April, 2014 Newsletter (incl. March – Ellsworth demo) – Channel Islands Woodturners

Vice President’s Message

Our next meeting will be held at the Cabrillo Middle School classroom on Saturday, 26 April, from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. We will have Show n’ Tell and a Wood Raffle, so please bring your latest woodturning to show us and any wood that you wish to donate to the Raffle.

Our program this month is on “Cracks”. Robert Mitchell and Richard Scarborough will lead a discussion on different ways to address cracks that develop in bowls during the drying process. Do you fill with crushed stone, sawdust, metal shavings, epoxy or glue? What happens when you come across a void? Do you fill it or leave it alone? We will show how easy the Butterfly & Biscuit patch can be done on a bowl. Hopefully we will show you some ideas you have not thought of.

IMPORTANT: We want this program to be interactive, so please plan to share your thoughts on this subject. Bring a bowl that cracked and show us what you did to address the problem. We all learn from what others have done. So bring something to share.

SUMMER PICNIC

Our annual Summer Potluck Picnic will be held on Saturday, 12 July. It will be held at Jim Word’s church in Ventura. Please plan to attend. Chuck and Nadine Hiatt have volunteered to organize the potluck food. We need volunteers to help set up the tables and chairs before the Picnic and take them down and clean up afterward. We’ll pass around a sign up sheet at the next meeting, so please consider if you can volunteer to help. Thanks.

VENTURA COUNTY FAIR

As we have done for many years, Channel Islands Woodturners will give demonstrations turning colorful finger tops at the Fair again this year. This is our best opportunity to get community exposure and we also raise several hundred dollars in donations to our Cabrillo Middle School Tutoring program. Mark Evans did a great job overseeing this activity last year and has graciously volunteered to organize it again this year. The Fair will run this year from WEDNESDAY, 30 JULY – SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST. So, mark your calendars and plan to sign up for a few demo sessions at our booth. It’s a great experience! Even if you’ve never turned a finger top, we will have a tutoring session before the Fair where you can learn how.

VP Dave Stallard

for Chuck Hiatt now cruising the world.

: Room re-arranged for the David Ellsworth demo – happy bunch

: First Project – Liquid Amber straight-edge bowl – wet wood – base tenon cut and remounted in scroll chuck

: Using the Ellsworth signature gouge – 1/2″ (5/8″ shaft) powdered metal (PM) by Crown

: Using various cutting techniques possible with this gouge grind

: David likes this live center because point is adjustable

: Ellsworth grinding jig

: Roughing with the gouge tip

: Now for real – notice he almost always uses the face shield

: Now reversed on jam chuck – Notice the large tenon used – to include the foot – maximizing wood use

: Turning off the tenon

: Forming the small foot

: Showing how large tenon and foot design relate

: Next project is natural-edge bowl in Liquid Amber

: Discussing wing height and how to approach the external edges

: Trying to balance high and low wings and bottom growth rings

: Forming the exterior and large tenon

: The final straight edge bowl

: Setting the tip exposure using the Oneway jig length 2-1/8″

: Gringing the gouge using the Ellsworth jig

: His gouge uses a parabolic flute said to have good chip clearance

: His gouge available in M2 HSS from Henry Taylor and Crown Pro-PM from both Packard and Craft Supplies

: David sights along outside rim while cutting inside and approaching from air – for even wall thickness

: He works quite agressively while roughing

: Setting up to use the jam chuck again

: The chuck is cushioned with a foam sheet

: Using the reverse shear scrape to shape the bottom

: Fairing the rim and base together using shear scrape floating on surface

: This floating allows elliptical and circular areas to join smoothly

: Showing the use of the simple wire thickness gauge

: Final natural-edge bowl

: Now doing another natural edge in 12 minutes without talking – Now clear audience not too far back

: Second natural edge bowl complete

: Block of Shamel Ash mounted for hollow form

: Trying to find the grain direction – final form will be cross grain

: Shaping the side grain

: Roughing out an approximate sphere

: Now rotated 90 degrees

: Cutting off the tenons

: Forming the large base tenon

: Ready to remount in the scroll chuck

: In the chuck

: Shaping the top surface and opening lip

: The hollowing strategy for the STraight and Bent hollowing tools

: Tail stock off and hollowing with the straight tool to start

: Again rather agressive hollowing with the 3/16″ scraper tip

: Way over to get better support with handle against his side

: Notice handle position – now using bent tool with bent tip slightly down to left

: Now in jam chuck with foam pad to turn off tenon

: Final hollow form – Ash

: Final session on tool sharpening – discussing the wire edge or hook for scraping

: Sharpening the hollowing tool without jig and using rounded edge of wheel

: Discussing the various flute shapes and best grinding profiles

: Cutting with the gouge wing

: Setting up for a fluid motion rim to center

: Gliding in with a shear scrape – practicing relaxing the body tension