Here is a natural edge maple bowl turned by SPSW member Steve Miner shown at our November Show and Tell.
November Membership Meeting – Dan Stromstad
I began turning wood in Junior High School. While visiting an uncle in Southern California he noticed my excitement about wood turning and he 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.
After seeing pens in a woodworking store in Port Townsend I said to my wife “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.
The real turning point was Eric 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.
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.
October Membership Meeting
Dale Larson lives in Gresham, Oregon and has been turning wood for 43 years. He specializes in turning bowls from local hardwoods, including Pacific Madrone and Big Leaf Maple. His work is both functional and beautiful and much admired by collectors and wood workers alike. His bowls can be found in private collections all over the world.
Dale has taught woodturning classes at John C. Campbell Folk School and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. He has been a demonstrator at five AAW Symposiums, eight regional symposia, and numerous local chapters, as well as international events in England and Israel. He has written articles about wood and woodturning in American Woodturner, World of Wood, Woodworker West, Woodturning Design, and L’echo des Copeaux (AFTAB France).
He currently serves on the board of the Larch Mountain Country Artisans and the Board of Advisors of the AAW. In 2019, Dale was named an AAW Honorary Lifetime Member. He served on the Board of Directors of the AAW from 2009 through 2014 as Symposium chair and three years as President. He is a past president of the Northwest Chapter of the International Wood Collectors Society and a founding member and twice past president of the Cascade Woodturners in Portland, Oregon.
What’s Happening at Other Chapters
The Inland Northwest Woodturners are meeting October 6th at Ferris High School. Eric Lofstrom will present “Fitted Lid Boxes”.
The Northwest Woodturners in Beaverton, Oregon will be meeting on October 6th. Jason Goodrich will demonstrate Sea Urchins.
The Seattle Woodturners are meeting in person on October 13th. This meeting will feature a mini-symposium.
The Willamette Valley Woodturners in Salem, Oregon will be meeting at the Salem Center 50+ on October 13th. Tom Willing will demonstrate turning spheres.
The Oregon Coast Woodturners are meeting on October 15th in Newport. Kirk DeHeer will discuss demystifying cuts and catches. This is a comprehensive discussion of spindle turning tools and their catches.
The Northwest Washington Woodturners will be meeting on October 20th. Jay Shepard will be demonstrating finishes and coloring wood.
The Strait Turners in Sequim will meet on October 15th at the Gardiner Community Center and on Zoom. Brad Stave, President of the Olympic Peninsula chapter will be the demonstrator .
The Cascade Woodturners in Portland, OR are meeting at the Wild Apricot Center on October 20th. Darcy Tataryn will be the demonstrator.
The Island Woodturners Guild on Vancouver Island is meeting in person and remotely on October 22nd. The program for the evening has not yet been announced.
The Olympic Peninsula Woodturners will be meeting virtually and in person on October 26th. Roberto Ferrer will demonstrate using had tools for embellishment.
The Greater Vancouver Woodturners Guild in Vancouver, B.C. are meeting at Sapperton Hall on October 27th. Cathy Friesen will demonstrate Cremation Urns.
September Membership Meeting – Minisymposium
This month’s meeting will be our second semi-annual mini-symposium for this year. Featured presenters will include:
Jeff Marshall on Beginning Turning;
Dan Stromstad on boiling wood to reduce cracking;
John Howard selling at the club store;
Pat McCart showing sharpening;
Mike Poirier showing how to mount a bowl blank to a faceplate and chuck;
Doug Reynolds showing wrapping a tool handle with hockey tape (bring a tool or handle);
Dave Best showing texturing and carving;
Jimmie Allen selling his D-Way and BoxMaster tools (he’ll have blems available for cash or check);
- and Members with good used tools.
An exciting time for all. Stay healthy, stay safe and happy turning.
Mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium live on Zoom
Join the first ever Zoom exploration of the Mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium, on line for social fun each day. The Lancaster Coffee Hour team will take you to meet attendees and demonstrators on Friday, to the vendor showcase and Instant Gallery on Saturday, and the amazing Sunday lunch party.
You can see all the displays, chat with friends, talk and ask questions, buy cool stuff, win the raffle….everything that’s social and fun, and no demos.
Only $25 registration fee for five or more hours of Zoom programming. Visit MAWTS.com and sign up today.
