November 24th Meeting at Wesley United Methodist Church

Our November meeting will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church at 922 Republic Road, Springfield MO.  Remember that this church is located just west of S. Campbell.  We will start to gather at 9:30am and the business meeting will start at 10am.  This will be a great opportunity for you to shake off all of the horror you witnessed on your “Black Friday” shopping sprees.

Don’t forget that this month’s challenge is to turn a “Drum Stick.”  This could be one that looks like a drumstick you had on your table for Thanksgiving OR it could be one that is used to pound on a drum.  Either would be a great opportunity to hone those skills on the lathe before you start turning your ornaments for Christmas.

Our demonstrator this month is Andy Hilton who was one of our founding members back in 2003.  He will be putting his spin on Christmas Ornaments.  This would be a great time to watch and ask questions.  Remember, there is a challenge for our December Banquet this year and first place in both the Experienced and Beginners categories is a turning tool.

Wesley United Methodist has been very kind in allowing us meeting space Saturday.  To say thank you to them, it is our responsibility to set up 400 chairs after the meeting in preparation for their Sunday service so please plan to hang around and spend a few minutes helping us set those up right after our meeting.

In addition to our guest turner we will discuss our Christmas Banquet, it will be a great time to sign up and reserve your spot. Remember, our Banquet is December 8th from Noon to 2pm at the White River Conference Center 600 West Sunshine behind Bass Pro.  We’ll also discuss some of the things coming up for a great 2013!!!

Remember you will have an opportunity to pick things up from our Club Co-op or win Raffle items.  Be sure and bring in your latest turning and share some things you learned during the Show and Tell portion.  Don’t miss out on a great demo that might just give you that inspiration for finishing up your Christmas Ornaments!

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Sycamore Party November 3rd

Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day for cutting trees, sunny, about 60, and a gentle breeze.  Had a good turnout considering the distance to travel from Springfield.  As usual the club members pulled together to get the job done.  Without specific directions we split up into two teams and each worked on a tree. Within each group we had “limbers” to trim the branches, “puller’s” who dragged the brush far enough to be pushed into piles by the tractor, “cutter’s” who cut the logs off the trunks, and “Anchor Sealer’s” who sealed the logs.  The two trees we worked on each had a 50 foot main trunk as well as smaller but useful side  branches.  With this organization we cut up both of these trees within three hours, loaded trailers and pickups with cut wood, made three large brush piles, and called it a day at 3:00 PM.  We did this with only one minor injury due to a large sharp thorn bush.   I think most of us were worn out.

After the cutting Don Nelson and Susan Dollar visited my shop.

Needless to say, there is still more wood to cut and haul off.  Need to set up another work day to finish the job.  Looks like next weekend will work, given the weather holds till then.  I’ll be in touch.

Those attending the cutting:

Mike & Rosalind Peters – Mike & Rosalind did the tractor work and loading!
Don Nelson
Ryan Ludke
Larry Ludke
Susan Dollar
John Taliaferro
Jim Johnston
Russ & Gretchen Berquam
David & Priscilla Van Giesen

Reported by – Ben Alexander

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October 27th Meeting

Our October 27th meeting will be at the Library Center at 4535 S. Campbell.  As always we will start to gather at 9:30am and the official meeting will begin promptly at 10am. This month we will discuss upcoming events and some of our schedule for next year. Then our guest for this month, Jim Vander Lind will demonstrate for us (more below).  As we normally do, we’ll have our Show and Tell, Club Challenge, Club Coop, Raffle and Library available.  Visitors are ALWAYS welcome!

For the last several years, Jim Vander Lind has been coming to Springfield in May for ArtsFest.  We will him as our special guest turner for our October 27th Meeting.  For anyone that has been to his tent during ArtsFest, they will attest to the beauty of his turnings.

Jim will do two different demo’s for us.  He will demo in the morning and show us how he turns “birdhouse ornaments.”  The picture to the left is one that is very similar to his style borrowed from the Craft Supply USA website. This demo will be a project that everyone will be able to turn at home regardless of your turning experience.  We will also have some blanks available in the club coop ready to take home and turn into your own birdhouse ornament!

His demo in the afternoon will be all about how to turn and use dyes to enhance your turnings. The picture below will give you some idea of what to expect from Jim’s Demo.  We will have him as our regularly scheduled demonstration for the birdhouse demonstration in the morning meeting.  Then after lunch Jim will come back and do a full in depth demonstration of his techniques used in producing this type of turning.

