The club’s library resources have been added to our learning center menu. We have a fairly extensive collection of DVDs and books as well as a nearly complete collection of American Woodturner magazines (the official publication of the AAW) back to the first issue in December of 1996. In addition, we have many issues of Woodturning magazine out of the UK back to the 10th issue from September, 1992. If you would like to check out any of these items just talk to the club’s librarian, Keith Palmer, at the next general membership meeting. You can also contact Keith through our librarian contact page.
March Membership Meeting
This month we will be holding the first of our three mini-symposiums of 2011. Here is your opportunity to pick up several new techniques and ideas from members of the South Puget Sound Woodturners. Here is the lineup:
- Roy Lane – Large hollowing
- Eugene Kramer – Segmented turning
Jeff Schultz – Small hollowing- Brad Husby – Chasing feathers
- Carol Zandel – See the unexpected
Jack Wayne – Hollow form collar
- Eric Lofstrom – Spinning tops
- Dave Schweitzer – Sharpening with diamond
- Andy Firpo – Shop safety
Build Your Own Rose-Engine
If you would like to try your hand at ornamental turning (OT) with a rose-engine lathe but don’t want to shell out $2,000 – $3,000 there is an option for you.
The Ornamental Turners International (OTI) is a virtual chapter of the American Association of Woodturners. Their website has great information about OT including articles and photo gallery, as well as a discussion forum and members only area. They happily share their passion for OT and this is where your rose-engine option comes in.
Jon Magill, a member of OTI, created a full set of plans for building a rose-engine lathe out of MDF. For about $300 and a half-sheet of ¾“ MDF you can build your own rose-engine.
You can find the Introduction and Overview, detailed drawings and construction instructions on the OTI website. You can also find videos of an MDF rose-engine lathe in operation.
UPDATE – Jon Magill has a site called Rogue Turner. His documents can be found there as well.
You can find his original article from the Spring 2007 issue of American Woodturner, the Introduction and Overview, detailed drawings and construction instructions on his website.
Here is a video of a rose engine in operation:
New Videos in the Learning Center
Our website Learning Center has been inaugurated with two videos from SPSW member Dave Schweitzer covering how to use the D-Way beading tools. Just look under the “Learning Center” in the menu.
AAW Board Message
Australian Disasters
Year-End Grand Prize Winner
By now I’m sure you’ve heard that Cliff Mann of AZ won the Powermatic 3520B lathe donated by Walter Meier Powermatic/JET (http://www.waltermeier.com/us/en/splash.html). Cliff’s local chapter, the Southern Arizona Woodturners Association, also won their prize of five JET mini-lathes. Not only were they great prizes but delivery was free. You can see more of the details at this link.
Monthly Drawings/Grand Prize Drawing
We are continuing with our monthly drawings. Nothing is required in order to participate other than being a member of the AAW. We have great prizes each month and will have a grand prize drawing again at the end of 2011. Walter Meier Powermatic/JET has again donated the grand prize (3520B plus the local chapter’s choice of a JET fullsize or 5 minis).
Our January and February Winners
- Rick Coffman, FL – a tuition-only scholarship for a woodturning class from Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
- Jeffrey Knichel, NJ – a tuition-only scholarship from Anderson Ranch Arts Center
- Del Porter, FL – a $100 gift certificate from Choice Woods
- Ronald Nelson, WI – a Teknatool Nova G3 Chuck with No. 2 Jaws and insert from Craft Supplies USA
- Albert Brooks, CA – a five-DVD set from David Ellsworth Jeff Ziegler, PA – a $100 gift certificate from Hunter Tool Systems
- Robert Matern, TX – a 4-DVD set from Mike Mahoney
- David Brink, NC – Wolverine Grinding Jig from Oneway Manufacturing
- Phil Morgan, GA – an assortment of sanding supplies from The Sanding Glove
- Jim Roth, OH – two separate $100 gift certificates from Thompson Lathe Tools
- John Lamacraft, SC – a 3-DVD set from Trent Bosch
Thank Our Sponsors
Please make sure that you thank all of our business members for their support of the AAW. These companies (and individuals) help make the organization great and offer many special benefits to our members. Let them know you appreciate them when you do business with them. We also thank those donors of the monthly and year-end grand prize drawings. You can find a complete listing of those on the website at this link.< Insurance Donations
Many chapters ask how they can assist with the expenses of the AAW. One of the benefits of being an AAW chapter is the insurance which may be required for certain meeting places and event opportunities. If your chapter (or an individual) wishes to assist with this expense, you may make a donation to help. “How much?” is an often asked question. We’ll graciously accept any donation but many chapters use $1 per member as a guideline.
Almost 14,000
The year 2010 closed with a total AAW membership of 13,941. While we were striving for 14,000, we can call it close enough. To continue to increase our membership, we ask that the chapters and individual members make a concerted effort to make their fellow woodturners aware of the AAW and the benefits of membership. The programs that are offered are only possible with a strong and growing membership.
AAW Links and Publicity
Getting the word out about the AAW is something that we all can help with. Please include a link on the chapter website to the AAW home. Include one on your personal website as well. When you are asked to provide a bio for demonstrations, publications, or other public events, please include the fact that you are a member of the American Association of Woodturners. We can all help get the word out. If you need publicity materials to hand out at meetings, club events, or demonstrations, contact the Saint Paul office.
Going Green
The option to “go green” on the Resource Directory has been a big success. More than 6,000 members opted to forgo the printed copy. The online version will be available to all members and will always be the most current information available. Thank you to all who decided to make this choice.
AAW 25th Anniversary International Symposium
The time is getting closer. Our 25th Anniversary Symposium preparations, underway for quite some time, have kicked into high gear. You can find all of the latest at http://www.woodturner.org/sym/sym2011/.Registration, volunteer opportunities, special events, and more are to be found there. The site is continually updated with the latest information so check back often.
February Membership Meeting
[note]This month we have Larry Miller coming to demonstrate. Larry is the president of the Olympia club and is a member of our club. This should be a superior demo and we are excited to have him joining us.[/note]
I started turning wood in high school, and still have the very first salad bowl I turned that my mother used for nearly 40 years (it’s ugly, but functional). I had about a 35 year layoff while finishing college, getting married, working as a computing manager in higher education, oil, and aerospace, and raising our two sons. When my wife bought me a small lathe in 1995, I slowly picked up the craft again. I didn’t get “serious” about turning until we moved to Olympia in 2003. I now have 5 lathes in my well equipped shop, and not only make what I like to call “Functional Art”, but also teach woodturning to all ages and skill levels, including home schooled kids. I am actively involved in the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) youth program and will be in St. Paul again this summer working with the Kids. I don’t specialize in any one art form, but enjoy a challenge and have done a number of projects including hats, hollow forms, deep vessels, piercing and other embellishments.
The demonstration I’m going to perform for the SPSW in February is titled, “how to turn a specialty box with minimal to no sanding”. Although I’ll have several different boxes on display, the one I’ll demonstrate was written up in the Summer 2010 Woodturning Design magazine and was inspired by the capitol dome in
Olympia. This is just an example of a specialty box, as my demonstration will focus on methods and tips that apply to all box types. I’ll cover design, layout, chucking techniques, shortcuts for quickly producing multiple copies of the same design, use of some specialty tools, and tips that will allow you to reduce or eliminate sanding.
Setup starts at 6:00 with social time starting at 6:30.
