october 2015 th chapter of the american association of ... · 150th chapter of the american...

150th Chapter of the American Association of Woodturners

October 2015 Issue 199

What a great meeting we had on S e p t e m b e r 1 7 t h . Joe Kappy gave a good demon-stration on his views on pen turn-ing and had some ideas that I had-n’t thought of before. His slide presentation showed us how fan-tastic his finished pens are (I for-got to ask him how much he gets for his pens). At our hands-on meeting on Oct 8th we will be able

to check out how his product turned out that he left in the mold.

I was very pleased to see as many as 27 entries in the 2 x 4 competition. There was some great and very interesting pieces entered and it gave some more ideas on my turnings. The idea behind hav-ing this type of contest was to get turners to think outside the box, and they did. I would like to offer congratulations to our third-place winners: Norm Kemp for his segmented bowl and Margaret Larson on her decorated rim dish, and to second-place win-ner John Buccioni on his unique segmented vessel. Since I was told that we had a tie for first place, I recommended that both winners should get a rib-bon and a gift certificate, not knowing that it was the same turner. Congratulations to Charles Jordan on both of his pieces: the off centre and coloured tea pot (thanks to Michael Hosaluk’s hands-on class that Charles excelled in) and also his flawless bowl from a board. It was well deserved and Charles de-cided he wanted to spend more at Lee Valley, so he received two $25 gift cards, which I believe he has already spent.

The downside to our last meeting was the cleanup. We always seem to have the same few people stay

to help, and they don’t get out of the club until well after 10:00 pm, which is unfair to these members. Some people say that’s what happens at clubs, but I say it should not happen. I have given this a lot of thought and have decided we need to change: what I am proposing is we have a member who looks af-ter the set up and the cleanup at the end of the night. This person can organize volunteers ahead of time (probably a month or two before that meeting) so that this person knows who will show up to help with the set up and who will stay after the meeting to help with the cleanup. I don’t think it should be t h e s a m e p e o p l e e v e r y m e e t i n g . What I am asking for is someone to volunteer to take on this position so they can organize a crew every month. Please let me know who is interested.

As I am writing this I am also trying to get ready for our big event this weekend, the Show and Sale on Saturday October 3rd and Sunday Oct 4th at the Dundas Lions Club Community Centre. Derek Dix will have a write up on the event, which will have passed by the time you’re reading this.

As I announced at our last meeting, I would like to wel-come Sandy Zim-merman to our ex-ecut ive tea m. Sandy has grace-fully volunteered to take on the posi-tion of 2nd Vice. Thank you!

Cont. page 2 . . .

The Chip Flyer From the President’s Notebook

Andy DiTomaso

Thursday October 8th Hands-on Meeting & Woodturning 101

Thursday October 15th Demonstration Meeting Peter Lauricella Thin wood & veneers

Saturday Oct 24th Michael Mocho demonstration

2 Golden Horseshoe Woodturners Guild—Chip Flyer


October 2015

Cont. from page 1 . . .

Saturday October 10th, the Pembroke Woodturners Guild is featuring Jimmy Clewes as their woodturn-ing demonstrator. It is being held at the Pembroke High School Auditorium, Routes 77 and 5, Corfu, New York which is ½ mile south of I-90 thruway: you exit at 48a on Rt. 77. The event runs from 9:00am until 4:00pm with a 1-hour lunch break (bring your o w n l u n c h o r p u r c h a s e t h e r e ) . This a great chance to see a world-class turner at a cost of only $20.

At the October 15th meeting, our demonstrator will be Peter Lauricella from Port Perry, who will show us how he uses veneers and thin wood in his turn-ings.

In October we also have Michael Mocho touring our area and he will be demonstrating at our club on Sat-urday October 24th. This is an all-day demo showing some great techniques and lunch is included for only $45. Ticket sales are down for this event and the ex-pertise of this turner is well worth the cost of admis-sion: you will be very please you attended. Michael Mocho is also doing hands-on sessions at Lee Valley for anyone who is interested.

