Volume 15, Issue 06
June 2011
Maureen and I continue
our travels as I write this
from Twillingate, an
absolute treasure of
Newfoundland. Last
month as we toured
through the Netherlands,
Germany, Luxembourg,
France, England, Northern
Ireland and Ireland we
visited so many fantastic
shops selling woodturning
items, as well as every
other imaginable and
unimaginable works of
art.
The highlight of our tour of
France was our half-day
workshop with Alain
Mailland in Uzes, in the
southern area of France.
Not only is he a first class
Artist, he is also a first
class person. He came to
meet us at the main
highway and we would
probably be still looking for
him if he hadn't, as he
presently lives in a very
rustic home and a
reflective workshop. Alain
taught me his method of
eccentric turning on multi-
axises. I worked on one
lathe as the "First Lady"
worked on another. I heard
a lot of "ya-ho's" for that
end of the workshop and
then Alain said the words
that Maureen thought that
she would never hear as
he checked out her piece,
" it's not thin enough"... as
he taught Mojo how to
create some very thin
flowers. Needless to say
we bought a set of tools
that Alain developed to
create his exquisite pieces
of art. We gladly accepted
his offer to stay and enjoy
a drink and some finger
food. It was truly a
memorable experience.
We returned home May
17th. anxious and inspired.
However, the six days
between our arrival home
and departure to
Newfoundland found us
void of time for the
workshop. We have made
arrangements to visit with
John Goodyear, another
extremely talented
woodturner and
woodworker in the St
John's area, on Thursday,
prior to our flight home.
Report to follow.
We look forward to the
AGM in June to relate our
experiences, this
coinsides very well with
the topic of eccentric
turning that I will talk
about. Hopefully we will
be meeting a good
number of you at this
years AAW symposium in
St. Paul's, Minnesota.
In the meantime, keep
your bevel rubbing, Thank
all of you who continue to
send positive thoughts
and energy Maureen's
way, much appreciated,
as it truly makes a
difference...
Don
From The President’s Workshop
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
June 20th at Kent Dartmouth at 6:30pm
Go to page 15 for more info on the meeting topic!
President‟s Workshop 1
Executive & Committees 2
May Meeting 9
Monthly Meeting Calendar 14
June Meeting 15
Turning Up The Heat 16
Pen Pals 17
Shavings 20
Your Guild Executive 22
The Turning Point
Official Journal of the Nova Woodturners’ Guild
Don Moore
The Next NWG Meeting is June 20th
The Secretary’s Quill
Ted Monk
“As always, a big
thank-you goes out to
all of you that
submitted articles,
tips and bits.!”
Well, it‟s been a great year folks! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to play at
being the Guild Secretary. I‟m looking forward to next year to be as equally as fun!
Unfortunately I won‟t be at the June meeting. I made a scheduling error when I booked my
flight to St. Paul, Minnesota for the AAW Symposium and I‟m leaving the Sunday before. It
looks like it will be an exciting one too with the AGM, Don Moore‟s presentation and the
Shape Challenge Show & Tell.
I hope everyone has a great summer and even with all the sunny days that we are going to
have I also hope that you get some shop time.
See you all in September – be there or be square.
The Turning Point
Page 2
Newsletter Update
Ted Monk
Although it‟s our smallest issue yet, it‟s still a great one!
There‟s Executive reports including an extensive year-end financial report, the May meeting
summary with lots of photos, Darrell Eisner‟s Pen Pals and a whole lot more!
This will be the last newsletter for the 2010-2011 season but it will be back again in
September.
We hope that you‟ll keep the newsletter in mind over the summer and put together some
great articles, tips, humour, photos, reviews, etc. to send us for next season‟s issues.
Remember, this is your newsletter at its success depends on you.
Have a great summer and again, hope to see you all in September!.
Events Committee Report
Robert Atkinson
The Turning Point
Page 3
As most of you are probably aware the Competition Committee was formed a few years
ago to formalize the event and establish procedures and rules for our yearly competition.
We then joined with our Exhibition Committee to become the Events Committee. As we
now have competition forms, judges‟ forms and our rules and regulations; the only thing
left to present to the membership is the composition of the committee, which we will do
at this year‟s Annual General Meeting.
The following will be presented to the membership for consideration/approval:
Nova Woodturners’ Guild (NWG) Events Committee
1. The Committee shall consist of 6 Guild members and be responsible for
organizing any exhibitions or competitions that the Guild decides to participate
in, which is normally established at the AGM. Minor changes to the competition
are brought forth at the Annual General Meeting for ratification, while major
changes are brought to the membership for approval before being implemented.
The Committee reports to the Executive.
