Woodbury Woodturners Club
Encouraging, developing and promoting the art and science of woodturning
Learn MoreRichard Findley Weekend Demonstration Sunday 20th October 2019
By Aubrey Dean
A few weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to have professional turner, Richard Findley demonstrate at our club for a full weekend. Richard is a well respected turner and a regular contributor to Woodturning Magazine and was selected by the committee as an ideal candidate for Bill Bolt's legacy. I think I speak for everyone who attended when I say that Richard was an excellent choice, providing informative and entertaining presentations both days.
Saturday started with Richard making a barley twist leg. This began with basic spindle turning techniques, moving on to methods and tools employed for creating duplicates. Richard explained about different types of twist and the importance of marking out such that the ends of the twist line up.
He covered a number of tools and techniques for creating the beads and it was impressive just how rapidly he managed to produce the finished leg. This was followed by a quick apple, made with careful attention to shape and form.
Many thanks to Jim Bailey for helping to keep the dust down.
In the afternoon, Richard turned a round bottom bowl; an aesthetic, tactile object, but highly dangerous for hot soup!
Sunday comprised a different set of projects, starting with a pewter inlay box. Richard started by making a crude mould from a piece of pine into which he poured pewter that he'd melted using a camping stove.
Setting the pewter to one side, he proceeded to make a box from black walnut, including a small recess in the lid to accept the pewter. After sanding and oiling the walnut, Richard started shaping the pewter, using normal woodturning tools (beading/parting tool and a spindle gouge). It is important not to be greedy here; Richard took small, careful cuts with swarf dropping into a strategically placed saucepan.
Shaping with a parting tool and catching falling pewter for next time.
After parting off and some final buffing, the pewter was fitted into the lid's recess.
Next was the Magic Cup project which facilitated the vanishing and reappearance of a small, red ball. I cannot give you any more detail for fear of Richard being thrown out of the magic circle; the secret will remain with those who attended on Sunday!
Finally, Richard turned a Puzzle Bowl, which might be described as a shallow dish containing a squashed volcano. The idea being that you have to move the bowl in such a manner that a marble ends up in the central hollow.
You can see more photos from the weekend in the gallery.
Thanks to all those who helped with the event, setting up cleaning up, with special thanks to George Webb and Suzanne Parsons for dealing with the tea/coffee/pasties, and John Rockey for stepping in at the last minute to operate the cameras.
Arranging demonstrations like this is becoming increasingly awkward, with many turners booked up for many months (or even years) in advance. As such, it is inevitable that unforeseen clashes with other events may occur on occasion, so it was unfortunate and unavoidable that the Creative Craft Show ran concurrently with Richard's demonstration. No doubt, this contributed to an attendance level lower than anticipated, as several members were prevented from attending whilst they helped promote the club at Westpoint. However, those who did manage to attend Richard's demonstration were most appreciative and thoroughly enjoyed it, with the majority attending both days.
Top Turners Under Attack from Monstrous Regiment Friday 18th October 2019
The ducks and ducklings, after some initial squabbling, took flight in the Competition at Thursday evening's Club Night. As a result, two of our keenest members have gained promotion in the 'Class' system, dubbed ‘the School of Hard Knox’.
Vicki Prouse, following a win in the Annual Show's Tazza category and a triumph with her ducks the other evening, is now promoted from Intermediate to Advanced status.
Pleasingly, Liz Cherrett's turning skills have come a long way in the short time since she joined the club, and following her wins at the Annual Show with her Tazza and success on the duck front on Thursday, she now moves from Beginner to Intermediate standard.
A quick chorus of 'Ducks and Tazzas come away . . .' would not go amiss here.
Many congratulations to both these winners. It just shows what you can achieve if you're willing to read a bit, learn from others and put some effort into your turning.
Have fun both of you in your new Classes.
Photos of the evening demonstrations and competition entries may be seen here.
Competition Class Promotions Sunday 22nd September 2019
Following the results from the Annual Show Competitions 2019, congratulations go to the following members who have won two club competitions within the last twelve months:
Ray Shaw is promoted from Beginner to Intermediate
Wins in Oct 2018 (Goblet) & at the 2019 Show (Pestle & Mortar)
John Guilfoyle moves from Intermediate to Advanced
Wins in Feb 2019 (Open) & at the 2019 Show (Pestle & Mortar)
Well done to both, and here's wishing you lots of success and enjoyment in your new Class!
