Category Archives: Committee Items

Notices – March 2015

Items additional to the printed Notices from the Club meeting on 10 March are in BOLD type.

This month we are delighted to welcome Record Power who are going to demonstrate ‘bandsaw setup and maintenance’. Dave Biven, who supplied our new Jet lathes and bandsaw at very competitive prices, is also here with a range of ‘stuff’ for you to buy. Should be an interesting evening.

The competition item is listed on the Programme as ‘A carpet bowls jack and two bowls’. However it has been pointed out that carpet bowls doesn’t actually use a jack! What we mean is simply one small ball, approximately 2 inches diameter and two matching larger balls, each approximately 3 inches diameter.

The Wood of the Month is Monkey Puzzle.

The professional demo planned for this Saturday, 14 March, by Nikos Siragas has had to be cancelled as his wife is unwell and he will not be making the planned trip to the UK. Anyone who has already paid for a ticket will get a full refund from the Treasurer.

We will be holding a Chainsaw Workshop on the afternoon of Saturday 21 March from 1pm to 4pm. We’ve got Andrew back from the excellent demonstration we had last November on chainsaw maintenance and use, so bring along your chainsaw and PPE and get some practical guidance on using it safely and efficiently and keeping it in good working condition. Members only, no charge but donations will be very welcome and will go to pay Andrew’s expenses.

Our friends at Border Woodturners are hosting a demonstration by Richard Kennedy on Sunday 22 March, 10am to 4pm as usual. Have a look at Richard’s superb work on his web site www.bolegallery.com. Members of Galloway Woodturners will be charged the same as Border members, £6, lunch is available for only £2. If you decide to go please give Brian Conchie a ring on 01387 265608 first, just so that he can ensure you get some lunch !! 

April

The topic next month is ‘Chucks, jaws and their uses’. The competition item is something turned AND carved; the Wood of the Month is Walnut.

We are holding an Auction of woodturning and wood working tools and equipment on Saturday 18 April, with viewing in the morning and the sale in the afternoon. This will be a regular open bid auction, not the silent type that we ran last year. The Club will take a 20% commission on the hammer price of items sold; but will not charge anything to buyers. Anything you want to sell must be here at the Workshop by April 11 so that we can prepare the catalogue. If you need a hand shifting large items we may be able to help; speak to Rolf. Anyone can enter items in the sale so please mention the sale to family and friends who may have items to get rid of.

Turning Tuesdays

As Turning Tuesdays are busy these days by all means bring your own chuck and tools along to avoid disappointment. Our lathe spindles are two each of ¾” x 16, 1” x 8, and M33 x 3.5; plus we have a number of inserts and exerts to suit.

At the Committee Meeting last Tuesday, we decided to buy another Patriot chuck (with a free Stebcentre) and one of the new Record SC4 chucks. Hopefully Dave Biven has brought the chucks with him tonight so they will be available next Turning Tuesday. This means that all five of the Club lathes will have a chuck available; we do not own the other lathe, it is just on loan to us and the owner could ask for it back.

We have also bought a pyrography unit for Club use.

We also wondered if there was any interest in having the Workshop open at other times. We did try opening on Monday evenings last year but that wasn’t popular. Available days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, possibly Saturday morning. Have a think about this then Phil J will ask around during coffee break. If you have a strong view either way, please have a word with Phil; don’t wait to be asked.

And finally . . .

For the information of anyone who wasn’t here last month, we have introduced a ‘New Turners’ section separate from the Main section of the Competition. The two sections will be run as follows:-

 

  • the competition item will be the same for both sections
  • the two sections will be displayed on separate tables
  • each member may enter 1 item per month
  • the member decides which section to enter
  • members will assess each section separately
  • results will be published separately
  • at the end of the year there will be a separate prize for New Turners
  • the winner may be encouraged to enter the Main section in subsequent years!

So you don’t have an excuse for not having a go at making the Competition item – just do it !