2. Members are selected for a 3-year term, with 2 new members each year. If any
member is unable to complete their 3-year term the Committee will find another
Guild member to complete that term.
3. The first order of business for the Committee is to select a Chairperson from
within themselves to serve for the upcoming year.
4. The Chairperson provides monthly updates to the membership through the
Guild‟s newsletter.
The above is not a job description for Committee members as it would be hard to list
things especially for exhibitions, as it would depend upon the type and location.
However, for the Competition at Lee Valley some of the things we do are: coordinate the
event with Lee Valley, select judges and meet with them before the Competition, staff
our booth for the first 3 days to assist the judges by bringing pieces to them, assemble
the participation prize bags and having the name tags made with the winners names for
our new trophies.
If the membership approves the Committee composition, I would like to see 2 new
members this year as 3 of the members have been there since the Competition
Committee was started. If you think you might be interested in serving on this Committee
or would like more information, please speak to any committee member or myself. Other
members are Dan Graham, Alan Hunt, Ted Monk, Don Moore and Maureen Simpson.
Robert Atkinson
Events Committee Chairman
“Two new members
are needed for the
Events Committee!”
Dollars And Cents
Alan Hunt
The Turning Point
Page 4
Year End Financial Report
We are concluding our fiscal year, and unlike previous years we appear to be doing so
with a few hundred dollars to the good. In three years we have gone from a $1000 deficit,
to a $260 deficit, and this year we have a slight $230 surplus. I always hesitate to cry too
loudly about slight surpluses, as at year‟s end someone somewhere always seems to have
an odd bill that needs to be paid.
Our dues have been well spent this past year. We spent bit less on wood for the Annual
FunTurn, even though unlike previous years we had a couple of gift certificates ($75)
awarded to participants – this was possible as we opted to use green wood for the fun
turn, instead of the far more expensive and smaller block kiln dried hard woods.
We put on two events this year, our traditional Lee Valley event and the Anna Leonowens
show and scholarship fund raiser. We had budgeted $750 for the Anna exhibit and ended
up spending $441, well under budget. We had initially budgeted $750 for the Lee Valley
show but went over budget. The over-run resulted for three separate expenditures. First
was the decision to make „permanent‟ trophies. This was considered by members and
approved. The Events Committee decided to print ballots up for the Best in Show votes
and to print up cards that we could hand out to prospective members that directed them to
our web site. The Library expenditures came in under budget and our catch all “other” was
about what we had expected it to be (this category covers such items such as and
postage, bank service charges, and the occasional meal for visiting friends etc.).
We undertook a major fund raising effort. Thanks to much work by many of us and
contributions and donations from within our Guild and by the larger Nova Scotia turning
community we raised a total of $2055 in scholarship monies for NSCAD students, who
intend to incorporate wood into their creative learning process.
In conclusion, I think we have had a good year, spent our dues well. I am happy to be
handing over our healthy financial reigns to another and hope that we continue to remain a
financially responsible Guild.
For your convenience I attach a brief financial summary for this past fiscal year and place
alongside it the 2010 figures (in italics), of our last year‟s actual expenditures. I have also
included a proposed budget for 2011-2012.
Thank you for the opportunity to be of service to our community over the past two years. I
can‟t say that being the „money guy‟ is „fun‟, but as with much in life someone has to do it.
I am looking forward to enjoying our meetings this coming year, playing a bit more chess,
turning a few more boxes and bowls and continuing with my studies at NSCAD University.
(Yes the Doctor is taking more schooling! But take heart I won‟t be applying for the NWG
Scholarship (I don‟t qualify!) ).
Surprisingly over the past four months, I have become far too busy with work, and as is
often stated “work is the curse of the turning class” – I hope to slow that down, the work
that is, come this fall.
Keep your wood spinning,
Alan
“I think we have
had a good year,
spent our dues well!”
The Turning Point
Page 5
Dollars And Cents
...continued
Financial Statement Nova Woodturners’ Guild 2010-2011
Income 2010/2011 2009/2010
Dues $2,250.00 $2,400
Auction/Draws $ 231.00 $ 100
Sales/Donations (Anna Leonowens Show) $2,055.00 $ 86
Entry Fees (Lee Valley) $ 210.00 $ 235
TOTAL $4,746.00 $2,821
Expenditures
Donations/NSCAD Scholarship $2,055.00 $235
Library $ 285.02 $449.79
Competition (Lee Valley) $1,431.03 $1776.64
Show Anna Leonowens $ 441.00 $0
Fun Turn $ 155.00 $339.00
Other $ 148.36 $228.84
TOTAL $4,515.41 $3079.27
Change in Financial Position
Checking Savings Total
Beginning Fiscal year $1,487.15 $2,034.98 $3,522.13
End of Fiscal year $1,717.74 $2,087.00 $3,804.74
Change in Position $ 231.00
Plus Cash on Hand $ 58.45
Balance Sheet
Assets Liabilities
Tools/Equipment $ 450.00 Accounts Owing $0
Books $1,785.00
Magazines $2,400.00
Cash $ 58.45 Member's Equity $8,498.19
Bank deposits $3,804.74
Total Assets $8,498.19 Total Liabilities/Equity $8,498.19
Dollars And Cents
...continued
The Turning Point
Page 6
Proposed Budget for 2011/2012
Fellow Guild members, the following is a proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The budget contains options
that the members should consider.
