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
The second hands-on session in a row at Russ’s home at the May 20th meeting was again a great learning experience for our beginning turners, and lots of fun for those of us doing the teaching. There is one more of these sessions scheduled for this year on Sept. 16th. Photos from the meeting are…