As listed on the back of your Programme, the Club is attending three events this year at which we will be demonstrating and selling YOUR work. Therefore we will need LOTS of items especially for the Kirkcudbright Tollbooth in August which we have for over two weeks.

There are a couple of articles in the December 2014 issue of Revolutions, the AWGB magazine, that you should read and think carefully about. Copies are available in the Workshop.

Club member Robert Irving, who has been a wonderful supporter of this Club, is in hospital and not very well. Our thoughts are with Christine, Keith and family.

Notices – February 2015

A very Happy New Year to everyone and welcome to our first Club meeting of 2015.

At the AGM last October we asked you to help out with the running of the club – we still need volunteers for some of the jobs, none of which are very onerous, so please make yourself known if you can help out.

 

Club Champion

The final result of the 2014 Competition was published on our web site on 10 December and is 1st – Chick Hampton with an average score of 7.7, 2nd – Bryan Jardine, 7.6 and joint 3rd – Phil Howard and Reg Thirlwall with 7.5. Congratulations once again to Chick who retains the trophy and well done to everyone who entered. The full results are on the Notice Board.

Still on the subject of the Competition, we originally decided to organise a monthly Competition to encourage members to actually make something and to have a go at items that they may not think of making otherwise. Last year less than half the membership entered any items into the competition so to encourage participation we have introduced a ‘New Turners’ section separate from the Main section of the Competition. The two sections will be run as follows:-

  • the competition item will be the same for both sections
  • the two sections will be displayed on separate tables
  • each member may enter 1 item per month
  • the member decides which section to enter
  • members will assess each section separately
  • results will be published separately
  • at the end of the year there will be a separate prize for New Turners
  • the winner may be encouraged to enter the Main section in subsequent years!

This was announced on the web site on December 16th and at Turning Tuesdays and is repeated here for everyone’s information.

 

February

The topic this month is Balls! which should suit Rolf down to the ground. The competition item is a turned scoop or spoon and the Woods of the Month are Laburnum (because Phil H forgot to bring the samples in December) and Maple.

 

March

Next month we have managed to arrange for Record Power to visit us to demonstrate Bandsaw setup and maintenance. Dave Biven, who supplied our new Jet lathes and bandsaw at very competitive prices, will also be coming with a range of ‘stuff’ for you to buy. If you need anything in particular let myself or Roger know ASAP so that he can ask Dave or Record to bring it along. Should be an interesting evening.

The competition item is listed on the Programme as ‘A carpet bowls jack and two bowls’. However it has been pointed out that carpet bowls doesn’t actually use a jack! What we mean is simply one small ball, approximately 2 inches diameter and two matching larger balls, each approximately 3 inches diameter.

The Wood of the Month is Monkey Puzzle.

Our first professional demo of the year is on Saturday 14 March when we welcome a return visit by Nikos Siragas. Tickets are available tonight, still only £10 for the whole day, including lunch and unlimited tea/coffee.

We will be holding a Chainsaw Workshop on the afternoon of Saturday 21 March from 1pm to 4pm. We’ve got Andrew back from the excellent demonstration we had last November on chainsaw maintenance and use so bring along your chainsaw and get some practical guidance in using it safely and efficiently and keeping it in good working condition. More details will be added to the website in due course.

 

Turning Tuesdays

This seems to get busier every week with about 20 people there last week and all six lathes in operation. There have been suggestions for getting another lathe, more chucks and a good quality table saw – all of which the committee will consider at the next meeting. If anyone feels they’d like to open up the workshop on another night, maybe when the nights aren’t so dark and cold, let us know.

Some quick housekeeping requests: please remember to:

  • wash your mugs (not just rinse them!)
  • make sure the drive centres are not left in the lathe
  • make sure everything is put away (even if you weren’t using it)
  • change/remove the dust/shavings bags

 

And finally . . .

Also we’re re-floating the idea of a ‘Better Bowls’ workshop and/or a ‘How to turn a bowl’ refresher. Have a think about it and we’ll take a show of hands to gauge interest at the end of the night.