Income 2011/2012 2010/2011
Dues $2,200
i
$ 2,250.00
Auction/Draws $200 $ 231.00
Entry Fees (Lee Valley) $250
ii
$ 210.00
TOTAL $2650
Expenditures
Library $600
Competition (Lee Valley) $550
iii
Fun Turn $400
iv
Other $200
TOTAL $1750
Projected Surplus with existing dues $900
v
To arrive at a 2012 budget the Guild needs to follow a series of „structured‟ decisions: as follows
1. Should the Fun turn – revert to kiln dried hardwood or remain with green more temperamental hardwoods?
2. Should Lee Valley Competition – reduce its judges to two, as compared to the previous 3?
3. Should Lee Valley increase its entry fees to more completely cover its costs (we have sponsored this show
to about $1000 a year for the past three years – maybe it is time to wean the event from that amount of
subsidy and use entry fees to cover more of the costs?
4. Does the Guild want to try and establish an annual workshop/demonstration with a noted North American
turner? If so a committee of 3 at minimum is needed (I volunteer )! And our $900 surplus from the $50
dues per person is used up.
5. What annual dues should we charge? Range is from $30 to $50, depending on answers to the above
questions.
i
Revenue from dues is based on 44 paid up members at $50 each.
ii Lee Valley entry fees are based on 50 pieces being entered at $5 each
iii
Lee Valley Budget based on 2 Judges at $200 each and Engraving at $150. Initially the Guild chose to
have three judges to avoid tie votes. Our judging has evolved and judges rate work based on several
categories and do so on a ten point scale. The possibility of identical scores is very very remote, with two
judges and with three judges the chance of a tie is 1 in 10,000 – consequently it is recommended that two
judges be used in the future. In the highly improbable event that there is a tie for any “placing” - all we do is
print up two engravings for that year and the turners share display of the trophy! Should the Guild prefer to
have three written comments per entry, we should stick with three judges. And increase the budget
accordingly – this reduced the projected surplus to $700.
iv The Guild should consider the Pros and Cons of using green wood (wood needs immediate attention and
roughing) as compared to kiln dried hard wood (more costly and less of it – but more flexible regarding time
to turn). The $400 allows for a hardwood choice, along with some allowance for participation awards (gift
certificates).
v Our projected surplus could be eliminated in one of two ways:
1. First we could reduce our annual dues by $20 a person, to $30 annually (with three judges it
would be $40 annually). That would pretty well eliminate any surplus.
2. Alternately we could chose to use that money to explore putting on a workshop/demonstration
bringing in a noted North American turner for a weekend. Of course $900 ($700) wouldn‟t
cover that type of event, but by working in cooperation with NSCAD (they have lecture spaces
and a large woodworking shop) Continuing Education Program, we can obtain grant monies,
promotional considerations from suppliers and charge a workshop fee. This would be a lot of
work, but I would be happy to work with a committee dedicated to this purpose, an annual
workshop – for the entire turning community. Our $900 ($700) would provide a part of the
needed funding – seed money. It would only be spent if the workshop was going to happen
and only enough would be spent to ensure that the workshop is first class.
Dollars And Cents
...continued
The Turning Point
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The Turning Point
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Library Report – Books And Videos
Richard Ford
Here is the list of books and videos due to be returned at the June meeting:
