World Wood Day

world wood day logoThe International Wood Culture Society (IWCS) has announced the 2013 World Wood Day on March 21st. This year’s symposium will be held in Tanzania with the theme “Wood in Africa: Cultural Distribution, Historical Utilization, and Future Sustainability”. The symposium aims to encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences concerning the wood research, strategy and practice, in the cultural, historical and social contexts and development. Focused topics are designed to raise awareness of current issues and to enhance multidisciplinary discussions for the crucial role of wood in a sustainable world.

Several events are planned including a woodcarving competition, an international woodcarving show and a woodturning show. Local and international woodcarvers and turners are expected to give presentations to share with judges and audiences their ideas for their creations at the end of the program, which will be a highlight of the event. The activities of the World Wood Day are intended to encourage the public to take a closer look at wood and sustainable conservation of forests and trees in farmland.

Other events planned for the World Wood Day 2013 include a drawing competition for local children to show their appreciation for wood with their imagination and talents, and a tour of specific wood culture spots around Tanzania.

More information is available on the World Wood Day website and on the World Wood Day Facebook page.

demonstrator / wood / woodturning events

What’s Happening at Other Chapters

The Northwest Woodturners in Beaverton, Oregon will be meeting on February 7th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.

The Inland Northwest Woodturners in Spokane Valley are meeting on February 7th. Bob Schmidt will be demonstrating a vacuum system.

The Southwest Idaho Woodturners will be meeting on February 12th. The program has not yet been announced.

The Seattle Woodturners next meeting is on February 14th. Jimmie Allen from the Olympic Peninsula Woodturners will be demonstrating a different take on boxes.

The Fraser Valley Woodturners Guild in Abbotsford, B.C. will be meeting on February 14th with a “hands-on night”. Bring a tool you are having difficulty with and a lathe captain will show its proper use and how to sharpen if necessary.

The Willamette Valley Woodturners in Salem, Oregon are scheduled to meet on February 14th. Nick Stagg will be demonstrating basic bowl turning.

The Northwest Washington Woodturners are meeting on February 21st. Dan Ackerman will demonstrate his techniques to create unique lidded boxes, including his way of turning finials by putting them under tension w/ the tailstock.

The Cascade Woodturners are meeting on February 21st. Steve Newberry will be demonstrating making hook tools.

The Island Woodturners Guild on Vancouver Island will be meeting on February 23rd. Tim Soutar, Rob Dunlop and Phil Cottell will be demonstrating 3 variations of “Bowl Savers”.

The Greater Vancouver Woodturners Guild in Vancouver, B.C. is meeting on February 27th. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.

The Olympic Peninsula Woodturners will be meeting on February 27th and will hear about Chain Saw Safety from JD Fernstrom of Sthil Northwest.

The Woodturners of Olympia are meeting on February 28th. This will be a turn and learn meeting.

AAW / chapter profile / demonstrator / Membership Meeting

Old Technology Meets New

Interesting story on designboom.com. This is one where old technology – a turned piece of wood – is used with new technology – a smart phone.

bomies boom systemThe use of smart phones as music players has increased significantly as the storage capacity, streaming ability and sound quality has evolved. But they still do not work very well with the built in speakers – not enough power to make them heard from a distance. Dutch designer Jeroen Bomers has come up with a way to amplify the sound without a powered device. His invention is Bomie’s Boom System, a passive acoustic amplifier turned from wood. It has a parabolic horn shape and a slot for a smart phone that fills a room with sound.

You can see it on Bomers’ website and on designboom.com

techniques / woodturners

Upcoming Woodturning Events

Idaho Artistry in Wood

southwes idaho woodturners associationThe Southwest Idaho Woodturners Association is once again co-sponsoring the Idaho Artistry in Wood Show which will be held Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24 at the Boise Hotel and Conference Center, 3300 Vista Ave., Boise, Idaho. This is a juried show with classifications for skill levels from beginner to expert. Participants can win cash prizes for their work. There will also be vendors, a banquet and auction. Registration will take place on Friday, February 22, 2012 from 12-6 p.m. at the Conference center. You can find more detailed information at the Artistry in Wood website.

The cost of participation in the show is $3 per entry for pieces pre-registered by February 15, 2013 and $5 for registrations at the door. Youth 16 and under may compete without cost.

