June 2016 newsletter

Turning Times
Central New York Woodturners (www.cnywoodturners.org )
A Chapter of The American Association of Woodturners (www.woodturner.org )
Volume 9, Issue 6
OUR JUNE MEETING
M
embers and guests of the Central New York
Woodturners will gather starting at 6:15pm
on Tuesday, June 14th for the monthly meeting at
our usual place – the Youth/4H Building at the New
York State Fairgrounds. Our monthly demonstrator
with be Larry Prunotto and Crew who will talk about
segmenting and staving as methods for creating
boxes and other pieces.
In addition to the demonstration/talk, we will also
have a short business meeting, handle membership
renewals, and hold both our Show & Tell session and
our Monthly Challenge of Sticky Stuff pieces. You
will also have the opportunity to rent videos, buy
sandpaper, buy wood, buy anchor seal, and enter
both the tool and 50/50 raffles! We will select the
winner in the tool raffle! Please plan on attending,
bringing your recently completed items for the Show
& Tell plus your entry into the Monthly Challenge.
See you all on the 14th!
Some Highlights of What’s Inside
Finishing Pens – page 24
WOW Update – page 22
June Workshop Info – page 12
Recent Donations – page 17
Wood Education – Coolibah Burl – page 6
Monthly Tips – page 27
June 2016
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE ORNAMENT SALE
Location: Mercer Park, Baldwinsville / Seneca River Day
Saturday, June 11th – Setup at 8am / Sales till 4pm
JUNE 2016 MEETING
Location: Youth/4H Building at NYS Fairgrounds
When: Tuesday, June 12th at 6:15pm
CHALLENGE: INNOVATIVE USE OF STICKY STUFF
DEMONSTRATION: I’M SOOO STAVING! WITH LARRY
PRUNOTTO & CREW
JUNE WORKSHOP – I’M SOOO STAVING!
Location: Robert Love’s Shop in Volney
When: Saturday, June 18th at 9:00am [$5]
Sign‐Up at Meeting or via email to [email protected]
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE ORNAMENT SALE
Location: Austin Park Pavilion, Skaneateles as part of the
United Methodist Church Antique & Artisan Sale
Sales 10am-5pm, Friday, July 8th & Saturday, July 9th
Tent Setup, Thursday, July 7th
Product Setup, 8am on Friday July 8th
Turning & Scrolling Demonstrations – Both Days
NEED DEMONSTRATORS!
JULY 2016 MEETING
Location: Youth/4H Building at NYS Fairgrounds
When: Tuesday, July 12th at 6:15pm
CHALLENGE: STAVED PIECE
DEMONSTRATION: WEIGHT WATCHERS WITH BOB IRELAND
JULY WORKSHOP – WEIGHT WATCHERS
Location: 8 Acres Event Center, Baldwinsville
When: Saturday, July 16th at 9:00am [$5]
Sign‐Up at Meeting or via email to [email protected]
Turning Times June 2016
Page 2 of 31
NOTES FROM OUR PRESIDENT
A
s I write this June message, things are very busy
around the North household. Winter left and summer
came in so quickly that it seems like we are way
behind. My daughter, Amy, likes to take care of
the flowers because of her flower shop
experience and I always tend to the vegetable
garden, probably because I like to eat. My wife
enjoys looking at the garden but at the first sign
of a snake, she retreats back into the house.
Given the proximity of our house on the edge of
a wooded area, we get all kinds of wild life, some
desirable and some not so desirable. We decided that this
year we would try a motion activated sprayer that is
supposed to scare anything away with a safe spray of
water. We recently noticed that as a young deer
approached the sprayer went off and spooked him off like
it was advertised to do, so
maybe it will help. We do
also seem to attract some
interesting animals as well.
Last night we got an up close
view of a Pileated
Woodpecker and if you have
never seen one of these, they
resemble a taradactle/
pterodactyl (see photo right).
Aside from woodworking and gardening, another passion
of mine is boating. Last year while vacationing in Old
Forge, my Johnson 90hp outboard suffered a broken
water pump which left us floating in the middle of Fourth
Lake while on our nightly ice cream run to Northern Lights
in Inlet. We managed to flag down the only other craft on
the lake and were towed back to shore by an old pontoon
boat (probably my most embarrassing boating moment).
We hauled the boat out of the water and decided that this
was the last tale in the book for my trusty 1984 Starcraft.
To save the trip for the nieces and nephews, we decided
to rent a 19’ Bayliner with which we fell in love. It was
large enough and fast enough to pull a teenage skier with
the rest of the group in the boat to observe. After camp, I
decided that it was time to donate the Starcraft and see if
we could find something like we rented. After a
month or two of watching Craigslist, I happened
to find myself wandering at the used boat show
not really planning on buying anything but,
tucked in a corner, surrounded by large cabin
cruisers was a used 1997 19’ Bayliner – exactly
like the one we
rented only in mint
condition. Needless
to say it was love at first sight
and the salesman made me a
deal I could not pass up.
Earlier today I picked up the
boat so we got to spend an
hour or so out on Owasco
Lake checking it out and
taking a nice tour of the lake.
Changing subjects and
getting back to wood, I would like to express my thanks
and gratitude to everyone that helped with the WOW
project. I was pleased to see the number of members that
contributed cones as this made this a true collaborative
project. I would also like to send out a special message of
thanks to Chad Dawson, Robert Love, Larry Prunotto, and
Mel Taber for spending extra time finalizing cones, making
the stand as well as all of the little name plates to identify
the woods. Thanks also go to Barbara Raymond-LaPrease
for the hours spent making up the book that goes along
with the cone of cones. The biggest thanks goes out to
Bob Ireland for not only heading the project up but also
donating the wood for making the cones and spending
hours coordinating everything.