ISSUED NAME ID # DESCRIPTION of Currently Issued
19. Apr. 2010 Alan Hunt 60VJ-11 Turning Wood with Richard Raffan
17. May. 2011 Bill Fisher 69VU-11 Turning pens & Other Small Projects
13. Dec. 2010 Calum Ewing 39BG Intermediate woodturning
17. May. 2011 Dave Richards 47VT-11 Elegant Finials Third edition – By Cindy Drozda
17. May. 2011 Dave Richards 54VC-11 Focus on Metal Spinning - R. Sorby
17. May. 2011 David Duggan 64BJ Turned Boxes 50 designs - Chris Stott
17. May. 2011 Dianne Looker 58BC The Practice of Woodturning - Mike Darlow
17. May. 2011 Dianne Looker 82BD A Workshop Guide to Shapes - Mark Baker
17. May. 2011 Doug McGuire 20VL-11 From The Tree To The Table – Mike Mahoney.
17. May. 2011 Doug McGuire 57VF-11 Turning Projects with Richard Raffan
17. May. 2011 Doug McGuire 68VT-11 Turning Boxes with Chris Stott.
17. May. 2011 Doug McGuire 78VF-11 The Basic Box -- Turned Boxes by Ray Key
17. May. 2011 Edmond Benoit 22VN-11 The Skew Chisel - Dark Side - Sweet Side with Alan Lacer.
17. May. 2011 Edmond Benoit 23VP-11 The Son Of Skew with Alan Lacer
17. May. 2011 Edmond Benoit 61VK-11 Turning Pens with Rex & Kip Video I
17. May. 2011 Edmond Benoit 62VL-11 Turning Pens with Rex & Kip Video
17. May. 2011 Gary Landry 32BZ American Woodturner's Techniques and Projects
17. May. 2011 Gary Landry 72BT Understanding Woodturning - Ann & Bob Phillips
17. May. 2011 Gordon Marshall 37VG-11 Turn It On Vol 1-- Jimmy Clewes.
17. May. 2011 Gordon Marshall 41VL-11 Turn It Up Vol 2-- Jimmy Clewes.
17. Jan. 2011 Ian Scott 86BH Woodturning: Two Books in One - Phil Irons
19. Apr. 2010 John Fitzpatrick 14VE-11 1999 AAW National Symposium Techniques Vol II.
19. Apr. 2010 John Fitzpatrick 17VH-11 Turning Outside the Box - Beth Ireland.
29. Mar. 2010 Maureen Simpson 12VC-11 1999 AAW National Symposium – Tacoma Washington
29. Mar. 2010 Maureen Simpson 18VJ-11 Beyond The Basic Bowl - Bill Grumbine.
29. Mar. 2010 Maureen Simpson 45VR-11 Hollow Wood Turning - John Jordan.
17. May. 2011 Ron Hazlett 15VF-11 Elliptical Turning An Introduction – David Springett 57min.
17. May. 2011 Ron Hazlett 29VY-11 Dennis White– Vol 3: Boxes, Goblets and Screw Threads.
17. May. 2011 Ron Hazlett 65VP-11 Woodturning: A Foundation Course - Keith Rowley
17. May. 2011 Ron Hazlett 70VX-11 Woodturning II with Bonnie Klein Bowls & Projects 105min.
17. May. 2011 Ron Hazlett 71VY-11 Woodturning I with Bonnie Klein 120min.
17. May. 2011 Russell Parrott 30BX Woodturning A Fresh Approach - Robert Chapman
17. May. 2011 Russell Parrott 91BN Useful Techniques for Woodturners
Book and Video Reviews
The newsletter is always looking for content and reviews of our woodturning books and videos
would make a great addition in future issues! While reading or viewing them why not jot down a
few notes about what you liked or didn‟t like about a particular book or video. Or, how about
recommending a particular one that you have in your personal collection and telling us why.
The May 2011 Meeting – Introduction To Pen Turning
The Turning Point
Page 9
The May meeting of the Nova Woodturners‟ Guild featured
Guild member and professional pen turner, Ian Scott, who
captivated us with his deft hand at turning pens. His
presentation, titled „Introduction To Pen Turning‟, took us
from choosing your wood and pen type to the finished
product.
Ian clearly explained each step of the process, adding his
own tips and tricks to traditional methods, as well as bringing
to our attention alternative ways that other pen turners use to
create beautiful pens.
He demonstrated each of these steps either with mock-ups
or actual turning, giving us even more insight to the art of
pen turning. When he was finished he had created a
beautiful Slimline style pen!
Though the process seemed simple it was obvious that a fair
amount of skill is required. So many of the steps requires
precision, like when drilling out the pen blank so the bottom
doesn‟t blow out, milling the ends so that you take off very
little of the brass tube, while turning the blanks themselves to
get the proper shape and diameter and even when putting
the pen together.
In addition, Ian explained the various tools that he uses, like
the barrel trimmers used for milling the ends, the mandrels
used to hold the pen blanks between centers for turning, the auto-centering jig used to easily drill the holes in the
blanks for the brass tubes. He also spoke on his preferred turning tools which in includes the roughing gouge, the
spindle gouge and the skew.
Here are the steps that Ian suggested to make your pen:
Choose the wood for your pen blanks, either 3/4” or 5/8” square depending on pen kit and make a mark
across it to maintain grain orientation
Cut the blanks to length depending on size of the brass tubes and drill corresponding sized holes
Rough the outside of the brass tubes and glue them in the blanks, let sit for at least 1/2 hour but overnight is
better
Place the blanks on a mandrel with proper bushings and correct grain orientation
Turn the blanks to the desired shape and sand using 150 grit to 800 grit sandpaper.
