Galloway Woodturners

Please note that our good friend David will not be able to open up for the earlier session next Wednesday, however Roger has agreed to open up for the early session (what a nice man).

Hi Folks
The Galloway Woodturners will be taking a tree at the Dumfries and District Flower Club’s Christmas Tree Festival. There will be 80 identical (4foot) trees displayed at St.John’s Church, Dumfries, between 5th and 8th December and groups have been invited to decorate a tree  decorating it in a special way.  Perhaps we could decorate ours with with miniature trees, tiny tools, involuted decorations, icicles, tiny spherical baubles turned purely with a Skew etc. 

The tree decorations should be made and handed in to Rolf by the end of November so the tree can be decorated on 4th December.

Thank you to everyone who helped  at at Kirkcudbright over the weekend, especially Les, David Arthur and Bill. I think the Galloway Woodturners presented a good image to the visitors and quite a few people showed an interest in woodturning. 

I have returned the lathe to the workshop, and the unsold items to the kitchen. The cash from the sales will be put into envelopes and go to the club shop, so see Jimmy to pick up your money. The club took 10% of the sales items you handed in for sale and has benefited by £27, so thank you to Les, John, Phil H and Arthur for submitting your items for sale.

So, soon it will be Saturday, specially selected for those souls who are squeamish or scared of the skew chisel. Selecting our wood we will make six things just with the skew, nothing else.

Ian , Sue, Susan, Chris, Raymond,  Nicky and  Arthur. Subtracting me that comes to six or seven attendees.

This is not a course, you all know how to turn using a skew, this is a workshop where we all learn from each other in an environment free from distractions, and with me to try and hold things together. 

We have seven lathes and a supply of suitable spindle turning wood which can be bought from the club if you don’t bring your own.

Can I ask you also to bring your own skew chisels, lunch and £10 for the club.

Please confirm that you are coming so that I can set things up better.

See you soon.

We have another new lathe (to replace the blue coronet), this one is a Scheppach Late 5.0, which is similar to the Axminster M950. The new lathe also has a long bed, mechanical speed change, reverse capability, M33 drive spindle, swivel and sliding head.

At the moment it only has a four pronged drive and a faceplate, but because of the M33 it can take chucks borrowed from other lather (please return them after use)

This means that all our lathes are variable speed (no more fiddling with changing belts) and the majority have M33 spindles.

I have not made a Lathe Log Book for this one yet, and we need to make a ‘Bits and Pieces Box’ to sit on the tool tray. The pallet truck can not move it until we get the wooden rails fixed to the legs, and at 97kg is not easy to move by hand so best to leave it where it is for the moment. It has been tested and works really well.

Arthur Young has arranged for us to have a pitch at the Kirkcudbright Country Fair again this year. 

This is a good event, with lots to see and do for all the family, and Kirkcudbright itself is always worth a visit.

We will have a lathe set up and, just like previous years, will be demonstrating and selling the items we make. If you have already made something which you think would sell then bring it along and the club will take a small percentage for club funds. Anything you make on the day you can sell and keep all the proceeds, this is to encourage as many members asa possible to show the public what we can do (so let’s keep the item simple and quick to make to let others have a go.)

The purpose of our presence is chiefly to raise awareness of what we do, to share our craft and to encourage new members, and not to sell our wares, but people are always looking for something to take away from the show.  Kirkcudbright folks are more generous and appreciative of craftwork and art so we are always well received.

So let me know if you would like to help set up, demonstrate, help sell and promote, or just come along on the day.

Rolf

2019 Kirkcudbright Country Fair

There is a new Club Cleaner in the shape of a silver and blue Draper vacuum cleaner in the workshop. 

The intention is that the bulk of the shavings are swept and shovelled up as before, but rather than spend ages with a brush going into the corners and underneath the lathe motors we can use the Draper, which also has a ‘blow’ function to blow shaving from under the drive motors.

The cleaner has a bag which will need emptying when full.

This is not a fine dust filter type cleaner so it will kick up some dust, (especially when ‘blowing’) therefore it would be sensible to have the big Jet overhead dust cleaner running full tilt for the duration of the vacuum cleaning.

Colwin Way has contacted me and said that there is a minor in one of the measurements in the Christmas Carousel Plans, so if you have bought a set of plans from him at his recent demo please bring it back and I will replace it with the updated version. I apologise for any inconvenience, especially if you have already made all the components and can’t get one of them to fit properly.

Rolf

Rick Dobney’s turning notes are now available.

Look under ‘Library’

‘Projects’

and there they can be found.

David