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South Central PA WoodTurners

February 2012

So much wood and so little time. If you arewilling to turn green wood there is anabundance around us. Green wood turns easierthan dry wood and doesn’t make the dust.Green wood is usually free for the taking.Even the PA Dept of Transportation lets it layalong the road side for the taking when theyare clearing the right of way. Green wood is agreat way to sharpen your turning skills andlearn new skills without the cost associatedwith kiln dried wood. I was told by a saw milloperator that “you turners are a cheap lotbecause you can make something out of almostanything and you won’t pay much for wood.” Ithought about it for a few seconds and had toagree with him.

We don’t always turn wood. Come to theMarch meeting and watch metal being formedon a wood lathe. Did you know that you canactually turn brass, aluminum and copper onyour lathe using the tools that you have?Spinning metal allows you to makecomplimentary pieces to your wood turning.

The burl wood challenge is going to beinteresting for all who participate. Just becausea burl is a burl does not mean it is an easypiece to create an outstanding turning. I hopeyou take time and visualize the chunk of woodin different positions to try to make a mentalimage of what it will become. That is theinteresting part of wood turning. “The woodtalks to me and tells me what it should be” is acomment that many wood turners make. A lotof us have wood that sits around for yearsbefore it talks to us. But the challenge has atime constraint set for the May meeting.

Safe and happy turningDon

Thoughts from the

PresidentDon Wilson

PresidentDon Wilson(717) 741-1226wilson.don@verizon.netVice-PresidentTom Deneen(717) 927-9004Tomdeneen@emailaccount.comTreasurerJohn Stewart(717) 757-2212JRWS3088@aol.comSecretaryCarol WoodburyNewsletterBryan Sword(717) 225 6807bryansword@gmail.comClub Web Sitewww.PAwoodturners.com

Dates to NoteMarch 6Club Meeting - JacobusMetal Turning w/Barry Stump

March, 10 & 11Mark Supik Classes410 732 8414 Baltimore

Totally TurningMarch 31 April 1Saratoga Springs, NY

May 23Full Day Club DemoBeth Ireland

February Meeting MinutesBy Carol Woodbury (Thank You Carol!)

President Don Wilson presiding.

GuestsGuests introduced themselves:Terry Frantz, Clark Bixler, Dorothy and PaulKerst, Jack and Kirk Kapp, and old memberTom Hagarman.

AnnouncementsNew Microphones

Don is using our new soundsystem with wireless mics.Everyone appreciated theabsence of squealing feedback.

Member Makes the AWW JournalBryan Sword appears in aphoto on page 27 of the Feb,2012 AAW Journal. (Bryan sayshe was about to offer advice, butRichard Raffan handled it.(However, he says “Now that I have made the Journal,one item on my “bucket list” can be crossed off!” Bryanis also offering to autograph anyone’s Journal for nocharge. )

AAW Vote neededAAW requests we vote so that they can keeptheir non-profit status as a 501 C 3. Now thatthe headquarters has moved from Texas toMinnesota.

AWW FundamentalsThere is a new section on the AAW websitecalled Fundamentals of Turning. You mustsign up to receive it bimonthly. It should begood for both beginners as well as advancedturners wanting a refresher.CA Glue AvailableThere is a new order of CA glue available forsale/distribution.

Full Day Club DemoBeth Ireland will give a full daydemonstration Wednesday, May 23rd on“Turning a Bandsaw Box” and “How tobe creative without going to Art School”.

Don will open the session to other clubsas well. Lunch will be available.

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Within seconds the seam was tightenough to place the base end into thechuck again. Don wasn’t pleased with theshape of the vase so he modified the topat this point. Then using the flute of hisspindle gouge at about 2:00 and leaningback to the left, he now hollowed down towhere the drilled hole and bulbous space

met. This positioning allowed him to get deeper and make anice cut, so he didn’t have to do a lot of sanding.

Tricks and Tips and Questions*Don says “hollowing” the bulbous end and leaving just thesmall drill hole connecting to the top part creates the illusion ofconsistently thin vessel walls !*When parting, Don makes several stepped cuts.*He sometimes uses a 2” sanding disk to smooth the bottom.*The plug and wall should be approximately the samethickness.*To make a piece look pleasing, there should be no squarecorners.*Cedar has resin, therefore if you put varnish over it, it willlook great for about 9 months – then begin to look awful. Souse an oil like Danish oil. Pour it in and roll it around and pourit out several times. Cedar soaks up a lot of oil finish. Two tothree coats over 2 to 3 days are best.*This demo piece has relatively thick walls. Don would makefor a really special product wall about 3/16” – 1/8” thin.

The “old guys”(above, but not paying attention) would beproud, Don.

Thank you for sharing.Artist, Skilled Craftsman and Teacher

And good luck on thereplacement

of the replacement hip!Don has to go back in the repair shop

for new parts!

Wood AllergiesWood allergies were discussed. Cryptomeria (monotypic genusof conifer in the cypress family) and Western Red Cedar haveproperties that Don is allergic to. This is of particular concernwith some of the exotic woods and we should all be aware ofthe possibilities of allergic reactions.

Burl Turning ChallengeTake a piece of maple burl from Jon Amos’ box to create apiece by the May meeting. Don demonstrated how burl growsfrom a central point, a “nidus”, and expands. So you want toposition the burl sideways to cut into the end grain for theinterior hollow. Phil and Don recommend taking your time tostudy the wood from all angles over a period of time beforedeciding how to approach the project. If you are turning greenburl, it’s important to continue turning until completed so itdoesn’t crack. In fact, it helps to seal it occasionally, as thelittle burls are inclined to separate if you don’t.