Finish with desired finish
Assemble the pen according to the instructions.
The Turning Point
Page 10
The May 2011 Meeting – Introduction To Pen Turning
...continued
Ian finished his presentation with an active Question and Answer period and then members flocked to the front of the
room to get close-ups of his beautiful products.
Fantastic presentation, Ian, and thanks for this great introduction to pen turning and for piquing our interest!
Several business items were dealt with tonight including:
Doug McQuire passed around a form for those interested in participating in the purchase of a 55 gallon drum of
Anchorseal. The cost is estimated under $15. per gallon plus the cost of the can. The form was also for those
interested in participating in a bulk purchase of some Chestnut.
The Nominating Committee voiced their need for members to come forward for positions on the Guild Executive. In
addition they are in need of a Director At Large.
Dianne Looker has the lamps from Ikea that were bulk ordered. If you were one of the ones that ordered one contact
her for more.
Robert Atkinson, Chairman of the Events Committee, put forward the need for two more members of the Events
Committee.
Show and Tell was exciting with Doug McGuire speaking about his Maple bowl and black Ash box, Dianne Looker
proudly displaying two bandsawn and epoxied plates, Darrell Eisner presenting a grand showing of laminated pens
and cigar box display case, Alan Hunt showing an African Blackwood box, an Olivewood box and a Mondale Pine
bowl, Robert Atkinson shared the making of a flat topped Walnut bowl and Matt Pilfold eagerly told about his trials and
tribulations turning an Ash bowl and his belated Fun Turn entry, a Maple Bowl(er) . All were fantastic looking items!
There were 30 members and one guest in attendance for this very educational and exciting meeting.
Following his demonstration, Ian showed us a slew of different items that are made similar to pens. They included
corkscrews, coffee scoops, perfume pens, letter openers and key chains. He also had a display of a few of his pens in
a variety of woods and acrylics.
The Turning Point
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The May 2011 Meeting – Introduction To Pen Turning
...continued
Alan Hunt
Doug McGuire
Darrell Eisner
Dianne Looker
Matt Pilfold
Robert Atkinson
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Page 12
The March 2011 Meeting – Our Annual Fun Turn
...continued
Pens by Darrell Eisner
Maple Bowl by Doug McGuire
Walnut Bowl by Robert Atkinson
African Blackwood Box by Alan Hunt
Olivewood Box by Alan Hunt
Mondale Pine Bowl by Alan Hunt
The Turning Point
Page 13
The March 2011 Meeting – Our Annual Fun Turn
...continued
Ash Box by Doug McGuire
Bandsawn and Epoxied Plates by Dianne Looker
Chairman of the meeting, VP Dan Graham
How many turners does it take to change speed?
Ian Scott during his presentation
Ian Scott at the lathe
Date
Subject
Location/Time
September 20,
2010
Shape & Design Part I with Alan Hunt
The Shape Challenge with Dianne Looker
Show & Tell – Look What I Did Over The Summer!
Membership Dues & Fun Turn Wood Coupon
Halifax
Specialty
Hardwood
6:30-8:30
October 18, 2010
Robert Sorby Demo with Clive Brooks
Pick up wood for The Annual NWG Fun Turn
Busy Bee Tools
6:30-8:30
November 15, 2010
Inside Outside Christmas Ornaments with Dan Graham
Show & Tell
Kent Dartmouth
6:30-8:30
December 13, 2010
Segmenting Presentation with Gordon Marshall
Show & Tell
Kent Dartmouth
6:30-8:30
January 17, 2011
Sharpening 102 with Doug McGuire and Gordon Marshall
Show & Tell – The Shape Challenge
Kent Dartmouth
6:30-8:30
February 05, 2011
Annual Nova Woodturning Guild Competition
Lee Valley
1:00-3:00
March 21, 2011
The Annual NWG Fun Turn
Show & Tell – Competition Entries
Kent Dartmouth
6:30-8:30
April 18, 2011
Introduction To Hollowing with Stuart Taylor
Shape & Design Part II with Dianne Looker
Show & Tell
Kent Dartmouth
6:30-8:30
May 16, 2011
Turning Pens & Similar Items – Ian Scott
Show & Tell
Kent Dartmouth
6:30-8:30
June 20, 2011
Annual General Meeting
Eccentric Woodturning with Don Moore
Show & Tell - The Shape Challenge II
Kent Dartmouth
6:30-8:30
NWG Meeting Calendar 2010-2011
Important Dates
June 24-26, 2011 – AAW Symposium, St. Paul, Minnesota
September 19
th
– First NWG meeting of the new season!
