Membership Renewal Time

SPSW members, it is that time of year to renew your membership. You can renew at the next meeting with cash, check, debit or credit cards. Or if you prefer, you can renew online on our membership renewal page.

It is also time to renew your membership in the AAW. As a member of AAW you are part of one of the largest craft associations in the country, currently greater than 13,600 members strong with more than 325 local chapters in the United States and internationally, each one-year membership includes:

  • Six issues of American Woodturner, official journal of the AAW, each jam-packed with:
    • New one-of-a-kind projects
    • Inspiration and insider secrets
    • Time- and money-saving shop tips and techniques
    • Step-by-step instructions with helpful how-to images and diagrams
    • Calendar of events, seminars, and exhibitions
  • Education and Advice
  • Annual AAW Symposium
  • Expert woodturning advice at woodturner.org
  • AAW Forum and members-only access on woodturner.org
  • Access to Educational Opportunity Grants for members and AAW chapters Opportunities
  • Insurance and Savings
    • Bodily injury liability insurance furnished for members involved in AAW activities
    • Commercial property and liability insurance available for members to purchase
    • Group rates for health, life, and commercial business insurance
  • Discounts on AAW books, DVDs, and logo merchandise with savings up to 50%

If you are not a member of AAW, consider joining. The magazine alone is worth the cost of membership. If you are a member, take advantage of all of the information on the website. The videos are fantastic.

AAW / Membership

October Membership Meeting

This month we having our last Mini Symposium of the year. As always, we have a great line up of demonstrators. There is always something that each of us can learn from some of our members. This is always a very popular event.

Here is this month’s list of demonstrators:

DSC0646-LCarol Zandell – Something Fun (what else would you expect from Carol.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roy LaneRoy Lane – Hollow Forms

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Thoren – Miniature Birdhouse

Sorry, don’t have a picture of Jim!

 

warren swiftWarren Swift – Either a Whistle or a Top (or maybe both)

 

 

 

 

 

 

stephanie laneStephany Lane – No, make that Pyrography

 

 

 

 

 

 

dave schweitzer CBN sharpeningDave Schweitzer – Sharpening

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff Marshall – Turning for Beginners

Sorry, don’t have a picture of Jeff either!!

 

Don’t forget to bring your dull tools. This is your opportunity to get them
sharpened by an expert. When you get home, you will be amazed at what is like
to turn with

demonstrator / Membership Meeting / symposiums / techniques / woodturning events

AAW Benefit: EOG

One of the benefits of membership in the AAW for individuals and chapters is the Educational Opportunity Grant (EOG). The grants are up to $1,000 for individuals and $1,500 for chapters to cover the cost of expenses such as tuition, registration, demonstrators’ fees, travel, lodging, and meals. The intent of the grants is to provide educational opportunities that expand and enrich the entire woodturning community, provide ways that these skills may be shared with local chapters, seminars, schools, and friends, and create opportunities for members who would otherwise not be financially able.

Recently our friends in the Woodturners of Olympia (WOO) were awarded an EOG which was used to help the woodturning program at Olympia High School. The school’s shop had several lathes, but they were out of tune, the their tools and equipment were in need of repair and replacement. Members of WOO went in to the shop and tuned up the equipment and used the grant to purchase new tools, chucks and sharpening equipment. In addition, Chapter President Larry Miller volunteered a couple days a week to help mentor the students.

The shop instructor reports that the students work has improved greatly with the addition of the new tools, equipment and mentoring.

You can help too. Your membership in the AAW helps to continue this and other great programs to help bring our craft to new people.

AAW / Membership / scholarships

What’s Happening at Other Chapters

The Northwest Woodturners in Beaverton, Oregon are meeting on October 3rd. The September and October meetings will be held at Guild of Oregon Woodworkers workshop. The demonstrator will be Russell Coker showing how he makes fence post vases.

The Inland Northwest Woodturners in Spokane Valley are meeting on October 3rd. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.

The Southwest Idaho Woodturners are meeting on October 8th. The topic for the meeting has not been announced yet.

The Seattle Woodturners will be meeting next on October 10th. This month’s meeting will feature Paul Crabtree demonstrating deep hollowing.

The Fraser Valley Woodturners Guild in Abbotsford, B.C. are meeting on October 10th. Bruce Campbell will be discussing chucking and lathe maintenance.

The Willamette Valley Woodturners in Salem, Oregon will be meeting on October 11th. Josh Kinsey will be presenting a steampunk demonstration.

The Northwest Washington Woodturners are meeting on October 17th. Bonnie Klein will be demonstrating and will also be holding all-day classes on the 18th and 19th.

The Cascade Woodturners are meeting on October 17th and will be holding their annual auction.

The Greater Vancouver Woodturners Guild in Vancouver, B.C. are meeting next on October 23rd. Larry Stevenson will moderate a critique of members pieces.

The Woodturners of Olympia are meeting on October 24th with a discussion by Dr. Sara Robinson on Spalted Wood.

The Beaver State Woodturners in Eugene, Oregon, are meeting on October 25th with a presentation by Rudi Rudolph on lidded boxes.

The Island Woodturners Guild on Vancouver Island will be meeting next on October 26th. Donald Porter will be demonstrating turning a bowl from a board.

The Olympic Peninsula Woodturners will be meeting on October 30th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.

demonstrator / Membership Meeting / symposiums

Cryptex

From Wikipedia:

The word cryptex is a neologism coined by the author Dan Brown for his 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code, denoting a portable vault used to hide secret messages. It is a combination of the words cryptology and codex; “an apt title for this device” since it uses “the science of cryptology to protect information written on the contained scroll or codex” (p. 199 of the novel).

In this video AAW member Carl Jacobson demonstrates how to create a cryptex on the lathe.

AAW / project / video

September Demonstrator – Eric Lofstrom

Eric Lofstrom“There is nothing more powerful than being inspired by an idea and having the confidence to create that one-of-a-kind piece on the lathe…this is what woodturning is all about!”- E.Lofstrom

In addition to exploring my own creative voice, I also am very passionate about sharing the journey with others. Teaching and demonstrating woodturning techniques allows me to share what I have learned and allows a dialogue with others to stir our creative juices.

I am increasingly conscious of the importance tool control plays in creating pieces. I believe it is not only important to know which techniques work but also why they work. As a passionate teacher and woodturner, I hope to impact the world of woodturning by helping others build confidence in tool control and developing their own voice in woodturning!

I plan to turn both a cut-rimmed and irregular-rimmed bowl using traditional turning tools. My demonstration will highlight tool control used in finessing a graceful curve in addition to cutting and scraping techniques aimed at minimizing the need for sanding.

You can access my website (ericlofstrom.com) for electronic handouts on bowl turning:

Translucent bowl turning handout

Spear-point scraper

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