There is no additional charge for the afternoon session so, be sure to hang around and learn all about aniline dyes and how to apply them.

Check out his website at http://www.jimvanderlind.com/

There you can read his bio and look at some great turnings!

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Ron Fleming demonstration was a great success!

We had 43 folks come to see Ron teach us how he carves on his turnings.  Ron was very open with his processes and we benefited enormously by being able to ask questions of him as he worked.

Thanks go to Helen and Dan Beeman for making sure that we had plenty to drink and eat!  Also, the club would like to thank Campbell United Methodist Church for allowing us to use their facility AND they provided coffee for us.

It was a great day!

[flagallery gid=9 name=Ron Fleming]

 

As we begin turning we are often concerned with the perfect tool technique, how to handle wood blanks etc.  These are the kinds of things we deal with each month during our regular meetings.

However, in our pursuit to grow as turners we often find the single hardest thing to master is training our eye to what form or shape is the most appealing.  Or maybe the question becomes, I have produced a nice turning but, what can I do to make my turning stand out in the crowd.  Well, this is where we often go outside of our own club and pursue professional artists to come and address these various issues.

Well, this is exactly where our guest Ron Fleming will bring to light many of these things. In the beginning of his demonstration, he will be sharing pictures with us and discussing design and how to create an eye catching form.  Then he will spend most of his time showing us the tools and how he uses them to take that turning to the next level.  From a simple bowl or hollow form into an artful creation.  Ron will not be turning live on the lathe but will show us how to take those already turned objects and embellish, carve or otherwise expand their appeal to a much wider audience.  As he has been a lifelong artist, it is bound to be a great day of inspiration!

Be sure to check out Ron’s website:  http://www.hearthstonestudios.com/wood.html

If you have not signed up yet for this weekend it is not to late!  Attached you will find the form which can still be mailed to Don Carlson (address on the form) or can be brought with you Saturday morning.  If you do plan on coming and have not already signed up, please do let me know so that Helen can better plan for food as Lunch will be provided for you.

*REMEMBER*:  it is $40 for members and $60 per member spouse and/or family

Click Here for the Form to bring with you to the Demonstration

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September 22nd Meeting at Wesley United Methodist Church

Our regular club meeting this month will be held on September 22nd, at Wesley United Methodist Church at 922 West Republic Road Springfield, MO.  This is just a few short blocks west of South Campbell on Republic Road.

We will set up just like we normally do with our Show and Tell, Club Challenge, etc. Remember this month’s Club Challenge is to turn an Urn.  Our demonstration this month will be on Sharpening your tools.

Bob Bezanson and Ernie Lorenc will be sharing this demo time.  Our Vice President will be teaching us how he labels his tools and sharpens with a slow speed grinder.  This particular example being the Tormek.  He will focus on several different tools in the woodturners arsenal.  Dr. Lorenc will share with us his methods of sharpening “on the cheap.”  He will educate us on the sharpening of a bowl gouge with the Ellsworth jig.  Ernie will also share how he hones his heavy scraper.

Both of these gents have been turning for many many years.  No one is exactly certain how long the good Doctor has been turning but it is thought that he was present when steel was forged for the first time into a bowl gouge.  But that is just a rumor.

This is going to be a great demonstration for the new and experienced turner!

We have a great opportunity this month for the newer turners.  One of our Board Members – Ben Alexander, who is a fairly new turner himself, has put together a fantastic new program.  AFTER LUNCH on the 22nd, Ben will be leading a class on turning. It is not just geared to the brand new turner but to anyone who has been turning less than a couple of years.

Woodturning has so many facets that it is impossible even for the most experienced turners to “know it all.”  Ben is going to lead a class that will attempt to introduce you to the basics of turning.  This class is sure to help to fill “the gaps” in your understanding of of working at the lathe.  Comprehensive would be a great description of this course.  If you are starving for information, this is going to be a great afternoon for you!  Ben estimates that this will be between 1 1/2 – 2 hours.  I believe that when you walk out of this session you will be 12 months ahead of researching woodturning on your own.

