The CAW Newsletter

Transcription

1 S April The CAW Newsletter The CAW Newsletter is the official publication of the Capital Area Woodturners Chapter of the AAW, and is published for the information of its members. Membership in the CAW Chapter is open to anyone interested in the art and craft of woodturning. Meeting Announcement: Date: Saturday, Apr 14, 2001 Time: 9:30 AM 12:30 PM Place: Millennium Arts Center 65 "I" Street, SW Washington, DC DIRECTIONS TO THE MEETING: From Virginia, take I-395 going East across the Potomac River. 1.5 miles past the river, do not take the I-395 turnoff towards the Capital but continue on towards I-295. At the next exit, take the South Capital Street exit going South. At the bottom of the exit ramp, at the traffic light, turn right onto "I" Street. At the first opportunity, turn right into a driveway and park between the MAC and the health clinic. From Maryland take I-295 across the Anacostia River. Get off at the first exit-12 th Street. Turn left onto "M" Street going west. Approximately 1.5 miles down, turn right onto Delaware Ave. At the deadend circle, turn right onto H street and park on "H", the driveway near the clinic, or behind the MAC. Program For The Month 8:30 AM Help set up for the demonstration. Look over the For Sale items in the equipment room. Have a cup of coffee with your fellow turners. Enjoy the normal hour of skill enhancement and practice time on the lathes. Or talk over problems and techniques with someone who might already have been there and done that. 9:30 AM A business meeting. Photos of member items will be taken for the May Newsletter. The tape library will be open. A silent auction table will be available for donated wood and items. A show & Tell of pieces brought in will be conducted. 10:30 AM Bob Rosand, an internationally renowned turner, will demonstrate his turning skills and techniques. Mr. Rosand is well known for his Christmas Ornaments and his Bird & Fly House Ornaments. He will describe a new texturing processed that he has mastered. There are numerous other projects that he specializes in and these have been shared in the video "Turning Projects from Scrap" and the book "Techniques & Projects III" - both of which are available from the AAW and other woodturning catalogs. Mr. Rosand is on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW). He lives in our area, hailing from Pennsylvania. He was the regional point of contact for the AAW for assisting all East Coast chapters. Note from the President: I would like to thank everyone who helped make the Woodworking Show a great success for CAW. Everyone who stopped by the booth had nothing but great things to say about the turnings that were on display. Thank you very much to Mike McInerney for allowing us to use his great display shelves. The folks manning the booth obtained a few new members on the spot, with a possible dozen or so who seemed very interested. And all those that turned items for the show goers never lacked for a captive audience. Time is growing short for getting your CAWayolas in for the collaborative project. If you need wood let Randy know, so that we can get you one of the woods that still need to be turned. We have a lot of events coming up in the future with the Annual AAW Symposium, our picnic, some great demonstrations, and planning for our own regional mini-symposium in the fall. Spring has come in very soggy, but it is here none the less. I hope everyone still manages to get some turning done while getting the yards and all in shape. And remember, if you are not a member of AAW please give it some thought. It is a great organization and well worth the money. Happy turning! Bob Pezold Please support those companies that support the CAW WoodCraft Supply The Concord Shopping Center 6123 Backlick Rd. Springfield, VA the Woodworking Shop Coleman M. Fourshee Sr. General Manager st Street Dr. S.E. P. O. Box 5069 Hickory, NC Phone: , Ext. 218 FAX: Cfourshee@woodworkingshop.com Silent Auction Table Let's try to re-invigorate this convenient way to clean out your wood pile and tool box. Put your donated turning blanks, magazines, tools, etc. up for sale. All the proceeds go to the club and helps us buy tools, materials, video tapes, books, and all the other stuff it takes to run the CAW.