In closing, I would like to congratulate Barbara RaymondLaPrease for winning third place in the AAW newsletter
contest. Barb spends hours putting together this award
winning publication which we all enjoy reading every
month.
As always, keep turning . . . safely.
Doug North
Turning Times June 2016
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MAY 2016 MONTHLY CHALLENGE
T
he club holds a Monthly Challenge as part of its regular
meeting. The Challenge is a way for all club members
to have fun honing their turning skills using information
and skills learned during each monthly meeting’s
demonstration. Members are encouraged to bring an
original piece they created that fits the basic requirements
of the Monthly Challenge and within the constraints
announced by the President. The Challenge topic is
announced via the newsletter as well as at each meeting.
Generally, the Challenge for the next month is based on
previous month’s meeting topic. For May, the Challenge
was OGEE SHAPPED PIECES based on what was taught at
the April meeting and workshop by Greg Potter. We had
21 people participate in the May Challenge, the most ever.
The People’s Choice was a group of pieces by Mel Taber.
The Participant award was given to Jerry Holbrook.
Charlie LaPrease
Walnut
Yew
Cherry
Mel Taber
Purpleheart
Myrtle
Spalted Sycamore
Bob Ireland
Cherry
Heather Muckley
Big Leaf Maple (T)
Figured Maple (B)
Dick Parker
Maple
Greg Potter
Figured Maple
Crotch
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MAY 2016 MONTHLY CHALLENGE
Chad Dawson
Curly Maple
Jim Kent
Cherry
Ash
Dave Grant
St. Daniels Ash
Ed Rantanen
Ash
Bob Johnston
Maple
Walnut
Mike Gridley
Norfolk Island Pine
Mike Malecki
Walnut with
Turquoise Inlay
Jerry Sweeney
Ash
Jim Yonkers
Box Elder
Top has Ulu blade purchased
from USA Knife Maker
Turning Times June 2016
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MAY 2016 MONTHLY CHALLENGE
Terry Vermilyea
Butternut
Rod Castle
Box Elder
Ed Siegel
Coolibah Burl
Jerry Holbrook
Pecan
Robert Love
Sycamore (T)
FID (L)
[Found in Dump]
Phyllis Radford
Ash
Contemporary Ogee Piece
REWARDS: Based on voting by attendees, a People’s Choice award winner is selected. A Participant award winner is
selected from the remaining entries. Both receive special awards. All participants vie for year-end awards based on
their year-long participation. Each month, the newsletter is updated to include the Challenge participants and the
number of times they shared a piece. At the end of the year, a random drawing is held that includes a ticket for
each participant, for each month they entered a Monthly Challenge.
NOTE: All Challenge pieces must be constructed as a result of the demo at the meeting; in other words, created
from the date of the meeting to the date of the next meeting.
Current Participation Chart on page 6
Turning Times June 2016
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MAY 2016 MONTHLY CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS FOR 2016
Mark Anastas (1)
Rod Castle (3)
Chad Dawson (4)
Dave Grant (5)
Mike Gridley (2)
Dick Hoblitzell (1)
Jerry Holbrook (3)
Bob Ireland (5)
Bob Johnston (1)
James Kent (4)
Ted Kleege (1)
Charlie LaPrease (5)
Tom Lawlor (2)
Robert Love (4)
Mike Malecki (5)
Gary Morison (1)
Heather Muckley (5)
Bob Norton (1)
Dick Parker (1)
Greg Potter (4)
Larry Prunotto (3)
Phyllis Radford (3)
Ed Rantanen (5)
Barbara Raymond-LaPrease (3)
Ed Siegel (5 )
Jerry Sweeney (2)
Mel Taber (4)
Terry Vermilyea (5)
Jim Yonkers (5)
WOOD EDUCATION
Coolibah / Coolibah Burl –– Eucalyptus coolabah – The coolibah burl is from an Australian eucalpt
grown in riparian zones (the interface between land and a river or strean) throughout Australia. The
common name is loaned from the Indigenous Australian Yuwaaliyaay word, gulabaa.
Propogation of the coolibah is dependent upon periods of immersion under water to sterilize
seedbeds so it mostly grown in areas that experience at least periodic flooding.
The tree is wide spreading (more wide than tall) and reaches up to 25-50 feet tall with a 2-3 foot
trunk diameter. The bark is box like (persistent, dark grey, thick, furrowed) on the trunk and lower
branches, but smooth pale grey up the top. The heartwood ranges from pink to darker reddish
brown. Thin sapwood is grayish white. It is nearly always seen in burl form. The grain is generally
interlocked with a fine texture. When working with the wood, you may notice skin irritation.
Purchasing: Many different vendors sell the burls. One of the
most reliable is Bad Dog Burls of Belchertown, MA, a four hour
drive from Syracuse. Other great resources include
AustralianBurls.com (they will be in Atlanta). West Penn
Hardwoods (they will be in Atlanta), and Cook Woods.
Turning Times June 2016
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MAY 2016 SHOW & TELL
M
embers create a wide variety of projects. Sharing
those projects with others is a wonderful way to
show members what you’ve completed lately as well as
gain valuable feedback on your turning. We love seeing
what you create. Remember that long explanations
impact other participants’ ability to talk about their
projects. If you are developing new techniques for
creating a turning, why not put together your technique
into a meeting demonstration. You will learn even more!
