May 2012 Meeting Reminder

ReminderThe May 2012 CCW meeting will be held Monday, May 21st at 6:00 p.m. at the Construction Lab at the Clarke Central High School.    Note that this is a change from our regular meeting time due to Memorial Day falling on the last Monday of the month.  Our very own Jim Underwood will present a pen turning demonstration. In it he will discuss pen kit options, show members how to prep the pen blank, turn the pen body, apply and polish a CA glue finish, and assemble a pen. In the course of doing so, he will give tips on creating a better pen, and how to eliminate or minimize common problems when turning pens.  Bring your bowls for the first round of bowl challenge shapes to the meeting, as well.  Visitors are welcome!  Also, the Marigold Festival is this upcoming Saturday, May 19th, in Winterville.  CCW will have a demonstration booth.  If you are interested in helping out, please contact Walter McRae at wmcrae@uga.edu.  We will be turning some items, as well as displaying previously turned items.  More information on the Marigold Festival can be found here.

One Response to “May 2012 Meeting Reminder”

  • Jim Underwood:

    A Reminder About 1st Shape Challenge

    Shape Challenge #1 bowls are due at the meeting on Monday the 21st! You have one last weekend to finish up for our instant gallery. The second challenge will be a concave bowl, and I will be providing another template and a handout. I’ve tried to keep the size of the templates to about a 7 inch diameter so that even turners with a mini lathe can make these. Feedback on this project is welcome!

    Remember it’s not the wood, embellishments, or the size that matters. It’s the form we’re interested in. If you don’t have a blank the right size, use a photocopier to reduce your template. If all you can do is glue up some ratty old poplar or pine, then do that – I used glued up alder. If the bowl has some tearout, or other imperfections, it’s not a problem. But get that shape as close as you can!

    The idea behind this first shape is that the simple arcs flow outward and upward from the foot into an open, welcoming form. Notice also, that the lines of those arcs meet in the foot. The foot is important. If the foot is not present, then the lines of the sides will meet under the surface upon which the form sits, truncating the flow of the form. Remember also that you want a continuous fair curve with no flat spots or hard bends. If you are intrepid enough, try sawing your bowl in half and looking at the inside profile as well. The inside profile and how it relates to the outsideis just as important, and sawing it in half, although disturbing, can be quite instructive. Perhaps, in a fit of insanity, I’ll do it to my own bowl!

    If you don’t have shape challenge #1 completed by the meeting, remember you can always bring it to a late rmeeting. We have two months per challenge, so I hope you all will complete the set of four. Keep all your bowls and templates and at the end we’ll bring them all together and compare notes. If you lose your template, let me know, and I can send you a file to print out.

    I encourage all our members to participate in this challenge. This is about learning to make nice shapes and good proportions, not about creating a exotic wood bowl with a perfect finish (although you can do that, or add embellishments if you want).

    Again this is primarily about shape!Please bring your bowl, and be prepared to tell us what you’ve learned.

    Have fun!
    Jim Underwood

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