More information on each meeting will be in the preceding month‟s newsletter.
The Turning Point
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The June 2011 Meeting – June 20th
It’s going to be another great one. See you all there!
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Page 15
Annual General Meeting
The June 20th, 2011 Guild meeting is at Kent Building Supplies 6:30 – 8:30
Kent is located at 35 Mic Mac Blvd. Dartmouth, NS B3A 4Y8.
A map is located here - http://goo.gl/maps/dZG8
Eccentric Turning with Don Moore
Guild President, Don Moore, will talk about his method for turning his fabulous eccentric (off center) turnings. He
will show the various jigs that he uses too. These will range from the very modest DIY jigs to the not as cheap
Robert Sorby Eccentric Chuck.
Don will also include a talk about his recent workshop with Alain Mailland in Uzes, France, with respect to the
methods that Alain employs with his eccentric turning.
There will also be more great items for the Meeting Raffle! Remember to bring a loonie or two!
Show & Tell - The Shape Challenge II
The Annual General Meeting takes place at the June meeting. Be sure to attend to
exercise your democratic right!
This month‟s Show & Tell will focus on the Shape Challenge that was presented to the Guild a
few months ago by Dianne Looker. Please bring in your pieces for this fun and exciting session!
The previous Shape Challenge was a popular event and we expect this one to be even better!
Come see the wide variety of pieces that incorporates the challenge shape in their design!
(Haven‟t started yours yet? More info is available in the last issue of the newsletter.)
Have a great summer, everyone!
The Turning Point
Page 16
Turning Up The Heat
Ted Monk
Well, as it starts to warm up it‟s time to start thinking about Summer Turning. Yes, I do differentiate my turning in the
summer from the turning that I do in the winter. Not in the items that I turn but in what I wear while turning.
I have an attached garage shop which maintains about 10C (50F for real people) in the winter so I usually just have to
give a quick blast of heat from a radiant heater that I have hanging above the lathe, just enough to take the chill off.
Because I‟m dressed for the weather that‟s all I really need. Once I start turning I generate enough of my own heat to
keep warm, especially if a piece flies off then my temperature really rises.
In the winter months I have on my wooly socks, work boots, jeans, t-shirt, a sweatshirt and my overalls. I always wear
gloves that have the fingers cut out so once I add my faceshield the only thing that could get cold would be my
fingertips, and I usually keep them pretty warm scratching my head.
Once it starts getting warmer I begin to shed my winter clothes like my daughter‟s new pup sheds fur until I‟m finally
down to my summer wear which is a t-shirt, shorts and sandals.
Last summer I traded the t-shirt in for a Hawaiian shirt. In addition to being a lot cooler it‟s made of some type of
slippery material so the shavings don‟t stick. Plus, it makes me look really, really sharp! Anyone have any Koa?
One problem that I do have with my summer wear is that the chips keep getting caught between my toes. It‟s quite
annoying and sometimes uncomfortable. I know that there is some type of slip-ons that you can buy to stop this but if I
wanted to wear funny footwear I would have stuck with scuba diving instead of taken up woodturning. Guess I‟ll have to
keep blasting my feet with the compressed air, though this can make the shop pretty gamey after a day of turning.
Anyway, it‟s nice to see the warmer weather coming. Now if it would only stop raining...
Oh, speaking of summer, when we had that heat wave last year I took my summer turning one step further and moved
outside with the Delta. Here‟s a photo of me about mid-week:
The Turning Point
Page 17
Pen Pals
Darrell Eisner
It's hard to believe that the year has gone so quickly with summer just around the corner. Some of my pen-turning
friends in Texas are saying they are closing down their non air conditioned shops as the temperature is over 100 F.
No problems like that for us!
This past month there was a thread in the IAP asking for members to submit their ideas on "best practices in pen
making". Some of these are specific to pen making but others are just good advice for woodturners/woodworkers.
Keep CA de-bonder within reach at all times. (Bensoelberg)
Use a centering bit to start hole prior to drilling.
