June 2004 - Capital Area Woodturners

June 2004
http://www.capwoodturners.org.
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, June 12, 2004
Time: 9:00 AM — 3:30 PM
Place: Bryant Education Center
2709 Popkins Lane
Alexandria, Virginia
F r o m V ir g in ia o r
D IR E C T IO N S T O T H E M E ET IN G :
M a r y la n d , t a k e I-4 9 5 / I-9 5 t o w a r d s t h e W ils o n B r id g e o v e r
t h e P o t o m a c R iv e r . T a k e E x it 1 7 7 A (R t 1 So u t h ) o n t h e
V i r g i n i a s i d e . A p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 .9 m i l e s s o u t h o f t h e B e l t w a y ,
y o u w ill p a s s t h e B e a c o n M a ll c o m p le x w it h L o w e s H o m e
I m p r o v e m e n t W a r e h o u s e o n y o u r r ig h t .
F r o m t h e m a in
e n t r a n ce in t o B e a co n M a ll, g o 4 m o r e s t o p lig h t s – a b o u t ½
th
m ile . T h e 4 s t o p lig h t w ill b e P o p k in s L a n e . T u r n L e ft o n t o
P o p k in s la n e a n d g o d o w n 2 b lo ck s . T h e B r y a n t L e a r n in g
C e n t e r e n t r y w i ll b e o n y o u r r i g h t . D r i v e t o t h e E a s t s i d e o f
t h e b u ild in g . P le n t y o f p a r k in g o n t h e s id e o r in t h e r e a r o f
t h e b u ild in g . T h e e n t r a n c e s t o t h e w o o d w o r k in g s h o p a n d
m e e t i n g r o o m s a r e o ff t h e E a s t s i d e o f t h e B r y a n t C e n t e r .
2) Box making with a twist - basic box making,
containers cut and reassembled; use of hook tools;
surface design;
About the Artist Personal Statement
My love of woodworking is not only for the beauty and
mystery of the material, but in the inventing of new techniques
and processes to create objects.
The materials I use relate to the objects I make. At times, a
piece of salvaged wood will become a starting point of design.
Other times, a design will call for a piece of wood with
incredible grain. Using plain wood, like birch allows me to
approach the object as a three dimensional canvas. Here, I can
apply a variety of surface design techniques to express an idea.
My work tells stories from my life, places I’ve been, people
I’ve met, architecture, our environment. These stories are
Program For The Month
8:30 AM
Help set up for the demonstration. Look
over the For Sale items in the equipment room. Help get
the coffee bar going or have a cup of coffee and a donut
with your fellow turners. Discuss the items on the Show &
Tell table. Rent a video. Talk over problems and
techniques with someone who might already have been
there and done that.
9:00 AM
A normal business meeting. A raffle will
be offered. Photos of member items will be taken for the
next CAW 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. Supplies & tools for sale will be shown.
A Full- Day Demo
$5.00 Fee will be collected
9:30 AM
interwoven into the objects I create. Craft goes beyond the
pleasure of our senses and deals not only with aesthetics, but
our social and ideological lives.
Fascination with how turned forms can be manipulated keeps
me excited about future possibilities related to woodturning.
His work can also be seen on his web page
http://members.shaw.ca/nstout/Michael_Hosaluk/michael_hosa
luk.html which also contains information about his well written
book surface design book, "Scratching the Surface".
Michael Hosaluk
Morning Session: Basic spindle turning and beyondbasic cutting, understanding grain direction, off center
turning, bending spindles.
Slide show of surface and content at lunch.
Lunch will be provided by CAW
Afternoon Session:
1): Hollow turning - design with hollow turning, addition
of spindles and other material.
Future CAW Plans
2004
Jun Jul Aug Sep -
Mike Hosaluk - Hollow forms, thinking out of
the box
Jerry Whitehurst – turning without a chuck,
and square turning
Annual Picnic – Coast Guard Station - telegraph
Road
Member’s demo their own special jigs & fixtures
June 2004
CAW-S/E WORKSHOP-BRYANT SCHOOL
WED.
