So here’s a video from Eric Goertz from Wildwood Designs, also know as The Bangle Guy. In this video Eric covers some technical topics to help you make sure that your lathe is running properly.
What’s Happening at Other Chapters
The Northwest Woodturners in Beaverton, Oregon are meeting February 5th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Inland Northwest Woodturners in Spokane Valley are meeting on February 5th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Southwest Idaho Woodturners in Boise, ID are meeting next on February 10th. Scott Taylor will be presenting Carving Projects.
The Fraser Valley Woodturners in Abbotsford, B.C. will be meeting on February 12th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Seattle Woodturners are meeting on February 12th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Willamette Valley Woodturners in Salem, Oregon will be meeting on February 12th. Dick Worthy will be demonstrating Trembleurs.
The Cascade Woodturners in Portland, OR will be meeting on February 19th. Lloyd Johnson, developer of Woodturner Pro software, will be demonstrating segmented turning.
The Northwest Washington Woodturners in Mt. Vernon are meeting on February 19th. NWWWT member Mike Young will demonstrate wooden hat turning
The Olympic Peninsula Woodturners are meeting next on February 25th. Glenn Schaffer will be demonstrating natural-edged vases, green, with heart.
The Woodturners of Olympia are meeting on Februay 26th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Southwest Washington Woodturners in Vancouver, WA will be meeting on January 28th with a demonstration of furniture projects; stools, tables, coat racks, etc.
The Island Woodturners Guild on Vancouver Island are next meeting February 28th. Phil Cottell will be demonstrating Turning a platter and carving it.
The Greater Vancouver Woodturners Guild in Vancouver, B.C. are meeting on February 25th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced. Also, Stephen Hatcher will conduct an all-day demo on the 28th and a hands-on class on March 1st.
January Demonstrator
Like many of you I began turning wood in Junior High School. While visiting an uncle in Southern California he noticed my excitement about wood turning and gave me a lathe that he never used. With paper route earnings I purchased tools from Sears and my dad and I began turning on our midsized lathe. This ended when I left home for college except for visits home. When my father was gone my lathe came back to me. After seeing pens in a woodworking store in Port Townsend I said to my wife like so many of you, “I could make that!” Years later I wandered into a store and discovered pen kits and asked how to make them. The owner gave me a three minute lesson and after purchasing the needed extras for the lathe I began my current wood turning adventures.
Delving into the many turnings that could be made on a small lathe with excitement growing a customer came to me for eyewear and I found that he rebuilds lathes as a hobby. We worked out a deal for a larger lathe. It was poor at best and eventually it was sold and a brand new General lathe came home. Borrowing a chuck from my friend Tom Bageant started me on the path to bowl turning.
The real turning point was Eric Lofstrom giving me a rough turned Madrone burl bowl. That was so exciting to turn. Dave Schweitzer noticed my excitement and asked me to come and see him. He had no idea what he was in for. After a long day at Dave’s he finally got rid of me after six in the evening. This began a marathon of turning wet wood and learning and practicing the techniques that had been shown. Two hundred rough turned bowls later there were signs of hope in my finished bowls. A need for a larger lathe became very important and so the General lathe was sold and a Powermatic came home.
Back to Dave’s and now hollow forms started popping up at home. A day with Roy Lane helped that experience as well. So much to learn and so little time, with lots of practice happiness ensued. Urns, baby rattles and vases appeared, some with dyed and some natural finishes.
The many demonstrators at our club and others continued to teach techniques that were new to me. With practice these new methods became easier to use and enabled me to produce better results.
At this meeting I will be demonstrating inside/out turning.
Free Student Memberships to AAW
With a high percentage of schools eliminating shop classes the opportunity for middle or high school students to learn about woodturning are limited. So the AAW has started a new program for students from 10 to 25 years of age to get a free online membership, which includes the digital edition of American Woodturner.
Instructors who are teaching woodturning to junior/high school and college students will receive a promotional code that provides the students with the free membership. More information can be found on the AAW Youth and Student Programs page.
Student Woodturning Competition
The AAW recently announced that they are partnering with the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) to launch “Turning to the Future”, a biennial student woodturning competition. Finalists work will be displayed July 22 – 25, 2015, at the AWFS’ biennial conference in Las Vegas.
All high school students in any program and post-secondary students in art, design, or trades programs are eligible to apply. The competition is open to all forms of woodturning, except furniture making. Work cannot be larger than 20″ in diameter. There is no entry fee.
First prize is $500, second prize is $100 and third prize is $50. All winners will receive an AAW symposium scholarship and have their work featured in the American Woodturner journal. Prizes are sponsored by Woodcraft and will be awarded in both high school and post-secondary categories.
Applications are due by May 1, 2015. More info can be found at the AAW Turning to the Future page.
What’s Happening at Other Chapters
The Northwest Woodturners in Beaverton, Oregon are holding a special meeting in January on the 7th. This meeting will feature Derek Weidman demonstrating multi-axis turning.
The Inland Northwest Woodturners in Spokane Valley are meeting on January 8th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Fraser Valley Woodturners in Abbotsford, B.C. will be meeting on January 8th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Southwest Idaho Woodturners in Boise, ID are meeting next on January 13th. Scott Taylor will be presenting Carving Projects.
The Olympic Peninsula Woodturners are meeting next on January 28th. Stephen Hatcher will be demonstrating forms and finishes.
The Seattle Woodturners are meeting on January 8th. Derek Weidman will be demonstrating multi-axis turning. Derek will also be holding an all-day session on January 10th.
The Willamette Valley Woodturners in Salem, Oregon will be meeting on January 8th. Nick Stagg will be demonstrating The Perfect Sphere without a chuck.
The Woodturners of Olympia are also meeting on January 22nd. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Cascade Woodturners in Portland, OR will be meeting on January 22nd. Ed Harvieux will be talking about 3M abrasives.
The Southwest Washington Woodturners in Vancouver, WA will be meeting on January 28th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Island Woodturners Guild on Vancouver Island are next meeting January 24th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Northwest Washington Woodturners in Mt. Vernon are meeting on January 15th. Charlie Drake speaks on photographing your work, Ron Means demos baby rattle turning.
The Greater Vancouver Woodturners Guild in Vancouver, B.C. are meeting on January 28th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced. Also, Derek Weidman is conducting an a demo on January 3rd and an all-day class on January 4th.