Takes a minute or two longer, but is one key to drilling a straight hole through the blank. Particularly
important for segemented blanks. If you need a hole all the way through a blank, make it longer than
needed, stop drilling before the end and cut it off. These techniques with a sharp bit will prevent many
potential disasters. (Brobbins629)
Always test-fit before you attempt to glue a tube in. (Drstrangefart)
Cut blanks long. Drill short of the total length. Then cut them approx. length exposing the "exit" hole and
square. Cutting long, drilling short, and trimming will eliminate chip out on the "exit" end of the blank. Takes
an extra minute or two but well worth it. (its virgil)
Perhaps, the most often overlooked process in pen making, at least in my shop. The I'll clean later, is a
disaster, waiting to happen.(PenMan1)
Seriously, the safety issue is the highest priority, it happens twice, once, when you are just beginning and
don't know any better and then it becomes a problem after you've done it forever you get SOOO GOOD that
you can ignore safety I've seen it and done it far too many times. SAFETY is the first thing any one working
on any kind of power tool or equipment has to learn. (bitshird)
Don't skimp on the sanding. Use the grits in order, don't skip one; use a good light so you can see what you
are sanding;use good sand paper and use it like your neighbour gives it to you for free. Just changing to a
decent brand of sandpaper made finishing less of a chore. (MarkHix)
When it comes time for assembly, I lay out all the pieces out on white paper or paper towel very
methodically. stop. breath. check that everything is there. stop. breath. assemble. (Paintspill)
Invest on some breading "apparatus", depending on the conditions (area, enclosement) you are working on.
CA fumes, some woods and other materials are/can be very toxic or provoke allergies that be minimized or
prevented with a good breading mask, a good ventilation systems to filter the air environment you are
working on or simply a fan located close to you and orientated to blow the air away from you, taking most of
the dust and fumes away from your lungs...! (robutacion)
The Turning Point
Page 18
Pen Pals
...continued
Drill the cap blank 1st on large tube diameter pens such as JGII, Baron and Cambridge. If you crack the
larger cap blank, you can still salvage the pen section 1/2 blank by making a Sierra or Aero/EB (and drill
slower, cool more often on this one!). (JimMc7)
Inspect you pen kits at point of sale or when they arrive in the mail. Look for finish problems, operate the
transmission, make sure all parts are in the bag. Nothing like meeting a deadline only to find that your last
pen kit has a fatal flaw.(woodgraver)
Briwax Sealer
At the May meeting I was asked what type of sealer I used on my pens. It's a fiction sealer and dries within 20
minutes of applying it on the lathe. You can obtain it at KT Products, 1111 Broadway Street, Port Coquitlam, BC,
V3C 2M7, phone 604-942-1035. The container holds 16 FL OZ.
Featured Pen Turner
This month I am featuring a prominent pen blank maker and penturner, John Underhill from Ottawa, Illinois. I've
always admired John's work in making feathered pen blanks and have purchased a number from him. All of Johns'
work is unique, one of a kind items, and I have had him make me some beautiful custom pieces which I will let you
have a peak at. In addition to the custom feather blanks John made me some custom blanks out of abalone shell.
Each shell was individually mounted on the brass barrel and once completed the blank was encased in resin. John
has perfected the art of resin casting and his blanks are very easy to turn.
In addition to his talents as a caster and penturner John's full time job is as a deputy sheriff. He comes by his
talents from his Dad who was a taxidermist. John is an avid hunter and outdoorsman with a great understanding of
wildlife. There is a lot of detail in making his feathered pen blanks. His skills in fly tying are utilized to hold the
feathers in place prior to the casting. John has a great artistic mind, as you can see, he carefully places the
feathers in such a way to achieve a balanced and attractive display.
John is listed on the IAP under the name JohnU. You can purchase John's feathered pen blanks at
www.exoticblanks.com or contact him directly for a custom made feather pen blank.
A collection of feathered pens encased in resin.
This is my favourite. I call it "Captain Jack
Sparrow". It's made with parrot feathers.
When you look through the magnifying resin
you can see the fine detail in the feathers.
The Turning Point
Page 19
Pen Pals
...continued
I am looking forward to the summer as the warmer weather allows me to open the garage door and let the air and
light in. I got in some wonderful Irish bog blanks and some especially aromatic Jack Daniels whiskey blanks and
Churchill Port blanks. Stop by and have a smell.
I will see you at the year ending meeting and I have some discount coupons for you from Curtis Seebeck
(www.turntex.com) promoting the Cactus Juice stabilizing system.
If you have any questions please send me an e-mail to [email protected]
Take care and have a good summer,
Darrell Eisner
Custom made abalone shell pen. Beautiful and
exacting detail work by John Underhill. It gets to be a
bit nerve wracking to ensure you don't skew through
to the abalone shell and ruin an expensive blank.
The resin blanks with the feathers embedded within.
The resin is soft to turn, Once turned I sand with 220
through to 600 grit sandpaper. I then use 9 grits of
micro mesh followed by a scratch remover, Novus.
The final polish is with the Barry gross high speed
buffer and magic compound.