Notices – December 2014

At the AGM we asked you to help out with the running of the Club and take a bit of the load off the Committee.

We STILL need :-

One or two people to take charge of Refreshments on Club nights and Turning Tuesdays, bringing the milk, buying coffee/tea/biscuits as required, keeping the kitchen, mugs etc. clean and tidy.

One or two people to take charge of our audio/visual kit, setting up the cameras and screens, microphone and speakers, and acting as camera persons.

Potential volunteers, please speak to any Committee member. If these roles remain empty we face the real possibility of no video and/or refreshments at a future meeting – it’s up to you.

December

The topic this month is ‘Scoops and spoons’ with Phil J and the final competition item for 2014 is a set of at least 4 (four) drinks coasters. The Wood of the Month is Laburnum.

January

Note that there is NO CLUB MEETING IN JANUARY. Turning Tuesdays will continue, apart from 30 December.

And finally . . .

After the talk on chainsaws last month, we wondered if members would be interested in a hands-on Chainsaw Workshop session with the same tutor. Bring your own saws along, check them over, sharpen the chain, cut some wood. Tell any Committee member tonight if you want the Club to arrange this.

Programme cards for 2015 are available tonight. Several members commented during the year ‘Oh, I don’t read the Programme’. If you were one of those then don’t take a copy, otherwise please do. Two dates in May need to be corrected, should be Saturday 23 and Sunday 24. The version on our web site is correct.

Subscriptions are now overdue, if you’ve not paid yours please pay Phil J tonight. It is the same as last year, just £25. We don’t want to have to ask you to pay the Visitor’s fee of £3.

The Committee is meeting tomorrow evening – if you want to raise any matter, speak to any Committee member tonight.

Notices November 2014

At the AGM we asked you to help out with the running of the Club and take a bit of the load off the Committee. Some roles have been filled :-

Elwin Campbell will act as Minutes Secretary to take Committee Meeting Minutes when Roger is absent. Peter Fitzgerald and Andrew Rattnam will run the Club Shop. John (Jake) Twiname will join the Committee.

Many thanks to them. Other roles are still needed :-

A Membership person to help Phil J maintain the membership records.

One or two people to take charge of Refreshments on Club nights and Turning Tuesdays, bringing the milk, buying coffee/tea/biscuits as required, keeping the kitchen, mugs etc. clean and tidy.

One or two people to take charge of our audio/visual kit, setting up the cameras and screens, microphone and speakers, and acting as camera persons.

Potential volunteers, please speak to any Committee member.

It was excellent to see Galloway well represented at the Border Woodturners Open Day and Inter Club Competition at Brampton recently. A wide range of work exhibited and For Sale, some good , some not so good.

November

The topic this month is ‘Timber conversion for woodturners’ at which we have a talk and demo on chainsaws; and Bryan Jardine hopefully has brought along a range of chainsaws and accessories.

The competition item is a lidded box – extra marks if it has a threaded lid !!! The Wood of the Month is Birch.

The North of England Woodworking Show, usually known as the Harrogate Show is on 21 – 23 November. Reg Thirlwall posted that he had some free tickets available . . . . . . . .

December

The topic next months is ‘Scoops and spoons’ with Phil J and the final competition item for 2014 is a set of at least 4 (four) drinks coasters. The Wood of the Month is Laburnum .

And finally . . . 

As I’ve had no comments whatsoever on next year’s draft Programme, I’m assuming that you all think it’s FABULOUS !!!! However we still need 3 or 4 ideas for Competition items – suggestions to any Committee member please. Programme cards should be available next month – we are waiting for Chris from Robert Sorby to let us know when he is available.

Subscriptions are now due, if you’ve not paid yours please pay Phil J tonight. It is the same as last year, just £25.

We have been contacted by new woodturning supplier ‘Olivers Woodturning’ who is offering members a 5% discount. There is a link to their web site from our Club site ‘Links and Resources’ page , then if you want to take advantage of the discount,  the necessary discount code is on the Notice board at The Workshop

‘Opportunities’ taken and available

At the AGM last night (Tuesday 14 Oct) the Committee asked for help in a number of roles.