6-9-04
9:00AM TILL 3:00PM
TUES. 6-29-04
9:00AM TILL 3:00PM
Any special requests contact::
CA Savoy [email protected]
Or:: Don Riggs [email protected]
Or:: Chris Cuyler [email protected]
Or:: Don Johnson [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE::: There is a shop charge of $5.00. If you use
any tool, i.e., band saw, lathe, drill press etc. the charge will
apply. If you come to visit and just watch, then - no charge.
YOU MUST ALSO BE A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN
ASSOCIATION OF WOODTURNERS IF YOU WANT TO USE
ANY OF THE TOOLS.
CAW- ONEWAY ORDER
CA will be placing a ONEWAY order on Monday, June
14th. Order must be to him NLT Sunday 06-13-04.
Check your catalog or call up ONEWAY website at
www.oneway.on.ca to see what 's available or e-mail your
order to C.A. at [email protected]
Items can be picked up at Bryant School on the 2nd Wed.
or last Tues. monthly workshops or at the monthly
meetings or by special arrangements. You pay when you
receive your merchandise.
CA Savoy:::: HAPPY AND SAFE TURNING!!!!!!!!!!!
Turning More than wood & steel vs. man
My Grandfather was a pattern maker and very successful at it.
When I was young, I was often recruited to spend the day helping
"Gramp" at his business. Helping consisted of spending the better
part of 8 hours sweeping the shavings from the 2,500 square feet
of floor space... I honestly remember being waist deep in shavings!
As I would sweep, I would watch Gramp work. I can remember
him striking a pose before his massive lathe, similar to a
prizefighter, feet apart, a slight bend to the knees, big hunk of
metal in his hands as what I recall to be a tree began to spin. He
faced the wood, arm muscles bulging; a determined look on his
face... and then, it was as though he was conducting an orchestra.
He moved, the tool danced across wood, it was magic. He was an
artist. His work is beautiful and I am lucky to have some here in
my home.
Unfortunately, he was too much of a perfectionist to ever let me
touch a tool as a boy and by the time I was old enough to
apprentice with him... it was the mid-70s and I THOUGHT I had
better things to do.
For the past 10 years I had been nurturing the urge to do
something worth while with my hands and a piece of wood. I
missed the smells, the textures and, perhaps most of all, the sense
of wellbeing that I experienced with Gramp in his shop. Last year
I bought my Delta "Midi" at the Woodworkers show after visiting
the CAW booth. The following month I joined CAW and then
took CA's bowl class, Don's class, and spent a few bucks at “CA’s
Shop of Needful Things”. How I love standing in front of this
Page 2
machine. The feel of the wood, the smells of wood, solvents and
finishes, up to my knees in shavings... and each time I stand
there... I can feel Gramp looking over my shoulder, critical, yet
supportive.
I freely admit that after a year, I have a long way to go.
However, more importantly than all the skills I may (or may not)
have developed to date, I feel very lucky to have made so many
new friends. To me woodturning is a lot more than a pass-time
or hobby, it is in many ways a part of my heritage and as such, it
evokes deeper feelings than the satisfaction of a piece fairly
turned, it has restored a sense of well-being to me that has long
been missing.
Steven Lear
Item For Sale:
SuperNova Chuck for sale. Comes with three jaw sets
(2", Powergrip, and Cole Jaws). Excellent condition.
Includes a 1"- 8 TPI threaded adapter. Selling because I
don't have an adapter compatible with my new Oneway
Lathe. Costs $370 new, selling for $320. Call Gerry at
(410) 286-5958.
CAW 2004 Officer Roster
Name
Position
Tom Boley
President
Manny Fernandez
Vice-President
Mike McInerney
Treasurer
Bob Reynolds
Secretary
Frank Stepanski
Program Director
Committee Chair
C. A. Savoy
Show Director
Jim Marstall
Newsletter Editor
Club Support Volunteers
Each member
Contact Information
8316 Botsford Ct.
Springfield, VA 22152
703-569-2548
[email protected]
7913 Hollington Place
Fairfax Station, VA, 22039
703-690-9550
[email protected]
14526 Creek Branch Court
Centerville, VA 20120
703-378-8117
[email protected]
7627 Mineral spring Court
Springfield, VA 22153
703-455-2931
[email protected]
1203 Washington Dr.
Stafford, VA 22554-1902
540-720-4202
[email protected]
1309 Gatewood Drive
Alexandria, VA 22307
703-765-7268
[email protected]
6213 Capella Ave.
Burke, VA 220215
703-644-6797
[email protected]
Bill Bearden – Video Library
Aaron Grebeldinger -Ed. Outreach
Mark Robinson – Group Buy
Jonathan Hess – Raffles/Auctions
Chris Cuyler – CAW Clothes
Paul Burke Mentor Program
All committee volunteers Set-up, clean-up, education, etc.