When you bring something in for Show & Tell please enter
as much information as possible on the sign-in sheet so
there is an accurate record of your project in the
newsletter. If you want, bring a card with the information
and leave it with the sign-in sheet. Please put your name
on a card and place it with your entries to make it easier
for the photographer.
Mike Malecki
Bowl
Maple Burl
Mike Malecki
Small Vessel
Colored Pencils
Jim Yonkers
Bowl
Box Elder
Chad Dawson
Bowl
Northern White Cedar
Rod Castle
Peppermills
Cherry with
Walnut Waves
Jim Yonkers
Dish
Mahogany
Mark LaFontain
Peppermill
Ambrosia Maple
Robert Love
Suspended
Black Cherry Burl
Rod Castle
Screwdrivers
Walnut & Bees Wing
Dave Grant
Bowl
Sycamore
Turning Times June 2016
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MAY 2016 SHOW & TELL
Mike Gridley
Bowls
Red Maple & Burl
Bottle Stoppers
Ornaments
Larry Prunotto
Lidded Box
Cherry & Maple
Staved Construction
Beads of Courage Box
Rod Castle
Peppermill
Cherry & Walnut
Charlie LaPrease
Bowls
Black Walnut (L)
Maple (R)
Don’t forget to sign-in your Show & Tell items! And if you know who owns
the peppermill above, please let us know. We will edit the newsletter!
Are you available to mentor at a Workshop?
We really need additional folks to help less experienced turners at the Workshops as the
demonstrator can’t be with each Workshop participant at all times. You don’t have to attend
every monthly Workshop. If you are able to attend, note it on the Workshop sign-up sheet or
email Mark to let him know. We all benefit from sharing information. Give the gift of your
wisdom to a newer turner – you’ll find yourself learning more!
Turning Times June 2016
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OUR MAY DEMONSTRATION
STICKY STUFF AKA GLUES & FINISHES WITH BRUCE MEISSNER
W
hat is the best glue? What is the best finish”? Bruce
Meissner shared numerous insights into those
questions and pointed out that best depended a lot on
what you were trying to do and accomplish in your
woodworking project.
GLUES
Bruce described and gave examples of the most common
types of glues for woodworking. He encouraged the
reading of the manufacturer’s directions for each type of
glue as each glue works best in certain applications and
some have health warnings such as skin contact or fume
hazards.
White Wood Glue has long been the go-to glue for most
indoor projects because of the easy clean up and low cost.
It is not water resistant and is not as strong a bond as
yellow wood glues.
Yellow Wood Glue, like the Titebond brand, is the
industry standard in woodworking. These glues provide a
strong initial tack, set fast (30 minutes), allow for water
clean up, and develop a stronger bond than the wood
itself. Titebond is most often used in one of three types:
Original (poor water resistance), Type II (water resistant);
and Type III (water proof). Bruce recommended evenly
applying glue to both surfaces of a joint and to not over
tighten clamps so that you extrude all the glue and create
a weak joint.
Polyurethane Glue, like the Gorilla brand, is popular for
certain types of applications. Bruce uses it for gluing metal
tubes into pen blanks and warns that wearing gloves is
important as it is not easy to remove from fingers (use
acetone or nail polish remover with acetone). Apply the
glue to one surface of a joint and moisten the other
surface because the glue needs moisture to cure. The glue
foams and expands as it cures so it works well for certain
applications (wood to foam board, wood to metal, but
may not be the best wood-to-wood application).
Veneer Glue is used in adhering wood veneer to wood
surfaces. It dries very hard and can be purchased in
various colors to be used where the glue joint is exposed.
Epoxy Glue is a two part system that requires mixing in
small batches and can be purchased with set times from 5
to 90 minutes. This type of glue is most often used for
bonding dissimilar types of materials such as metal to
wood, where waterproof joints are required, or to
strengthen weak wood fibers when turning spalted wood
projects. Bruce mentioned that epoxy generally dries
clear; however, it can be colored for applications where
the joint is exposed. He purchased some coloring material
from Harbor Freight. Epoxy glues have many applications,
but it can pose a health hazard such as through skin
contact or fumes – wear gloves and avoid vapors.
Cyanoacrylate (CA) Glue is widely used for quickly gluing
small wood and non-wood materials together or as a fast
and hard surfacing finish such as on pens. It is not
recommended for gluing large wood-to-wood surface
areas. CA glues can be purchased in various setting times
from seconds to minutes and in various viscosities (ultra
thin to thick) depending on whether you want deep
penetration or a surface bond. Separate accelerator
liquids can be used to accelerate bonding, but that
reportedly weakens the bond. CA glues can pose a health
hazard such as through skin contact or fumes – wear
gloves and avoid vapors. Use acetone, CA debonder, or
nail polish remover to remove from skin; alternately, it will
dry and peel off over a few hours.
FINISHES
Bruce shared some
thoughts and cautions on
finishing and compared
some of the most common
types of woodworking
finishes that he uses. He
encouraged using the first
coat of whatever finish you
choose as a wood sealer
before sanding and he did
not recommend separate
Turning Times June 2016
Page 10 of 31
Sticky Stuff, AKA Glues & Finishes with Bruce Meissner – page 2
sanding sealer products because many of them have
stearic acid that can negatively affect your finish. He
suggested polishing and buffing naturally oily woods such
as cocobolo or olive wood and to not apply any other
finish to these woods. Bruce cautioned that when your
finishing work is completed, dry out any rags before
disposing of them in a trash can to prevent spontaneous
combustion. He also suggested that you can replace the
oxygen in the can of finish with inert gas products like
Bloxygen (www.bloxygen.com) to prevent the finish from
drying out or becoming gummy while still in the can.
