Camping and Woodturning

northwest washington woodturners logoDo you like woodturning? Do you like camping? Well, the Northwest Washington Woodturners has the event for you. The AAW chapter is holding a Camping and Turning Rendezvous in Ellensburg, Washington. Dates for the event are July 8th through the 24th.

This is an unstructured camping and outdoor turning get-together where like minded folk can relax and share experiences. You are invited to bring your own mini lathe and come for as long as you wish between these dates. The event will be held in the North RV lot at the Kittitas Valley Event Center (Ellensburg Rodeo Grounds). The only fees are for camping – $13 per rig for power and water hookup, $8 per rig for tent for dry camping. There is a dumpsite nearby.

To make your reservations contact Julian Lee – julian.s @ Comcast.net, 360 299 2900.

Companion Event

For those turners interested in learning to carve, or improve their carving, there are classes available at Northwest Carvers Academy within the Event Center from July 10th through 15th. Information on this is available on line at www.Cascadecarvers.com and click on “Carving Academy”.

woodturning events

Turning Around America

beth ireland
Beth Ireland at the Health Learning Academy
What would you say about a person who decides to travel around the U.S. for a year and teach woodturning to anyone and everyone who was interested? Could you live out of a van which also served as your workshop? Could you sleep in said van in rest areas and driveways?

One person is doing this. Beth Ireland is a woodturner, artist and educator from New England and has been travelling the country in her modified van teaching woodturning where ever she goes. From October, 2010 to February, 2011 Beth has travelled 10,000 miles and taught woodturning to 1,500 people. She has visited public and private schools, community clubs, Boys & Girls Clubs, woodturning clubs and individuals.

On her Turning Around America website she states the goal of her project:

Empower people through the simple act of making an object in wood.

Looking at the website you will be able to see all the places she has been, pictures of the people she has met and taught and watch videos she has made.

But the real story is in her blog. Her experience living in a van, sleeping at rest areas, learning to live with less, spending lots of time alone. I found it a captivating and entertaining story of someone with a mission that is also her passion.

One of my favorite posts was from Februay 16th. She talks about how she felt like a Johnny Appleseed type character. Planting little seeds of woodturning all over the country and watching a new crop of Woodturners grow. She wrote of her experience at Safe Harbor in Florida teaching kids who were at risk who now had adults that were interested in them, how the skills they learned had already changed their lives.

Check out Beth’s website and blog and see if it doesn’t put a smile on your face.

woodturner profile

Segmented Woodturners Chapter April Summary

segmented turning titled "Buffalo"
Buffalo by Hans Finsterwalder
The Segmented Woodturners chapter of the AAW recently sent out the April club summary to the members. If you are interested in, or are actively involved in, segmented turning this chapter is a great way to acquire and share knowledge about this art.

Here are some of the highlights from the chapter summary:

  • The chapter held their annual elections last month in which 7 officers were selected from a slate of 12 candidates. Newly elected (or re-elected) officers are Harvey Crouch, Bill Kandler, Dennis Keeling, Phil Miller, Jim Rodgers, Ron Sieloff & Malcolm Tibbetts.
  • There will be a random drawing from interested chapter members for a complimentary registration to the AAW Symposium in St. Paul.
  • The website forum and gallery software is being updated to improve the user experience.
  • There are 3 new tutorials on building table saw sleds for cutting segments.
  • There are currently 698 paid members. The chapter website received 5,601 unique visitors in February and 409,517 page views.
chapter profile / segmented

What’s Happening at Other Chapters

inland northwest woodturners logoThe Inland Northwest Woodturners in Spokane Valley has their membership meeting on April 7th. Demonstrators include Bob Schmidt on the use of metallic paint finishes and patinization, and Chad Gladhart sharing tips on ebonizing, scorching, and how to safely burn, brush, burnish and buff without setting fire to your shop.

The Northwest Woodturners in Tigard, Oregon also meet on April 7th. The will have an interactive demonstration by Phil Lapp will be doing an interactive presentation on how to resurrect that hunk of wood and change it into something special. All members are invited to bring a piece of wood that you really want to turn, but have decided it is not possible because of some problem within the wood … Does it have a saw cut down the middle? Are their cracks or splits ? Are there knots or knot holes? Is there spalting or punky sections? Phil will check each piece of wood and explain how to make the piece into an interesting turning. After this lively discussion, he will choose one of the pieces and turn it for all the members to see how to overcome these problems. Phil uses multi centers, and all sorts of interesting tricks to res-cue a fine piece of wood and create an interesting turning from one that seems impossible.

The Cascade Woodturners of Portland, Oregon are meeting on April 21st. For those who are not able to attend the Denise DeRose special event offered by the SPSW, you can see her as the demonstrator at the Cascade Woodturners April meeting.

The Olympic Peninsula Woodturners are meeting on April 27th in Bremerton with a demonstration by Jack McDaniel. SPSW members may remember Jack from his demonstration of a turned travel mug in November, 2008

Membership Meeting / woodturners

Denise DeRose Demo Update

denise deroseThis is a very special event. We need at least five more people to sign up.

Since this is a very unusual demonstration, we are inviting all participants to bring along their spouses or significant others for no additional charge.

Denise is unique in that her specialty is turning designer purses. I don’t believe that any of you have ever seen anything like this. This is definitely a must-see event.

For those of you who have already signed up, don’t forget to invite your spouse. Just pack an extra bit of lunch and come and enjoy the day. This is truly your chance to learn learn about a new turning medium.

If you can attend, and you should seriously consider it, give Jim Cotter a call at 206- 954-9548.

The demonstration is scheduled for this Friday, April 8th, beginning at 9:00 am at Nancy Sweazey’s Shop in Bonney Lake.

demonstrator / newsletter / woodturner profile

An Alternative to Wood

tectonic plate image
James Thurman's Tectonic Plate
If you have been turning projects out of wood for a while you may wonder what other materials can be used. Acrylics are quite common today, but mostly for small items, such as pens, and as highlights in wood turnings.

If you are an AAW member you should soon be receiving the April issue of the American Woodturner, the official publication of the AAW. This issue has not one, but two articles on using paper as a turning medium.

The first discusses the use of newspaper and does not use any glues or epoxies in the paper. The other demonstrates the use books and other types of paper for creating turning blanks called Mokume Kami.

Here is a teaser of the latter. This video was produced by James Thurman, the author of the second article and shows how he utilizes recycled nautical maps to make a platter.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZRfkwDcFQs

If you are woodturner and not already a member of the AAW you should consider joining. Besides the six issues annually of the American Woodturner, there are many other great benefits.

techniques / woodturners