If your personal information changes:
address, phone, or email, notify Mike
McInerney .
June 2004
Page 3
Another Use for Our Shavings
The Call of the Lathe (Cont’d)
The following Barbecuing Tip is excerpted from Steve Raichlin’s
book “How To Grill” and is used here with Steve’s permission.
Please visit his website, www.barbecuebible.com to learn
more about his book, the accompanying newsletter the April
publication of which includes this cooking tip, his Barbecue
University TV shows, and his grilling features presented in other
magazines.
I think that woodturning shavings, soaked in
water/beer as described, then squeezed into a moist ball and put
into a smoker pouch could be another great use for the shavings
we all generate.
the web site so that you can read them yourselves. We
will have a few copies at the meeting for those who
cannot access the web site, but hope that those of you
with access will read them there. We think this is a
very positive step for this club. In a separate article in
this newsletter, we will explain the benefits of
incorporation and will ask for your vote at the July
meeting in support of the process.
“Wood smoke is an integral part of the true barbecue. Wood comes in
three forms for smoking: chips, chunks, and logs. Chips and chunks will
handle the needs of most backyard grillers; logs are used by people with
professional rigs and large front-loading charcoal grills.
For a light wood flavor, simply
toss the chips or chunks on the
coals a technique used mainly
in direct grilling in the style of
Europe or South America. For
a more pronounced smoke
flavor-the sort associated with
traditional American barbecuesoak the chips or chunks in
water (or a mixture of water
and beer) for 1 hour, then
drain before adding them to
the fire. This soaking causes
the wood to smolder rather
than burst into flames, so it
generates more smoke.
By varying the wood, you can subtly vary the flavor: heavy woods, like
mesquite and pecan, have a stronger smoke flavor than fruit woods, like
apple or cherry. The best all purpose woods for smoking are hickory
and oak. However, the difference is very subtle. Almost any hardwood
can be used for smoking with sublime results. Note: NEVER attempt to
smoke with softwoods or pressure treated lumber.
To smoke on a charcoal grill, set up your grill for indirect grilling and
toss the wood chips or chunks on the piles of glowing embers.
To smoke on a gas grill, check first to see if your grill has a smoker box
(a long, slender drawer or box into which you can put wood chips for
smoking). If it does, fill it with wood chips and light the burner under or
next to it on high until you see smoke, then lower the heat of the grill to
the desired temperature.
If your gas grill lacks a smoker box, make a smoker pouch: wrap the
soaked chips in heavy duty foil to make a pillow shaped pouch. Poke a
few holes in the top with a pencil or knife tip, and place the pouch
under the grate over one of the burners. Preheat on high until you see
smoke. Note: the traditional drawback to gas grills is that many don’t
get hot enough for smoking. Preheat the grill to high until you see
smoke-lots of it-then turn the burner knobs to reduce the heat to the
desired temperature.
Alternatively, position wood chunks under the grill grate directly over
one of the burners or pilot lights and preheat on high until you see
smoke.
Now that you have read and absorbed all of this
valuable information, it is once again time to heed the
Call of the Lathe and make something round!
Tom Boley
CAW’s Mentorship Program
HONOR ROLL
May 27, 2004
Bob Grudberg ***
Don Johnson **
Bob Pezold ***
Richard Allen ****
Andrew Blackwell **
John Overman*
CA Savoy xx
Jim Marstall *
Seth Hurlbert
Phil F Brown *
A Grebeldinger
Don Chamlee
Bill Hardy*
Alan Becker**
Tom Boley(7*)
Pat Berry*
Bob Kinsel *
Don Riggs xx
Bob Marshall *
Clif Poodry
F Stepanski
*** denotes number of people being mentored
xxx denotes Tue & Wed skill enhancement
Many thanks to those who are giving back, by helping
others. Any who are missing or are willing to help others,
contact Paul Burke, at. 703-534-9076,
[email protected]
Let’s Grow Woodturners!