Tips and Tricks John Stewart reminded everyone to keep afire extinguisher in the workshop.

HOW TO MAKE A HOLLOW FORM CHEAPLYWITHOUT SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT

or: “How The Old Guys Did It”by Carol Woodbury (Great summary)

Don Wilson began his demonstrationwith a preformed vase-shape ofcedar. Using his skew, he made a cutat the bottomend. Then,oddly, he firstdrilled a hole

with a long bit in the top end, removing itfrequently to clear the chips. He thenreversed the blank in the chuck and tookoff the large bottom end and reserved it forlater.

Cutting with the end-grain from the outsidein so as to not pull the piece away from thechuck, he hollowed the bulbous end of theblank. His tool was held against the woodwith the left wing and he rolled it a bit as hecut across. We all noted the chatter thatoccurred when the longtool got too far beyond the

tool rest.

Finally he met the previously drilled hole.Using the flat of a skew, the opening wasflattened in preparation for plugging it withthe previously parted and reserved chunk of

base.Then, matching the grains and adjustingthe opening slightly, the plug wasinserted and glued with medium CA glueand an accelerator applied. [Even ourvenerable president had to admit heshould have first marked the grain beforeparting the pieces]

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Jerry Kermode Quickie ClinicBy Bryan Sword

Mike Carnes and I took advantage of a shortclinic offered at Mark Supik’s Shop inBaltimore. Where for the modest price of $10for 2 hours (including a shop tour and homemade cookies) about 40 or so Baltimore areaclub turners and we two SCPWT membersshared the art of nonviolent woodturning aspresented by Jerry Kermode, artist, skilled

craftsman and teacher. He was in Baltimore for the AmericanCraft Council Show and will be at the Germantown FriendsSchool craft show in Philadelphia March 2- March 4.

Jerry is quick, funny and full of tips and tricks.First thing he demo-ed was a string pull top. The

top had a brass point to give itendurance and stability. Plus agroove for a pull string whichgives the top tons of speed andlong lasting spinning time. Next year- Cabin

Fever - $10 tops., you bet!

Then in setting up his “artsy” type bowl, Jerryfirst turns using a scraping cut with a bowl gougebetween centers. Jerry whipped out the bowl inabout 30 or so minutes to the point where it was

almost translucent. Jerryalways has a pedestal style footon his bowls to “set them up” for display. Hesays he stores his bowls for a year to drybefore final finishing at which point he sands

to 1200 grit. His uses a wax and oil finish.

The most interesting trick was the insertion of a“stitch” in the bowl. Assuming you had a crackthat needed reinforcing (which almost all mybowls need) and you own a plate joiner, youcan insert a “stitch” in the crack to hold ittogether. Jerry just holds the joiner over the

crack and uses the plate joiner to make thecut. He then inserts a wood biscuit (hecustom makes his) using CA glue. Thencarefully with a hand chisel, he shaves awaythe excess protruding biscuit, then sands thebiscuit until it is flush. Looks good and is

stronger than just glue alone.Jerry had a display of his bowlswhich he priced from right toleft, at about $380, $800, $600and the small bowl center for$185.Mark Supik & Co. shop was

also very interesting . Mark (who gave us ademo last July) gave a tour of his “shop”. Hewas written up in Oct. 2011 issue of theAmerican Woodturners Journal. So for acomplete overview of his shop, go to thearticle in the Journal. Besides his huge lathesand commercial work, Mark does a greatbusiness in beer tap handles for micro breweries. Mark offers allday clinics ranging from beginner basics to special projects.

Show and TellShow & Tell Pictures by Phil Reed, Candid Pictures by Bryan Sword

Tom Deneen

2 bowlsOak Burl

Don WilsonHollow form

with finialSpalted Sycamore

Nuts and boltsCocobolo, Japanese yew

LloydShelleman

BowlDogwood

DonaldTitus

Pepper millsCherry, Walnut

Mulberry bowls

Gene Jackman

VaseSpalted

Norway Maple

Picture by Mike Carnes

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More Show and Tell

Barry Stump

Cherry Burlvase

Dyed Maple bowl

Charlie Stuhre

Teacher's pen Burmese Rose& Osage Orange

Classic Elegant Pen

Joyce McCormick Curly Maple shaving set Pendant for necklacePaduk Exacto knife holder

John Stewart

BowlsMaple Burl

&Sycamore

Gary Vreeland Small Bowls - Cherry, Oak, Cedar

Things For Sale

Craftsman RallySteel Tool BoxLightly used4 lockable drawers2 keys20.5”L x 8.5”W x 14.25” HSome scratches. No dents.

Keep your tools safe & with you at all times.

New was $75 at SearsBut Now Only

$35!!!Contact Bryan Sword @ meeting. (717 225 6807)

Olive Wood I have a wood turner friend inCalifornia who has harvested a100+ year old abandoned olivegrove. The wood from thesetrees has spectacular grain andpatterns.

I have done several turnings with this wood, including my oneand only hollow form. Even thoughthe wood was harvested over the last8 years, it still turns easily and youcan smell the olive oil in the wood asyou turn.

I have told my friend that I would get his web-site in thenewsletter, so here it is!

www.olivewoodcreations.com

The operation of the selling of thewood is run by Pam. They will ship inflat rate postal boxes to keep the costsof freight down. It sells for $10/lb.Check out the site and contact Pam.

I will answer any questions that I can,but this is about what I know.

Bryan Sword