gulf coast woodturner · was a tough decision just two days before it was to start. so many people...
TRANSCRIPT
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Gulf Coast Woodturner April 2020 Newsletter
President’s Corner I hope you and your family are doing well in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
As woodturners we are fortunate that we have an activity we can turn to (pun intended) during the stay-at-home period. This would be a good time to make Beads of Courage boxes, Empty Bowls and Pens for Vets. Our Empty Bowls program supports the Houston Food Bank and you can also support them by making donations directly to them.
I'm really disappointed that for the first time in 23 years we had to cancel our Retreat. It was a tough decision just two days before it was to start. So many people had put much effort into preparation, especially Nell Wheeler, chairperson. When we decided to cancel, there was only one confirmed case of Covid-19 in the greater Houston area and 40 a week later. That changed exponentially over just a few days and continues to increase. As I write this there are 3,000 cases in the greater Houston area. We divided the Retreat registration list and Walter Mooney, Scott Haddix and I called each one to inform them of the cancellation. Most of those on my list said "I would have come if you had it but I'm glad you canceled ". So am I.
Fortunately, our club did not suffer financially. Pappas Catering refunded our payments (prepaid by Ed Peine) and the City of Deer Park refunded our payment and deposit for the Jimmy Burke Center (with the help of Bill Berry), the truck leases were cancelled and the items purchased for the raffle will be used in the future.
This virus is a Black Swan event, something so rare and disruptive that no one expected it and no one prepared for it. The predictions of how long this will last are all over the place, from a few more weeks too many months. This event is having an impact on our society and social interactions that will last for years.
However, when confronted with adversity throughout our history Americans unify and demonstrate our resilience. With our American Spirit we will rise to face this challenge and things will get better.
"Don’t let anxious, negative thoughts take over your mind. You cannot control the circumstances, but you can always control what you think of them.” Anon.
We had an excellent meeting Saturday March 21st with Cindy Drozda demonstrating a lidded box with finial. It was an IRD (Interactive Remote Demonstration). Our previous IRD's were point to point communications with our members in the audience able to ask questions of the demonstrator. This time there were 69 logins, each from a different location, even a couple of Cindy's guests from the UK. Everyone had the ability to question Cindy in real time. Not only is her woodturning excellent, so is her broadcasting ability. received several emails commenting on the quality of the demonstration.
A software product called Zoom was used for this meeting. This version allows up to 100 participants at a time and we will be using it for the next meeting which will be Craig Timmerman and for the May meeting with Mike Mahoney. Zoom is best used with a computer which has a camera and microphone, however, several members have successfully used a smartphone or an iPad.
GCWA offers two scholarships of $1,000 each to recent high school graduates. You are invited to sponsor one or two students. Your applicants may download the application form and instructions from our website.
Show and Tell will be held as part of the April meeting. Prepare your photos or short video and we'll have instructions later on where to send them.
Stay alert and be safe.
God bless you and god bless America.
Chuck Graham,
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March Presentation - Cindy Drozda
In case you missed March’s meeting Cindy Drozda gave an excellent remote demo on making a finial box. Cindy’s shop setup allowed for several different views of the project and Cindy was very clear in detailing the steps in making the project. I have a few pictures here but if you go here on the GCWA website you will see a complete set of pictures.