Diary Dates 2019 Wednesday 4th September 2019
List of Events still to come in 2019
As supplied by Peter Banks, Events Organiser:
(All at Woodbury Village Hall unless stated otherwise)
Thursday 19th September - Club Night (19.00 - 22.00)
This is a come and try evening with expert help
Why not make an egg cup or at least part of it with Tony
Make some interesting things with Barry
Come and try your hand with our Guest Turner
Thursday 26th (09.30 - 16.30), Friday 27th (09.30 - 16.30), Saturday 28th (09.30 - 17.00)
& Sunday 29th September (9.30 - 16.00)
Woodbury Woodturners are proud to be demonstrating at Westpoint for 4 days
We will have a wide range of our Club demonstrators making some very interesting things
Saturday 28th - Sunday 29th September (08.00 - 17.00 Each Day)
A full weekend of demonstrations from internationally respected professional turner, Richard Findley.
Thursday 17th October - Club Night (19.00 - 22.00)
In-House Demonstrations: TBD
Competition: A Duck and Duckling: This is a Nicos Siragas speciality.
Scroll through his small items gallery to spot the duck.
Of course, you could always go off-piste and design your own!
Saturday 2nd November
WWTC Christmas Fair at Woodbury Village Hall (10.00 - 16.00)
More details to follow
Thursday 21st November - Annual General Meeting (19.00 - 22.00)
Our club's AGM is when you get the chance to have your say on the running of the club, and elect your committee. We need your views on demonstrations and events and everything else
After the meeting we can all enjoy an interesting wood identification quiz with some great pieces of wood as prizes. So sort out your teams of two!
Tuesday 10th December - Christmas Dinner
In the White Horse, Sidmouth Road (Meet 19.00)
More details to follow.
Thursday 19th December - Christmas Club Night (19.00 - 22.00)
Mince Pies and Mulled Wine.
Christmas Challenge - "10 Minute Turn":
Create a branchwood, natural edged Snowman (See WTM 326, Winter 2018)
Competition: A Chamber Stick
Last competition of the year and a final opportunity to gain any last minute TOY or COY points!
Think 'A Christmas Carol' and Dickensian England with no electricity, and try finding the bedroom without the help of one of these!
Regrettably the editor has no dates yet for 2020. They will be published here as soon as they are available.
Annual Show Report 2019 Wednesday 4th September 2019
The Setting Up and Running of the Show
(Words & Photos by Graham Drury)
The usual band of suspects, combined with some newer members, helped to set up the show on the Friday afternoon, John Rockey & Co. erected the gallery and Michael Merrett organised the raffle table. Stephen Long took charge of putting up the road signs, Aubrey Dean turned up to accept competition entries and Suzanne Parsons and George Webb organised the competition tables with great precision and care. The hall was made ready very quickly with all the helpers.
The Sales Area
On Saturday the early birds, Suzanne, George and myself, turned up at eight o'clock to place winning certificates next to appropriate entries. We then went on to photograph the winning and placed entries which took quite a time to complete.
Some of the Beginners' Competition Entries
John Guilfoyle, Susan Vincent, Pam and helpers arranged the kitchen ready for the day and a final few members brought along their items for sale.
By ten o'clock visitors where waiting at the door and the first demonstrators donned their smocks to do their bit: Tony Bennett, John Haxell, John Rockey, Roger Hutton, Peter Johnson, Peter Gradon, Barry Westaway and Graham Drury were our demonstrators throughout the show, most items were then given away to the patient public who watched the demonstrations.
The sales area was kept busy with a flow of buyers throughout the day and some interested visitors asked questions and showed an interest in taking up our chosen hobby.
The day closed a little after 4 o'clock and the putting away and tidying up went ahead with the help of members who stayed on to the bitter end.
The competition results are now on the website as are some pictures of the days proceedings, a good moment to congratulate Peter Johnson for his incredible achievement in winning all four categories that he entered and the best in show trophy, for his tazza. Very well done!
Many thanks to all who took part to make this a successful 2019 annual show.
The Competitions
(Words & Judges Photo by Aubrey Dean)
Peter Johnson's Winning Entries: a magnificent achievement
Aubrey writes:
The biggest problem by far was actually getting to the hall on Friday, due to several incidents on the M5 backing up the A38 to Haldon Hill. It took us over 2 hours and this affected other members and judges too!
