Tonight  – After the AGM Rolf will be making a Ghodiyu – A ghodiyu is an infant cradle formed of a wooden frame and a cloth hammock (Wikipedia).  The device originated in Gujarat, India to help babies sleep. Please note we expect all members to stay awake during the demonstration!!

The wood of the month – Oak

A Change to next months demonstration, Mick Schofield will be showing us An eccentric bowl that looks like a pile of washers!

Next months wood of the month is, Walnut

Demonstrations – On Sunday we are joined by Mick Hanbury making a return visit.

Tickets are available from the shop – Please get your tickets tonight so we know how many to cater for.

Workshops – The upcoming box workshops are now fully booked. If anyone would like to do a workshop, or has an idea for a workshop please let us know,  we could put one on in the new year,. The list for the sharpening workshop is on the board – please sign up if you would like to attend.

Next Years Programme. – The committee will be compiling ideas for next years programme at their next meeting. If there is anything you would like to see included please see a member of the committee tonight.

Inter-Club Competition. This will be voted on tonight. We need five entries from five different people. Please vote during the break. The competition will be at the Borders Club on the 28^th October. If we do not get 5 entries then we cannot compete.

Harrogate 2018 – The North of England Woodworking and Power Tool Show will be on November 16^th – 18^th. Advance tickets are on sale now at £9.00 – (£8.00 concessions) from www.skpromotions.co.uk

Roger

The Better Bowls Workshop will take place on this Saturday (6th October) starting at 10 am and finishing at 4pm.

I have the following people listed

Ken, Jimmy, Raymond, Andrew, Robert, and  Arthur

and I believe Jimmy is having to work (don’t worry Jimmy, you will grow out of this work thing) but I would rather not replace him as this still leaves 5 on the workshop with the space for Jimmy to join us for part of the day if he can/ wants to.

As is the case for my previous bowls courses, bring your own lunch, £10 for the course, but more importantly your ideas, wood blanks (or buy a blank form the club’s stock) or a previous bowl you have made. Some of your earlier bowls can be remade as we tend to make them fairly chunky and now have the skill to ‘lighten’ them with a slightly improved form, with thinner walls and space for decoration. Lets see your previous bowls at the start of the session and we can see how much better our bowls are at the end of the workshop.

This is not a course, but a workshop, so we have no set ‘lesson plan’ or formal ‘aims and objectives’ I will provide a setting where we can learn from each other, but also give what guidance and experience I can from the 12 years that I have been making bowls, plates and boxes. We will have fun, gain confidence, become wiser, safer and more adventurous.

Rolf

I had promised the ladies of the last workshop I led that I would find a date for a ladies box making workshop.

There will be spaces again for 6, and the date will be Saturday 13th October, 10am to 4pm, bring your own lunch, and £10 for the club (the money not the lunch). If you would like to have a place on this workshop let me know.

Again, bring your drawings, photographs and ideas, plus seasoned wood blanks (or buy some wood from the club – maybe select it on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening beforehand so that you have more time to select a suitable piece).

Rolf

Thanks to everybody who asked for a place on my Better Bowls Workshop on 6th October – the workshop is now full.

We have Ken, Jimmy, Raymond, Andrew, Robert and Arthur signed up, so there is a good mix of abilities experience and styles, and therefore loads of wisdom and enthusiasm to share amongst the six participants.

Time constraints prevent me from doing any more courses or workshops (apart from one Box Workshop which is half arranged) this year. Next year I would like to try something different, so if you have any suggestions or requests for me, or another member of the club, to lead, let me know.

Rolf

The workshop for this Saturday is full, and I look forward to seeing what Louise Allen, Ruth Johnson, Helen Coles, Denise McClurg, Sarah Burns and Jayne Ashley produce in the way of shavings and bowl styles.

I have tried to contact Denise, but her email seems to be out of date, or I have typed it wrong. does anyone have contact details?

The next BB workshop will be on 6th October and I have three names already (Ken, Raymond and Jimmy) there will be space for another three, so if you are interested you know what to do.