I know it seems like a long way off, but our Christ-mas party is December 10th and Noel Beach is look-ing for volunteers. Please sign up at the membership table or contact Noel. This year’s raffle will have some great prizes: the total value of all of the prizes to be won comes to over $1700. And this year we will go back to the way we use to have the draw and the first ticket pulled can takes the first or more expen-sive prize. Below you will find a list of the prizes of-fered, and this list can increase as more prizes come in.

Bulldog 375 Chuck One Way Talon Chuck CBN Wheel Rikon 8” Slow Speed Grinder Wolverine Grinding System with Vari Grind Jig David Ellsworth Signature Series ½” Bowl Gouge William Wood-Write $ 100 Gift Card Exotic Woods $100 Gift Card The Woodshed $100 Gift Card Hamlet 3/8” Bowl Gouge Acrylic Pen Buffing System CA Glue Finishes Starter Kit Bionic Face Shield Hamlet 3/8” Spindle Gouge EZEE Chuck Assembly Lever Action Starter Pen Kit Doctor’s Pen Plus Friction Polish Doctor’s Walnut Oil and Wax Woodturning Finishes

As in past years, the tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25.

You don’t have to wait at the membership table to get your tickets because all of the executives will have tickets available for you to purchase.

~ Andy DiTomaso



October 2015

Calling all GHWG members!

Entries are being accepted for the 2016 GHWG Woodturning Show and Sale.

The show will be held October 1st and 2nd 2016. If you are hesitant as to whether or not you will put a deposit on a table for next year’s show I don’t recommend talking to any of the members that participated at the 2015 sale. We had a terrible show and they may not want the additional ven-dors. With more than double the patrons coming through the doors, increas-ing our sales by over 40%, you may not be welcome (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). I promise you would have been impressed with the quality of product that was on display. It was fantastic and would not have looked out of place in the “Instant Gallery” at an AAW symposium. You should be proud of the members that represented the GHWG.

Kidding aside, we added something new this year, a “Gallery”. We had sev-eral plinth boxes set up which displayed some of the finer turnings and works of art made by our artisans. The display was incredible and I saw more than one person say “wow”. Thank you to Peter Rand for bringing in his inspiring work to show that woodturning is not always about the bowl. He had people scratching their heads and smiling.

Second Annual GHWG Show & Sale Derek Dix

Another great addition this year was Mike Brazeau brought in his pole/bungee lathe which was a lot of fun to use. You really need to try to turn on it. As you are trying it you will begin to have a new appreciation for how far

woodturning has come, travelling from the frontier to the galleries of the world. Thanks Mike.

On behalf of the artisans that participated in the show I wish to send out a BIG thank you to the volunteers that came out to help with the show although they had no items in the sale. Hugh, Lloyd and Larry you are in charge of thanking the ladies at the front counter that were instrumental in making sure the people left with their product, the correct change in their pockets and a smile on their face.

My last request is that as you walk around at the next meeting be sure to pat Andy Ditomaso, Bernie Ka-mutzki, Brian Nerbonne, Charles Jordan, Dan Welsby, Don Svob, Doug Kurtz, Eugen Schlaak, Everett Vander Horst, Frank Ditomaso, Hugh Widdup, James Corlis, Jim Wright, Joe Slaman, Larry Ellis, Lloyd Butler, Malcom Cumming, Margaret Larson, Matthew Arsenault, Mike Telega, Morley McArthur, Peggy Wharrick, Peter Rand, Tom Hurst, Tom Last and Travis Ellis on the back and say “thank you”. They have raised the eyebrows of many people in the Golden Horseshoe this weekend, some potential new members and have many more looking forward to next year. As for next year… wait till you hear what I have in store for you.



October 2015

On Saturday October 24th we are hosting Michael Mocho (www.mmocho.com) from New Mexico for an all-day demo at the club. Tickets will be available for $45 at all our October meetings. We will not be holding any hands-on classes: those will be hosted by Lee Valley in Burling-ton and Vaughan. The dates and times for those events are available on their website (www.leevalley.com) or by calling the stores directly.