Fortunately, George and Suzanne had set up a table and with a four person team, we were accepting entries within five minutes of arrival. Processing went smoothly and relatively quickly. Most members had pre-registered, with only a few registering there and then. One entry required a minor description correction, but otherwise, practically all the entries had been processed by about 5:15 and were displayed ready for judging. A final set of submissions from Peter Johnson at 5:45 completed the entries, and with that, the automatically generated tent cards were printed and folded ready for post-judging display.
The Judging
The judges (Roger Gubbin, Sandra Adams and Aziz Kahn) arrived between 6:40 and 7:10. Roger and Aziz had suffered terrible journeys and each had a cup of coffee; regrettably, we had nothing stronger to offer them. After I explained their duties, they were led to the Du Buisson room where they were left alone to assess the entries. By this time, everyone else had left apart from Richard Pegler and Jacquie who stayed for moral support and to help lock up.
The judges took a little over an hour in their deliberations, emerging to state that they had each chosen the same three items they would take home given the chance, so I don't think there was much/any disagreement between them; not that they found it easy, but that they were all on the same wavelength. After the judges left, we updated the website with their choices and printed out the certificates which were left with the tent cards ready for arrangement by George and Suzanne in the morning. I think we left the hall about 9:30 p.m.
The new computer entry system had never been used in anger with the Annual Show, where positions are recorded directly rather than through votes, so I was slightly apprehensive, but everything seems to have gone OK, with the results visible on the website on Saturday morning.
Aubrey and Son, Oscar, receiving Competition Entries
Some Show Stats:
(Full details will be available at the September Club Night)
Wood Sales £37.70 Cafe Takings £253.00 Raffle Takings £141.00
Paying Visitors: 265 Competition Entrants 28
Shop Takings £1,493.70 Total Income £873.52
July Club Night Report Tuesday 6th August 2019
18th July 2019 Demonstrations by Adrian Jacobs and Roger Hutton
(Photos by Graham Drury)
Up the front, Adrian demonstrated his new ornamental lathe made from an old bed and parts made using a 3D printer, and showed how it can be used to carve ornamental patterns on turned work.
He had made several significant improvements and added to its capabilities since we last saw the beast in action.
He also demonstrated laser engraving using a spirograph attachment and a universal cutting frame for carving rose shaped patterns.
The machine has been constructed for very little money and is based on the three articles he wrote in Woodturning which were published earlier this year.
See WTM Issues 327, 328 & 329 - January to March 2019.
You can see the machine at work on his YouTube channel at
Down the back, Roger applied his threading techniques and using home-made tools, cut threads for box lids:
June 2019 Thursday 4th July 2019
June 2nd: Joey Richardson Takes Woodbury Woodturners by Storm.
(Words by Graham Drury, Photos by Richard Pegler)
In front of an audience of some 35 members, she started by turning a cup shape from a piece of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and with the use of an LED light was able to leave a thin wall ready for shaping, piercing and colouring:
Joey moved on to show us how she goes about colouring her designs.
First she used pyrography to outline the shape of a bee with a pattern surrounding it, then carefully controlled her piercing tool to good effect to highlight the whole picture.
She followed this with a butterfly design, again using pyrography to outline the shape (this helps to guide the colouring and keep paint enclosed within the defined shape). With an airbrush and masking frisket, she used carefully chosen colours to paint the butterfly, working from darker to lighter shades.
Some more of the beautiful results can be seen in the website gallery,
Joey brought along some of her work for us to see which proved very popular, with many members taking photographs and bombarding her with questions.
Well done Joey and thanks for a day to remember.
20th June Club Night.
(Words and Photos by Graham Drury - we regret that music is not yet available as the website is still under development)
A busy night with two demonstrators, Peter Gradon and Chris Pomeroy, along with the usual monthly draw, abrasives sales, library of books and videos and Aziz with his exotic timbers.
Peter showed us how to turn a Tazza (handy for this year's Annual Show competition).
He started by turning the top section, using Cherry wood (Prunus sp.), to an ogee profile and sanding down to 400 grit before sealing and finishing.
He next turned the foot section using the same faceplate method, then, mounting a blank between centres, he turned a nicely shaped, very long centre stem to join top and foot.