Items For Sale:
DeWalt Heavy-Duty 12.5" Portable Thickness Planer,
model DW733. Brand-new, never used, but out of the box
and it cost $389.00 when purchased. It also includes the
dust hood, DW7332, which cost $39.00. This planer needs
a good home where it will be used. Features include: Fourcolumn head lock to greatly reduce sniping; Extra-long in
and out feed tables; Powerful 15.0 amp motor; 10,000 rpm
cutter head speed, Knives made of M2 laminated high
speed tool steel that can be re-sharpened multiple times;
Thickness scale; and onboard magnetic knife setting
gauges and wrenches for fast, easy and accurate knife
changes. Asking $269.00.
Campbell Hausfeld High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP)
paint sprayer, model HV2000. The sprayer is brand new
still in the box and sold for $270.00. Asking $170.00
June 2004
Page 4
About Our Members
by Phil Brown
Richard Allen is scheduled to demonstrate to viewers of
the furniture show at the Renwick Gallery on June 30th
from noon to 3 pm, and Al Hockenbery will do the same
Richard plans to make several tables
on July 7th.
completely done on the lathe, and could also do a split
turning, drawer pulls and finials. The Renwick is at 17th &
Pennsylvania Ave NW in Washington DC. Go see the
exhibits, Right at Home: American Studio Furniture on the
ground floor and the second floor permanent collection, on
the day that Richard or Al is there.
The George Washington/Mount Vernon white ash project
motivated Richard Allen to create a web page featuring a
group photo with the turned pieces and access to
individual pieces with artist’s comments. See at:
http//www.gyniahouse.com/caw/MtVernon/Groupphoto.ht
m
The Art in Embassies Program has borrowed, for several
years, a natural edge spalted curly maple vessel by Phil
Brown for display in the US Ambassador’s residence in
Dushanbe, Tajikistan. A similar but larger vessel is shown
with Owen Edwards article on Getting Your Work into
Galleries on page 15 of the Spring 2004 issue of American
Woodturner. A sculptural piece by Lynda Smith-Bugge
recently returned following three years in Dushanbe,
Tajikistan under the same program.
Aaron Grebeldinger will teach Bowl Turning
at
WOODCRAFT in Springfield on June 10th, July 15th, and
August 12th from 6 to 9:30 pm . And Richard Allen will
again teach Introduction To The Lathe there on June 13th,
July 11th and August 7th from 10 am to 5 pm. Call the
store at 703-912-6727 for details and to register.
Bill Hardy reported a very successful marketing
experience at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival over
the May 1-2 weekend.
Spun Transformations, new work by Sherry & Allen
Hockenbery will be featured by ARTFX Gallery in
Annapolis from June 1-30, 2004.
Sherry's "Twilight
Series" combines natural wood and vibrant colors that
highlight the exquisite beauty of the wood grains provided
by nature. Allen's new "Suspended Vessels" showcases
his innovative technique and master skill level.
"Deep Sea Encounters", by Allen Hockenbery, was
selected by jurors Mark Sfirri and Jacques Vesery for
inclusion in the exhibit Sea to Odyssey at the AAW
symposium and other sites this summer.
A nice article with pictures about Lynda Smith-Bugge’s
sculpture, Art in Nature, appeared in the May 2004 issue
of élan (a magazine for the VA real estate trade), page 64.
To inquire about a copy contact them at
elanmagazine.com or 703-757-7522.
Don’t be shy! Tell others about your woodturning activities
in the CAW Newsletter. Send your information by the third
week of the month to Phil Brown, 7807 Hamilton Spring
Road, Bethesda, MD 20817-4547.
Phone and fax:
301-767-9863. E-mail: [email protected]
Other Item
Hand-Turned Vessels by David Fry will be featured June
18- July 9 at Sansar, located at 4805 Bethesda Avenue,
Bethesda, MD. Hours are 10-8 Mon-Fri, 10-2 Saturday,
and 12-5 on Sunday.
Incorporation?