Linseed Oil and Tung Oil can take several days to fully dry,
but they bring out the natural wood figure especially if
there is an unusual texture or pattern to the wood that
you want to enhance. Many of the oil finishes like linseed
and walnut oil are food safe; however, read the
manufacturer’s directions to determine if a oil product is
food-safe or not. These oils can be top coated with
polyurethane to add a more protective finish. Bruce
suggested that various finishes can be made using linseed
oil and one of his favorite finishes is equal portions of
linseed oil, beeswax, and turpentine.
Polyurethane comes in both brush-on and wipe-on
formulations. Brush-on formulations offer thicker coats
and more protection; however, they are harder to apply
due to brush marks and sagging or running varnish marks.
Wipe-on formulations may require more coats for full
protection, but are easier to apply and achieve a quality
looking finish. Bruce uses up to four thin and even coats
of wipe-on polyurethane applied with a soft cotton rag;
alternately, he also sometimes applies brush-on
polyurethane with a rag as though it was a wipe-on
formulation. He sands with 800 grit sandpaper in between
coats. Some polyurethane varnishes can be thinned with
mineral spirits – read the directions on the can to
determine what the manufacturer recommends.
Shellac can be purchased already mixed (it has a short
shelf life) and ready for use or you can purchase shellac
flakes or chips to be mixed with denatured alcohol.
[Shellac Shack or Shellac.net] This is an older product that
can be easy to use although it does not provide the same
protection as polyurethane varnish products. Several
products are available, such as Shell-A-Wax, that are
shellac-based and easy to use but do not provide a
durable surface. Research your shellac product before
using.
Carnauba Wax is a food safe product that can be applied
directly to wood or over a polyurethane varnish to give a
buffed shine to a final woodworking project. Bruce uses a
Beall buffing system (www.bealltool.com) on his lathe to
buff his work or he hand buffs with a piece of brown paper
bag (Kraft paper).
Submitted by Chad Dawson. Photos by Greg Potter &
Heather Muckley.
Demonstrators Needed
Friday, July 8th & Saturday, July 9th – 10am to 5pm
Austin Park, Skaneateles – During the Methodist Church Antique & Artisan Sale
The organizers requested that we demonstrate as well as sell our ornaments and other items during the
event. The tent for demonstrating will be located next to our sale tent. We will have a Lathe and Scrollsaw
there. You will need to bring your tools and wood. Small things like tops, pens, small lidded boxes, and small
bowls are some suggestions. Please let Barbara know if you can make it even for 2 or 3 hours. It is likely we
will sell more if we show them how things are made and our sales goal is $1000 for the weekend!
Turning Times June 2016
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MAY SATURDAY WORKSHOP
O
ur May Saturday workshop was the annual club Topa-Thon, an all-day opportunity to create tops that will
be sold during the New York State Fair at the Witter
Agricultural Museum. We had good turnout with a few
staying only a few hours and others staying the whole day.
We had turners inside the shop area and out in the garage
area, with learning taking place in each area. Here are
photos of the day.
NOTE: Experienced turners are always needed at workshops to help others.
The mentors do not pay for the workshop unless they take supplied materials.
126 Tops Made
Turning Times June 2016
Page 12 of 31
SATURDAY WORKSHOPS
S
aturday workshops allow members to receive
additional training on a subject presented during the
regular meeting demonstration as well as an
opportunity to get basic turning experience with help
from mentors at the workshop. Information about each
workshop is provided so you are aware of the
requirements for each. There is a $5 fee for each
participant. Pre-workshop sign-up is desired since many
of the workshop instructors travel a distance to hold the
session. Most workshops are held from 9am to noon at
the club’s workshop space at the 8 Acres Event Center in
Baldwinsville, the home of Barbara & Charlie LaPrease.
Also, during most workshops, we can accommodate
fundamental instruction during the workshop. Things are
a bit different for June.
For various reasons, the June workshop is being held at
Robert Love’s shop space in Volney. Robert does not
have the club equipment so there will be no opportunity
to receive basic woodturning instruction at this workshop.
Directions to Robert’s will be available at the meeting or
by email. Coffee and tea are generally provided but
snacks are always welcome! The June workshop is on
Saturday June 18th.
JUNE 18TH WORKSHOP
Staving Workshop
At Robert Love’s Workshop in Volney
Join Robert Love and Larry Prunotto on Saturday, June 18th for a workshop
to learn how to produce your own staved lidded box! At the workshop,
attendees will cut and shape staving pieces, assemble and glue-up the box
sides, and receive coaching on the remainder of the lidded box process. As time permits, we will demonstrate
and/or help in setups and techniques as they apply to creating the remaining parts and assembling the lidded
boxes.
PLEASE NOTE: As long as the final product will be donated to the Beads of Courage project, the club will
provide pre-cut and sized wood for a 5” inside dimension by 5” high lidded box.
What should you bring? A set of two 6-7 inch adjustable clamps (hose clamps); TiteBond original or Type II glue;
a Measuring Tape, a Compass, Marking Pencils, a Gluing Board/Table (small), and Personal Safety Equipment.
Questions? Ask at the meeting.
