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of southwest florida

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Club Newsletter

February 2020

from the top

This time last year, I was pretty stressed.  Being a club president was still very new to me.  And the club itself needed a great deal of my time.

It was obvious in the beginning that my own tools and techniques for working with other people were not adequate.  I needed to grow as a person.

The same holds true for woodturning.  You can do the same thing, the same way, for twenty years.  And then one day, a situation gives you the opportunity to do things differently.   A simple YouTube video.  Or a short conversation with another woodturner.  At some point, something unfamiliar is unexpectedly presented to you. 

At that brief moment in time, you make the conscious choice to grow, or to remain rooted in your ways.

Nowadays, I don't feel so stressed.  I've grown.  And that feels good.

in this issue

This month's Featured Work comes from our club's vice president, ted hains.  In this hollow-form, ted shows off his skill, patience, and finishing techniques.  Great job on a beautiful piece.     


February 2020 Club Meeting

This month's woodturning club meeting went very well.  Club President Joe Payne began the meeting welcoming new members and a few visitors.  Joe made sure to thank everyone who helped make the ArtFest event successful.  

Next up was a brief note how running two shop days a month has been quite successful.  The club plans to continue this practice through April.  A decision will then be made if the club should continue two shops a month.

Joe then moved on to new business.   A brand new Grizzly 17" bandsaw is now installed in the club shop.  Thanks to Dan, John and Joe for making this 450 lb beast ready to use.  The club has also purchased a used variable-speed Jet mini lathe to replace one of the non variable speeds.

New camera mounts are now in place for club demonstrations.  Eliminating the need for tripods has been a long-standing goal and we're finally there.  Also in place is a new wireless mic setup to improve the audio for those towards the back of the room.   Also a special thanks was given to member Pin Vazquez for building four new custom storage cabinets now installed in the club shop.

Phil and Dan gave a brief update on our Pens for Troops program as well as club finances.

The club will be making arrangemens to sell the old 18" bandsaw, one Jet mini lathe and the Dewalt planer generously donated by member Joe Mikesh.

Last but not least, it was announced that club member Nancy Koucky was one of the lucky recipients of an AAW scholarshop to her choice of woodturning schools.  Congratulations Nancy!

Open shop Saturday

February Open Shop Day

February 15, 2020

On February 15th, members of the club gathered in our workshop to practice, teach, learn, and show off their woodturning abilities. 

In addition, we continued with our Pens for the Troops project; turning, finishing, and assembling pens for our brave military men and women. Members were also able get their first look at the clubs new Grizzly Band Saw!

Featured Presenter

Club member Richard Rose gave a great club demonstration this month on how to turn and finish wood bangle bracelets.

Richard first spent time walking everyone through his bangle process using his well-organized Powerpoint presentation on the video monitor.  Each step of his process for making wood bangles was clearly shown complete with color photos.

Then Richard took tool to hand and showed how he finishes a bangle once the initial pieces are cut.  Once completed, we got to see how Richard uses colored dyes to create truly unique woodturning pieces.

Richard put some serious time into his excellent instructions for turning bangles and has graciously allowed me to publish them to the club.  Active club members can click here to view the instructions.  You will need to be logged into the club website to view them.

Artfest 2020

Artfest 2020

Artfest 2020 turned out to be an amazing success.  While the weather the first day was a bit of a challenge, along with having to move sites, Sunday had beautiful weather and huge crowds. 

Thanks to the dedicated members of our club, we were able to demonstrate what we do, and how we do it.  During the two-day demonstration, there were tons of lucky kids that received one of John Gerald's tops and countless others that got to watch many of our members projects take shape, such as Joe's off center turning, Craig's bottle-stoppers, and several other member projects. 

With what we learned as a club presenting at Artfest, 2020 should prove to be even better.  

THIS MONTH'S TIP

Tool Organization!!

How many times have you been working around your lathe, wishing you had a spot to put all your stuff, in an organized manner?  Or, while you were working, you really don't have any place to put your tools and you start laying them on the bed of the lathe, on the work bench behind your lathe, or anywhere else that is not within arms reach.  Tools start rolling around, maybe even hitting the floor once and a while.  Think about it, we are all wood turners and wood workers of all experience levels; we can organize our tools with wood!! 

Now, imagine taking about 30 minutes out of your evening and make a simple wooden try with some cutouts for your tools.  With a simple 5/16 bolt, nut, and a few fender washers...Presto!  You now have a spot to put your tools in a specific place, organized, and ready within arms reach.  It will be 30 minutes well spent! 


Ladies, do you Facebook?  Did you know there is a Facebook woodturning group just for women?  You can check it out here https://www.facebook.com/groups/442551853200983/

AAW National News

AAW Symposium 2020

The American Association of Woodturners has announced the initial details for the 2020 symposium.  This time it will be held in Louisville, Kentucky.  You can read more about it on the AAW 2020 Symposium 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

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