As The Wood Turns Internet Version

April 2005

Location: Woodcraft Supply Store, 1280 E. Dundee Rd, Palatine IL
847-774-1186

In this Issue
> Curls from the President
> Demonstrators Schedule
   for meeting nights & weekend Master Demos
> March 2005 Gallery
> Club Meeting Minutes
> Bottle Stopper Contest
> Ray Key Demonstrates
> Gallery Review Schedule

“I don't want to come in to a club meeting and put my work on the gallery table next to (Insert the name of a club member whose work you admire here) their current masterpiece. It’s intimidating and possibly embarrassing” I hear these thoughts on an unfortunately regular basis from our newer members. This is most distressing, as it tells me that you are not comfortable with the Gallery Review and the benefits it has for all of our members.

I have often said that one of the greatest learning tools your club possesses is the Gallery Review. To be able to bring in a recent work or even a work in progress for review and commentary by your peers is an excellent way to check your turning progress. Works by turners you admire are on display, under the bright lights of your scrutiny (We’ll talk about the actual lighting in another column!), and these artists welcome your feedback. Also on display are works by aspiring artists, new turners, and everyone in between, which is most of us.

Most of us don’t have a lathe with a 48" swing. Most of us don’t have an airbrush, power carving tools, pyrography setups, vacuum chucks, coring systems or any of the endless list of fun tools and equipment on our wish lists. Most of us get by with the bare minimum, which is plenty, if you give it some thought. All of us do have the ability to create turnings that are free of sanding scratches, are finished appropriately, and demonstrate an attempt at a balanced form. All of us need the constructive criticism of our peers to grow, learn and improve. All of us can learn from each other, and that is the goal of the Gallery Review. It's not you versus them, it’s all of us learning together.

Until April turn lots, share your work proudly on the Gallery table, and please turn safely.

Paul Shotola

Paul Shotola
Email address:

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Meeting Demonstrators 2005

April
Segmented Bowls Using the Ring Turner — Duard Oxford

May
Turning Thin Bowls — Binh Pho

June
Designing & Building Your Own Tools — Francisco Bauer

July
Identifying Woods — Grant Barlow

August (tentative)
From Log to Bowl — Dan Anderson

September (tentative)
Marbling — Carole Floate

October (tentative)
Power Carving for the Woodturner — Pixie Eslinger

November (tentative)
Threaded Lid Boxes — Fran Islin

Other identified meeting topics not yet scheduled are:
Texturing Methods, Choosing and Applying the Right Finish, Turning Platters, Selecting the Right Turning Tools, Mastering the Skew Chisel, Fitted Lid Boxes, Turning a Chess Set, Salt and Pepper Grinders, Using the High Speed Mini-Grinder and Techniques in Using the Air Brush.

If one or more of these topics is something that you would like to present, please e-mail Phil Brooks at brooksphil@sbcglobal.net. Hurry before someone else gets the topic that you wanted to give.

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Minutes of the Chicago Woodturners Club Meeting on March 2005
 By Paul Cavanagh

President Paul Shotola opened the meeting at 7 pm and explained the usual house and safety rules.

The next guest demonstrator will be Ray Key on Sunday March 13. Makes plans to attend and watch a very skilled turner in action.

Upcoming Events
Member show by Tom Eovaldi March 4 thru 26 at Bottle Stopper contest at next months meeting. Prizes Galore! 5 Categories! Win! Win!
Auction of the ¾ HP and AC controller from the Woodfast lathe. Email Paul Shotola with your bid. Bids will be posted on the website or Yahoo Groups.

Paul Shotola reiterated that the 10% discount that CWT members currently get from Woodcraft on meeting nights is now effective everyday and at both Woodcraft Stores!

Also, he announced that Turning Days at Woodcraft will be May 21 and Oct 15, 2005. All members are encouraged to come down and make some curls and friends on those days. Teach someone to turn.

Also, Woodcraft wants to set-up 1-hour demos for the public with the guest turners that CWT arranges. Woodcraft will do all of the advertising.

The Craft Supply promotions are now listed on their website, www.woodworkerssupply.com Check the site for monthly specials and mention CWT.

Andy Kuby welcomed 4 visitors. Membership is now over 200.

Library News
John Crissman described the bottle stopper turning contest. He emailed the list of prizes to everyone. Too many to be listed in this space.

Anyone who is interested in doing a demonstration of any aspect of woodturning or related areas, such as carving, finishing, decorating, etc., please contact VP Phil Brooks. No experience necessary.

Raffle included some CWT T-shirts, a skew, acomplete set of woodscrews, books and week 2 of 2 for an Ellsworth bowl turned at the CWT demo (a real collector's item). Some lucky CWT member won it (not me).

The gallery was then reviewed by Tom Jesionowski. His general comment was that the number of gallery pieces was very small for a 200-member club. We should all do more turning and bring them in. Good point and I'll take it to heart.

The demonstration was performed by Steve Sinner. He dazzled us with gold and silver — and the techniques for applying very, very thin pieces thereof to turnings. Mesmerizing, Steve!

CLEAN-UP VOLUNTEERS FOR APRIL
Paul Shotola
George Walter
Bill Johnson
Rich Fitch

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Gallery Review

April — Paul Pyrcik
May — Chuck Young

Bottle Stopper Contest April Meeting   Click Here for Details
          

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Ray Key Visits the Chicago Woodturners

Click here for Details

Steve Sinner Demonstrates Guilding & Patina at March Meeting

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