2 April 2001 Page 2 Group Buy Program By Cal Frantz Two group buy orders were placed on the 20th of March. One order was placed for CA glue with National Balsa. Fourteen members are participating in this order, which totaled about $490 including the 10% discount. There will be a shipping charge that will be prorated to each buyer when that amount is known. Also, for those members who included the accelerator in their purchase, there was an error in the base price provided for this item. The actual price is $6.50 for an 8 oz quantity instead of $5.00. (My goof. Sorry!) So with the discount, the price for accelerator will be $5.85. The second order was placed with Craft Supplies USA, with eight members taking part. The total of this order, at catalogue list prices, was $1,350 in round figures; actual cost is $999. This is an average discount of about 26%, although per item discounts vary from 34% to as low as zero in the case of one item. There will be no shipping charge for this order. I expect both orders will be delivered during the week of 25 March, and will be available for pick up at the April meeting. Some items from Craft Supplies USA were back ordered, but with a little luck they will all be delivered to me before the April meeting. I will begin collecting orders for a group buy from The Cutting Edge in Houston, Texas, at the April meeting. They have the articulaser and Lyle Jamieson deep hollowing system that several members have expressed interest in. Also, I am researching information on various respirators and will present this information at the April meeting. Interest is these items was heightened by Sheryl Kochman's outstanding presentation on wood toxicity at the March meeting. As announced at the February meeting, all group buy orders are to be prepaid at the time an order is processed. Checks are preferred, and are to be made out to CAWGB, an account set up for the program. Orders are placed 10 days following club meeting dates, which allows an opportunity for members who cannot attend a meeting to send me an order through the mail. Delivery of all ordered items will be made at club meetings only. The secured room at the Millennium Craft Center will be used to store items between meetings. My address is: CFE; P.O. Box 7295; Alexandria, VA I can also be reached by fax at , or by at calfrantz@aol.com. Membership Renewals Are Now Overdue!! Don't wait until the dues police track you down! We really do need to know if you are going to join us for this year. Renew your CAW membership for the year $20 for individual membership $15 per person for multiple persons in a family Bring your 2001 dues to the next meeting or mail to: Mike McInerney, CAW Treasurer Creek Branch Ct Centreville, VA Make checks payable to Capital Area Woodturners If you are unsure if you owe dues for year 2000, look at the mailing label on the newsletter in the upper right corner. If it says DEC-00, you owe. If it says DEC-01, you are paid up. If you get the newsletter via , call or Mike McInerney, CAW Treasurer, at / mikemc1421@aol.com to verify membership status. Name Position Bob Pezold President Randy Bjorklund Vice-President Mike McInerney Treasurer Don Johnson Secretary Tim & Sheryl Kochman Program Directors C. A. Savoy Show Director Jim Marstall Newsletter Editor CAW 2001 Officer Roster Contact Information 8018 Hammond St. Alexandria, VA rpezold@erols.com 9422 Wooded Glen Ave. Burke, VA Sonja@erols.com Creek Branch Court Centerville, VA mikemc1421@aol.com 2207 Windsor Road Alexandria, VA drjpapaw@aol.com Todman Landing Court Burke, VA Gatewood Drive Alexandria, VA cadjsavoy@msn.com 6213 Capella Ave. Burke, VA james.marstall@west.boeing.com