Ross Horton, a CAW member who is a lawyer,
has had considerable experience in the process of
incorporation in that he has helped other organizations, of
which he is a part, to incorporate. The officers of CAW are
most grateful for his assistance in this process, both for his
knowledge of the process and for his counsel about
whether or not we should in fact take this next step.
The main, and compelling, reason to incorporate
is to shed individual liability. If someone is hurt at a CAW
function, we could all be liable for damages. That is, we
could ALL be liable. The club assets would be in
jeopardy, of course, but the personal assets of the officers
as well as the members of CAW, whether present at the
incident or not, could be in jeopardy. Once incorporated,
the assets of the corporation would still be in jeopardy, but
we would be protected from individual liability. I have
spoken to John Hill of Carolina Mountain Woodturners
about their efforts to incorporate. The main question was
if they had run into any unexpected problems or issues
regarding incorporated status, and he reported that they
had not.
The next step, which is also recommended by
your officers, is to apply for status with the IRS as a nonprofit organization. That allows us to apply for grants
which are available to such organizations in furtherance of
our educational objectives, but also makes us eligible for
special treatment by local government. An example of that
is our use of Bryant School. Right now, we are using the
school facilities, a value of hundreds of dollars per month,
at no cost in exchange for maintaining the school
woodshop in good working order. If the school staff, which
strongly supports us, were to change, a new staff may not
think this is a good relationship and may require us to pay.
Being a non-profit organization gives us substantially
greater stature in requesting no cost use of the school.
The draft Articles of Incorporation and the draft
CAW, Inc. Bylaws have been posted on the CAW website
for your review. Please do so prior to the July meeting as
we will ask for a vote from the membership in support of
incorporation and for applying for non-profit status.
Tom Boley
June 2004
(The following list of woodturning terms and
definitions, using British terminology and spelling,
is the second of three parts in consecutive
newsletters. Please cut out the respective pages and
staple them together for your future reference.)
A Glossary of Woodturning Terms
Headstock
The assembly fixed on the left-hand end of the bed of the lathe
which provides the drive for the workpiece.
Heart shake
A split running radially away from the pith.
Heartwood
The fully developed wood which surrounds the pith. It is often
darker in colour and harder than the sapwood which surrounds
it. The cells in the heartwood are dead and have ceased to
transport sap.
High speed steel (H.S.S.)
High speed steel; this is about 6 times harder than carbon steel.
HSS tools should be ground on a 'white' (aluminium oxide
grinding wheel).
Hone
To sharpen a tool by hand on a stone.
Honeycomb
An interior split, or group of splits, in a block of wood - usually
only found in larger sections. Probably due to over-quick
drying. Unfortunately, often not discovered until work is in
progress.
Hook gate
See Sizing tool
HSS
See high speed steel
Inboard turning
Face turning which is carried out over the bed of the lathe, ie on
the right-hand of the headstock.
Index plate
A plate used to lock the drive-shaft into a series of pre-set
regular positions. The plate is sometimes built into the lathe and
sometimes is a separate attachment used for specific jobs.
Jacob's chuck
Originally a proprietary name for a type of drill chuck which
can also be held in the headstock or tailstock of a lathe. It can be
used to hold a small workpiece instead of a drill.
Kiln-dried
See seasoning
Lace bobbin drive
A drive centre with a recess in the outer end to accept a lace
bobbin blank.
Laminated work
A workpiece constructed from glued-up blocks. It should be
allowed to dry thoroughly after gluing and then turned with
Page 5
sharp tools at a slow speed because centrifugal force can cause
the pieces to separate.
Live centre
A centre in the tailstock which revolves with the work. See also
centres
Mandrel
A means of holding a workpiece (or workpieces) by use of a rod
of wood or metal running through a central hole, as for toy
wheels and napkin rings.
M. C.
See moisture content.
MDF
Medium density fibre board - a man made material used as an
alternative to wood.
Medullary rays
Bundles of cells which run radially between the pith to the
cambium layer. They are much more easily seen in some woods,
such as oak, than others. The tree uses these cells for the storage
of nutrients.
Moisture content
The weight of the water in a sample of wood expressed as a
percentage of the weight of that sample when it is completely
dry. Often abbreviated to the M.C. of wood.