Any resemblance between Peter's Tazza and a chairside table is purely illusory
Well done Peter.
Chris Pomeroy used his own Woodcut BowlSaver Bowl Coring System to demonstrate how he saves timber by coring out three bowls from one Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) blank. It was a fairly noisy process involving some vibration owing to the distance of the cutting edge from the tool's body.
The BowlSaver in place ready to start.
The first bowl blank separates from the parent timber
He will then leave the turned bowls for a period of time to dry out and warp at leisure to be finished at a later date.
Turned bowls await drying
Thanks, Chris. Very informative and well presented.
Keith Woolacott‘s Extremely Natural Edge Tuesday 21st May 2019
Keith is an AWGB approved instructor, a member of Axminster Woodturners Club and a highly accomplished turner.
The man hisself
His demonstration at the club night on 16th May involved creating a natural edged 'winged goblet' from a newly felled English Oak (Quercus robur) crotch-piece. At one point, one wag from the audience of 50+ suggested turning it into a catapult.
A Rapt Audience
This was quickly forgotten as Keith mounted the 'Y' branch, about 300m long x 150mm across the arms, between centres and began to rough down the stem to a cylinder. His drive was of a big 'steb' type and the 'groin' area of the branch was centred on a pre-drilled depression using the extended tailstock quill. Having turned a hefty spigot in the base, he chucked the branch in strong jaws and brought up the tailstock temporarily to aid centring. Cleaning up the outside of the arms ensued, together with truing up their top surfaces.
The Roughed Stem and Trued Arms
There followed an engrossing session in which the 'arms' were gradually and very carefully hollowed to produce the goblet's cup, the final depth being achieved with a 'fingernail gouge' having an ultra long point to get into the narrow recess.
The outside of the arms, stem and base were then refined before the goblet was parted off.
How to produce shavings from thin air! (Photo: Suzanne Parsons)
The Parting of the Waste
Nearly all stages involved turning air and risked blood on the lathe so Keith concentrated hard. As a result, he spoke rarely to the audience, much of the time relying on John Bainbridge's nifty camera work to show the processes and tools. He did, however, talk quite a lot to himself!
Sanding using a power drill and abrasive head, was done in stages on a stationary lathe as the work progressed, using grits down to 400.
The Goblet awaiting drying out and treating
No finish was applied at this stage, the wood being still wet. The biggest risk to the goblet would be splitting as the wood dried out so it would be placed in a cool, dark, draught-free place for three weeks before being treated overall with Cellulose Sanding Sealer. A further precaution against cracking could be the drilling of a hole from the base up into the stem.
The whole, apart from the bark edges, would then be waxed to a satin finish.
An absorbing evening with even the old (as in experienced!) hands picking up tips.
Thank you Keith. You were friendly, skilled and informative and we hope to welcome you back in the not too distant future.
Here's a smaller version in Laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides) that Keith brought with him.
Photos by Graham Drury, except where noted.
Annual Show Competition Judges Announced Wednesday 15th May 2019
Understanding how keen many members are to know details of ASC judges beforehand, I've taken the bold step of publishing names well in advance:
Sandra Adams, RPT, from Brayford in North Devon, whose website may be found at Beechtree Designs, is especially keen on colour, texture and form.
Roger Gubbin, RPT, is from Launceston and his website is here. Most of his turnings are one-offs, available through craft shows and galleries.
Aziz Khan, from Harbertonford, purveyor of exotic woods, is a frequent and popular visitor to the club and is a very welcome non-turning-but-painting addition to the panel.
Remember, the four categories for entries are:
'Open'
'A Bowl or Platter of no more than 305mm diameter'
'A Tazza'
'A Pestle & Mortar'.
Good Luck.
(From the Competitions Orifice)
Club Night 16th May Wednesday 15th May 2019
It may be worth remembering that this Thursday is the first day of the Devon County Show.
Traffic may cause problems depending on time, and direction of approach to Woodbury.
Hope in Woodbury Village Friday 10th May 2019
A superb demonstration in Woodbury Village Hall, the home of Axminster Woodturners, saw Simon Hope turn a number of items during his all-day stint on Saturday 4th May.
The setting there is really lovely, with views out over the surrounding countryside which looked in prime condition on a beautifully sunny Spring day.
