The Eugene Grimley Masterclasss is 13th March (with his demonstration on Tuesday the 12th) and for those who have tickets for the Wednesday you might want to look at the cutting list. If you bring your own wood then you will have a known quality, colour, allergy tolerance etc. The club has its own stock of wood and we will try and get some sets of the cutting list together, but we can not be sure we will have the right colour and quality. Eugene is coming from Ireland on the ferry as foot passenger so travelling light i.e. without wood.

12th and 13th March 2019

Cutting list for Galloway Woodturners – Masterclass Wednesday 13th

	Length	Width	Thickness	Material	Comment(s)
1	100	15	15	Dark/exotic wood	The lengths are OK/max but the 15×15 is not critical as it will be turned down
2	120	15	15	Light colour-Sycamore/Maple/ Beech
3	175	60	60
4	6mm drill
5	30mm Forstner bit
6	35mm Forstner bit
7	Jacob’s chuck for tailstocks	We can manage with 2 or 3

Christine and Bob Shipway from the CD Coop have talked about raising the profile of Galloway Woodturners and the return on the Coop Local Community Fund by getting the message to our members, families and friends that the more they shop at Coop Castle Douglas and, ideally become Coop members and select Galloway Woodturners to be our designated Coop cause, the more we will get from the fund.
Bob suggested that a few members have a stall in the Castle Douglas store on a Saturday morning (their busiest time) to make members and customers aware of Galloway Woodturners and our activities, so that they can elect to support our cause, and to have a static display of some of the typical items we produces.
To that end Bob has suggested we choose one of the mornings of Saturday 16th, 23rd, and 30th March , the stall will be in place between 10:30 – 12:30. So would anyone like to promote Galloway Woodturners at a stall?

I could do it on the 30th March, but would like to get in earlier so if you can spare a couple of hours on Saturday morning 16th or 23rd March, I also think there are members who can ‘sell’ our craft to the public better than me. We can all put some items together over the next few weeks to display at Turning Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Let me know if you would like to do your bit for our Coop bid asap.

Thanks

Rolf

A few of us were present at Tesco’s Bags of Help cheque presentation at Carlingwark House where we received a giant, symbolic, cheque for £2,000. Angela Orro, Tesco’s Community champion, had all three groups, Carlingwark, Young Gymnasts, and Galloway Woodturners present. Photos were taken by the Galloway News and tea and cakes were munched. The first purchase has already been made from this award, and a new set of face shields from Axminster are on their way to us so we can see what we are doing now (maybe not so pretty now!).

The workshop will be open this afternoon, (13th February), from 2.00 until 4.00pm as usual.

Unfortunately, it will not be open for the following two Wednesday afternoons, (20th and 27th February).

It will be open on Wednesday 5th March.

On Wednesday 13th March it will be occupied by the Masterclass being given by Eugene Grimley ~ you can buy your ticket for this event from the club shop.

Rough Around the Edges

A professional demonstration by Pete Osborn

Club night: Tuesday 9th April ~ £5

Masterclass: Wednesday 10th April, 10.00 – 16.00hrs ~ Tickets, £50, available from the shop.

Pete says that ‘Rough Around the Edges’ is a demonstration in which he will make 2 different dishes from a log.

For the masterclass on Wednesday he is happy to accommodate up to 7 participants but wonders what they would actually want to do.

A class dealing with Natural Edge work but not necessarily the same pieces as the night before?  Perhaps Natural Edge Vases or Goblets?

Buy a ticket and let me know. I will pass on your thoughts to Pete.

Eugene Grimley, who has been to the club before, will be demonstrating again on the Club Night Tuesday 12th March (£5) and holding his masterclass the following day, Wednesday. Get your tickets from Jimmy at the shop (£50 for a whole day masterclass is very good value for money).

My Beginner’s Woodturning Course starts this Thursday, 7th February at 7pm. The first three weeks are spindle turning (long thin things) and the following three weeks will be faceplate turning, (round flat things).

The course is full, but I could squeeze one or two more in if someone volunteers to help in a supporting role (you know the kind of things, making the tea, sweeping up fetching and carrying … but mainly keeping an eye on folks, double checking safety, first aid and tool maintenance)

If you have booked a place please confirm you are still able to come, and If you would like to help, or would like the last place or two, let me know.

As with previous courses it is about having fun, basic techniques, and making things (there is no exam). There is no expectation to come away with a recognisable item but most folks do. The aim is to have the skills to turn wood whatever way you want, making wonderful things in your own style, having a satisfying journey along the way.

My next course will be another Ladies Course, possibly a two piece item that fits together, and this will be a all day Saturday event again. Let me know if you are interested ladies.

If there is sufficient interest there will be another Beginners Course before the summer.

Guys, if you want a specific course on a subject we have done before, or something completely new (maybe something that we have seen demonstrated on a club night, or by a professional turner) let me know and either I will deliver it, or will find someone who can do it better.

That great woodturner, Richard Raffan, has written several books on woodturning but also probably the most useful Youtube video on
catches and dig ins. I thought I would share this, or remind folks who have already seen it. (Thanks Susan for reminding me about this video)

Wishing you all, members, non members, the curious, and visitors, a very Happy New Year, good health and prosperity in 2019.

May your chosen Deity bless you and bring you much happiness in the coming year, and distract you from moaning about it if he (or she) does not.

Let us find time to turn wood in whatever style, or colour, suits us, and treat woodturning this year as a hobby, therapy, or whatever makes us more skilled at our craft and more creative thinkers.

… and for those who are not that bothered about turning may you come along to the club meetings, the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions and visiting professional turners just for the entertainment value and to be in the company of some excellent people

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, the day before Christmas eve, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I hope you have a great holiday, lots of fun with family and friends, or a peaceful relaxing time with a few people who are special to you. Santa will surely bestow upon you gifts from Axminster, Ashley Isles, Crown and G&S Timber. Bring your new (woodturning related) toys to the February meeting, to relive and share your excitement.

A belated happy Hanukkah or Bodhi Day for those who do not celebrate Christmas.

Rolf