If you are not familiar with Cindy’s work please check out her website
Finial Box Demo Tool List
Mini Live Center General Brand Vernier Calipers Microlight 3/8” Finial Gouge 1/4” Vortex Tool 3/8” Bowl Gouge 1/16” parting tool 1/8” Parting Tool 3/8” Beading and Parting Tool Arc Tool Ray Key Signature Spindle Gouge Hook Scraper Recess Scraper 50/50 Scraper
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We would have all had a great time at the retreat, and I can tell you it would have been the best ever. For one thing, Ed Peine organized better catered lunches than I could have imagined, and pulled together an impressive lineup of instructors for the event. Bill Berry organized the location, and everyone got to hear from Dave Greenawalt a few times, making sure we would have enough lathes – even when a half dozen fell through he pulled teeth to make the numbers. Scott Haddix must have elves at his house, because I don’t know how else he can organize all the registration forms and get everyone into classes. And the retreat wouldn’t happen without Walter Mooney renting a box truck and lining up volunteers to bring all the stuff from the storage unit, or Jonathan Bartz organizing all the equipment on site and shepherding us all through cleanup. Even if none of that happened – yet! Many, many thanks to all of the instructors who put in hours preparing materials, rehearsing their classes, freaking out a little here and there, and just being ready to make it all happen. I can’t mention you all by name, but we all know who you are, and we thank you. The members who step up to give their knowledge truly deserve the credit for the magic that is the GCWA hands on retreat. Think about the raffle we’ll have when we do reschedule, thanks to Larry Barron hunting down a really delicious array of prizes. Andy Henderson pulled together and processed boxes of lumber for instructors and then had to farm out the green bowl blanks that just won’t keep. Or maybe he turned them? I’ll never tell! We’ll also have another lovely Instant Gallery, which this year would have been brought to you by the wonderful and creatively talented Sandy Peck, and was to feature a tribute to Greg Gonsalves and Glenn Ashley. Instead right now we’re fighting World War C, and that means stay healthy, stay out of the way of health care providers, take care of yourselves and take care of others. We’re really good at social distancing out in our garages, shops and studios, but remember to take time to call up someone you would have liked to run across at a club meeting. Ask about the class they would have given, or send a photo of your work. We’re still a club, still connected, still turning! Finally, a big part of retreat this year was to have been making bowls to raise money for the Houston Food Bank. Later we can donate bowls, but right now they need the money. Please think of others who really need help right now and give generously: https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/.
Thanks Nell Wheeler
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23rd Annual Hands On Woodturning Nell Wheeler Retreat Coordinator
Well there is some “good news” coming. Since the Retreat was canceled the Club is in the process of returning everyone’s Retreat Fee. Not only will you be getting an unexpected cash infusion, you will now have a reason to go to your favorite turning supply store and spend your new found wealth. So be on the lookout for a check in the near future.
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It’s amazing how much life has changed in the past month! Given that we are not able to meet in person we have switched to Virtual Meetings until all this social distancing and shelter at home is behind us. We are in a good place using this technology with the past Interactive Remote Demos we have done at the community center. It was not a big step to move too Distributed Interactive Remote Demos. For those who missed the March Virtual Meeting featuring Cindy Drozda, well, you missed a great session. The feedback was extremely positive with some saying the Distribute IRD was better than the IRDs we have had at the community center! And Cindy was in great form. She has mastered the skills and techniques to deliver a high-quality remote demo. It was a fantastic two-hour demo on making of her Finial Box. Upcoming Meeting Presentations include:
• April 2020 – Another change - Janice Levi was scheduled to present an in-person demo of her AAW Symposium presentation. Well, we all know that isn’t going to happen. Plan B was to have Janice come down and do an Interactive Remote Demo from my shop. That also became problematic with the Stay Home Stay Safe orders both here in Harris Country and the newly announced order in Limestone County. So this plan too was set aside for the time being. We WILL get back to that as we move out of this virus situation. In the meantime, we have arranged for Craig Timmerman to present a Distributed Interactive Remote Demo of his demo Turning a Torus Vase. It has been a number of years since Craig has done a demo in Houston for GCWA. Craig is an artist and production woodturner living in Austin. He has been turning since 1998. Craig's specialties include hollow forms, spheres, and non-round (e.g. square) turnings. Many of his pieces combine multiple turnings and bent laminations. You can check out his work and learn more about Craig at http://armadillowoodworks.com
• May 2020 – Mike Mahoney, topic TBD. With an anticipated room change at the community center we had already booked Mike Mahoney for an Interactive Remote Demo for our May meeting. It now looks like this will be another Distributed Interactive Remote Demo from his studio in California.
• October 31, 2020 – This is a special meeting! In addition to the Annual Picnic in October we will have a special Demo Day with Michael Hosaluk. This will be a full day with Michael and is sure to be a lot of fun and a great learning opportunity. Be sure to block off the date on your calendars!
• December 2020 – By the time of our December meeting the holiday turning rush should just about be over. That’s a great time to take a pause and do a bit of maintenance on our turning accessories. Fog Tanner will provide a demo on scroll chuck maintenance. Its not difficult, if you know what you’re doing and Fog has this mastered.