Simon started with a 'Sea Shell Salt Cellar' which involved a number of unusual techniques. For example, he advocated sanding at much higher speeds, up to 2000 rpm, than are usually recommended, his method involving short, sharp attacks with a Rotary Sander progressing through the grades from 180 to 600.
In addition, the close fit between the top and base of the cellar was achieved using waxed hemp thread wound tightly in a groove in the base.
Various other demonstrations followed: Threading, using a jig and by hand; Decoration using a turned and polished brass ring; Use of autobody standard two part resin mixed with filler, in this case Pearl Ex, to decorate the flat rim of a bowl or platter;
Resin Inlaid Bowl Rim
Pewter, cast, textured using a Proxxon Grinder and inlaid into the lid of a beaded, cauldron-shaped box that also sported a blackwood finial; Finally, and somewhat disastrously, an off-centre candle stick.
Simon attacks the off-centre candlestick.
Most of these were taking place in parallel as various bits had to harden, go off, cool down etc. so there was never a chance of a nap for an impressively large audience that contained several visitors from clubs far and wide. The only disappointment? Only 2 WWTC members attended.
Simon, as he usually does, carried on brisk business in his trademark carbide cutters, handles, abrasive disks, scrapers and many other items.
Axminster Woodturners put on an excellent day and special mention must be made of the cooks and kitchen helpers who supplied a piping hot two course lunch for all.
Well done to everyone involved in the day! An altogether very pleasant experience.
Additional photos may be seen in the Simon Hope at Axminster Woodturners Gallery.
All photos by Suzanne Parsons.
Gradon Off-Centre Figure Sunday 28th April 2019
Peter Gradon's sheet of instructions does not show up well in the News below. There are also some errors introduced during transcription. Here is a clearer version which hopefully will enable interested parties to create their own figure. For working purposes:
1 " = 25.4 mm, 1/8" = 3.2 mm, 1.5" = 38 mm, 1/2" = 13 mm, 5/16" = 8 mm, 9" = 230 mm
OFF-CENTRE FIGURE by Peter Gradon
- Select a piece of close-grained wood 9 inch x 1.5 inch
- Turn to 1.5 inch with a half-ball end
- Fit Ball into parallel jaws
- Flatten off end face at tailstock end
- Turn Head, starting 1/8 inch from end, to 1/2 inch diameter
- Turn Neck to 5/16 inch diameter
- Move wood 1/8 inch away from first centre (Position 2)
- Turn Chest up to Neck
- Move wood to the other side of first centre (Position 3)
- Turn Lower Chest down to Waist
- Move wood a further 1/8 inch in the same direction (Position 4)
- Turn Back, Waist & Bottom down to Knee
- Move centre to 1/8 inch the other side of Position 2 (Position 5)
- Turn Stomach & Legs down to Base
- Return to position 4 and turn Legs to Base
- Move centre back to position 1 and finish Head & Base
- Sand figure to 400 grit and part off
- Complete Base and polish
Good Luck!
April Activity Friday 26th April 2019
A Very Busy Month!
Saturday 6th April:
First off was an all day demonstration by Alan Thomas, The well known production turner is originally from Middlesborough but living in Cornwall since 1995. He started turning in 1988.
Alan Thomas
His demo was split into two parts: A small, coloured-rimmed plate and a box with an offset, domed lid which held a stone composite cabochon inserted at its highest point.
Have a look at the full set of Graham Drury's photos in the Alan Thomas demonstration Gallery
His choice of wood for the plate was rippled Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). This gave rise to the WWTC Word-of-the-Month - chatoyance (the correct spelling, unlike that used by Bill McDermott in his notes!) A term borrowed from gemmology, it refers to a shimmering light effect caused by 'cross' grain in the wood. This 'extra' grain direction is produced in response to wind induced stress (I'm sure many of us can relate closely to this concept! Ed.). The effect gives a sense of depth in the wood as light reflects differently from the two grain directions.
He was at pains to point out the importance of using a diluted finish that soaks into the wood and maximises this chatoyant effect. The word itself derives from the French verb, chatoyer meaning, amazingly, 'to shimmer'.
The finished blue rippled plate
The ultra-smooth finish needed to show up the ripple effect to the full, especially if the item is for gallery display, requires the use of very fine grits when 'sanding'.
