Turners Group
The GWA woodturners group meets the second Thursday of each month at Peachtree Woodworking 6684 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, Ga 30071.
Meetings are two hours beginning at 6:30 PM. Each meeting begins with five to fifteen minutes of announcements and show-and-tell. Then a demonstration takes the remaining time. Demonstrations are conducted by GWA members, local woodturners, Georgia woodturners, nationally and internationally known woodturners.
As the name implies the GWA Woodturners Special Interest Group is all about things related to turning wood (mostly wood anyway). Your GWA membership badge is your ticket to all special interest group meetings and all members are welcome.
The Woodturners SIG meets monthly. Each meeting is a class on various aspects of turning. Members regularly teach the class based on their interest and expertise in the topic with occasional presentations by outstanding professional turners.
The GWA Woodturners SIG is also a chapter, number 192, of the American Association of Woodturners (http://www.woodturners.org). As such all AAW members are welcome anytime as visitors or occasional SIG-approved instructors.
The novice turner will always find help available at the meetings or through individual time spent with more experienced members.
Meetings are held the third Saturday of each month from 8:00AM to 10:30 AM at Peachtree woodworking Supply.
Visitors are welcome anytime although we reserve the right to ask frequent visitors to join the GWA. Contacts:
- Eric Winney - 770-928-2399- SIG Chairman
- Mike Peace - 770.362-4308
Member Web Sites
Our Favorite Vendors
Sharpening
- Brian Simmons, Woodturning Tool Sharpening
- Doc Green's, Sharpening Articles
- Woodworking Online Podcast #37: Turning Tools — Sharpen Your Skills with Sharp Tools
Of Interest
Mark Sillay Final Cuts Demonstration (1/8/2015)
Written by Woodturning SIG ChairmanMark demonstrated the application of his Wood Slicing techniques to final cuts for spindle, end grain and side grain bowls. He showed the group what he considers the five basics of spindle turning: points, beads, coves, flats and disks. Mark wowed the group by creating silky smooth cuts for each of the five techniques on a construction grade pine spindle blank.
He also demonstrated a couple of the tools he developed for his woodturning, including how he creates his parabolic, convex grind spindle gouge.
Mark's Dovetail Tennon Tool.
Mark's Taper Cleaning Tool
Mike Peace on threading a lidded box (1/10/2013)
Written by James BrokawMike Peace demonstrated how he manually uses thread chasing tools to add threads to the lid then the body of a turned box. He then demonstrated the results of a collaborative effort of several members to construct a lathe mounted fixture to cut threads into a box. The device resembled a hybrid of end mill table controls and metal lathe tool post controls mostly made of wood. The end result was remarkable at how fast and easy threads could be applied. Mike has authored soon to be published articles on the topic and wil soon make a video on the topic.
Turning SIG Laminated vessels - Butch Davis (11/8/12)
Written by James BrokawFresh from a first place win at the Georgia National Fair, Butch Davis explained how he designs and develops layers or rings to create complex turned shapes from dimensional lumber. He explained how he uses a grid to layout a design and then cuts rings out of boards that have been prepared for the theme he will use. The concentric rings are cut out of multiple boards using a scroll saw and then stack glued to resemble a rough turned piece before it has ever been turned.
In this meeting of the GWA turners Special Interest Group(SIG), Steve Mellott showed the attendees how he turns oval goblets without waiting for the green wood to do it on its own. The process begins with a caarefully machined piece of waste wood. The finished product relies on the squareness of the waste core. Centers are marked on the core. The wood for the 2 halves of the goblet are glued to the core with kraft paper separators. Once the piece is turned round and the center hollowed out, the goblet halves are removed from the core and glued together. Impressive!
Turners SIG (Special Interest Group) (9/13/2012)
Written by James BrokawJimmy Rocker demonstrated how he finish turns the exquisite platters he brings to "show and tell". At Jimmy's previous demo, he rougturned some platter blanks and then allowed them to dry. At this session he demonstrated his reasons for cutting a round mortise in the bottom and then dovetailing it. In this way, he can use expansion chucks to hold the workpiece to the jaws. He also demonstrated alternatives to that process with the use of double stick tape and sacrificial glue blocks.
Laminated Christmas Tree Ornaments with Bill Baker (8/9/2012)
Written by James BrokawBill demonstrated the process he uses to make laminated Christmas tree ornaments. He begins with a carefully machined cube that he accurately marks centers on before drilling halfway through each facet of the cube. This accomplishes the weight reduction of the body of the ornament without hollowing. Next he glues a contrasting 1/4" thick lamination to each facet of the cube. Before turning, he drills pilot holes in the caps. He turns the ornament body, finishes it and drills an 82 degree taper into the pilot holes to receive the finials.