Introduction to Woodturning
A beginners overview taught by a beginner


1. Meeting your lathe and it’s parts, & how to hold wood on your lathe

2. Meeting basic turning tools and equipment you will need

3. Brief introduction to Safety, how to keep turning without stitches

4. Wood toxicity, or please don’t eat the wood

5. Where do bowls & stuff come from? Log orientation

6. Turning green and drying your turnings

7. Sanding & finishing techniques

8. How your attitude effects your turning, having a positive approach

9. The AAW, what is it and why do I want to join?

We will start to gather at 9:30 am and go until approximately 12:15.  Remember that the “Introduction to Woodturning” class will be after lunch

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!

922 West Republic Road Springfield, MO

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August 25th Meeting

Library Center, 4535 South Campbell

Well, the Ozark Empire Fair is over and was a great success for the Woodturners of SW MO.  Our meeting this month is sure to be a great one.  It is certain that we will see visitors from the Fair.

This month our club challenge is a “Scoop.”  So, if you haven’t turned one yet, you still have time to get one done!

Our demo this month is going to be done by our club secretary David Van Giesen.  He will show us how he uses his McNaughton Bowl Coring system.  This demo will explain how to make several bowl blanks out of one larger blank so, come on out and get a new perspective on turning.

9:30am Setup and Coffee
10:00am Business Meeting
10:30am Bowl Coring, David Van Giesen
11:15am Show and Tell, Raffle, Co-op
12:00pm LUNCH!

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July 28th Meeting

Library Center, 4535 South Campbell

Don’t forget our regularly scheduled meeting is coming up quickly!  Saturday the 28th at the Library Center.  This months demo is going to be “Segmented Turning.”  Les Casteel  will be our Demonstrator for July and will be showing how he creates his turnings.  As an accomplished woodworker Les promised to give us a different approach to segmenting.
Les is a featured artist at Silver Dollar City’s annual fall crafts festival with both his turnings as well as his rocking chairs.  You are bound to learn something from Les so, don’t miss this opportunity!

9:30am Setup and Coffee
10:00am Business Meeting
10:20am Segmented Turning, Les Casteel
11:30am Show and Tell, Raffle, Co-op
12:00pm LUNCH!

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June 23rd Meeting

Library Center, 4535 South Campbell

Don’t forget our regularly scheduled meeting is coming up quickly!  Saturday the 23rd at the Library Center.  This months demo is going to be “Turning a Green Bowl.”  Dr. Ernie Lorenc will be our Demonstrator for this month and he will explain to us how he prepares the blanks, rough turns it and stores it until it is dry enough to finish.

9:30am Setup and Coffee
10:00am Business Meeting
10:20am Special Guest, Linda Regan, Child Advocacy Center
10:40am Turning a Green Bowl, Ernie Lorenc
11:30am Show and Tell, Raffle, Co-op
12:00pm LUNCH!

More information to follow on the upcoming June 23rd Meeting at the Library Center.

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May 26th Meeting

Library Center, 4535 South Campbell

9:30 am – 10:00 am Meet, Greet and Chat it up

10:00 am – 10:20 am Business Meeting – Short and Sweet!

10:20 am – 10:22:30 am  Woodturning Hint – Ernie Lorenc

10:22:31 am – 10:30am  Safety Hint – Ben Alexander

10:30 am – 11:20 am DEMO: ‘HOLD ON’,  Members of our Board of Directors will be sharing a number of ways to ‘hold things’ on the lathe.  This will include a number of homemade jigs and ‘Cramchucking’.  You’ll receive a number of ideas, instruction and hopefully ‘inspiration’.  Don’t miss this one!

11:20 am – 11:30 am Time to Vote on the Club Challenges and grab a cookie!

Experienced and Novice CHALLENGE:  Weedpot or Vase

Ozark Empire Fair Challenge: Tool Handle

11:30 am – 12:00 pm Show and Tell, Results from the Club Challenge and Raffle

12:00 pm  ‘Go make a jig’

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April 28th Meeting

Our April Meeting will be at the Library Center in the Auditorium from 9:30 until approximately 12pm.

This month we will have Bob Bezanson our Vice President as our Demonstrator.  He is going to show three ways to turn bottle stoppers.  Be sure to be there for this one!

Club Challenge:  Egg and Cup

Ozark Empire Fair Challenge:  Lidded Box

The Club Coop will have many options for you this month with many wood blanks for you to choose from.  So, make sure not to miss the table.

As always we will have the Raffle Table and the Club Library set up for your viewing.

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