In March we will be starting up Saw Dust Sessions again at Florida West Coast Woodturners.  The first three sessions will be working on a project, a lidded box with finial.  Session four will be a project that is easy to make for your holiday gift giving needs.

Session One – Making a Vortex / Point Tool – March 10^th (9:00 am to 2:00 pm)

The first session we will walk you through the process of grinding a Vortex / Point tool from 1/4” round bar stock.  Once the tool is formed, you will turn a handle for the tool and do some practice work using the tool (if time allows).

Session Two – Turning a Finial – May 12^th (9:00 am to 2:00 pm)

For our second session, we will turn several finials paying special attention to design aesthetics, crisp transitions, and flowing curves.  We will use a spindle gouge with a fingernail grind and the Vortex tool made in session one to complete the project.  We will also cover finishing & ebonizing your finials.

Session Three – Turning a lidded box – August 18^th (9:00 to 2:00 pm)

The last of our three part box series, we will create a lidded box using one of the finials made in session two.  The design of your box is up to you.  We will discuss fitting the lid and hollowing the box using drill bits, scrapers, and/or hollowing tools.

Session Four – TBD (pens, ornaments, or something else gift-able) – October 13 (9:00 am to 2:00 pm)

Our last session for 2012 will be a project that is easy to make and will make great gifts for everyone on your holiday list!
Price per session: $25.00 for members, $35 for non-members, pre-registration required.

Each session includes the following:

• All wood & supplies needed to make the project
• Project handouts
• A hands on learning environment
• Breakfast treats, sodas & bottled water (bring your own lunch!)
• A tool list will be provided prior to the class with a list of items needed for the class

Join us for one or all four sessions!

Get a free ticket for working the AAW Chapter booth!  Visit http://www.woodshow.hockenbery.net/  to sign up!

Please remember our meeting is not this week as we are now meeting on the Second Tuesday of the month.  So, I will see you all at the workshop on Tuesday the 10^th (one week from tonight).

Demo: Skills Night – be prepared to learn some new or bone up on some general turning skills including skew work, bowl gouges, and spindle work.  Please bring eye protection and any tools you would like to learn how to sharpen or need some help fine tuning.

Challenge: Month on of IronTurner!  The challenge for this month is “Laminated.”  Bring in a turning project that uses multiple pieces of wood such as a segmented piece, bowl from a glued up board, pen from pen blank bits, etc.

 See you all on Tuesday night!

January Challenge: “Laminated”

Turn an item that contains multiple pieces of wood that have been laminated together. For example:

• Segmenting, if you do that type of thing…
• Bowl from a board with the board made up of different stripes of wood
• Turn a pen made from scrap pen blank bits

February Challenge: “Stemmed”

Turn an item that contains a stem.  Use your imagination to come up with all types of stemmed items, for example:

• A long stemmed goblet
• A hollow form on a tall thin pedestal
• A smoking pipe with a turned hollow stem
• A bent turned stem like the handle of a tea pot

March Challenge: “Turned from a 2×4″

For March, turn any thing you want…as long as it starts out as an ordinary off the shelf 2×4!

 IronTurner Rules

• You must be a member of good standing to participate.
• The item must have been turned by the member within the past year.
• The item should not have been previously shown at a club meeting.
• If you miss a month, you may bring in your entry the next month and still have it counted.  However you will need to bring in both challenges, for the prior & current month.
• Members who complete each challenge throughout the year will receive a special certificate of completion and will be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the Holiday Party in December.  Prize to be determined.  You do not need to be present at the party to win.

We just uploaded more than 30 pictures from last night’s meeting to our Facebook page.  Make sure you “Tag” yourself in the pictures, and be sure to “Like” our page so you receive all of our updates! More photos will be added here soon.

Just use this link https://www.facebook.com/FWCWT

Next Meeting: Holiday Party – December 1st

The challenge for our January meeting will be “Laminated”.  Try your hand a bit of segmenting, basic glue-ups, or some other laminating technique.

Also a big thanks goes out to Kimberly Glover, Earl & Stephanie Sikes for helping with the setup! 

David looking over some of Earls pens

Vic and his wife with thier very cool turnings. I loved the bongo drum pins & ear-rings.

Club donated items for sale and some of Patrick’s turnings and pens.

The crew contemplating quiting time!

The challenge for next months is to turn a bowl.  Try to use the skills covered in our demo including the pull and push cuts plus the shear scrapping using the bowl gouge.

 Photos from October’s Club Meeting

Frome the forums:

Feeling the timing was appropriate, this contest will be for a Christmas Ornament! The rules are minimal – the item must have been made within the last 60 days until the end of the contest; it will be judged on creativity, and the use of the chosen material. The contest ends at Midnight, CST, on October 15th, and the results will be included in the December issue of the American Woodturner.

Read more details and how to enter at http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?p=79077#post79077

- President – currently held by Patrick Sikes (unless the meeting date is changed, see below)
- Vice President – currently held by Steve Marlow

As discussed at our September 1st meeting, Patrick cannot continue as president next year with the normal meeting day of the first Thursday (or any Thursday for that matter).  The membership waned to take a poll of members to ask if they would be willing to change the monthly club meeting day.  With a change to the meeting day, Patrick can stay on as president for 2012.

Please use the Contact Form to submit any nominations for President or Vice President.  The nomination can be for yourself or some other club member.  Please also complete the quick poll below if you are willing to change the meeting date or if you would like the see the meeting date say unchanged.