The Turning Point
Page 20
Shavings
Do you have any
‘Shavings’ that you’d
like to share? How
about a cool
woodturning website
or video that you
found? Perhaps you
have something for
sale that the other
Guild members would
be interested in? How
about a humorous
anecdote or a turning
tip? If you do, please
send them along to
Free Tool And Jig Plans
WoodChux, a woodturner for eight years, has several free plans available for a
hollowing tool, a pen drilling jig, a pen squaring jig, a bowl bottom finding jig and
even a treadle lathe! He also has a recipe for sanding wax. Check it out here:
http://rizaydog.webs.com/freeplansinfo.htm
Bill Marshall Passes On
It is with much sadness and difficulty to have to announce the passing of our good
friend, Bill Marshall. He died suddenly on May 9 th. His wife found him dead in the
back yard.
Bill was a great guy and really enjoyed his "Woodshow Friends". He will be missed
by so many.
Many of you will remember Bill as the energetic Manager/Partner in the Moncton
Wood Shows.
Our condolences to the family.
Woodturning Cruise Update from Dianne Looker
The few cabins left on the woodturning cruise are now on sale for up to 30% off.
Mention my name, Dianne Looker, in the comment line when you book and I get a
free gift, which I'll share with any Nova Woodturning Guild member who signs up.
Direct Reading Caliper
And speaking of free plans, here‟s plans to make a Direct Reading Caliper, similar
to the Galbert Caliper that claims to give “a constant, accurate reading of the
diameter of a work piece as it is cut.” You can find it here:
http://tinyurl.com/3bg49c7
. AAW Symposium
It looks like we have quite
a group of Guild members
attending the Symposium
this year. Doug McGuire,
Don Moore, Robert
Atkinson, Dianne Looker,
Ted Monk and Maureen
Simpson are all going!
Anchorseal Brush
Put the brush that you use
for applying your
Anchorseal in a ziplock
bag after use. It will stay
soft and ready for the next
time that you use it. Don‟t
worry if it does go hard
because it will soften up
again when you dip it into
the Anchorseal again.
Lathe Maintenance
Use a flat bastard file to remove any nicks and smooth the top of your tool rest
before turning starting to turn. A light stroke or two of paraffin wax across the top of
the tool rest will also help your tools to slide along the rest smoothly.
To turn it or to burn it?
That is the question.
The Turning Point
“The Turning Point is
YOUR newsletter. Its
success depends on
YOU”
The Turning Point
Page 21
The purpose of the Official Journal of the Nova Woodturners‟ Guild is to keep you
updated on the various aspects of the Guild, to announce upcoming meetings and to
keep record of past meetings. In addition, and more importantly, its purpose is as a
vehicle to share information among the Guild members.
It is through the sharing of information and ideas that the true benefit of being a
Guild member is determined.
This newsletter gives the opportunity for you to do that.
Please submit articles, how-to‟s, photos, humour, interesting tidbits, reviews, items
for sale, items wanted, helpful jigs that you‟ve made, thoughts, ideas, observations,
websites, videos and anything else related to woodturning.
We need your input to make The Turning Point a success.
Don‟t worry if you don‟t consider yourself a „writer‟. This is not about how great you
can write (look what we‟re getting away with! ), it‟s about getting the information
out there. Type it as you speak it. If it needs editing we can edit it for you. No
submission is too large or too small. We‟ll take it all!
Please send your submissions to Ted Monk at tedmonk@gmail.com
The deadline for submissions for the September issue is Sept. 3rd, 2011
Sharing is what a guild is all about!
Don’t Forget - We’re On The Web!
The Nova Woodturners’ Guild website is a great
place to connect between meetings!
It offers message forums, a member photo
gallery, hints and tips, links and more!
http://novawoodturnersguild.com
Ensure that you continue to receive the newsletter by
keeping us updated with your email address!
Please send any changes to tedmonk@gmail.com
Your 2010-2011 Guild Executive
President: Don Moore m[email protected]
Vice President: Dan Graham [email protected]o.ca
Secretary: Ted Monk [email protected]om
Treasurer: Alan Hunt [email protected]
Past President:
Bill Luther
Members At Large:
Ian Scott
Dianne Looker
Gordon Marshall
Doug McGuire
Committees
Library Events
Jim Diamond Don Moore
Richard Ford Robert Atkinson
Dan Graham
Website Alan Hunt
Ian Scott Maureen Simpson
Norm Jolivet Ted Monk
Insurance
Membership & Promotion Alan Hunt
Andrew Watson Don Moore
Darrell Eisner
Fund Raising
Norm Jolivet (Raffle Master) Constitution & By-laws
Bill Luther (Competition Prizes) Dianne Looker
Newsletter Nominations
Ted Monk Doug McGuire
Gordon Marshall
Guild Photographer: Chris Palmer
“...to encourage and
promote the art and craft
of woodturning”
The Turning Point
Page 22
“We would love to see your
name here! Contact any
member of the Executive
with your interest.”