Moisture meter
An electrical instrument for determining the moisture content
(MC) of wood. There are two types of meter. One type measures
the electrical resistance of the wood, the other measures the
dielectric property of the wood.
Morse taper
A standard taper on a drill chuck or lathe drive centre which
enables the device to be removed from. or attached to, the
relevant machine quickly and easily.
Abbreviated to M.T.
M.T.
See morse taper.
Natural edge
The lip of a bowl or a goblet which shows the outside of the tree
- often with the bark in place.
Ogee
An elongated 'S' shaped curve.
Outboard turning
Face turning which is carried out on an extension of the driveshaft on the left-hand side of the headstock, ie the opposite side
to the bed. Relative to the turner the workpiece will revolve in
the opposite direction as compared with turning over the bed; as
a consequence the drive spindle and attachments, such as a
faceplate, require reverse threads.
Parting tool
For parting off, ie cutting off the waste, or dividing the
workpiece into sections.
Pin chuck
A chuck with a wooden or, more usually, a metal pin which is
jammed into a hole drilled in the workpiece.
June 2004
Phloem
See 'Bast'
Pith
The narrow channel in the innermost part of the tree, its trunk,
each branch and twig,
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
A pharmaceutical product which is sometime used by wood
workers to stabilise unseasoned timber. It is available in several
grades - PEG 1000 is the grade used by wood workers. When
unseasoned wood is submerged in a solution of PEG 1000 the
PEG is drawn into the wood by the process of osmosis and
replaces the water. Given sufficient time the PEG will replace all
the water in the wood. After the wood is removed from the
solution the PEG will set in the pores to prevent shrinking
cracking and distortion.
Precision Combination Chuck
A popular proprietary chuck with attachments which can
perform many of the functions performed by the chucks listed
here. It works on the basis of expanding or contracting collets.
Nowadays, scroll chucks are preferred.
Page 6
Saw cuts
When a log is converted to boards it may be cut in a number of
ways. The three terms most commonly encountered are:
• back sawn.
• through and through, and
• quarter sawn.
When back sawn the log is converted in such a way as to
provide the maximum number of cuts tangential to the growth
rings.
When quarter sawn the log is converted in such a way as to
provide the maximum number of cuts radial to the centre of the
log. Quarter sawn wood is usually more
stable, ie less prone to warping, shrinking and splitting, than
that produced by other cuts. Often, it also has a more attractive
figure because of the oblique way in which the medullary rays
are cut, particularly in oak, sapele, London plane (lacewood),
and sycamore (fiddleback).
Through and through (often abbreviated to T & T or T/T) refers
to boards produced by simply sawing through the log in a series
of parallel slices. A log sawn this way will produce some back
sawn boards, some quarter sawn boards, and some in between.
Pummel
A section of the workpiece in spindle turning which is left
square, eg when turning legs for chairs or tables.
Sawtooth machine bit
A special type of bit only used for drilling wood. It makes a
hole with a flat bottom except for a small centre mark. Sawtooth
bits will cut end grain and cross grain.
Rest
See tool rest.
Screw chuck
A chuck with a single screw fixed in the centre to which the
workpiece can be attached.
Ring centre
A live or a dead centre in the tailstock which has a small point
set in the middle of a ring. The point locates the centre whilst the
ring bears on the surface of the workpiece thus limiting the
penetration of the wood. This helps to prevent splitting and is
particularly useful for built-up or split turnings. See also centres
Scroll chuck
A four-jaw chuck, now very popular amongst woodturners. So
named because the teeth on the underside of the jaws engage in
a raised spiral (ie scroll) on the back-plate. Movement of the
back-plate causes the jaws to move in or out in unison.
Ring shake
See cup shake.
Roughing out gouge (or roughing gouge)
Used in spindle turning for reducing square stock to round
section. It has a semicircular section and is ground square
across. The bevel angle should be around 35° to 45°. A roughing
gouge is for spindle work and should not be used for face
turning, eg on bowls.
Ripple
Figure found in wood which has wavy grain, eg ripple
sycamore. See also fiddleback.
Rough turning
There are two possible meanings for this expression.
• The reduction of a square piece of timber to a round section.