A Minutes Secretary to take Committee Meeting Minutes when Roger is absent. 

A Membership person to help Phil J maintain the membership records. 

A regular Committee member to represent members views and interests. 

One or two people to run the Club Shop, opening/closing, selling items to members, keeping an eye on stock levels then telling Roger what to order. 

One or two people to take charge of Refreshments on Club nights and Turning Tuesdays, bringing the milk, buying coffee/tea/biscuits as required, keeping the kitchen, mugs etc. clean and tidy. 

One or two people to take charge of our audio/visual kit, setting up the cameras and screens, microphone and speakers, and acting as camera persons.

During the evening Elwin Campbell offered to act as Minutes Secretary and Peter Fitzgerald and Andrew Rattnam offered to look after the Shop. Thank you to them.

The other roles remain unfilled.

 

October Notices

We understand that the Master Class with Nick Arnull went very well and was enjoyed by students and tutor alike. We then had an excellent evening demo with Nick who made a decorated box, which he presented to Roger as a thanks for his hospitality. Our thanks are due to Roger and Liz – members may not realise that when we have guest demonstrators, a Committee member often provides B&B so that the Club does not have to pay hotel bills.

October

The demo this evening is Phil H attempting to show you some thread cutting. This was suggested last year by a member which is why it’s in the Programme.

The competition item is ‘An Xmas decoration’ and the Wood of the Month is Cherry.

Sunday 26 October is Border Woodturners Open Day and the Inter Club Competition at the Community Centre, Brampton, 10am to 4pm as covered in the current Woodturning magazine. Lots to see and do.

November

The topic next month is ‘Timber conversion for woodturners’ at which we plan to have a talk and demo on chainsaws; and Bryan Jardine will bring along a range of chainsaws and accessories.

The competition item is a lidded box – extra marks if it has a threaded lid !!! The Wood of the Month is Birch.

The North of England Woodworking Show, i.e. the Harrogate Show is on 21 – 23 November. Reg Thirlwall posted that he had some free tickets available . . . . . . . .

And finally . . .

As there has been no interest in the ‘Better Bowls’ or ‘how to turn a bowl’ workshop ideas, or in a demo of the Kel McNaughton Bowl Saving system; we’ll forget about them.

There is a draft Programme for next year in the Library section of this site. Have a look and give us some feedback to any Committee member.

 

September Newsletter

Dear All,

As we come up to our meeting next Tuesday I thought a short notice might be helpful.
The subject for demonstration is Toys and Christmas decorations which will be by Rolf and the competition item is “An item made from the wood of the month” which is beech.

On Tuesday 23rd September starting at 7pm we have an extra open demonstration from Nick Arnul.
Nick is a professional woodturner from Norfolk. He writes regularly for “The Woodturner” magazine producing 90 articles so far and his first book,” Contemporary Woodturning Techniques and Projects” complements Two Dvd’s – Platter Magic and Ying and Yang.
He is an internationally respected wood turner and earns his living teaching, demonstrating, writing, producing decorative turned wood and batches of spindles; for furniture makers, cabinet makers, joiners and builders.
He has demonstrated at numerous international and regional symposiums in America, Ireland, South Africa, and extensively across the UK. and is particularly well known for his pioneering work in creating coloured and textured projects, He is constantly in demand to teach and demonstrate around the World.

With all this in mind we are particularly lucky to have Nick with us on the 23rd.

As I said this is an open event and tickets are on sale now at £5 They can be obtained next Tuesday at the club night or by contacting a committee member.
We anticipate a good turnout for this event so please book early

On a personal note. As many of you know I have now retired and we have moved to our own house in Creetown – I have also changed my e mail
My detail are:
14 St.John Street, Creetown DG8 7JF.
01671 820832
E mail – creetownstudio@gmail.com

As I will be away for a great part of next year we are looking for someone to stand in a secretary for the year. If you can help in this way please see me to discuss what it would entail.

