The monthly woodturning club meeting begins with Show-and-Tell at 6:00pm.  The regular meeting begins at 6:30pm and ends by 8:30pm. 

Each meeting starts with a review of current club activities and discussion of various club matters.  We then hold a club demonstration.  Every demonstration is a different topic or technique.

Show-and-Tell is your opportunity to bring and discuss your latest project or work-in-progress.  You can also chat and share woodturning experiences with other members before the regular meeting starts.  There is always something new to see and learn.

Prospective members are welcome to come and see what we're all about.  Be sure to introduce yourself to one of our club officers.  We'll be happy to answer all of your questions.

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The monthly demonstration will cover one of the most important—and sometimes overlooked—aspects of woodturning is how we hold our work securely on the lathe. The method used to mount a piece can make the difference between a smooth, controlled turning experience and a frustrating one. At our upcoming monthly meeting, we will be exploring a variety of chucking methods that every woodturner should understand and have in their toolkit.

During this demonstration, we will discuss and show several effective ways to mount and remount your work, including:

• Glue Blocks – A reliable technique often used for bowl blanks and faceplate work. By gluing a sacrificial block to the workpiece, turners can achieve strong holding power while avoiding screw holes in the final piece.

• Jam Chucks – A simple but extremely useful method for holding a piece by friction. Jam chucks are commonly used when finishing the bottom of bowls or vessels, allowing the tenon or chucking point to be removed cleanly.

• Vacuum Chucks – An advanced but increasingly popular method that uses suction to hold the workpiece. Vacuum chucking is especially useful when reverse turning a piece to finish the bottom without damaging the completed surface.

• Friction Plates – Friction-based holding methods can provide gentle but secure support when traditional jaws cannot be used when finishing the bottom of various types of pieces.

We will also discuss why different chucking methods are needed for different turning situations. A bowl, platter, hollow form, or spindle project may each require a different approach depending on the stage of the turning process. From the initial roughing of a blank to the final removal of a tenon, choosing the right chucking method helps ensure both safety and precision.

Understanding these techniques will help you:

• Hold your work more securely on the lathe

• Expand the types of projects you can tackle

• Improve the quality of your finished pieces

• Safely remove chucking points such as tenons.

Whether you are new to turning or have years of experience, learning additional chucking methods can open the door to new design possibilities and more refined finishes.

This promises to be a very practical and informative demonstration that will benefit turners of all skill levels.

We hope to see you there!