Starting with 320 to remove tool marks, Alan progressed to 400 before applying Chestnut spirit stains to bring out the ripple. It is vital to use a tack cloth between sandings to remove dust and stray grains from the previous grit. Stains are applied in the order Dark to Light.
Sanding with 600 grit after application of the first colour of stain, 800 after the second and 1000 after the third resulted in an ultra smooth surface, ready for the final stage.
In fine, a de-waxed shellac finish (diluted 30% shellac flake/70% meths by volume) is used.
Alan applied several thin layers of shellac, de-nibbing between coats with meths and 0000 steel wool. A final coat or two of microcrystalline wax is advisable if the object is to be handled - shellac shows finger marks badly.
Alan's second project was the box shown below
Off centre and stoned: The box!
He pointed out that a number of things could be used as a decorative insert - coins, contrasting wood, brass sheet and so on - but this time he chose to use a filled resin.
The filling was ground stone, black and turquoise, in a medium thickness cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, moulded in a disc-shaped hollow drilled in the end of a piece of gash timber (MDF could have been used). Alan used a CA accelerator and allowed time to ensure that the disc had set fully before being inserted and turned as part of the lid.
The offset dome of the lid was created using a home-made off-centre chuck attached to a wooden screw chuck. Once the final turning and sanding had been done, melamine sanding sealer was applied, followed by microcrystalline wax - boxes are handled frequently.
It was a full day's instruction, enjoyed by more than thirty members.
On Sunday 14th April:
George Webb won the Chairman's competition at the AGM of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. His entry was a wide rim textured and coloured bowl. Well done George, that's a major achievement that reflects well on you and on both our local Woodbury and Axminster Clubs.
Thursday 18th April: Club Night
Two demonstrations took place, Stephen Long turned and hollowed a piece of Yew (Taxus baccata) into a semblance of a ginger jar (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery).
Here's one he turned earlier in spalted Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
He used one of the two new Record lathes recently purchased by the club.
Meanwhile, Peter Gradon, famed for his love of eccentric women, turned a couple of mean examples on the Woodfast.
Here's one he brought with him - made from African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
He has kindly supplied instructions and here they are (all looks pretty straightforward :-)
The April Competition was for a 'Bangle or Bracelet' and it attracted an encouraging total of 26 entries across the 3 Classes.
The 'Intermediate' Table
'Beginners' 'Advanced'
Spot the difference! (That's right - there are more 'Beginners' entries than 'Advanced")
See the April 2019 Competition Gallery for more pictures, the Results page for all competition results and the Rankings page for current TOY and COY positions
A Note:
As Competitions Orifice, I was very disappointed to learn recently that some members who had brought entries along simply put them back in their pockets/bags when they saw the high quality of the 'opposition'.
I should make it very clear that no-one in the room, apart from the CompOff or his stand-in, actually knows which entries are produced by which member. Said CompOff is far too busy to notice or care whose is which so your entries are effectively anonymous UNLESS you gain a certificate. In that case, I don't suppose you'd mind the publicity!
So next time, stick in your entry and watch for the result. Given that it's the assembled members who vote, you might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Rant over!
Bob Merrifield (Competitions Officer)
Saturday April 20th:
Training Session: Boxes and Hollowing
The trainees from L to R:
Chris Langdon, Liz Cherrett, Clare Gover, John Yendall, Finnian Chapple, Graham Precious
The day went well with the two new Record Coronet Herald Lathes being put through their paces. Both behaved well, a bit like the students, very quiet and smooth running.
Boxes were made by the 6 trainees under the able instruction of the tutors, Peter Gradon, John Haxell, Roger Hutton, Peter Johnson, Richard Pegler and John Rockey, who gave up their valuable time and brought their considerable knowledge and experience to bear.
Very many thanks go to them.
And Finally:
Thursday April 25th saw the monthly Committee Meeting take place at Peter Banks' abode. Amongst the Affairs of State discussed on the night were proposed reviews of Competition Classes, and issues arising from the numbers of emails being produced from the Club Website.
These will be discussed further in May.
In the meantime, if you have any strong thoughts on either, let Bob Merrifield know.
Simon Hope at Axminster Woodturners Club Tuesday 16th April 2019
George Webb informs us that well known and respected turner, Simon Hope will be giving an all-day demonstration at Axminster Woodturners' Club on Saturday 4th May.