This is done with a roughing gouge. • The preliminary work on
turning a bowl. A beginner should never use a roughing gouge
for this.
Sapwood
This surrounds the heartwood. It transports the sap from the
roots to the leaves.
Sealing
The first step in the finishing process. A sealer is applied to the
bare wood to act as a barrier to the ingress of moisture and dirt.
It also serves as a grain filler and as a base for further finishing
coats.
Seasoning
Drying green wood to a serviceable level.
• Air dried: dried by exposure to the air without the use of
artifical heat.
• Kiln dried: dried in a kiln (or oven) with the aid of artificial
heat.
Segmented work
See laminated work.
Shake
See split.
Shallow fluted gouge
See spindle gouge.
Shell augur bit
Used for drilling long holes on the lathes, eg in electric lamp
stands.
June 2004
Page 7
The White Ash Tree Turnings for George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate
When George Washington won independence for
America from the control of the British, and ensured the freedom
and
liberty
for
all
coming
generations, he returned to Mount
Vernon to resume his life as
overseer for the many activities of
farming and construction at his
home. In 1785, as part of his
landscaping plans for the estate,
George Washington planted a
number of trees around the
perimeter of the bowling green.
Thirteen of the trees known to have
been
planted
by
George
Washington still exist. One of them
was a White Ash tree. At 140+ feet
tall, the ash is the second tallest
tree on the estate, bested only by an Eastern Tulip (Poplar) tree
also planted by General Washington just 30 yards away. One of
the men who helped General Washington in managing his plans
and affairs was his personal assistant, Josiah Lear.
In the middle of September 2003, hurricane Isabel struck the
eastern seaboard causing significant wind damage to trees
from the Carolinas to New York
state. One of the damaged trees
was the 218 year-old White Ash
tree. One of the major sections of
the split trunk was broken off.
Although badly damaged, the tree
itself appears to be healthy, and
with a little cleaning up of the
ragged end, should continue to
flourish. This is truly a blessing
because, as Mr. James Rees,
Executive Director of George
Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate
said:
“These trees witnessed
history. They are our last living link to George Washington.”
One of Josiah Lear’s direct descendants is Steven Lear. Steve
has been associated for a number of years with Mr. Rees,.
Steve is also a somewhat new woodturner and a CAW
member. (See Steve’s article Turning - More than steel, &
wood vs man on page 2).
Steve mentioned to Mr. Rees that the wood from the fallen
trunk might be able to be
transformed
into
some
utilitarian and artistic pieces,
and used to benefit the estate
managers. Steve arranged for
Mr. Rees to attend one of the
early spring CAW meetings at
which he discussed with C.A.
Savoy, Don Riggs, and Tom
Boley possible uses that CAW
woodturners could make of
the ash wood. C.A. and Don
got a couple of blanks from
the tree and turned a dozen or
so pieces, both large and
small, and gave them to Mr. Rees for his review. Mr. Rees was
very interested, more wood blanks were provided and at the
April CAW meeting, log sections were distributed to a list of
people who were invited to participate in the project. The wood
was tightly controlled and signed out to the individual turners
with the understanding that, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES,
could the wood be used to make any item that could possibly
end up on the open market.
The turned items were destined to be given by the estate
managers to people and organizations that had provided
substantial support to Mount Vernon. It is crucial that the estate
managers are able to say at the presentation of each piece that
is a one-of-a-kind work of art that is not available to anyone else
at any price.
The pieces were collected at the May CAW meeting and
delivered to Mt. Vernon on June 1st. The presentation consisted
of a display of a few selected
pieces at the base of the
parent white ash tree. A short
demonstration
of
turning
techniques was conducted by
C.A. Savoy and Don Riggs,
and interviews with Tom
Boley, CAW President, were
provided for members of the
Washington DC area press
and for the lucky tourists that happened to be passing at that
time. Also attending were Manny Fernandez, Frank Stepanski,
Steve Lear, and Jim Marstall.
Immediately following the demonstration, we adjourned to a
conference room within the Mt. Vernon administration building
where, for
the first time,
all
the
turned items
were laid
out on a long
conference
table
for
viewing. It
was truly an
impressive
display!