Totally Turning Symposium

The Adirondack Woodturners Association (AWA) presents the 10th Totally Turning Symposium. Totally Turning 2013 will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and March 24, 2013 in Saratoga Springs, New York. This is part of a larger woodworking show called Showcase that is presented by the Northeastern Woodworkers Association (NWA). Registrants to Totally Turning will have access to noth the woodturning rotations of Totally Turning 2013 and to all of SHOWCASE 2013. Instant Gallery pieces brought by Totally Turning registrants will be a part of the Instant Gallery of Showcase and as such will be viewed by about 4000 of the general public in addition to the woodturners of Totally Turning 2013.

Demonstrators include Mike Mahoney, Binh Pho, Ernie Conover, Lyle Jamieson, Kurt Hertzog, Steve Sinner, David Nittmann, Giles Gilson, Joe Herrmann, Jerry Sambrook, Harvey Fein, Bruce Hoover, Mike Souter, and Geoffrey Noden. There will also be an instant gallery, trade show and spouse program.

Registration for one day is $140, or both days for $180. Lots of information including registration, accommodations, meals etc. can be found on the Totally Turning website.

Southern States Woodturning Symposium

Several AAW chapters are collaborating to host the 13th Annual Southern States Woodturning Symposium April 26-28, 2013 at the Clarence Brown Conference Center in Cartersville, GA. Featured demonstrators for 2013 include Keith Gotschall, Dick Sing, Al Stirt, and Jacques Vesery. There will also be a number of vendor displays. More detailed information can be found at the Southern States Woodturning Symposium website.

Utah Woodturning Symposium

utah woodturning symposiumOne of the most well known symposiums, the Utah Woodturning Symposium is scheduled for May 16-18 in Orem, Utah. The 2013 Demonstrators include: Nick Arnull, Mark Baker, Clinton Biggs, Kip Christensen, Andy Cole, David Drescher, J Paul Fennell, Cynthia Gibson, Steve Hagen, Mick Hanbury, Tim Heil, Joe Herrmann, Kurt Hertzog, Alan Lacer, Mary Lacer, Dennis Liggett, Mike Mahoney, Dale Nish, Jerry Sambrook, Mark Supik, John Wessels, and Vic Wood. In addition to the more than 80 demonstrations there will be many other activities including an instant gallery, banquet, silent auction and raffle, swap meet, vendor displays and the 11th annual Penturners Rendezvous. There will also be a special exhibition of selected works from the Dale Nish Collection.

Early registration for the three day event is $275 which includes the Friday banquet. Get more information at the Utah Woodturning Symposium website.

AAW / demonstrator / symposiums / woodturning events

2nd Annual Woodturning Show and Sale at Oldfield Center

fred-oldfield-centerThe 2nd Annual Woodturning Show and Sale will be held May 11th through May 31st at the Fred Oldfield Western Heritage and Art Center on the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Woodturners from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana are invited to participate. There were several SPSW members who participated at last year’s show including William Bender who won the Judge’s Show award and Paul Crabtree who won the People’s Choice award. You can see photos from last year’s show in our gallery

There will be an artists reception which is open to the public on May 4th.Monetary awards will be given for “Best of Show” & “People’s Choice”. All Show Proceeds will Benefit the Children’s “Experience Art Program” at the Center.

It’s only $8 to submit your first piece and $5 for the second. You can get the specific info and the registration form here.

The Oldfield Center is also looking for sponsors for this event. If you or your organization would like to support a wonderful arts center and get some great visibility you should check out the sponsorship packages.

Fred Oldfield Western Heritage & Art Center
110 9th S.W.
Puyallup, WA 98371

253-752-9708 or 866-445-9175

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1539, Puyallup, WA 98371

[mappress mapid=”9″]

foldfield@comcast.net / www.fredoldfieldcenter.org

Membership / woodturning events

Exciting Opportunity!

In his column in this month’s Chips & Shavings, President Dan Stromstad identified an exciting opportunity for an SPSW member who has a passion for turning, sharing their skills and knowledge, and providing youth with the opportunity to learn this great craft of ours:

We now officially need a member to step forward to lead a group of members in the effort to begin a youth woodturning training program. We have several members who are willing to help, but not a leader. It will be easy to get the funds donated to accomplish this awesome task. The AAW has a program developed and it is easy to basically follow the design that is preexisting. Let’s get started turning our young folks on to the joys of creating wonderful wood art with a lathe. The schools are unable to do this in most cases as they did when I was a young man. I was thrilled in junior high school and that is when I was inspired to turn. We are able to teach these young folks so much more than we learned in school and then woodturning will be even more exciting for us and the young folks.

If you want to get an idea of the impact this can have on the youth, check out this recent article in the Arden-Carmichael News out of Sacramento.

If you would like to give back to the community in this way please contact Dan Stromstad and let him know.

AAW / chapter profile / Membership