3 April 2001 Page 3 Car Part Turning Tools I recently found a way to get a certificate of appreciation from "CHEAPSKATES-R-US", when I stumbled upon a way to make detail scrapers for FREE! Yes FREE, that magic word that all cheapskates long to hear! I was at the Mercedes Benz dealer one day, waiting for my car to be serviced. After a time, I walked outside and around back to stretch my legs a bit. As I walked by the rubbish bin, I noticed a pair of Bilstein shock absorbers. The brilliant shine on the shafts caught my eye, like a Platinum rod amongst the rough and grime. Hmmm... Nice smooth surface, good quality metal... I wonder if the smooth shaft would make a good scraper? The little guy on my right shoulder told me "Ferrrrgetaboutit, you don't have the time to muck about with bloody car parts! Snatch up the Craft Supplies catalogue and buy some REAL TOOLS"! The chap on my left shoulder said "You bloody cheapskate genius, take 'dem puppies home and make some Mercedes Benz turning tools!" In a reluctant acquiescence, I decided to take a couple of them home. I used a muffler cut-off tool to separate the shaft from the body of the shock. Then, I turned a handle and ground the tips. One tip was ground with a flat face, with the top of the shaft reduced in a gentle slope about 50% near the cutting tip. The second was ground with a standard round nose, with the same reduced top portion near the cutting tip. The moment of truth... I had a large Mesquite bowl on the lathe that had just been trued up. I picked up the flat face scraper and gave it a good and proper go. WOW! These really work! The shafts are so smooth that they seem to glide over the tool rest as if they were levitating. :-) Magnificent translucent ribbons gently wafted into the air, as if suspended on gossamer wings... (Ok, Ok, I went a little overboard there. :-)) However, the biggest benefit is the edge holding ability! The metal used in shock absorber shafts is magnificent! It lasts and lasts and takes a wonderful burr. Not content with my earlier success, I tried the round nose scraper. Awesome! My certificate of appreciation from "Cheapskates-R-US" will be upgraded to one with Oak Leaf Clusters! Then, I thought that if I could just get a larger shock, say from a light truck, I would get a larger diameter shaft. I scrounged around and found some that were about four times the diameter of the ones I had been using. Kaching! Ground those puppies in a heartbeat and success again! Hehehehehehe, fresh off the success of this endeavor, I began to look at my Mercedes with a tool makers eyes... Hmmm, there are lots of parts on a car that might make fine tool stock. So, another trip to the dealer and a bit of dumpster diving later (every cheapskate knows that to maintain your membership, you must dumpster dive at least once per quarter :-)), I collected a variety of engine parts. Since Mercedes use sodium filled valves stems, I passed on them. However, the rods and other "innards" were a treasure trove of small detail pieces that make great stock for miniature and small work. Scrapers, skews and other tools can be easily made. BTW, These shafts from the second set of shocks are large enough to make great bowl gouges, but alas I have no way to grind the flutes! :-( However, I do have some top notch detail scrapers and skews that hold an edge incredibly well. If you get a chance to try one of these, let me know. Take care and all the best to you and yours! Letting the chips fly... Steven D. Russell Eurowood Werks Woodturning Studio The Woodlands, Texas (Editor's note: The above article was taken off the Woodturning Newsgroup on the Internet. Steve Russell is a prolific author who has often been featured in the AAW Magazine and has a two-part article concluding in this month's issue of Woodturning Magazine from the UK. He is a frequent poster on the newsgroup where he adds his opinions and experience without payment and for the benefit of all.) Club Project for the AAW Collaborative Challenge: We have 35 of the CAWayolas in hand 29 left to go! If you signed up to turn a crayon, please bring it to the meeting April 14 th. In addition to the Box of 64 CAWayolas, the current plan is to create a set of 16 jumbo crayons twice the size (9 tall, 7/8 diameter) of those we already have, and display them in a giant hollow crayon (Chris Light s idea). Also, we will be proposing incorporating an object composed of segments of the wood we ve used in the crayons, along with a crayon sharpener with shavings from a crayon being sharpened. Plan to attend the April meeting to participate in the discussion of the details, and to sign up to participate in creating the additional components of the project!