The cost of this workshop is the usual $5! Please register at the meeting!
NOTE: Directions will be available at the meeting or by email request.
These Forms of Segmenting
Will Be Discussed at the June Meeting
Mark Baumes
Segmented Vase
Jerry Holbrook
Segmented Vessel
John Mielcarski & Peter Monteleone
Segmented Bowl
Larry Prunotto
Staved Box
Turning Times June 2016
Page 13 of 31
TURN & PASS 2016
T
urn & Pass is our club effort to produce items that
will be raffled during the 12 days of the 2016 New
York State Fair. We’ve made some changes in that you
are no longer limited to the size of the wood or where
you source the wood.
The piece(s) of wood used can include multiple species,
sizes, and shapes. The wood does not have to be from
one single piece or species of wood. The wood can be
cut, shaped, and used in any type of woodturning
technique from segmented work to laminations to inlays
and to hollowing.
The objective of the challenge is to produce turned
pieces that demonstrate high quality workmanship,
exhibit good woodturning technique, and are appealing
to the audience at the NYS Fair who purchase raffle
tickets.
Examples of pieces of interest to NYS Fairgoers in recent
years include:
lidded boxes
rolling pins
vases
bowls
platters
goblets
vessels
pepper mills
Items you could make also include:
goblets with captured rings
pen and pencil sets in a display box
honey pot with honey dipper
sets of Christmas ornaments on a nice stand
hollow forms
lamp bases
sculptured forms
jewelry sets such as earrings and necklace
sets of bottle stoppers
and many others
Our goal is to produce 12 high quality pieces – hopefully
each with a WOW factor – for the Fair raffle each year.
Remember, this raffle is the largest single source of
income to the club each year. We use the money raised
by the raffle to pay for demonstrations, club workshops,
tools, and all that we do to educate and engage people
in the art and craft of woodturning.
Turn & Pass Pieces for 2016 NYS Fair
Month
Turner
Wood
Donated Piece
August
Phyllis Radford
Purpleheart
Mirror
September
Robert Love
Walnut
Square Platter
October
Dick Hoblitzell
Figured maple
Rimmed Bowl
November
Ed Siegel
Hickory
Peeled Lip Vase
December
Terry Vermilyea
White Ash
Bowl
January
Mike Malecki
Walnut w/Aluminum Inlay
Globe
February
Dick Hoblitzell
Cherry
Finial Box
March
Greg Potter
Bruce Meissner
Deer Antler
Black Walnut Box
Pen with a Pen Box
April
Rod Castle
Cherry & Black Walnut
Peppermill
May
Chad Dawson
Curly Maple
Platter
June
Jerry Holbrook
Cherry
?
July
Jim Yonkers
?
?
Please
Consider
Stepping Up
to this
Challenge!
What Can
You Create?
We Want 12
Items for the
Yearly Raffle
Turning Times June 2016
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MAY 2016 CNY WOODTURNERS MEETING
T
he May 10th meeting of the CNY Woodturners was
opened by President Doug North at 6:15pm in the
4H/Youth Building at the New York State Fairgrounds.
With approximately 45 people in attendance, we
welcomed two new members, Erik Radomskyr of
Constantia and Scott Riddell of Manlius. Also, Jacob
Alexander, one of Mike Malecki’s students joined us with
his mother. Our membership stands at 93 with a goal of
hitting at least 100.
Mark Baumes presented a short treasurers report.
Discussion & Announcements from Doug
 Wes Swayze took a bad fall from a
church roof back in February and broke a
leg. He expects to be laid up another 4
weeks. Hopefully, we will see him at the
June meeting.
 The Board decided to sell the old used
TVs since we don’t use them. The silent
auction is tonight. If you are interested,
please complete one of the bid forms and place in the
appropriate box.
 Barbara Raymond-LaPrease noted that she received 33
ornaments, magnets, bottle stoppers, seam rippers, and
vases for the sale to benefit the Ronald McDonald
House. She also received 65 tops. See page 17.
 The annual Top-a-Thon will be held Saturday, May 14th
from 9am to 5pm. You can come for a short time or all
day. We’ll get some lunch.
 The Mid-Atlantic Woodturners Association is holding a
Symposium in Lancaster, PA on Saturday, September
24th and Sunday, September 25th. There will be 32
seminars by 8 nationally known demonstrators.
Consider attending at $210 for the event which includes
dinner on Saturday evening. See page 24 for a link.
 Doug reminded everyone that this is YOUR club. Your
ideas and suggestions for projects, etc. are always
welcome. Use the contact information in the newsletter
to contact any of the officers or send an email to [email protected] to contact all of
the Board and Officers at once.

Read the newsletter. Barbara, your editor,
is very good at adding most information you need.

Bob Ireland gave an update on the WOW
project.
Bruce Meissner gave a talk about Sticky Stuff –
essentially glues and finishes. The challenge for
June will be to present a piece that is innovative
based on the talk that Bruce gave.
We took a break, voted on the Challenge, bid on the TVs,
and purchased raffle tickets for the tool, etc.
After the break, Doug led the group thru the Show & Tell
and Monthly Challenge portions of our meeting. For the
Monthly Challenge, the People’s Choice award was won by
Mel Taber and Jerry Holbrook won the Participant Award.
 Anyone with a lathe that’s able to handle large items,
we received an inquiry from someone wanting to turn a
large column. See me.
Doug announced that Jerry Holbrook won the bid on the
Panasonic TV. No one bid on the JVC. He offered it to the
next highest bidder, Steve Witham, who agreed to
purchase the TV.