But wait, there’s more! • January 2021 – Glenn Lucas will be live in Houston for a Demo Day followed by several
days of hands-on classes! It’s a bit off in the future but pencil it in for your 2021 date book. • Later in 2021 – Talks are underway to reschedule Jimmy Clewes for some time later in 2021.
At present we expect this will be a live, on-site demo and hands-on classes. We hope to be able to announce a date in the next month or two.
What topics would you like to see at future meetings? Let us know! Or, if you’d like to do a presentation let’s hear about that as well. Contact George Kabacinski, Chuck Graham or any of the other board members with your ideas!
GCWA Meeting Presentations
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GCWA 2020 Class Announcement Coronavirus has put a dent in our class program for the time being.
Here’s what is booked and in the works for 2020, and we are still booking more classes!
• Saturday, April 25, 2020 – Nell Wheeler with led a class title Walking on the Natural Edge
o This class is POSTPONED. A new date has not been set for this class. o If you have paid for the class a refund check will be issued to you soon.
• Saturday, June 27, 2020 – In response to member requests, Janice Levi will once again conduct her Pyrography 101 class. Janice has presented this class several times in the past and each time it is extremely well received. The morning will be an introduction to pyrography (wood burning) and the afternoon will focus on building skill at a higher level. This is a great class for those who have never tried pyrography in the past as well as those who have tried it and want to extend their skills. The class is open to all members and the registration fee is a low $45.
o At the present time this class is remains as a scheduled class. However, that may change as we move forward with the virus prevention / mitigation efforts. We still have a couple months to see what happens.
• November 1 – November 4, 2020 – Michael Hosaluk – several days off hands-on classes. We hope to have the class topics confirmed by the end of January with registration opening at that time.
o At this time, we fully expect these classes will be a go.
Other classes in the works for 2020 include …..
• All other class scheduling efforts are on hold for the time being. The following are classes we hope will still take place in 2020.
• Dates TBD – Andy Chen - Segmenting 201. This will be another session of Andy’s
• Late Summer / Early Fall:
• Don Fluker – Inside / Out Ornament
• George Kabacinski – Ornaments Without Hollowing
To register for a class please make a check payable to GCWA and mail it to George Kabacinski, PO Box 502 Cypress, TX 77410. Please be sure the check is payable to GCWA.
If you register for a class and later determine that you are unable to attend requested refunds will be issued provided, we can replace that spot with another paying student. Emergency cancellations with refund requests will be considered by the Board on a case-by-case basis.
As always, if you have an idea for the GCWA HOW class or would be interested in teaching a HOW class please contact George Kabacinski or Chuck Graham or drop and e-mail to [email protected]
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Show and Tell -ALL Pieces
Since we didn’t have a normal meeting this month I requested that members send me a picture of the piece they would have brought to our regular meeting. Since I am going to be the ONLY judge(?) and without the benefit of seeing these pieces in person, I am picking the UNOFFICIAL Best of Show and maybe an Honorable Mention or two. If you don’t like the results or would like to complain please feel free to take over the newsletter editing then you can choose the winner next month. Haha Thanks Paul Mugridge PS: Hopefully I got everybody name and info correct.
Scott Haddix - Oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany. Bowl from a board. 11" diameter.
Phil Howard - walnut, purpleheart, white maple
Bill Berry - This urn is made from mesquite for Greg Gonsalves
Dick Lewis - Dick’s very first bowl. poplar approx. 3.5 x 6 inches. Finished with walnut oil and beeswax
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Show and Tell - AllPieces
John Chatelain - Walnut, Cherry and Cedar wood with either wipe on poly or Waterlox finish. Leather inserts courtesy of
Honorable Mention
Harris Knecht - 14” Elm bowl with maple stand
Honorable Mention
Doug Davis - Eucalyptus box w/ash top, Mohoney’s and beeswax
John Schlobohm - Mesquite salt holder with scoop. Approx .2.25x3”
Mark Underwood - Osage Orange, 5.5x7” with 3”opening, Tung Oil
Len Schaider - Mesquite vase approx. 7” tall, finished with Minwax and spray lacquer
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Show and Tell - AllPieces
Tim Watson - This is Tim’s second segmented project and it is approx. 9x12 inches. Maple, mahogany and walunt. 29 rows with 24 segments each and finished with 5 coats of wipe on poly.
