Category Archives: Committee Items

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.

Turning a simple Box

Notes from Tuesdays demonstration

Turning a Simple Box with Inlaid Lid
1 Turn a 70mm square x 127mm to the round and turn a spigot on both ends to suit your chuck.
2 Part off (or bandsaw) where you want the lid / base joint to be – usually 2/5 – 3/5
3 Mount the lid piece in the chuck and hollow out leaving 1/4” – 3/8” wall thickness to accommodate any shaping required on the outside – make a note of the depth to allow for the insert and shaping. Keep the sides on the lid parallel.
4 Sand (decorate) the inside, finish and polish
5 Mount the Base of the box in the chuck and turn a spigot that will jam chuck in the lid. The spigot should be 1/4” – 3/8” in length and parallel
6 Jam chuck the lid to the base
7 Shape the outside of the box and the top
8 Create a recess in the top of the lid to accept your insert. – The insert should be shaped in advance.
9 Glue the insert in place.
If you have made the recess too big !!! then after you have glued it cut a groove with a point or thin parting tool and fill with coloured resin or brass powder resin.
10 Shape the top, sand (decorate), finish top and sides of the box
11 Remove the lid from the jam chuck base and hollow to base. Sand & finish the inside taking care not to sand the spigot.
12 Part off
13 Make a Jam Chuck to fit the base and then finish the base.
14 Join the lid and base stand back and admire.

Notices October 2015

September

Everyone seemed to enjoy the ‘How to turn a bowl’ refresher course. Print your name and contact info. on the Waiting List form on the Notice board if you are interested in attending a future running of this course. We need at least three people to run the course, maximum six people.

October

This month we have a demo of a Simple Colouring Project, the competition item is a rounders bat, and the Wood of the Month is Box.

The Border Woodturners Open Day and the Inter-Club competition is on Sunday 25 October at Brampton Community Centre, Union Lane, Brampton, CA8 1BX from 11am – 4pm. Galloway Woodturners will have an entry in the competition for the first time. Last month we asked members to score the items put forward for the Inter-Club competition. The result gave the Committee a problem as three items were tied for two places ! After a longish discussion the entry from Galloway Woodturners will consist of pieces made by Jake Twiname, Les Reeves, Bryan Jardine, Roger Cutler and Reg Thirlwall. Jake is managing the delivery of our entry so please would those members liaise with him.

Martin Pidgen timber sales will be attending, as will Biven Machinery. Dave Biven says there will again be a large selection of items for sale, some at significant show discount. An excellent catering service will also be on hand in the café during the day. Members are encouraged to go along and see what members from other clubs are making.

When you pay your subs this year, you will receive a Membership Card as a receipt for your cash, and confirmation of your membership throughout the year.

November

The North of England Woodworking Show, usually known as the ‘Harrogate’ show, runs from Friday 20 November until Sunday 22 November at the Great Yorkshire Showground, near Harrogate. Phil H posted an item about this, asking members to email him if they were interested in going, on the Club website on Oct 7, which would have been emailed to many of you. As of 10am this morning I’ve had 1 reply, so I assume that you are not interested in a Club trip to the Show and that anyone who IS going will make their own arrangements.

The topic next month is a Toy car in the style of Richard Raffan, the competition is an item with colouring, and the Wood of the Month is Hawthorn.