Keep making shavings
Roger

Notices – June 2014

Report on events in May

The auction of woodworking tools and equipment went very well with only one lot remaining unsold. The auction raised a total of £1540, with the Club retaining our commission of £586 for Club funds. Thanks to everyone who bought items and to those who organised the sale, especially Judith and David who did most of the work.

Spring Fling weekend. The demo by Margaret Garrard was excellent; she showed us some involuted turning, some straightforward spindle and faceplate turning and the process of making one of her signature 2mm thick pierced and coloured bowls. Only 24 tickets were sold, however sales of wood and raffle tickets meant that we made a small profit overall.

The Watch, Try and Buy days were a new venture for us – we had no idea how they would go. Overall, we think they went pretty well; Sunday was much busier than Monday and although we were never mobbed with visitors there was a good buzz around the workshop. We recruited at least one new member. We took a total of about £350 from Have-a-go fees, sales of wood, sales of turning, and teas. The Committee met on the Tuesday immediately after the weekend to review how it went and note down the learning points for any future event. Again, thanks are due to everyone who helped to make the whole weekend a success.

June

We have taken delivery of a new Jet 1221VS lathe for you to play with and have also ordered a Sorby ProEdge Plus sharpening system. The lathe has the same spindle thread as the big Jet lathe so you can use the Evolution chuck on either. To give us maximum flexibility we have ordered 2 exerts so that we can use the Patriot or SuperNova chucks on either of the Jet lathes as well. We also have two face plate rings for the standard C jaws on the Evolution chuck, and a couple of clamps for positioning extractor hoses on a lathe. These purchases mean that we have pretty well spent our Lottery grant.

The topic for this month is a demo of making Mallets with Phil J.

The competition item is a plate for FOOD use. When marking an item you need to ask yourself – would I be happy to eat my dinner off this ?? For example – is the wood species known to be non-toxic, is it infected with fungi i.e. spalted, are there any cracks or features which could hold bugs, is the finish Food Safe ?

The Wood of the Month is Yew.

The first of  Roger’s have-a-go sessions for a local Scout troop was last Thursday, with two more scheduled. It went well, woggles and a pen were made and we have heard good reports.

July

Note that there is NO Club meeting in July. Turning Tuesdays will continue.

And finally . . .

A couple of dates for your diaries . . . .

Saturday 12, Sunday 13 July the Club will be at the Kirkcudbright Country Fair.

Saturday 2 August we will be at the Dumfries Show.

Volunteers to help at either event would be welcome.

When Phil J enabled the Register feature on the web site it was immediately hacked and loads of spurious registrations made, so it had to be disabled again. Phil has registered everyone for whom we have an email address and you should be receiving emails from the site. If you have an email address and haven’t received emails from the Club site recently, please speak to Phil J.

We are going to offer a Taster session for any one who wants to try woodturning, details are on our web site on the new Courses page. These will be held along side Project Mondays, which will start on Monday August 4.

Would you be interested in seeing a demo of the Kel McNaughton Bowl Saving system, probably as part of a Turning Tuesday ? If enough people are interested we’ll fix a date and post it on the web site.

A reminder that we have an extra Tuesday meeting in September, Nick Arnull will be demonstrating on the 23rd, 7-9pm. Tickets are available tonight, price £5. Nick will also be teaching a masterclass that day, 10am-4pm, price £75. This is a great opportunity to work with a highly regarded turner and get an injection of new ideas into your turning right on your doorstep. Otherwise to work with Nick you could always go to his place in Norwich ! Contact Roger Cutler to book a place.

Border Woodturners are hosting a demo by Irish woodturner Eugene Grimley on Sunday 22 June. Eugene is the Vice Chair of the Irish Woodturners Guild and will be demonstrating pieces that the average turner can make. The cost is usually £6, with lunch available for £2.