4 April 2001 Page 4 Turning Soapstone (talc) Soapstone is one of the softest stones with a hardness rating of 1. By contrast' your fingernail has a hardness rating of 1.5. Another stone that is turned on a wood lathe is alabaster. Max Kimmel demonstrated turning alabaster in 1997 at CAW. Alabaster has a hardness rating of 2. So soapstone is a very soft material with its primary ingredient being talc. That's right the same stuff that baby powder is made of Preparing soapstone for mounting. As with wood soapstone should be balanced when mounting. Please note that soapstone is heavy. Being out of balance by a little will cause a lot of vibration. Soapstone cuts easily with normal tools (hand saw, bandsaw, table saw, chain saw). I can't recommend using a chain saw as the kerf if a chain saw is large and all sawn soapstone will turn to dust. A chain saw will create a LOT of dust which could damage you chain saw. Once you have formed your soapstone into a balanced shape you must mout the stone on the lathe. Mounting soapstone You shouldn't expect soapstone to hold by screws and soapstone will not compress. This eliminates screw chucks, screwing onto a faceplate, and direct mounting in an Esculion Chuck. I have had good luck using a OneWay Stronghold, 1" pin chuck, double face tape, and between centers. Pin chuck This is my current preferred chucking method for roughing (wood and soapstone). Simply drill a 1" hole into the face of the stone. Slide the stone over the pin and start turning. I like to rough a tenon for chucking into a 4 jaw scroll chuck (Stronghold). The only problems I have had with the pin chuck are: Losing the key (1/16" x1" rod of steel or brass). I make a new one by cutting a piece of brass rod. The stone will slide so I have to push it back on sometimes. I usually do this while the lathe is running. If you don't have a pin chuck. The #1 jaws for a OneWay work as a good substitute for a pin chuck. OneWay Stronghold I chuck onto a tenon as you would wood. I also chuck squared soapstone as when drilling for kaleidoscopes. You should be mindful of the chuck as soapstone doesn't compress. Lateral pressure while turning will cause the soapstone to crush in the jaw and the chuck will lose it's grip. I haven't had one fly out but I have had most come lose in the first stages of turning. If you suspect any wobble because of the grip of the chuck stop the lathe and retighten the chuck. I will do this 3 or 4 time in the first 10 min of turning. I don't recommend chucking on any thin walls. You tenon should be solid. In expansion mode you should have a lot of supporting stone. Soapstone has little structure (grain). Reverse chucking A light touch will help a lot. Soapstone scratches easily so protect finished surfaces when reverse chucking. Double face tape I have only done this once. The tape holds well to a smooth clean surface. Removal can cause damage as soapstone cracks and crumbles instead of bending. Between centers A spur center will drill a hole as will your cone center in the tailstock. I find myself doing a lot of tightening of the tailstock during the first 10 min of turning between centers.

5 April 2001 Page 5 Glue on waste blocks I have had good luck with gluing wood to soapstone. I have done this with epoxy (my current favorite) and CA glue. The soapstone is more fragile than the waste block. With a waste block you can use screws. Glue on stress wood trim You can glue on wood that forms a decoration. The wood will also add a lot of structure to the stone and can absorb a lot of stress that would normally ruin your finished piece. One place where this can be put to good use is in the making of pens. When you press the nib, cap and other friction/pressure fit parts into your finished barrels soapstone WILL crack. If you glue wood at the ends of the barrels the wood will absorb the pressure leaving the stone intact. Tools (scrapers) Because of the lack of structure you won't get any ribbons off of soapstone. All you will get is powder (or chips if things aren t going well). Turning soapstone is strictly a scraping process. So put a good burr on your scrapers and have at it. Soapstone will hold a great deal of detail. I have found as you turn to a thinness the color of the stone changes long before you have compromised the integrity of the piece. You don t have to pass light through the piece to get this effect. Sanding Soapstone Soapstone sands very quickly. 120 grit will reduce even deep toolmarks very quickly. Final sanding should be done with sandpaper not steelwool or scotch bright pads. Scotch bright pads will give soapstone a smooth dimpled surface. After 1500 grit sandpaper finish with some rubbing compound to get a polished shine. I have not tried wax or the Beal system with soapstone.!! TALC IS HAZARDOUS TO YOUR LUNGS!! Use a good dust mask and use any dust control you have available. This is true for working any wood as well. Because all you get is dust when turning soapstone you should use a dust mask from the start (preparing the blank right on through final sanding). Items For Sale Record CL-3 Lathe for Sale. Five speed, 3/4 h.p. 12" swing, 48" length, wt. 210 lbs. Makes a 30" bowl with the included outboard turning rest. Made in Great Britain with a no. 1 M.T., 3/4 X 16 thread spindle. Includes: 3 face plates, 1 screw chuck, Maxi-Grip 2000 chuck with #1 & #2 jaws, 2 tool rests, live center, cup center, drive center, Record legs for stand (no stand), owner's manual. A $1590 value, will sell for $900. Call Don Chamlee at For Sale Delta Model Variable speed Scroll Saw. $240 call Dick Krehling at Notices For All Bob Rosand will be demonstrating and teaching in Dick Krehling's "studio" on Fri April 13th. Cost is $40 includes coffee/donuts and lunch. Start time 09:00. Call Dick Krehling at The monthly skill enhancement workshop, normally held on the last Tuesday of each month, will be held on Wednesday (4/25/01) for April at WoodCraft Supply in Springfield, VA. C.A. Savoy

