodturning Study Center. Please note:

NOTE: GLENN’S DEMO WILL BE APRIL 1 AT 8:30 AM!

Zoom link will be emailed to paid members.

From Glenn’s website:

I’ve been turning wood since 1990. Starting as a production turner I worked to produce both classic-functional and one-off artistic pieces for homes and collections. Over the years I have been fortunate to learn from some of the most respected masters of my craft and I’m privileged to be able to pass that knowledge on.

At my Woodturning Study Centre in Co. Carlow, Ireland I teach all levels of ability in group classes and one-to-one tuition. Travelling the world for demonstrations and classes in woodturning, you can also watch me turn in your own workshop with my ‘Mastering Woodturning’ series of DVDs and downloadable videos. My website can be used to book classes, buy woodturning tools and DVDs, or purchases of my bowls. Send me your email and I will add you to my newsy ezine and we will keep in touch!

demonstrator / Membership Meeting / techniques / virtual / woodturner profile / woodturning events

Newsletter e-Delivery

If you are signed up to receive our monthly newsletter, the Chips and Shavings, and you are using a Comcast email address we have been having issues for some time with delivery. This is the response from the email system when the newsletter goes out:

“all hosts for ‘comcast.net’ have been failing for a long time (and retry time not reached)”.

We also have issues with any email provided by Microsoft – hotmail, MSN, etc. as their spam filters are extremely tight.

If you are signed up for the newsletter with any of these providers you may want to try gmail as we seem to have the best delivery success there.

newsletter

Remembering John Jordan

To the Woodturning Community,

It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John Jordan passed away Tuesday following an extended illness. John’s life-long contributions to the field of woodturning were foundational and deeply personal to us and everyone who knew him. John has been an integral part of AAW from the beginning and a voice in the original vision for an association of woodturners bound together around the ideals of openly sharing ideas, freely exchanging our methods and techniques, and learning by example. He lived those ideals. He was respected throughout his career and served on the AAW’s Board of Advisors, through which he excelled as a valued source of advice, ideas, and inspiration.

John’s turned and carved vessels are featured in numerous private and corporate collections, as well as the Public Collections of more than thirty museums. In 2012 he was given the honor as a Lifetime AAW Honorary Member. He was one of only two members present at every AAW International Woodturning Symposium.

In this moment, we cannot express with our words the wealth of what John left behind on our hearts. Always one of the first to seek out at an in-person woodturning event, his charm and good-natured sensibilities are legendary. We will miss him dearly. On behalf of the AAW family we express our deepest condolences to John’s family and loved ones in this difficult time.

Respectfully Yours,

Mike Summerer, AAW Board President
Phil McDonald, AAW Executive Director

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