Michael Mocho has been a full-time craftsman since 1976 with extensive experience in furniture design, woodturn-ing, architectural millwork, pattern making, and stringed musical instruments. He operates a small shop in Albu-querque, New Mexico producing commissioned furni-ture, contract woodturning, and decorative containers for the gift market. He has completed residencies at the Arrowmont School of Craft, Anderson Ranch Arts Cen-ter, and the International Turning Exchange program at the Woodturning Center in Philadelphia. He is known for his intricate containers that often combine bent wood with turned, carved, and textured components, which have won numerous awards and are in many pri-vate and public collections.

In the Spring of 2016 (April 9 at the moment), we are working on having Steven Kennard from Canning, Nova Scotia in the area to do an all-day demo and a hands-on class. More details will come as we firm up the program a bit more.

We are working on securing a true turning legend for the Fall of 2016. We will definitely be adding more details on this as we get the pieces all lined up.

Upcoming Professional Demonstrations Lloyd Butler

Upcoming Professional Demonstrations Lloyd Butler

http://www.leevalley.com



October 2015

The craft of wood turning keeps (r)evolving. The lathe, initially developed as a machine for shaping wood, has transitioned to accommodate the craft-ing of a wide variety of materials from stone to metal to plastic. This evolu-tion is especially evident in the discipline of pen turning which embraces the use of an impressive range of materials in addition to wood. Moreover, in contrast to the physical demands required to turn a salad bowl from a log, these small mechanical writing devices provide the opportunity for turning on a small scale, allowing the use of smaller lathes and turning tools. And importantly, the finished pen incorporates the dual values of utility and beauty that we all aspire to achieve. Their appeal is obvious and near universal.

Who among us wouldn’t want one of the little beauties! Despite their appeal, there are some of us who haven’t (yet) succumbed to the temptation to make their first pen. So I for one was thrilled at the prospect of attending the September 17th demonstration on pen making by Joe Kappy. Joe hails from the Toronto Woodturners Guild and has been giving demonstrations on various aspects of pen making for many years. We were the clear beneficiaries of his experience as he gave a polished but relaxed presentation of the many and varied aspects of pen making. He began with a slide show illustrating a vast array of pens from his own collection and moved from there to illustrate some of the principles of good design and thence to a consideration of the appropriate materials, the attributes of different woods and the use of polyester casting resins to fabricate turning blanks of a seemingly infinite variety limited only by one’s imagination, and ending with examples of the variety of enhancements one can apply to virtually any turning material. For beginners, the best way to start is to use one of the kits that are commercially available. Also, YouTube is a rich source of instructional videos on pen making. All of the topics were made enjoyable by Joe’s running commentary and physical demonstrations which combined to provide a most educational and entertaining evening. Unfortunately, I don’t think even the most gorgeous pen would help my atrocious hand writing.

Upcoming Professional Demonstrations John Phillips



October 2015

Lloyd Butler

Here is the program for the remainder of 2015. Combined with the hands-on program it should make for a great year. If you have a particular topic or idea that you would like to see, please let me know, [email protected].

Upcoming Program Information

Regular Meeting Demonstrations October 8 Hands-On Meeting We have Charles Jordan demonstrating on turning a basic bowl and how to make clean cuts on bowls using sharp gouges; Chris Chick making stick pens; Hugh Widdup and Tom Hurst demonstrating something TBA.

October 15, Peter Lauricella from Port Perry will be in for the evening demonstrating how he uses ve-neers and thin wood to accent and compliment his segmented turning.

November 19, Peter Steenwyk from Woodchuckers will be in to discuss wood species, movement and other material related topics.

January 21, Charles Jordan froim GHWG will go through his process to put together the 2x4 bowl that he recently showed in the September Presidents Challenge.

We are still working on the 2016 calendar. If you have any ideas, please pass them along to Lloyd ([email protected]).