6 April 2001 March 2001 Meeting Page 6 Show & Tell Table Above left: Martin Angebranndt - a 5"W x 3"H Eucalyptus hollow form, a 4"W x 2 1/2"H Maple Burl and two miniature Cocobolo bowls Above right, Don Johnson - a 7"W x 2"H square-edged bowl of Koa and Ebony and a 8"W x 1"H Curly Maple Above left: Tom Boley - 8"W x 3"H spalted Maple bowl. Above right: Dean Swagert - a 6"H x 3"W segmented hollow form made of Maple, Mahogany, and Padauk and a 6"w X 1"h bowl made of "Rose of the Mountain" from Guyana Above left: Andy Blackwell - An Escoulen "If-Cut-Then" sample board from various exotic woods - If a I put the wood in at this angle, and do this cut; then I get a piece that looks like this!; Above right: Don Hart - Three bowls and a necklace ornament from a famous year old tree in Salem, NJ. In Dec 99 the tree lost three branches and pieces of the tree were awarded to local artists based on skill. Don was awarded some of the branch wood. Photos by Jim Marstall

7 April 2001 March 2001 Meeting Page 7 Show & Tell Table Above left: C.A. Savoy - A 8"W x 6"H Walnut bowls, a 5"W x 2"H Ambrosia Maple natural edge Above right, Ray Taylor - Ray's first three turnings. A 10"W x 4"H Ambrosia Maple bowl, a 9"W x 2"H Maple treated with amber-gold aniline dye, and a 5"W x 1 1/2"H Maple bowl. Above left: Neil Kagan - A 6"W x 2"H Bloodwood bowl with a carved rose insert of bleached basswood in the bowl cup. Above right: Neil Kagan - A 20"W Maple burl with hand-carved recesses Above left: Neil Kagan - Two 6"H x 5"W stemmed goblets of Zebrawood with Ebony stems. Above right: Don Riggs - Three natural edge bowls of Ambrosia Maple, Peach and Oak and two small Ambrosia Maple hollow forms

8 Jim Marstall, Newsletter Editor Capital Area Woodturners (CAW) 6213 Capella Ave. Burke, VA CAW Newsletter April New CAW Members since February 2001 Welcome all! We are glad you have chosen to add your talents to our club. We look forward to the contributions you will make, and the pieces you will bring in to Show-&- Tell. Your participation will add to our mutual love of woodturning and to our collective knowledge and skill. Last Name First Name City Ballard Larry Halmton VA Dangerfield Brian Baleton VA Darr Barbara Stephens City VA Ketchum T. G. Reston VA Orrence David New Market MD Zinder Dan Arlington VA Cihlar Frank Falls Church VA Dillard Charles Springfield VA Purdy Dianne Centreville VA Smith David McLean VA Taylor Ray Woodbridge VA Walsh Peter Vienna VA ST