Category Archives: Committee Items

Chairman’s Report 2025

Galloway Woodturners

Chairman’s Report 2025

It gives me great pleasure to present my report for the past year.

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all members of the committee for their hard work, dedication, and continued commitment throughout the year. Your efforts, both seen and unseen, have ensured that our club continues to thrive and remain well supported by our members.

 

A special thank you goes to

Phil Jones & Phil Howard for the creation of the beginners course manual.

Ken Powers and his wife for hosting Richard Findley

Phil Jones, who stepped down from the committee this year. Your contribution, time and enthusiasm have been greatly appreciated.

Sadly, we also remember the loss of one of our valued members Jake, this year. Their contribution, friendship, and enthusiasm, heckling will be deeply missed.

Despite this sadness, it has been another successful and positive year for our club. Membership remains strong at 61, our events and activities have been well attended, and the spirit of camaraderie that de?nes our group continues to shine through everything we do.

Our professional demonstrators this year have been Les Throne, Eugine Grimmley and Richard Findley. Unfortunately, the club experienced losses on two of the events, despite the considerable effort that went into planning and advertising.

Kenneth Coates & Stephen Eccles are qualified tutors and have run several beginners courses this year. Thank you

The dark nights are nearly upon us, with this in mind, Stephen and Kenneth have offered to open the club up on a Wednesday afternoon.

David Simpson has previously done this, but he is unable to this year.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has played a part—large or small—in making this another successful year. I look forward to working with you all in the year ahead.

Bryan Jardine

Professional Demonstrator’s visit – Margaret Garrard 7th and 8th September 2024

We are very excited to be able to bring you Margaret Garrard RPT from North Yorkshire, one of the UK’s finest Woodturning artists. As the winner of several prestigious awards and scholarships she brings a great deal of experience and knowledge that she has gained from other members of The Worshipful Company of Woodturners and is going to share with us over the weekend.

Saturday 7th September Margaret will be holding an all day demonstration 10am to 4pm at our workshop just outside Castle Douglas, tickets ae £25 for the whole day and includes a light lunch.

The following day she will be holding a masterclass for a maximum of 5 people (you don’t need to be a ‘master’ just have a reasonabe grasp of woodturning. Margaret is the master and will educate, enthuse, support and encourage you to bring your ability to an other level). Tickets are £50 for the whole day, and also includes a light lunch.

Contact Sarah, our Secretary: Sarah Burns ( sjburns46@yahoo.co.uk ) for tickets

or our Chair: Rolf Buwert ( rolfbuwert@outlook.com )

 

Curly topped box

Thanks to Roger for his demonstration yesterday on making a curly topped box, It was well received and even the texturing and colouring was accepted by our non-colouring members.

The club competition, for February, because remember we don’t have a meeting in January, is a curly topped box. The item can be a replica of Rogers box or something very similar but inspired by Roger’s box.  Texturing and colouring is permitted but not mandatory, so consider what your judges will be looking for. Good luck, and remember there will be prizes again for the winners.

Rolf

Better Bowls Course Saturday 4th August

Less than a week now to our next Better Bowls course at Castle Douglas, and I am very much looking forward to it.

The course is from 10 am and finishes at 4pm. In the past I have been happy to extend this a little, and am happy to do so again, however I do have another appointment at 5:15 so we will try our best to be closer to 4 than in the past.

As you all can turn bowl, this is more of a WORKSHOP to make better bowl, so bring some previously turned bowls if you want, some blanks that you are not sure about how to turn, some photos or drawings, or just some ideas. (also bring a packed lunch).

Woodturning is all about having fun, so we aim to make better bowls, but just making better shavings would also do. Please feel no pressure, we will all learn something, be better turners and the better bowls we strive for may not be made during this workshop but the better thought processes that enable us to make better bowls will be developed here. I will bring some blanks, and the club has some for sale.

Often we are more comfortable using our own tools, so bring them if you want (and we can maybe sharpen them too as part of the workshop).

The five places allocated for Saturday are all I can manage, so if you have signed up and can’t make it on Saturday let me know and I will see if someone else from that 50% of the population can step in. If you can make it it would be nice to get a confirmation from you, and let me know if you want to try anything specific, as it may need me to find a matching blank, tool, or materials.

I know that I wanted to fix a date for another course/workshop in September or October but the gap in my diary has not opened up yet so I will have to put it on hold just now. I will let you all know as soon as I can find a free day.

Rolf

Galloway Woodturners Facebook

For those of you who like to use Facebook please look us up at “Galloway Woodturners” and click ‘Like’.

We would then love to see what you have made for friends and family by posting your photos to our Facebook page.

It would also be great to see photos of what new toys and books (woodturning related) Santa brings you.

Turning Tuesday, and Wednesdays

The club is open Tuesday evenings, and Wednesday afternoon and evenings for paid up Club Members to use club facilities.

The purpose is for members to use the club lathes and specialist tools in the company of other club members, and in so doing can call upon other turners for advice and assistance. These sessions are not for teaching or any form of training, classes are on Thursdays.

We are happy for non members to call in and see what we are about and see what we do, but it should be clearly understood that our insurance does not allow non members to use our equipment. Woodturning can be dangerous and we care about our members and visitors, and want them to have a fun, safe experience, therefore we would like all club members, and course participants, to demonstrate a basic knowledge of workshop safety before they use any club machinery or tools.

Visitors should therefore not expect to have-a-go when they come, but our members will be happy to show them what can be done, and if the visitors like what they see we can sign them up for a Taster Course, Introduction to Woodturning Course, or other courses as appropriate from one of our qualified tutors.