Woodturning 101—Instructors Needed I am looking for a few instructors to help cover the various topics from November through May. If you are interested, please let me know the topic and availability. The program can only continue if we have instructors interested in passing along their skills.

mailto:[email protected]



October 2015

Lloyd Butler

Woodturning 101

Lesson 1—Sharpening

Lesson 2—Spindle Turning

Lesson 3—Intro to the Skew

Lesson 4—Face Plate Work

Lesson 5—Hollowing a Simple Box

September Start (Group 1) October Start (Group 2)

Barry Thomas #668 Tony Osman #661 Dean Mainville #677 Sandy Zimmerman #667

Larry Arsenault #670 Matthew Arsenault #671 Daniel Gaylord #679 John Zychowicz #683

November Start (Group 3) January Start (Group 4)

Brian Nerbonne #689 Dwayne Nerbonne #691 Mike Cooper #685 Kip Sharpe #697

Brian Ashton #682 Sue Ashton #690 Jacob Johnston #672 Fred Wachta #678

Waitining List

Lisa Dunlop #695

Peter Wrench #687

Group 2 is starting the Sharpening class with Morley McArthur. You should bring a sam-pling of each type of tool you have. If you are not sure if you have 2 the same, bring them along and we’ll see about identifying them for you. You will get introduced to how to sharpen each category of tool.

Group 1 will move on to the Spindle turning class with Scott Millard. You’ll need your newly sharpened roughing gouge, spindle gouge and parting tool.

For your intro to the Skew, bring along your favourite sharp skew or your worst behaving sharp Skew and we’ll see if we can help you tame it. You’ll also likely use a spindle rough-ing gouge and a parting tool as well.

For the face plate class, you’ll need you your bowl gouge and parting tool freshly sharp-ened with you.

For the simple box making class, you’ll need your spindle roughing gouge or bowl gouge, parting tool and your scraper. You may want to bring your skew as it can be used as a scraper for fine details.



October 2015

Christmas Raffle Prizes

Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25 and are available from any of the GHWG board members at October

and November meetings!

Bulldog 375 Chuck Oneway Talon Chuck CBN Wheel Rikon 8” Slow Speed Grinder Wolverine Grinding System with Vari Grind Jig David Ellsworth Signature Series ½” Bowl Gouge William Wood-Write $ 100 Gift Card Exotic Woods $100 Gift Card The Woodshed $100 Gift Card Hamlet 3/8” Bowl Gouge Acrylic Pen Buffing System CA Glue Finishes Starter Kit Bionic Face Shield Hamlet 3/8” Spindle Gouge EZEE Chuck Assembly Lever Action Starter Pen Kit Doctor’s Pen Plus Friction Polish Doctor’s Walnut Oil and Wax Woodturning Finishes

And this list is still growing!

Ticket will be drawn at the Golden Horseshoe Woodturners Guild Christmas Party on December 10th at the Burlington

Legion. You don’t have to be present to win!



October 2015

Classifieds If you have an item to sell, please email Alexandra Bates at [email protected]. Ads will be run for two months, unless otherwise requested.

FOR SALE—ROCKWELL/DELTA LATHE—1 HP single phase, 12 inch swing over the bed or up to 16 1/2” x 3 1/2” over the bed gap. Variable speed from 340 to 3200 RPM. Ask-ing $950. Also, a variety of woodturning tools, including bowl gouges, parting tools, and a Shopsmith with loads of attachments. Please contact to arrange for pictures or a viewing. Please call Kevin Ellis at 519-484-2565 or email [email protected].

President Andy DiTomaso [email protected]

First Vice President Lloyd Butler [email protected]

Second Vice President Sandy Zimmerman [email protected]

Communications Alexandra Bates [email protected]

Website Matthew Arsenault [email protected]

Photographer Larry Arsenault

Membership Noel Beach [email protected]

Hands-On Kevin & Travis Ellis [email protected]

Treasurer Tom Last

Secretary Scott Millard

Health & Welfare Morley McArthur

Members at Large Derek Dix [email protected]

Norm Denault Leonard Kaufmann

Charles Jordan

october 2015 th chapter of the american association of ... · 150th chapter of the american...

Documents