Walter Mooney - Maple platter approx 2x8” with black gesso on front and beads on
Honorable Mention
John Embrey - black walnut approx. 4x16’ with walnut oil finish
Show and Tell - UNOFFICIAL BEST OF SHOW
Unofficial Best of Show
Paul Mugridge - Mahogany and painted maple approx. 3x9x12”
Well folks this SHOW & TELL was a good start but I only received 14 pics. We have around 170 club members and I know many more of you turned something in the past month. So let’s try again for next month since we won’t be having an in person club meeting again. Same rules as before (I will resend the rules) For the computer challenged, ask your kids or grandkids for helping in sending your picture to me.
Paul Mugridge
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GCWA Officers and Board of Directors for 2020The candidates for the GCWA Board of Directors for 2020 are:
Officers:Chuck Graham - President
Dave Greenawalt - Vice PresidentRene Gonzalez - TreasurerLane Bradford - Secretary
Members At Large:Don Fluker
Scott HaddixGeorge Kabacinski
Walter MooneyScott Njaa
Write-in nominations are acceptable, provided the person you are going to write-in has been contacted and has approved. More information to follow soon.
GCWA Member in the news
Janice Levi’s “Don Larson vs Ted Williams” art piece has been selecting for the AAW’s juried show titled “Step up to the Plate—Second Inning” Congratulations to Janice
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2020 SWAT
Many members of GCWA already know all about SWAT, but for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, allow me to give you a brief explanation. SWAT stands for South West Association of Turners, and has member clubs in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. This year it will be held the last weekend in August, 28-30 and again is in Waco, at the Waco Convention Center. SWAT registration begins on-line March 15th and runs thru August 1st. There is a link to the SWAT website on the GCWA website or simply visit SWATURNERS.ORG. SWAT has again arranged a discounted rate at the Waco Hilton and the Waco Courtyard by Marriott (both walking distance to the Convention Center) for $167/night, but you have to ask for it and the number of rooms are limited. Make your room reservations NOW if you want one of these hotels. Also, if you would please, there is a short questionnaire at the end of the registration. PLEASE fill this questionnaire out it allows SWAT to get funds from the Waco Visitor Bureau that offset some the cost for putting this event on. In other words it saves all of us some money.
Visit the SWAT website for the latest on Demonstrators, Vendors, Banquets, Raffle items and of course the Art Gallery.
If you are attending SWAT this year and would like to help out, SWAT needs volunteers to sell raffle tickets during the breaks between demonstrations or at meal time. If you are interested please don't contact me, email [email protected] and she can set you up with a time slot. You can volunteer for as many time slots and days as you wish to sell tickets.
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Mike Mahoney at Craft Supplies
By Reggie Keith
At lot of you know Craft Supplies as first-rate on-line woodturning supply store. Every time I go on-line I tend to spend much more money than I anticipated (which usually occurs after I have “won” a $20 gift certificate, you have to hand it to them they do know how to market). I would save time if I just sent them my credit card.
But many people may not realize that Craft Supplies is the home of the Dale L. Nish School of Woodturning. Throughout the year they offer 3-day and 5-day workshops by their local instructors (Kirk DeHeer is an excellent example) as well as by visiting turners such as Stuart Batty, Glen Lucas, Mike Jacofsky and Ashley Harwood. The school is equipped with a very well lit large classroom (Figure 1). In addition to the teaching station there are approximately 12 individual turning stations (Figure 2), each with a dedicated dust extraction duct. Most of the lathes I saw were in the 20-inch range, which is more than sufficient for instruction.
The 5-day courses begin in the conference room on Monday morning for introductions, description of the upcoming weeks schedule and safety instructions. Typically class start around 8:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm with a 1-hour lunch break. Most students go out for lunch but I found it more expedient to bring a lunch, which I could eat in the dedicated lunchroom adjacent to the classroom. Friday is an exception when the class ends at noon and on this day Craft Supplies provides a lunch (pizza, sandwiches, etc.).
