Hi, Folks,

I’m speaking here as a retired doctor, and as someone (like many of you) who is in the demographic that is more likely to become seriously ill if infected by this virus.

I don’t want to be a doom-monger, but I became concerned at the club last night about the sanitary facilities. I’m not particularly germ phobic, and in normal circumstances I don’t have a problem beyond “Yuk!” with the damp hand-towel in the loo. I know it gets washed from time to time, (I do it myself sometimes), but by the end of the evening, who knows how many people have washed their hands and dried them on that towel? Our lives may depend on every single club member washing their hands properly before drying them. Do I trust you, or you, or you to wash well? Probably. Do I trust everyone, collectively? Probably not. Italy, just two weeks ahead of us in this epidemic, is having to allow the over 65s to die unventilated, because their normally excellent health care system is overwhelmed and they cannot admit everyone that needs it to ITU. That’s a scary thought. Would the NHS cope any better? We must do what we can, individually and collectively, to avoid spreading this virus.

I would like to suggest that the club invest in paper towels/kitchen towels for the loos, at least until this risk passes, as well as bottles of alcohol-based hand gel if and when they become available, particularly when people handle things. Pass the demo item round by all means, but precede it with the hand gel. Similarly, people should be expected to use gel before handling the competition items. Gel should be used after handling money. Shared visors could be wiped over with a bleach-containing kitchen cleaner after use. Should we switch to disposible coffee cups for the time being? Any other suggestions?

I know hand gel is difficult to come by at the moment, but maybe if club members find some, they could buy two or three extra bottles for the club, and save the receipts for reimbursement?

Judith

 

Notices –March 2020

 

Tonight, we welcome back Phil Jones, who is going to colour without colour.

 

The competition item for this evening is “A Hollowform”

Next month’s competition item will be “A Timepiece”

 

The 2019 annual competition winners Mick Schofield (Senior Members) and Bill McCoskry (Beginners) richly deserved their awards (sorry for the delay in presenting the trophies) and there are several members who also have a genuine talent, so let’s see that talent at the monthly competition and remember to hold onto your winning entries and also those that did not win here, but could win at the Borders Club, Interclub Competition in October.

 

Next month– March meeting, will be hosted by our very own Steve, who will be making an ‘Egg box’

 

Jimmy’s Bazaar. Our club shop used to be a few items on the shelf in one of our grey metal cupboards, and thanks to the efforts of some of our members we now have a proper shop, run by our member Jimmy Brown where all manner of items useful to woodturners can be purchased at discount prices, which includes Galloway Woodturners branded clothes. The wood which our wood prep team have been working on, and put on the shelves outside, can also be paid for via our shop.

 

Courses

The next beginner’s course is Thursday 14^th May to Thursday 18^th June 2020. The usual conditions apply, open to all members (£35 to become a member) and £100 for the six week course at Castle Douglas workshop. Suitable for total beginners, returners, and those who want to be reminded of certain points. All wood etc. supplied.

Roger also does courses at his own workshop in the west.

 

Our next Demonstrator is Gary Lowe, The Tartan Turner:

Saturday 28^th March, for Gary’s all day Demonstration he has said he will be demonstrating several things including an off centre thin rimmed bowl, a rolling bottomed box/pot – carved/textured and possibly coloured too, a Turmkreisel, and a coloured bowl/platter. So plenty! all this plus a light lunch all for £20. See Jimmy for the tickets tonight.

Gary will be staying overnight and return to the workshop on Sunday 29^th March for his Masterclass. He can take up to 5 ‘students’, and if you have not attended one of our Masterclasses before you are assured of a most memorable and enriching experience. Jimmy has the tickets so see him as soon as possible to ensure you are one of the five.

 

Diary Dates/ 2020 Demonstrators – PLEASE BOOK EARLY    Tickets from Jimmy

Les Thorne Saturday 6^th all day Demonstration and Sunday 7^th June, Masterclass

Richard Finlay Saturday 22^nd all day Demonstration and Sunday 23^rd August Masterclass.

Please support these guys, who are excellent and really worth seeing, I would also commend the masterclasses, it is a rare chance to get high quality tuition from famous names, locally and at a discounted price.

 

 

Rolf

Gary Lowe, the Tartan Turner, will be demonstrating all day 10am-5pm on Saturday at our workshop, and will be showing a variety of techniques such as an off centred thin rimmed bowl, rolling bottomed box or pot, carving, texturing, and a Turmkreisel (very clever little spinning top) and a bit of colouring. Gary will be teaching the colouring and texturing techniques during his Masterclass on the Sunday 10am – 5pm. 

This is a great opportunity to see an excellent and experienced demonstrator in our own workshop, so no transport or parking issues.

The All Day demo is £20, with a light lunch included, which is excellent value given he will be packing the day with so much, and the Masterclass is also really good value at £50. There is a maximum of 5 places on the Masterclass so get your tickets from Jimmy asap – when they are gone, they are gone. Celebrate  Lemon Chiffon Cake Day on 29th March with a ticket to Gary Lowe’s Masterclass (yes, Lemon Chiffon Cake Day is a ‘thing’).

Our neighbours at the Borders Woodturners Club have extended an invitation to us again to enter their Interclub Competition on Sunday 25th October 2020. I have accepted that invitation on your behalf and therefore ask that you spend every waking moment between now and then making making the very best items you can so we have a large selection of items to choose from so that we go there in October amd take all their trophies. Alternatively hold onto your monthly competition items, and other nice stuff that you make and bring them to the club about a month or six weeks before the 25th October so that we can put a nice group of items together. Thanks.

Their 2020 programme is attached below for your information. They have some fine demonstrators again this year, and well worth driving through to see.  Please consider car sharing if you are going.

Borders woodturning club Programme 2020

A friend of mine is selling his lathe, it is exactly the same as mine and is a GRADUATE WOOD LATHE. I had two, and still have one – use it all the time, not the prettiest, but works really well, is reliable and will outlive us all.

30 INCHES BETWEEN CENTRES, 12 INCHES MAX DIA INBOARD, 29 INCHES MAX OUTBOARD.

SPEED GENIE VARIABLE SPEED FITTED WITH 2 HP MOTOR.

VARIOUS FACE PLATES INBOARD/OUTBOARD.

NOVA CHUCK AND TOOL RESTS ETC.

NEWLY FITTED MAIN BEARINGS WITH SPARE BELT IN POSITION  SHOULD PRESENT ONE BREAK.

£650

BUYER TO UPLIFT. (it is heavy, needs to be dismantled and best transported in a van, speak to Rolf Buwert who has one of these lathes and has transported a couple in the past)

CONTACT KEITH M GUNN ON 01387 251309

EMAIL   gunngramps@outlook.com

 

Stephen Eccles, Christine Carson, Alyson Young

A record power dust extractor for sale . It is in good working order. It can be collected or I will leave at the work shop for collection. Contact phone number is 01556670021or 07494537558.

The sale price is £ 50 or ono.