 

Notices April 2014

 April

 This month the topic is a ‘Show and Tell’ evening, so I hope you have brought a favourite turning, home made chuck, jig or gadget to tell us about it. If you haven’t brought anything it will be a short meeting !!

 The competition item is whatever you managed to make from the chunk of wood you ‘won’ in the draw last month. The Club would like to keep all these entries for sale at future events. When marking these, members need to take the raw material into account.

The Wood of the Month is Oak.

The new bandsaw is assembled and ready for use in what should be a temporary location because it is next to an existing 20Amp socket. We need to put some policies and procedures in place to minimise the risks associated with using such a large and powerful saw. In the meantime, if you want to use it ask Roger or Phil H to give you an introduction.

Roger is organising some have-a-go sessions for a local Scout troop this month, dates to be confirmed. He has a few volunteer tutors but could use more. If you can help, please contact Roger.

The Power Tool, Woodworking & Garden Machinery Show is on at The Lanark Agricultural Centre, Hyndford Road, ML11 9AX on Friday 25th April and Saturday 26th April. Free admission and parking. Register on their website www.websterpowerproducts.co.uk .

May

In May we welcome Chris Pouncey from Robert Sorby who will demonstrate their latest ‘goodies’ and try to persuade us that we really need them ! Chris will bring most of the Sorby tool range with him, but if you want to order anything in particular, let Roger know ASAP.

The competition item is ‘Any item of your choice’ and the Wood of the Month is Sycamore.

Advance notice for probably our major event of the year over the Spring Fling weekend at the end of May. We have an advert for this in the Spring Fling brochure (20,000 copies) and in the May edition of The Bulletin which is delivered to every address in the Stewartry (12,730 copies).

Saturday 24 May. Full day demo by famous artistic turner Margaret Garrard.

Sunday 25 May, Monday 26 May. Watch, try and buy.  This is for the public to come and see what woodturning is about, for us to recruit new members, and make some money. We are planning . . . .

Demonstrations by Club members.

Have-a-go sessions, buy a piece of wood for £1 or £2 and make a dibber or bud vase, guided by an experienced turner. Everything provided.

Make a wooden ball point pen for £5, again with a bit of help.

Exhibition and Sale of Members work.

Display and information about the club.

A raffle on each of Sunday and Monday.

Tea/coffee and traybake available all day for £1.50.

 We will need help from YOU for all of these. If you can only come for half of one of the days, that’s fine as we have split each day into morning and afternoon sessions. Phil H has a list of the opportunities so please come and talk to me

 We will need a few nice pieces to create a small exhibition of work; and lots of pieces to sell. These you can either donate all the proceeds to the Club, or we can sell on your behalf with the Club taking just a 20% commission. Everyone should be able to make at least one piece – exactly what is up to you. That way we should get a good range of items.

 There should be an article and picture about out Lottery grant in Woodturning magazine, issue 267. We have sent a similar piece to a few of the local papers but I’ve not seen it published yet, at least not in the Galloway News.

 And finally . . .

 The multi-sided diamond honing block is still missing from the workshop. Several people have looked for it without success. Please would everyone have a look in their toolbox, bag, workshop etc to see if it has been picked up by accident and return it ASAP.

 Roger has been negotiating with Simon Hope to obtain a supply of sanding arbours at keen prices. Watch this space . . . . .

 We have the entire contents of a life long woodworker’s workshop For Sale. The Club will organise the sale and keep a commission for Club funds on everything sold. We collected the items from storage last Thursday but have not yet sorted them out into lots. Judith has a list of most of the items which we’ll put on the notice board – it includes a Record CL4 variable speed lathe, Fox bandsaw, Kity Bestcombi machine, drills, planes, sanders and much more.

 Each lot will have a bid sheet with a minimum bid specified. You will be able to view and bid at the next few Turning Tuesdays, then we’ll arrange for a sale day, probably one Saturday. Highest bid by the deadline on the sale day buys that lot.

 The next Committee Meeting is on Tuesday 22nd April at The Workshop. If members want to raise anything, please contact any Committee member.