 Our annual 12 days of demonstrating at the NYS Fair is
coming up. Please sign-up on the sheet in the back.
Greg Potter won the 50/50 with his son, Ian Potter,
collecting the cash.
 We have two sales coming up – Seneca River Day and
the Craft Sale at Austin Park in Skaneateles. Please
consider helping out. Please consider helping at one or
both sales. Charlie will be in class on the Saturdays so
help is needed.
The meeting ended about 8:15pm and everyone helped
clean up. The next meeting is June 14th when Larry
Prunotto & crew will talk about the variety of options with
segmenting.
 The 30th AAW Symposium in Atlanta is June 9-12, 2016.
Early registration is over as of May 1st but you can still
register at a higher cost. Consider volunteering and preregistering your items for the gallery.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Raymond-LaPrease, Secretary
Turning Times June 2016
THE MAY 2016 MEETING IN PHOTOS – PAGE 1
Page 15 of 31
Turning Times June 2016
THE MAY 2016 MEETING IN PHOTOS – PAGE 2
Page 16 of 31
Turning Times June 2016
Page 17 of 31
MEMBER DONATIONS
W
e have several different opportunities for members of the Central New York Woodturners to donate product for
charitable purposes. At the May meeting, Barbara received several items that will be used for either the
ornament sales or the tops sale. Thank you to everyone for their donations. Here are some photos of items donated.
We’ll be sure to get photos each month showcasing everyone’s donations!
Tops for Sale during the
NYS Fair
Mike Gridley (Far L)
Dick Parker (L)
Ed Rantanen (Below)
Peter Monteleone (w/vases)
Products for Ornament
Sale to Benefit Ronald
McDonald House
BOTTLE STOPPERS
Mike Gridley (Up & Far L)
Dick Parker (L)
SEAM RIPPERS
Dick Parker
MAGNETS
Dick Parker
VASES
Peter Monteleone (Up L)
ORNAMENTS
Mike Gridley (Far L)
Don Lum (Rest Below)
Turning Times June 2016
Page 18 of 31
BEADS OF COURAGE BOX CHALLENGE
S
tudies indicate that there are health benefits
associated with giving including lower blood pressure,
increased self-esteem, and lower stress level. As a club,
we have numerous opportunities to give back to our
community. Last fall, our President Doug North
announced his challenge to the membership:
create Beads of Courage Boxes for donation to
the Golisano Children’s Hospital. He asks that
members create 1 or 2 boxes using the guidelines
right. When, you ask? Doug would like to
present a group of boxes this spring. He also
donated 20 of the inset beads described below
which you can obtain at the meetings from
Barbara.
What is the Beads of Courage program? Twelve years ago
a nurse working on her PhD developed a program that
helps children with serious illnesses record, tell, and own
their stories of survival. This program – Beads of
Courage® – has grown into a worldwide effort supported
by children’s hospitals, various non-profit groups, and
artists - those who make the beads, those that make bead
bags, and those that make lidded treasure boxes. It’s
those boxes we’d love for you to create and donate for
delivery here locally to support children in our community
with serious illnesses. During last year’s AAW Symposium,
357 boxes were donated for use at Children’s Hospital of
Pittsburgh.
Here are the Specifications from the Beads of Courage®
webpage.

Turned lidded boxes need to be
about 6 inches in diameter (5 inches
minimum) and rectangular lidded boxes
should be about 4 x 6 x 4 inches.

The lid should be easy to remove for
small hands and sturdy enough to be
opened regularly.

If adding a finial on the lid, please
don’t make it really elaborate.

If possible, engrave or burn Beads of
Courage in the lid or side of the container.
 Sign your name and write Central New York
Woodturners on the bottom.
 Please refrain from painting the boxes; rather,
highlight the beauty of the wood with your finish.
Are you stepping up to this Challenge? It’s a great project
to support!
Boxes are due at the October 2016 Meeting!
ORNAMENTS FOR THE CHILDREN
M
embers of the Central New York Woodturners
collaborate with the Sawdust & Woodchips
Woodworking Association to produce funding for local
children charities by selling Christmas ornaments and
other assorted items. Started in 2006, so far
approximately $30,000 in profits were distributed back to
the community into the Golisano Children’s Hospital, the
Ronald McDonald House, and the children’s play area in
the infusion room at the Upstate Cancer Center.
We sell at 4-5 events per year, some indoor and some
outdoors. Last year we sold at the Seneca River Day, the
Artisan Show in Skaneateles sponsored by the United
Methodist Church, the Manlius Historical Society show,
and at St. Rose of Lima Church in North Syracuse. Because
of donations from everyone as well as time spent by
volunteers at the sales, we raised over $3,000 in 2015.
Our first sale for 2016 is at the Seneca River Day on June
11th in Mercer Park in
Baldwinsville. If you don’t go
to the AAW Symposium,
please consider helping. We
will also return to the show in
Austin Park in Skaneateles on
July 8th & 9th.
Please consider helping out in
some way in 2016. Donating
items for sale, helping to setup or pack up, or helping to
sell at a venue.
Don’t want to make ornaments? We are always looking
for a variety of pieces to sell. They do not have to be
ornaments. Magnets, bottle stoppers, clocks, seam
rippers, letter openers, bottle openers, light pulls,
keychains, candlesticks, vases, etc. are always welcome in
addition to unique ornaments.
