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Club Newsletter

August 2019

from the top

Winston Churchill once said "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

This morning I spent thirty minutes on the phone with the wood shop supervisor for a local retirement community.  The call went extremely well.  I think he was as excited to learn of a new opportunity to offer his residents as much as I was to possibly expand the reach of our club. 

Yet to make the call required something else from me personally.  I'm not a salesperson by trade.  I had no contact name to start with.  I was flying solely on a single rumor they might have some sort of wood shop.  I didn't even know if they had a lathe. 

I wasn't thrilled with my lack of a starting advantage but the opportunity felt worth the effort.

A quick look at their website gave me the main office number.  "Seems like a good place to start" I said to myself.  My call was promptly answered.  After a quick explanation, the receptionist transferred me to an extension.  The gentleman that answered was exactly the person I needed to speak with.

Just like that, the difficulty became an opportunity.  

in this issue

This month's Featured Work

This month featured work is not the wood pieces.  It's the display cabinet itself!

With the help of several members, and permission from the city of Fort Myers, we now have our own lockable display cabinet installed in the hallway right outside our shop.

Contact any club officer if you are interested in joining a committee to manage piece rotations or wish to display your own to the general public.

august 2019 Club Meeting

Another strong turnout for our August monthly meeting.  

Club President Joe Payne opened the meeting with a few new member introductions.  He highlighted a few additional club news items. 

As of the meeting, three of the four lathes to be sold are gone.  As of this writing, the fourth is now committed to be picked up.  The club shop is finally looking less crowded.

The new Powermatic 3520B lathe now sits comfortably in the shop and works great.

The annual club Christmas Party will be held December 3rd, 2019 in the banquet room right here in the Riverside Community Center.  Food arrangements and per-plate prices will be announced in the next month or so.  We're planning to arrange for some raffle prizes or even a silent auction to raise money for the club.  More details to follow.

Club T-Shirts are now available for purchase at club meetings or directly from the online store at the club website.  Cost is $ 10.00 each for active members.  We have M, L, XL, and 2XL sizes available.  Shipping is available.

There are still several pieces of free wood available donated by both members and non-members.  Help yourselves at any club meeting.

Club Treasurer Dan Alvo gave his financial summary and the meeting moved on to show-and-tell followed by the featured presenter.

show and tell contributors (not in order)

Joe Payne, Dan Alvo, Phil Edilla, Jose Vazquez and two more I can't remember because I can't find the sign-in sheet <sad face>

Open shop Saturday

August Open Shop Day

August 17th, 2019

Open shop Saturday went off without a hitch this month.  Pin Vazquez worked on a large deep bowl.  Fred Hecklau continued working a bowl he started from home.  John Gerald spent time bouncing from woodturner to woodturner offering his usual sage wisdom.

Dan Alvo and myself helped newer members with pen turning and the finer points (get it?) of tool sharpening.

We also spent some time admiring the new display cabinet in the hallway.  Dan Alvo will cut and donate some nice acrylic shelves to hold items in the cabinet.


Featured presenter

Phil Edilla
Turning A Sphere

Club Secretary Phil Edilla offered the club a demonstration of using a radius turning jig to turn a sphere.  The jig uses a small carbide tip and swivels on a stationary base.  Because the jig is stationary to the wood piece, the curvature of a sphere quickly appears as the carbide tip is rotated left and right.

Phil was able to show how to prepare a blank for sphere cutting, mounting up the jig and how simple the jig makes the task of turning a perfect sphere. 



THIS MONTH'S TIP

Cutting Bowl Blanks With A Chainsaw

Woodworkers Guild of America (WWGOA) has a great online video on the basics of using a chainsaw to cut bowl blanks.  The video is free and covers all the important tips you need to know to safely cut your rough bowl blanks.

Click Here to watch the video.

AAW National News

WIT exchange event

The Women In Turning eXchange event is scheduled to take place September 5th - 7th in Gatlinburg, Tennessee at the Arrowmont Arts & Crafts School.  Find out more details on the AWW WIT Event page.

Upcoming Events

  • 03/21/2024 6:00 PM
    3061 E Riverside Dr, Fort Myers FL 33916
  • 04/06/2024 9:00 AM
    Riverside Community Center, East Door
  • 04/20/2024 9:00 AM
    Riverside Community Center, East Door
  • 05/04/2024 9:00 AM
    Riverside Community Center, East Door
  • 05/18/2024 9:00 AM
    Riverside Community Center, East Door

Chapter 120
American Association of Woodturners


Address:
3061 E Riverside Dr
Fort Myers, FL 33916

2020 Grant Recipient

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