A two course lunch is included in the charge of £15.
Any members wishing to attend are asked to contact Liz Kent (ekent10@gmail.com) for timings and to book a place.
March Happenings Tuesday 9th April 2019
Thursday 21st March:
The club was well represented amongst the many people who congregated to pay their respects at Bill Baxter's funeral. The whole event passed off peacefully: There were no riots, no demonstrations, no insurrections, no wild behaviour and no-one ran amok. This may in part have been down to the presence of large numbers of Royal Marines but was definitely aided by a very pleasant and gentle eulogy delivered by Chas Deacon. All in all, the East Devon Crematorium was a delightful setting for Bill's final farewell. And the weather played fair too. We wish Jacquie and family all the best in the weeks and months to come.
That same evening, an excellent turnout (71 members) watched pro Kevin Hutson demonstrate his turning skills, which are certainly impressive. One of his great strengths lies in producing square boxes so on his only previous visit to the club, he turned a square box, with a thin square lid, from a piece of joinery quality pine. A remarkable feat, as anyone who has tried to turn pine into something attractive will soon tell you.
Kevin Hutson in full flow
Kevin thought long and hard about changing the subject for his demonstration this time and eventually settled on a round box with a thin square lid turned from a chunk of Sycamore! 'I thought I'd show that I really could turn something round', he said. The finish he manages to get straight off the tool is amazing, especially in such relatively soft and unforgiving woods as these. Our Chairman, Stephen Long, was at one point moved to tears of admiration. 'Well it shows what you can achieve', he said, 'when you use sharp tools!'.
Kevin also showed what can be done by way of decoration, in this case of the lid, using a Dremel with a ball burr, and black and burgundy acrylics applied with a brush. He can certainly not be accused of short-changing our members! At 9.40 p.m. having done his box thing, he set to by popular demand to turn a bowl. Altogether an enjoyable and very informative evening for both tyro and expert alike.
Saturday 23rd March:
Bowls: You will have seen the photo of most of the members who attended the training session together with their bowels. There were 6 lathes (two hired from Exmouth Men's Shed) on the go and 6 Trainers: Peter Gradon, John Haxell, Stephen Long, Richard Pegler, John Rockey and George Webb, who very kindly stepped in to replace a poorly Tony Bennett.
It is hoped to have 8 trainers/ees at the April session on 20th when they will be attacking boxes and hollowing techniques.
And finally: Everyone should be bangling like mad ready for April's Club Night competition on 18th of the month. Good luck.
If you don't take part, you'll never know how good you are!
Bowl Training Tuesday 26th March 2019
By Aubrey Dean
Liz Cherrett, Debbie Harris, John Yendall, Clare Gover and Finnian Chapple illustrating their results from Saturday's morning's bowl training.
Bill Baxter Thursday 14th March 2019
It is with great sadness that we must record the death last week of our long standing President, Bill Baxter. He died peacefully at the RD&E Hospital on Thursday 7th March following a battle with cancer.
Bill was one of the seven original founding members of the club back in 1997 and has worked tirelessly on our behalf over the years, right up to the time of his death.
Many of the current members were taught the basics of turning by Bill out at John Bradford's ranch near Ottery St Mary and it was his knowledgeable and friendly approach that encouraged those members to stay with the club and to contribute to its activities.
In his time he saw the membership rise from the original 20 at the first full meeting to over 130 in 2019.
He was originally drawn to the hobby of turning by its 'portability', which allowed him to move around the country serving in the Royal Marines and to take his lathe with him. Ironically, he was never moved again but remained in the Exeter area, close to the club he founded.
Bill served the club first as Chairman from 2002 until 2009, at which point he was elected as the club's first President, remaining in post until his death.
He will be sorely missed by all who knew, loved and respected him.
His funeral will be on Thursday 21st March 1:00 PM at the East Devon Crematorium.
Address: London Road, Strete Raleigh, Whimple EX5 2PT.
February Club Night and Competition Friday 1st March 2019
Well, what a night! An excellent turnout of members and a record breaking 43 entries in the ‘Open‘ competition across all three Classes.
NOTE:
You can find full details of the competition results here and current rankings here, plus many other photos from the night in the gallery. Don't forget that you can track your own results and ranking on your own profile page. Don't forget to look at forthcoming Events.