Lidded boxes with inserts with Ron Brown (7/12/2012)
Written by James BrokawRon Brown began the class by turning a lid and then the box from a 4 inch cube of Padauk. He added to the intrigue of the class by turning away the inside of the box with a small gouge using a technique made popular by Nick Cook. It is noisy and considerably unorthodox but fast and achieves good results. After fitting the lid to the box, he went on to turn a spalted maple insert to press into the lid. At the end, the finished piece was won by the camera operator by a raffle drawing.
Butch Davis provided the program for Turners SIG February meeting. Butch explained the advantages of creating you own custom tool handles. Most of the tools come with handle that are too small grip well as you grow older. With the insert that Butch purchased from Mark Sillay, you can adjust the length of your tool to meet the current situation. Butch demonstrated how to drill the handle blank to accept the insert and the tool shaft.
Butch donated two tool handles for our special drawing. Thanks Butch.
Butch referenced three documents on the web and two AAW American Woodturner articles that provide more information on tools handles.
http://www.bayouwoodturner.org/uploads/2/7/0/8/2708946/turning_tool_handles.pdf
http://woodturninglearn.net/articles/forgottenhandle.htm
http://www.woodturningonline.com/assets/Projects/screwdriver_handle_turning_artic le.pdf
Feb 2012, Vol 27, No. 1 "Tool Handles" by Bill Neddow Apr 2011, Vol 26, No. 2 "Fancy Ferrules from Everyday Objects" by Tim Heil
We all know that Butch's real passion in Segmented Turnings, but he is now getting interested in laminated turnings. Butch finished off the evening with a slide show of some laminated items and explained easily they are made. For further information see AAW American Woodturner article:
Summer 2008, Vol 23, No. 2 "The New Masters"
Thank you Butch for all of the material and tips.
These American Woodturner articles are available online to AAW members.
Jimmy Rocker provided the contents of the Come-Back box, of which I was the winner. It is a nice Box Elder platter, which Jean quickly moved one of my pieces aside to make room for it. Thanks Jimmy
More...
2012 Jan - Jack Morse - Hollow Vessel with a Bark Top
Written by Dan DouthartJack Morse started our 2012 Turning SIG year with a hollow form demonstration. The piece was made from Ambrosia Maple with a bark upper surface. Jack started with a blank between centers and the bark surface (top) at the head stock. He trued the blank and then removed most of the waste to get the basic rough exterior shape. A tenon was formed on the bottom and reverse mounted in a scroll chuck with tail stock support. The form was trued and the upper portion of the form was turned to the desired final shape. Starting with the hollowing, Jack drilled a hole just larger enough to allow the hollowing bar to be inserted. Jack wanted the keep the hole as small as possible and less apparent in the finished piece. The hole was drilled to the desired depth of the hollowing. Jack used the Carted Products Hollow Roller Vessel Turning System and Laser Guide to perform the hollowing. The 1.5 hours for the demonstration was not sufficient to complete the hollowing, but Jack had several completed pieces in the Show-an-Tell so that we could see how it will look when finished.
Jack donated one of the Show-an-Tell items for our surprise drawing. He also presented the camera operator with a small turned bowl as a thank you for his services. Thanks Jack.
Dan
The October 13th meeting of the GWA turners was an excellent presentation by our own Jack Morse. Jack was asked to turn a section of Norfolk Island pine and he then prepared the piece at home by turning it round and drilling the center to the correct depth. We viewed a ten-minute video on how this was done and so now we understood that this process alone would be the entire allowed class time. Back to live class, Jack turned the rough outside shape and then began demonstrating the new Carter hollow roller system. An interesting program and all went well as we now have a beautiful N.I. pine hollow form. Jack super class planning and use of the allotted time, once again many thanks. Butch
August 11, 2011
We welcomed Ron Brown back, it's been a long time and we always enjoy watching a pro do his thing. Ron is the founder of this club and he's always ready to help or if he's away to offer advice. He always seems to show how easy everything can be as a spatula was created in what seemed minutes. Scoops ( two kinds), salad forks & spoons followed by how to mount a sphere in a chuck using a piece of leather then creating the scoop, or if you're good two scoops. He always has topps, acorns and interesting things to facinate our crowd so we say it's been too long Ron, you're welcome to demo any time you might fit us in. Great show, thank you Ron. Butch
September 08, 2011
Jimmy Rocker's class was on platters and we were treated to a special class. It's clear Jimmy picked up on the techniques of all the past instructors and thoughtfully gave an excellent presentation. I was very pleased and impressed as were all in attendance. This must have been difficult to consentrate for Jimmy as we were trying to resolve video problems for most of the evening but he never wavered. My descriptive word for Jimmy would be - impressive. Those of us who have done a demo know and appreaciate the thought, class outline and practice it takes to stand before you and do a good job,THANKS Jimmy well done. Butch