The
turnings
varied
from
basic wine
stoppers and
fan pulls to
utilitarian salad
bowls
to
natural-edged
hollow forms to fashioned works of art and interpretive visions.
The work showed the variety of possibilities available in
woodturning and demonstrated the high degree of skill and
caring brought to the project by each of the chosen woodturners.
They brought great honor to themselves, our club, and their
chosen craft. Congratulations to everyone involved in this
project.
A short presentation by C.A. Savoy and Tom Boley followed in
which the turned items were officially delivered to Jim Rees.
Some of the items will be given to longtime Mt. Vernon
supporters at the June 18th ground-breaking ceremony for the
new George Washington Museum to be built on the grounds. At
least one piece “Independence” will be retained for the estate’s
permanent collection, and the rest will be used at appropriate
ceremonies in the future. As Mr. Rees said to the Washington
Times’ reporter: “This was unprecedented. But, sooner or later,
another hurricane might come. We’ll see what happens.”
June 2004
May 2004 Meeting
Show & Tell Items
Left: John Overman – 8”W X 4”H Cherry
natural edge bowl
Right: Jorge Salinas – a 10”W X 6”H
Manzanita Root free form
Left and Right: Bob Grudberg _8”W X
6”H segmented Cedar bowl with a
Walnut and Maple pieced top and a 9”W
X 5”H Cesar vase with the top and
bottom of the rim fluted; and, two 5” X 4”
segmented vases using Walnut and
Maple and a large-piece segmented bowl
using Walnut and Oak
Left: Tim Scharenbrock – a 10” W X 1”H
Maple shallow platter dyed as demo’d by
Jimmy Clewes and two 2” X 2” Oak
containers with valentine days metal
punch plates
Right Mike Vore – A 6”W X 3”H flower
petal vase made of Spalted Pecan and a
4”W X 3:H vase made of Madrone)
Left: Grant Crowery – a three-legged
stool made of Canary wood; a Cherry
bowl; and a pearwood lidded box
Right: Dick Veitch visiting turner
from New Zealand – a 10”W X 2”H
bowl and a 7”W X 4”H bowl both
made of Taraire wood
Photos by Jim Marstall
Page 8
June 2004
May 2004 Meeting
Show & Tell Items
Left: Don Riggs – 14”W X 6”H Cherry
wood salad bowl with a rolled and
brushed rim
Right: Don Johnson – a couple of
Ambrosia maple pieces and two
carved and dyed hollow forms
Left: Patrick O’Brien – 8”W X 3”H
Osage Orange HF and a 12”H X 3”W
Maple footed vase
Right Eduardo Samiento Hall from
Brazil – four pieces from a Brazilian
turner presented to Jorge Salinas as
samples of his work. The woods are :
Oapirona; Diable fuerte; Balsamo;
and Copalba.
Left: Gene Crosby – a 8”W X 6”H
segmented bowl using walnut, maple,
and purple Heart.
Right Don Hart – a bowl and a candle
stand made from a long-leaf yellow pine
board that was removed from the New
Jersey State House in Trenton, NJ
(originally built in 1792)
Left: Richard Allen – 14”W X 6”H
Cuyabara burl. The bottom pedestal was
the piece extracted from the top cavity
with a wood-saver tool.
Right Pat Mullen – An assortment of
vases and lidded boxes made from
Cedar, Maple, Poplar, and Oak
Photos by Jim Marstall
Page 9
Jim Marstall, Newsletter Editor
Capital Area Woodturners (CAW)
6213 Capella Ave.
Burke, VA 22015
CAW Newsletter — June 2004
New CAW Members for May 2004
Welcome! We are glad you have chosen to contribute 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.
First Name Last Name
City
ST
Walt
John
Vera
Haymarket
Springfield
Vienna
VA
VA
VA
Bennett
Webster
Zurndorfer
Bruce Hoover (our March demonstrator) will be
attending the June meeting and bringing his “Store”.
Items on hand include sanding mandrels, interface
pads, CA glue (including black) and accelerators,
Velcro, The Sanding Glove, sanding discs,
inspection lights, steel wool sheets, and Dust-BeeGone masks.
Bruce is now a member of our club, and has chosen to
make his business; The Sanding Glove TM, a club
sponsor. As such, he will be extending our club
members all items at a discount.