Rolf

Thank you to everyone who came and helped at the Kirkcudbright Country Fair this weekend, the weather held right up until the last hour. Those who stayed until the very end to help pack everything had to suffer getting wet, but at least did not have to endure the soaking which the young ladies from the horseback acrobatics team had to endure during the last show of the weekend.

Several people, young and old, expressed an interest in woodturning and the club. We have had members join as a result of the enthusiasm of our members at the show before, and it is quite possible that we will do so again. Those members who submitted items for sale have had the quality of their turning vindicated by people buying them. If you submitted items which did not sell this does not mean they were no good, it just means that the person who appreciated it and wanted to buy it was not at Kirkcudbright this weekend. I have the list of sales and have calculated each person’s share of the cash in the tin and will pass their ‘takings’ (ranging from 95 p to £21.85) to them next time I see them.  Unsold items are in my van, along with the Jet lathe and bench, and I will take then back to the club on Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

Special thanks to Arthur and his Stick Maker friends who did the early organisation and supported the club over the weekend. Again, thank you, well done everyone.

Rolf

Thanks to everyone who said they would come to the Country Fair, either yesterday at ‘Turning Wednesday’ or via email/web site.

In answer to your questions (as far as I can remember).

Never having been before I can’t advise which entrance to use, I am just going to the first entrance I see and comply with any signs I see, or instructions I receive from ‘gatekeepers’.

If you can’t make it for 08:30 that is fine, either we have enough already to unload the van, or I will recruit some strapping farming girls/ guys to lift things into position.

Should there be too many volunteers ! then feel free to look around the rest of the site and come back later. Should there not be enough volunteers then please stick around for another 4 hours ! I intend to be first there and last out, but the event is fairly casual so everyone else is free to come and go as they see fit without having their wages docked.

Sunday may be the day we need more volunteers, but maybe Saturday will be the busier day? It may depend on which way the wind blows.

Bring any products you may have to sell, if you are unsure if they are of sufficient quality to sell then the customers will decide, they will not part with money for something which they think is not worth it. I may cast my eye over things first and if you see me struggling to contain laughter then feel free to withdraw the item, if you see me go for my wallet, abrasive paper and a pyro pen to put my own name on it and resell at a higher price, then you know it is of sufficient quality. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so give it a go and have your confidence boosted by a wad of cash from customers less 5% commission for the club)

If you want to demonstrate then maybe bring your club smock, a couple of your own tools so you are familiar with them, and a piece of wood so that you can make the thing you have in mind. I will have some pieces, but do not intend to make anything that is going to take ages, our audience like to see some item take shape in front of them rather than 45 minutes of sanding, polishing or waiting for varnish to dry. A finely sharpened tool, 1 minute of light sanding and a quick wipe with an oil finish is fine for most items.

We will be inside a tent so sunblock is not so important, but a bottle of water is a good thing to bring.

Rolf

Hi folks,

So this is the plan for the clubs attendance at the Kirkcudbright Country Fair this weekend.

I will pick up a lathe, tables, display boards, tools, abrasives, wood and a club banner this evening (Wednesday) and any products you want to sell (although you can come on Saturday or Sunday to top up our sales table – remember to put a price on it otherwise we will price it ourselves (50p?).

Bill, Ken, Phil H have so far said they will come and help at the table or lathe (thanks).

If you make pens, come along with your kits and make some, all those made last year sold. Other things we could make are spinning tops, spurtles, honey drizzlers etc – anything that is quick, easy and fits in a pockets goes down well from the demonstration and sales aspect.

Nobody has said they will be there on Sunday yet. It is unproven theology that you will burn in hell for ever if you don’t attend church on Sunday, so come along through the day, attend an evening service, or have something to repent for next Sunday. For all you unbelievers – you are going to burn in hell for ever, so you have nothing to loose by supporting the club on Sunday. So let me know if you can make it, either day.

We have had new members from events such as this in the past, so our role is to promote the club and share our love of woodturning so that more people can enjoy the craft.

Rolf

http://www.kirkcudbright.town/event/2018-kirkcudbright-country-fair/