Turning Times June 2016
CNY WOODTURNERS MEMBERSHIP
M
embership in the Central New York Woodturners LLC is open to
anyone interested in woodturning. The cost for a first time
individual member is $30 which includes the cost of
a badge. Renewals are $25 per year and due by
March 1st. Family memberships are $35 per year
plus $5 per badge for each family member needing a
badge. Membership applications are available on
the club website – www.cnywoodturners.org. The
club leadership, with contact information, is listed
right as a reference. Feel free to contact any club leader to ask
questions, suggest programs, or deal with issues. You need to have an
active email address if you are a member as the leadership sends many
member communications via email as well as this newsletter. To read
the newsletter you need to have a PDF reader product such as Adobe
Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Adobe Reader is free. Due
to its size, we prefer not to send newsletters by mail. However, a limited
number of hard copy newsletters are sent to members without email.
The CNY Woodturners group was formed in September of 1998. It was
accepted as the 121st chapter of the American Association of
Woodturners (AAW) in November 1998. We encourage you to join AAW
as it is an excellent organization with great resources as a member.
Membership in AAW costs either $43 for an online only or $53 for a
paper-based membership. Each membership includes the 6 issues of the
journal, American Woodturner, with the online membership receiving it
only online. You also have access to a large collection of online resources
such as the publication AAW Fundamentals which is published on the off
months from the journal.
AW is an international
organization of over
14,000 members of varying
woodturning skills. In addition to receiving current issues of the journal,
American Woodturner, membership also provides online access to all
past issues of the Journal from 1986 forward. Access to a Resource
Directory is also available only to members. Members of AAW also
receive savings of up to 50% on AAW merchandise, including project
books, DVDs, logo apparel, and more. Members can apply for an
educational opportunity grant whereby an individual can receive
compensation toward woodturning education for expenses such as
tuition, registration, travel, lodging, meals, etc. They can also apply for
professional outreach program fellowship grants to encourage creative
growth or research, or to provide inspiration for new directions in turned
wood art. The AAW Forum is also available to members as are other
restricted articles and resources on the AAW website. Members receive
a discount on registration for the annual Symposium which is in Atlanta,
GA in 2016. Check out the AAW website – www.woodturner.org.
A
For membership applications, directions, and additional information on
club events, checkout the Club website, www.cnywoodturners.org.
CNY Woodturners LLC, P O Box 2280, Liverpool, NY 13089-2280
Page 19 of 31
OFFICERS
Doug North, President
(315) 673-3611
[email protected]
Chad Dawson, Vice-President
(315) 480-4319
[email protected]
Barbara Raymond-LaPrease, Secretary
(315) 638-1217
[email protected]
Mark Baumes, Treasurer
(315) 730-9027
[email protected]
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Rod Castle (315) 638-2659
[email protected]
Bob Ireland (315) 402-2813
[email protected]
Mike Malecki (315) 569-0099
[email protected]
John Mielcarski (315) 476-6571
[email protected]
Larry Prunotto (315) 652-3605
[email protected]
Ed Siegel (845) 554-2473
[email protected]
Mel Taber (315) 487-7855
[email protected]
COMMITTEES
DEMONSTRATIONS
Heather Muckley, Robert Love,
Mike Malecki, & Greg Potter
EQUIPMENT
Charlie LaPrease
NEWSLETTER
Barbara Raymond-LaPrease
NEW YORK STATE FAIR
Ed Siegel
PHOTOGRAPHY
Heather Muckley
VENDOR RELATIONS
Larry Prunotto
VIDEO LIBRARY
Phyllis Radford
WEBMASTER
Chad Dawson
Turning Times June 2016
Page 20 of 31
EDITORIAL RAMBLINGS
I
t’s time for another newsletter. Each month, I send out notices to those
that need to provide input to this newsletter. This month, knowing that
several folks were gearing up to leave for Atlanta and the annual AAW
Symposium, I sent that message out early. Ever since, the responses have
rolled in. That’s the collaborative effort that generates this newsletter. It
is great that those key folks help on a monthly basis. Can you? Sure. Each
of you has a tip that you employ to make your turning or woodworking
activities better. Why not share it. Each of you also has stories to tell
about one of more of your turnings – how you found the wood, how the
turning progressed, that little interruption in the turning, even the family’s
reaction to your turning. Take some time to write one or two of those
stories down and pass it along to me. Please consider it.
This newsletter contains an update on our World of Woods project, our
collaborative project that resulted in 36 of our 90 members participating to
create a product that can be used and expanded for years to come. Robert
& Michelle Love have the project in their vehicle and will deliver it to the
Symposium Thursday. They’ll have help assembling it from Heather, Greg,
Doug, and Larry. If you are there and can help, give Doug a call. We hope
that the audience falls in love with it. Just remember, it is a work in
progress. We only have 354 cones and there are approximately 20,000
different species of wood!
I am hoping that one or more of those going to the AAW Symposium will
be reporters. I’d like to see some nice summaries of the speakers you
heard, what you learned, any interesting things you saw in the vendor
expo, and anyone you chatted with during your time at the symposium.
Please take some time to put together your summaries and DON’T FORGET
ABOUT PHOTOS!
Until we meet again,
Barbara
What Are You Doing From August 25th
thru September 5th?
Consider helping out at the New York State Fair,
demonstrating in the Witter Agricultural Museum!
Volunteers are Needed for All Shifts
Start planning today!
