2014

December 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:09:45+00:00Chris: champion spin doctor With Christmas looming, it seems appropriate that toys are on the menu. Richard Hoodless reports on how Chris Grace entertained us royally in November, demonstrating how to make two types of spinning top, one with a separate launcher, the other with a means of spinning the top without a separate launcher

November 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:12:06+00:00After the tea break Chris Taylor gave a very interesting talk on segmented work. He uses 6, 12, 18 or 24 segments as these are all factors of 360 so the angles for the segments are easy to calculate and cut. He prefers to use a table saw with a sled for cutting the segments rather than a bandsaw which requires the segments to be sanded. When choosing timber for a segment ring it is essential to use a piece long enough to provide all the segments as this ensures that they are all of the same thi...

October 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:13:19+00:00Is it a planet? Is it a UFO? But no, in truth it is a very large wavy edge wing bowl made and demonstrated by Shaun Clifford to members at our September meeting. Very large is an understatement — see Gordon Cookson’s remarks (page 2) on that subject. And Shaun manoeuvred this lump of sycamore onto the lathe, much to the astonishment of those sitting in line with the chuck rotation! With such a large piece of timber, truing everything up is not easy and Shaun, having done it many times before, s...

September 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:14:31+00:00Despite serious searching, a decent full-face pic of Shaun has yet to show itself. So you will have to come and see him for yourself in September. There is an excellent commentary by Mark Baker on the Woodworkers Institute website http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/p age.asp?p=3697, encouraging us all to come and see Shaun demonstrate how to make a floating winged bowl out of a whole log.

August 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:17:06+00:00To start, he said his demonstrations would be in two halves — spindle (tea light holder) and bowl/platter which can be joined to make another item. Chosen timber for the tea light was sycamore, some 112mm square and 400mm long. In planning, is worth considering what can be bought at the likes of IKEA and thus embark upon something that is not copying items that are mass produced. The selling point being that the product is unique. The timber was held between the tailstock and a toothed dri...

July 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:18:59+00:00To start, he said his demonstrations would be in two halves — spindle (tea light holder) and bowl/platter which can be joined to make another item. Chosen timber for the tea light was sycamore, some 112mm square and 400mm long. In planning, is worth considering what can be bought at the likes of IKEA and thus embark upon something that is not copying items that are mass produced. The selling point being that the product is unique. The timber was held between the tailstock and a toothed dri...

June 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:20:16+00:00Our May evening was advertised as another open hands-on club night, so we tried to demonstrate and try some different aspects of the workshop. We had the opportunity to try our hands at different types of finishing, grinding our own tools and using a bandsaw, apart from our usual activities. Much interest was shown in the bandsaw analysis given by our chairman but apart from David Buskell demonstrating how to use it for things other than bowl banks, I am not sure any member had a go despite fre...

May 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:21:42+00:00Ex-chairman Greg Moreton was our presenter/demonstrator at the April meeting. And, as was expected, he gave an expert performance making a delightful natural edge laburnum box. His tea break was sacrificed to showing members how to acquire razor- sharp edges on their woodturning tools. A lively session went well into extra time as members jested and gave Greg plenty of backchat, with lots of valuable information and amusing comments imparted to keep memories going long after the hall retur...

April 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:22:50+00:00Considerable enthusiasm welcomed the subject of World Wood Day at our March meeting. An astonishing array of timbers appeared on the display table — at a rough guess 30 examples, both as finished items as well as chunks of raw wood waiting for the touch of turners’ tools. To give an idea of the coverage, here are the countries noted: South America, Cuba, USA (South Carolina), Israel, Canada (Vancouver), Burma/Malaysia (teak), Ireland (bog oak), Africa (ebony, lignum vitae), Australia, New Zea...

March 2014

admin2021-12-08T11:24:43+00:00This month's table has a theme to celebrate World Wood Day on March 21st. Look through your stock and your wood pile and add to the what we hope will be an excellent show of varied timbers to celebrate! Turners of the world Unite! — a brief discussion of any pieces from all parts of the world that our members are encouraged to bring. David Buskell has samples from Canada, USA, Australia and Africa. Plywood from Ikea does not count as a European piece — Gordon Cookson please note! Please bring ...