Upcoming Meetings

All meetings listed below will be virtual meetings.
They will be Zoom meetings co-hosted by
West Bay Woodturners & Silicon Valley Woodturners

Wednesday March 3, 7 pm
Show & Tell and
President's Challenge: Embellishment

Monday March 8, 7 pm
Program: GluBoost

Wednesday March 10, 7pm
Segmenters meeting
Show & Tell - inspiration piece

Wednesday March 17, 7 pm
Sawdust session

Wednesday April 7, 7pm
Presenter: Mark Agar
Signature pieces - Viking Sunset Bowls
His website

Monday May 10, 7 pm
Program: Hinged box by Claude Godcharles

Wednesday June 2, 7 pm
Program: Walking Bowls by Rebecca DeGroot

Check your email for Zoom log-on instructions.

All February meetings were virtual via Zoom
hosted by Bob leBy, Greg Peck and Mike Lanahan

Wednesday, February 3
Program: Cindy Drozda - Twisted Box

Cindy reminded us why we like watching her demos. with transparency, she explained in detail, showed the process and left us with detailed instructions/notes.

Photos of Cindy's February 3 presentation
Cindy's notes...how to make a twisted box
Downloadable PDF of Cindy's notes
Cindy's website

Wednesday February 8 - Show & Tell

Photos of the show.

Wednesday February 17 - Sawdust Session

Photos of the sawdust session.

President's Letter - Tom Gaston

Greetings!

I hope all is well and you are getting time in the shop. And I hope you have made some shop improvements for the new year. I got the drawers built that will hold carving tools and dremel, files and rasps, miscellaneous turning related tools, and chuck jaws. One feature I especially like is that the drawers are easily removable and can be placed close to the lathe or on the work bench.

As I find these improvements make my time in the shop more pleasurable and productive, I would like for you to send me pictures and description of any improvements that you have made. This month I will show two turning tool racks. First, I will show the racks I made last year for my modular turning tools (SB tools). I drilled tapered mortices to accept the end of the tool.

Claude Godcharles has also made a tool racks by using PVC pipe attached to a plywood backer. For the longer tools, he made a plywood rack with adjustable supports.

Happy turning and be safe.
Tom

"As the Wood Turns" Opportunity - by Dave Vannier

One of the first demonstrators that I saw after joining the club was Frank Sudol. He was a bit cranky, but I found him amusing. Being Canadian, he hated the rules about customs. Hated might be a mild description. Ranted might be more appropriate. That was almost 20 years ago. Seems some things never change. His specialty was piercing. He had a hollowing jig, that used a big captive bar, allowing him to hollow deep vessels. He taught a couple day hands on class as well as doing the demo. At the time, I was a very new turner, and did not think I had the experience, or deserved to take up one of the few slots that were available. Looking back, I really wish I had taken the class. Since that time, I’ve tried not to turn down any learning opportunity. Unfortunately Frank passed away a few years ago. I was going to bid on a piece that Binh Pho finished from the work that Frank had started, but the bidding went wild, and was quickly past my no discussion spending limit. It was a great piece.

The piercing was done in white birch, turned to 1/8” or less thickness. I’ve been watching for some birch for a while to try to do some piercing. Got a call about a birch tree that was taken out by PG&E this past month. Thanks to a few good friends, I was able to harvest a few pieces. Still too weak to run a chainsaw, or really move heavy pieces, my good friends took care of me. Thanks to them! I also was able to follow one of my rules, that I seldom follow. Never take more wood than you can process. When I do, it just goes to waste. So, all in all this was a good month.

Now, I’ve hollowed 5 pieces to do some piercing/painting. Gave me a chance to play a little with shape and practice hollowing. I’m still learning how to hollow, but this practice is helping. I’ve started embellishment on two pieces. There is lots of work to go. I have ideas on what I want to do with a couple more, but one piece was just hollowed with no embellishment ideas yet. The club has been offering learning opportunities, via zoom, almost every month. Cindy Drozda offered an entertaining session on a twisted box. I recommend you try not to miss the next offering!

Dave
www.daves-turned-art.com

Wood Education - Spalting

Spalting is any form of wood coloration caused by fungi. Although primarily found in dead trees, spalting can also occur in living trees under stress. Although spalting can cause weight loss and strength loss in the wood, the unique coloration and patterns of spalted wood are sought by woodworkers

Spalting is divided into three main types: pigmentation, white rot, and zone lines. Spalted wood may exhibit one or all of these types in varying degrees. Both hardwoods (deciduous) and softwoods (coniferous) can spalt, but zone lines and white rot are more commonly found on hardwoods due to enzymatic differences in white rotting fungi. Brown rots are more common to conifers, although one brown rot, Fistulina hepatica (beefsteak fungus), is known to cause spalting among deciduous trees

2021 WBW board members and committee chairs

President: Tom Gaston
Vice President: Bob Bley
Treasurer:  Jon Bishop
Secretary:  Roman Chernikov
Member at Large: Claude Godcharles
Meeting Program Coordinator: TBD
Visiting artist Coordinator:  Bob Bley
Anchor seal:  Dennis Lillis
CA Glue:  Tom Kenyon
Craft Supply:  William Akey
Coffee & Cookies:  Phil Feiner
Librarian: Kelly Smith
Audio Visual: Curtis Vose
Website & Newsletter:  Tom Haines

click here for contact information on the above

Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.