Notices March 2014

The Memorial service for Dave Wright was held last Sunday. The Club was well represented; we counted 13 members present; well done.

The new chairs that most of you are sitting on have been bought with some of our Lottery grant.

During the marking of the competition items last month we understand that there was some discussion whether some items ‘qualified’ as a tazza. When setting the competition items we deliberately avoid detailed specifications to give as many people as possible the opportunity to enter; for example there was NO requirement that the tazza HAD to be made from more than one piece of wood. If you have any concerns about a competition item, please raise them with a Committee member, otherwise mark each entry as a piece of turning.

March

 Those of you that didn’t come to the Andrew Hall demo day missed an excellent session. Andrew donated the pieces that he made to the Club and we will put them in the new display cabinet. We have bought a copy of Andrew’s notes and DVD on making a hat for the Club library so you can all have a go. There is wet holly and oak outside for you to buy, so wood should not be a problem.

Our new main lathe and bandsaw was delivered THIS MORNING and the lathe set up ready for tonight. We have also ordered a SuperNova chuck and extra jaws for use with our existing lathes, a Revolution chuck and jaws for the new lathe, and a Crown hollowing tool. We are looking into buying more dust extraction equipment, a couple of cordless drills, another video camera, a radio microphone, and three tables. Any other suggestions welcome.

We have arranged to rent a bit more space in the building to accommodate the new bandsaw, creating a sort of wood preparation area. We need to install a 20 amp supply for the bandsaw, and more sockets in the main area. Qualified electricians, please speak to Phil J.

Did you remember to bring a piece of wood to go into the draw ? Then you will get another piece of wood back from which to make your April competition entry. If you forgot to bring a piece you can always buy one from Club stock. I brought a couple of extra pieces.

The topic for the Club meeting this month is a demo by Bill Johnstone from Craftsman’s Supplies. Ian Dawson, Bill’s business partner, is in Australia – the lengths some people will go to avoid you lot !!!

The competition item is a natural edge bowl.

April

Next month the topic is a ‘Show and Tell’ evening at which YOU need to bring a favourite turning, home made chuck, jig or gadget and tell us about it. If you don’t bring anything it will be a short meeting !!

The competition item is whatever you manage to make from the chunk of wood you ‘won’ in the draw. The Club would like to keep all these entries for sale at future events. When judging these, members need to take the raw material into account.

May

Advance notice for probably our major event of the year over the Spring Fling weekend at the end of May. We have an advert for this in the Spring Fling brochure (20,000 copies) and in the May edition of The Bulletin which is delivered to every address in the Stewartry (12,730 copies).

Saturday 24 May. Full day demo by famous artistic turner Margaret Garrard.

Sunday 25 May, Monday 26 May. Watch, try and buy.  This is for the public to come and see what woodturning is about, for us recruit new members, and make some money. We are planning . . . . . .

Demonstrations by Club members.

Have-a-go sessions, buy your piece of wood for £1 or £2 and make a dibber or bud vase, guided by an experienced turner. Everything provided.

Make a wooden ball point pen for £5, again with a bit of help.

Exhibition and Sale of Members work.

Display and information about the club.

A raffle on each of Sunday and Monday.

Tea/coffee and traybake available all day for £1.50.

We will need help from YOU for all of these. If you can only come for half of one of the days, that’s fine as we have split each day into morning and afternoon sessions. Phil H has a list of the opportunities so please come and talk to me.

We will need a few nice pieces to create a small exhibition of work; and lots of pieces to sell. These you can either donate all the proceeds to the Club, or we can sell on your behalf with the Club taking just a 20% commission. Everyone should be able to make at least one piece – exactly what is up to you. That way we should get a good range of items.

And finally . . .

The multi-sided diamond honing block has gone missing from the workshop. Several people have looked for it without success. Please would everyone have a look in their toolbox, bag, workshop etc. to see if it has been picked up by accident and return it ASAP.

Would everyone who emailed Roger about sanding arbours please do so again as the emails have gone missing.