September, 2006

Meeting Information: Saturday, September 16th*

[*note one week earlier than usual]

Hands-on Workshop with Mentoring Program

at Russ Babbitt’s

from 9:00 am to ? 

with Lunch ($5 donation requested)

Bring your own tools and face mask so you can practice with your own tools and learn to sharpen them.  If you don’t have any yet you can borrow ours.

The August 26th meeting featured Stuart Batty presenting an all day demonstration.  The description of this by Steve LeBlanc is on the S. Batty 2006 page.  Stuart was previously here in 2004, and he again did an outstanding job.  This year he focused even more on his application of the negative rake grind to scraping tools.  Steve reported to me that this was the first time he had ever seen anyone else turn.  He is totally self taught and has always turned by himself.   Steve is an excellent turner having won several prizes at the Ventura County Fair.  His write up of Stuart’s demonstration is thus seen thru the eyes of an accomplished turner seeing turning through a new perspective.

August also featured the Ventura Count Fair.  Our participation in both the work to be judged and our active demonstrations in the booth were superb.  Innumerable tops and other small turnings were made and given to the kids who often were back for their 4 and 5 year of watching us.  If you haven’t taken a look at the photos yet take time to do so now.  We are in negotiation with the Fair organizers to possibly have our own booth next year so we don’t cover the woodcarvers with so much sawdust and chips!

Our September meeting is at Russ Babbitt’s shop for a hands-on turning session designed to teach beginning turners the basics of safety, tool sharpening, and any special projects or techniques that you are interested in learning.  Give Russ a call if you have something special in mind that you would like him to prepare for ahead of time.  We will have 5 or 6 lathes available so everyone can have a turn (pun intended).  Russ will again make lunch available and we request a $5 donation to help defray costs.

The following meeting on October 14th (again earlier in the month than usual) is the rescheduled all day demo by Linda Salter on segmented turning.  More on this will be in the October newsletter, but since the meeting is so early in the month you can start reserving your spot by sending a note to RSVP now! Remember there is a $25 fee for these all day demonstrations and that your check should be make out to our treasurer Ron Lindsay.  Your email to RSVP also lets Doug Eaton know how many lunches to order.

Club President Martha Etchart has called a meeting of the officers and other interested members for Friday Oct 6 at 6:30 pm to be held at Joel Oksner’s home.  Any club member is invited.  We will be discussing job descriptions for next year’s officers and will be looking for someone to take over the newsletter and possibly webmaster duties in addition to other changes.  If you want to have input into the club activities and become more involved don’t be shy.  We need your help to continue to keep the quality of our programs at the high level we have maintained for the past 10 plus years!  Email Martha at president@channelislandswoodturners.org to say you will attend!