WSWT Newsletter – August 2008

Meeting Report – Sunday 3rd August.

Club Notices

Tony Short has announced that he will be giving up the tool shop service; anyone interested in taking up the reins should contact him.

It looks as though Wakehurst will finally terminate our (and other groups’) ability to use their facilities for exhibitions and sales. Jim Young has not totally given up, however, and has another letter or two to write.

The 5 day ‘Art and Crafts’ fair in Worthing had a number of teething problems and concentrated on the Arts! It will probably be repeated next year and hopefully be better advertised. If reduced from 5 to 3 days the group will consider attending.

Demonstration by Gregory Morton

A member of the Register of Professional Turners, an assessor and its membership secretary, Greg is keen on ‘big, hollow forms’. And is quite a big form himself! The morning was taken up turning a large piece of Monkey Puzzle, the most ancient form of tree on the planet, which unlike modern trees has a very simple structure, but not one that makes turning easy; has to be turned wet and as a spindle. The front row showed great fortitude in remaining close to the action as a large, inevitably unbalanced log spun a few feet away. Things proceeded very slowly prior to the coffee break as the heap of turnings threatened to engulf the intrepid camera man Colin Willetts, but things speeded up later as the hollowing progressed and we learnt something of the challenges of imposing a reasonable finish on a tubular structure that offered no help at all. The end result was certainly dramatic although some of us, inspecting the finished articles at the break, thought a classical pedestal would have set the bowl off even better.
After lunch, Don Pollard writes, the work was based on a cheap source of wood – old oak fence posts. We were shown how to turn off-centre using two homemade MDF discs secured by bolts, counter balanced by weights that are a particular feature of the Vicmarc lathe. How to power-sand was demonstrated and the end product was an old oak fencepost turned into an item for sale at a very healthy profit!
Many thanks to Greg and Colin for their contributions.

Future Events

Next Meeting is at the usual time, usual place and, if Ted remembers when the first Sunday in September is (the 7th on my Calendar, but do check yours – mine is courtesy of a bank), we will have a chairman, too. It is a practical day with resident experts Allan Fielding (natural edged bowls), Jim Young (use of BCT tool and oil finishing) and Ray Jackson (tool sharpening) taking the floor. If you want your tools re–shaped and/or re–sharpened by Ray, don’t forget to bring them!

The Surrey Associationn. of Woodturners sponsored Woodturning Show is to be held at the Mytchett centre (near Farnborough) on Sunday October 28th, 10.30–16.00. Directions: From Junction 4 of the M3 take the A331 towards Guildford. After 2 miles come off the dual carriageway onto the slip road signed to Mytchett. Continue along Coleford Bridge Road until you meet a pair of mini roundabouts. Turn right at both. The Mytchett Centre is on your right and is accessed by the right turn in front of the garage. Please park in the designated areas and not on the side access road. Full details available on if you have internet access.

The Newsletter does not always reach its intended destination. This can be the result of all sorts of manifestations of sod’s law – computer gremlins, dementia, postal services (I can hear Ted adding incompetence) all have an occasional impact. If you do not receive your copy, electronic or snail mail, please let us know promptly. Publisher Mike Cope and myself will try and put things right! Librarian Stan Coombes has recently had a problem (carrier pigeons distracted by the breeding season probable cause) missing the last two issues. Receipt of the newsletter is considered proof of what he has been up to on the first Sunday of the month. Without it, his wife gets suspicious. Stan, we can confirm that we saw you on Sunday August 3rd – but not certain about June and July?…
PS: Mike and I both have current accounts with the Blackmailers CharterBank, based in Zurich.