Stephen Long showed how to sharpen tools with or without jigs. He gave away some sheets of tool angles and settings and for further help advised us to go to YouTube, 'How to Sharpen Wood Turning Tools' on the 'Robbie the Woodturner' site.
A lot of people showed interest and about 10 people brought tools in for sharpening to the correct angle. Once he had shown them, they were able to continue the work themselves.
Peter Johnson took his audience through finishing, step by step, starting with choosing a desired finish for their project, then making a suitable wood choice, e.g. steering away from open grain timbers if a high gloss is desired.
He then went on to stress the importance of sharpening before taking finishing cuts.
There followed good sanding practices, both hand and power, buffing and final finishing, with extensive discussions on what finishes could be used together, the merits of sanding sealer etc.
Many turned examples were displayed showing various finishes and combinations used.
Overall it went well with Peter fielding masses of questions and consequently not getting through all that he had planned to do.
George Webb ruined several perfectly acceptable chunks of wood by colouring them (Apologies from our deputy editor, Raunden Braun).
He actually showed how colour could be used to add interest to woodturning. The approach was low tech and aimed towards new members of the club and those new to woodturning.
The approach was to spray wood stain through a diffuser to blend colours in warm and cold colour schemes. George demonstrated how the wide range of Chestnut wood stains can be used in sequence and blended to flow through the external curve of a bowl.
As well as the demonstration pieces there was a very wide range of other colour applications for discussion and explanation ranging from airbrushing to marbling.
Tony Bennett's task on his 'hands-on' lathe over by the kitchen was to turn a bowl and to get as many members as possible, old and new, to participate. The number who had a go at turning was unbelievable. The evening seemed to go too quickly as there were a few more members who would have liked to try using a turning gouge but didn't get the chance.
Michael Merrett ran the Raffle as efficiently as ever and made £78 towards Club funds. He did, however, express disappointment at the small number of prizes contributed by members, particularly given the good turnout for the evening.
Richard Pegler juggled collecting the last knockings of the 2019 subs with selling some of Bill Baxter's surplus wood and paying out the odd expenses claim.
John Lacey supervised the Library and Keith Wilson grabbed passing members in an attempt to sell them 'absolutely essential' abrasives.
Thanks go to all those who helped out on the night.
On the competition front, special thanks to Graham Drury and David Whitworth without whom the event could not have been staged.
Thanks as always to those who came early to set up the lathes and to those who stayed late to dismantle them again and clean up.
Tea/Coffee and biscuits were provided by John Guilfoyle and his team, with their usual good-humoured efficiency.
A good evening was enjoyed by all who attended - Well Done!
Pepper Mills at Dawn Sunday 17th February 2019
By Aubrey Dean
New Website Launched Saturday 16th February 2019
By Aubrey Dean
I am pleased to announce that the long awaited new website is live!
So what's changed...
It has been re-written completely, to produce a system that can be updated far more easily (and quickly) by non-technical staff, and even members can upload their own photos to create galleries of their work for public display.
At first glance, it may not look like the new site provides much more functionality than its predecessor, but don't be fooled; there is a great deal going on behind the scenes. I won't bore you with the details, but everything is integrated which makes the data much easier to manipulate. This means pages like the events list are dynamic and won't ever display events from the past, and a panel on the home page listing dates for the next Xyz... event will always be up to date. This also means members can be emailed timely reminders for upcoming events including a detailed, auto generated, diary with the reminder.
The Sales page has been renamed to Adverts and members can include photos with their advert description. In addition, members are notified by email when a new advert appears. The Forum menu no longer links to an external website; the new site includes its own. As per the Adverts, members get email notifications when new forum posts are made, so it is likely that a member asking a question will receive responses more rapidly.
Any members starting to get concerned about the number of emails they think they might get need not worry though. Members can specify on their preferences settings which types of emails they want to receive.
As mentioned above, members can create their own galleries. A dedicated contact page for each gallery owner allows external communication from anyone interested in a member's work. If desired, prices can be displayed against items too. For example, Graham Drury has added a new gallery already which should illustrate what's capable, including a profile page.
There are still a number of features yet to complete and, of course, the remote possibility that you might find bugs - especially if you are an Internet Explorer user! Please bear with me, as even with the extensive testing that has been done by myself and my mini-team of of helpers, it is likely that issues will arise.