In December of 2018 I was fortunate enough to obtain a slot in a 5-day course with Mike Mahoney. As many of you know Mike is widely known for his bowls and coring. Figure 3 shows Mike at the teaching station demonstrating bowl turning and coring with the McNaughton Center Saver. Of course this was a class exercise and I did complete the coring successfully (kind-of). Bowl turning and coring occupies about half of the course.
One day we were tasked with creating a hollow form with hand held Kelton hollowing tools. And while I had done some of this many years ago I was nervous the whole time that I would blow through the side of the vessel. But I did not. During that day there was one very nice cube (12-inch) of a burl wood sitting by the instructors station. When I inquired I was informed that Mike would be using it to demonstrate hollow form turning for a local wood club meeting that evening. Since I was beat after a long day of turning I did not attend the local meeting. The next day there was this very nice burl hollow form sitting on the instructors lathe. Looked beautiful – the only problem was during the demonstration Mike blew through the
bottom! It did not bother him one bit. And I decided that if Mike could mess up and not be bothered about it – then so could I.
We also turned a large pepper mill, which I have yet to fully complete. And one afternoon we completed a small box with hand chased threads. At the end of that day Kirk DeHeer walks in, puts a small piece of African black wood on the demonstrator’s lathe and within 20-minutes produced a gorgeous lidded box with a hand treaded joint. If you want to learn hand treading on the lathe I highly recommend Kirk.
And we turned a large platter, which is also a signature Mahoney project (Figure 4). And of course this was also a class exercise and I did rather well with the exception of the ogee curve on the underside of the platter. After several attempts Mike finally agreed with me that I am ogee impaired.
All in all it was a great experience and I meet some very nice people in the class. The staff at Craft Supplies is great to work with, plenty of wood and people cleaning up the mess at the end of each session. They do have a moderately size retail store, which is kind of handy in case you need that new or bigger widget. I look forward to going back in the future and this time I think I will try to get a class with Kirk
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Mentors Below is an old list of members who volunteered to serve as Club Mentors. The concept is that, as Avelino Samuel did last month, these mentors agree to talk with members who chose to bring a particular piece to a meeting and discuss it one-on-one. We’re in the proc-ess of updating this list. Stay Tuned! • Jim Keller --------- (281) 467-2866 • Larry Zarra --------- (281) 528-9183 • By Reed ------------- (979) 830-0917 • Marty Kaminsky -- (281) 339-3297 Open Shop On the second Tuesday of each month, three members of GCWA open their shops to other members and guests to visit, socialize, learn, and have a fun evening. These open-shop nights are hosted by Marty Kaminsky in San Leon, George
Kabacinski in Cypress, and Lane Bradford in Montgomery. Each of the three monthly Open Shop Night events has evolved to have its own format and a few “regulars” who are able to participate from month to month. Others drop in for a gathering when they can. All members and guests are welcome to join in at any time. Host contact information is listed below. Check it out and join in the fun when you can. It’s a great way to meet other members, share some turning talk, get questions answered, and maybe even get some time on a lathe. There’s typically a seasoned turner or three to answer your questions and help you along. • George Kabacinski - (832) 349-3006 • Marty Kaminsky (- 281) 339-3297 • Lane Bradford - (936) 447-9310
Board Members Chuck Graham, President — 713-899-4562, [email protected] Dave Greenawalt, Vice President — 936-524-6610, [email protected] Lane Bradford, Secretary — 936-447-9310, [email protected] Rene Gonzalez, Treasurer — 281-481-6415, [email protected] Greg Gonsalves, Past President, —281-998-8662, [email protected] Walter Mooney, Board Member (membership) — 713-248-6431, [email protected] Scott Haddix, Board Member — 281-213-8900, [email protected] Scott Njaa, Board member — 713-249-8687, [email protected] George Kabacinski, Education/Programs, 832-349-3006, [email protected]
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Website Creative Director: Scott Haddix (see above) Newsletter Editor: Paul Mugridge, 713-857-2428, [email protected] Meeting Photographer: Peter Miao, 281-277-2188, [email protected]
About Our Club GCWA has been affiliated with the American Association of Woodturners for more than twenty years. GCWA meets at 9:00 am, usually on the third Saturday, and usually at the Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road, Houston (see map at left). Annual dues are $25. The club’s website is: www.gulfcoastwoodturners.org and its email address is: [email protected]