Welcome to South Downs Woodturners
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An important message from the South Downs Woodturners' Committee to all members
Although the risk is very small, just one case of the virus in the room would require all of us to self-isolate for 14 days and a deep clean of the Parish Hall would be necessary.
We have had a discussion with Colin Simpson who is due to demonstrate to us next Saturday, 21st and the Committee has reluctantly decided to postpone the all-day demo to a later date, and to cancel the April meeting. We will decide on the status of the May meeting closer to the time, when the spread of the virus is better understood.
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East Sussex & West Sussex wood turners typically meet on the first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 10:00pm in Lancing Parish Hall. See our Contact page for a Map and our About / Prog page for activities.
If you would like to join us please come to any meeting without obligation and meet our Membership Secretary. For further info please e-mail us at Enquiries@SouthDownsWoodturners.com
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Next Meeting We have made the decision to cancel our April meeting and we have postponed the all-day demo from Colin Simpson that was due to be on Saturday 21st March.
Next Competition April - Bud Vase - thanks to our February demonstrators you should have plenty of inspiration for your competition entry!
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March Meeting
This month was another practical evening with three club members demonstrating turning and Barrie Fitch showing laser engraving. Dave Smith was making hedgehogs and having interesting discussions with Anna Cates on skew angles, Gordon Eaton was turning bowls, and giving beginners some hands on experience, and Jim Young was demonstrating turning and finishing of small bowls.
Alongside this, a new camera set-up was being tried out and there was the Chairman's Challenge of 'Finial'. Congratulations to the three winners this month - Peter, Dave and Sandy.
See you on Saturday 21 March for the full day from Colin Simpson.
February Meeting
The first meeting of the year was very well attended and there was great interest in the bud vase demonstrations from Anna Cates, Barry Chidlow and Andy Heath. They all showed different approaches not just in shape and colour, but also design with off-centre turning and multi-holed vases.
It was also competition time with the Open Competition and there were plenty of entries this time round. It would be great to have as many or more for the bud vase competition to be judged in April.
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Anna Cates adding liming wax
Barry Chidlow getting a multi-axis ready
Andy Heath starting out on bud vase
Dave Smith registering competition entries
Plenty of entries to judge...
...and plenty of debate
The winning entries as judged by club members - congratulations to all
Casting votes for the final competition of the year - Turned Fruit
December Meeting
We had planned to have a talk from our Chairman, Norman Billingham, about tool-making. However, this was not to be as Norman was unwell. We wish him a speedy recovery.
We did have our final competition of the year though, and our Chairman's Challenge was Christmas decorations...definitely a festive feel!
There will be no meeting in January, but we return in February with our Open Competition. Remember that subs are due in February.
We wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Les using a pull cut to shape the outside of his bowl
November Meeting - Les Thorne does a Bowl
Les is a regular professional demonstrator to visit us, and he never disappoints. His demo this time was bowl turning and he took us through the whole process of shaping and hollowing the bowl, adding texture and colour, and covering the full range of cuts that are needed. There was something for everyone in his demo, from beginner to seasoned turner. As well as covering the basics, he also went through push and pull cuts in detail, focusing on different bowl gouge grinds, how to scrape and shear scrape with a long-grind bowl gouge, and then showed how to bead the outside of the bowl with a spindle gouge, how to put an undercut on the rim using a small bowl gouge, and how to finish off the bottom of the bowl. There was even some advice on sharpening. A great evening!
Gordon keeping his audience entertained as well as showing us how to turn a peppermill and what different designs were possible.
October Meeting - Gordon's Grinders
Gordon took to the lathe again this year for his second club demo and treated us to a session on making pepper mills using a Crushgrind mechanism. He showed us the two different versions available - shafted and shaftless. This is a great project for turners of all abilities, and a good one for novices to put a range of different turning skills into practice. A copy of the drilling and dimensions has been emailed to all club members. As well as educating us with his turning, he amused us with his humour, as always...and left us with the probing question of 'What was the best thing before sliced bread?'
A selection of Gordon's peppermills, complete with a festive Santa mill...
Chairman's Challenge for October - Miniatures.....and some were really tiny!
Snowmen and mushrooms...the numbers grow....for donation to the local nursery for decorating for Christmas gifts
September Meeting - Getting Fruity
Autumn is the season of 'mellow fruitfulness' so it was fitting that this month's meeting was about turning fruit. We were fortunate to have three members demonstrating their approaches to turning, colouring and finishing fruit. Jim Young showed us how to turn apples and pears with a natural wood finish, waxed to show the wood's beauty, Peter Brown showed us how to turn acorns and texture them, and Anna Cates showed us her painted and bitten fruit - her colouring is so realistic you could be forgiven for taking a real bite from one of her pieces! All this to help inspire members for the next club competition: turned fruit for December.
Peter Brown putting texture on an acorn cup
Jim Young turning a pear
Anna Cates taking bites out of her pear
Peter's acorns and some blanks ready for turning
Jim's fruit
Anna's coloured fruit
Chairman's Challenge - Branch
Member turnings
Turn a snowman or mushroom for the Nursery children to deocorate for Christmas - bring yours to the next meeting
July Meeting
David Hare was our member demonstrator for the evening. He showed how to create a multi-part column by joining shorter pieces of spindle turning with turned pegs or tenons to fit holes drilled with a blacksmith's bit. He also showed us how to turn an acorn to fit on top of a newel post.
We also had a competition - something turned from a 4" cube.
We need more members to demonstrate turning fruit at the September meeting - let the Chairman know if you can help.
Finally, turn a snowman...I know it's a bit early in the year, but we will be donating plain, undecorated snowmen to the nursery that uses the hall for the children to paint for Christmas presents for their families.
Dave's cradle for holding square stock for drilling
Turning an acorn to go on the top of a newel post
Shaping the column with beads at each end and a tapering curve
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