Note: With the changes at the fairgrounds, parking on
the track is gone. All parking will be in either the grey
lot (by the Antique Tractor Display) or in the orange lot
(up by the new amphitheater). Plan to take the bus or
get dropped off if possible. Working the whole day is
probably easiest. We believe the tram will be going
right by the building!
Sign-ups will continue at the June meeting.
DIRECTIONS TO OUR
MEETING LOCATION
The CNY Woodturners meet in
the Youth/4H Building at the New
York State Fairgrounds, just
northwest of Syracuse. The New
York State Fairgrounds is
immediately adjacent to Route
690 just west of Syracuse. It is
easily accessible from the New
York State Thruway (Rt. 90) from
the West and East, and from
Route 81, North and South. Just
follow the signs to the
Fairgrounds once you enter the
Syracuse area.
For your GPS, the street address
is: 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse,
New York 13209
Take whatever route is easiest for
you to be on the west side of
Syracuse on Rt. 690 and enter
Gate 2 of the Fairgrounds off
State Fair Blvd. Stop at the
Gatehouse and identify yourself
as going to the woodturners
meeting. Make an immediate
right onto Tonawanda St. Go past
three large buildings on the left –
the dairy cattle Building, the
coliseum and the horse barn.
Make a left onto Sioux Avenue
which is opposite Gate 4 and
before the Iroquois Indian village.
Turn right at the next street,
which is Mohegan. On the right
will be the Youth Building. Park
anywhere in the area in front of
the Youth Building. Enter at the
front center of the building.
Turning Times June 2016
Page 21 of 31
OUR 2016 MEETING SCHEDULE
Date
Topic
Demonstrator
Workshop Date / Location
January 12
Finials Demystified 
Dick Hoblitzell
January 16 / 8 Acres
February 9
Turning a Lidded Box 
John Meloling
February 13 / 8 Acres
March 8
Wave Bowls 
Chad Dawson
March 12 / 8 Acres
Extra $5 for materials
April 12
Oh, Gee! 
Greg Potter
April 16 / 8 Acres
May 10
Sticky Stuff 
Bruce Meissner
May 14 / 8 Acres – All Day
TOP-A-THON!
June 14
I’m Sooo Staving!
Larry Prunotto & Crew
June 18 / Robert Love’s in Volney
July 12
Weight Watchers
Bob Ireland
July 16 / 8 Acres
August 9
At Witter
Museum
Cheap Piercing
Ed Siegel
August 13 / 8 Acres
August 25th to
September 5th
Demonstrate at New York
State Fair
All Members!
Each day 10am to 8pm in the
Witter Agricultural Museum!
September 13
Belgium Cold
Springs Station 1
You Can Take That to the
Bank-sia
Mike Gridley
September 17 / 8 Acres
October 11
What’s Cook’n, Good
Look’n?
Mike Malecki
October 15 / 8 Acres
November 8
Hip to Be Square
Robert Love
November 12 / 8 Acres
December 13
Holiday Gathering with Your Woodturning Friends!
The Future?
None – Enjoy the Holidays!
Maybe you can be one of our demonstrators. Contact the Demo Committee today!
GOT NEWSLETTER ARTICLE IDEAS?
HAVE A STORY THAT NEEDS TELLING?
Even if you hate to write, you can work with Barbara to get the story in the newsletter!
Don’t be afraid! We’ve all got stories to tell! Why not step up to tell them!
Turning Times June 2016
Page 22 of 31
WOW UPDATE BY BOB IRELAND
A
s I sit here writing this the WOW project is either on
its way south or soon will be thanks to Robert and
Michelle Love. In total there are 3 large cones, 25 rings,
354 small cones, a sign stating the project title and who
made it, countless hours of preparation and fabrication,
and the hope that people just don’t overlook it as a nice
collaborative project and miss the technical aspects of
turning out the project we did.
You may not think this will happen but I see it all the time.
Each month, at the club challenge, I usual bring something
that’s, well let’s just say out of the box. Many of you may
be familiar with the acronym KISS” (Keep It Simple Stupid
or Silly – depending on who you learn the acronym from)
but I actual use a different acronym for most of the things
I do MILS (Make It Look Simple). This has its advantages
and disadvantages.
I like to consider myself a pretty
humble guy and I don’t often seek
out the limelight, although it
seems to find me enough times.
By making things that look simple
I can usually make people laugh
and ride under the radar of
acknowledgements and such. Yet
if you really look at the pieces I
enter you’ll usually see some
interesting and challenging aspects of the pieces.
Take my Ogee entry for last month (See page 3). Yes, I got
a laugh or two for my O and G but how many of you
thought about how those letters were turned (and yes
they were turned and the G had some cuts). I tried to
make the rings like what was described in the article
entitled Turning Curved Tubes in the April 2016 AAW
journal. No my letters were not tubes (after all there is
only so much one person can accomplish at 6:30pm on the
day before the club meeting) but it was still an interesting
challenge to try.
In short I hope this article encourages two things. First, try
things. You’ll be surprised how well things you try can be
hidden in a piece, if you want them to be. Once you get
good at a technique share it with the rest of the club so
others can learn from both your mistakes and your
successes.
Second, I’d like to encourage you to look at pieces a little
more closely and see if you can figure out how a piece is
turn and/or completed. This will do two things for you.
First, it will help you think through projects in the future
because thinking about how things are accomplished
helps train your brain for helping you put in order the
things you need to do to do a complex project, whether it
is wood turning or not. And second, it will give you a
greater appreciation of what each person is capable of
doing and the thought process that goes into even the
simplest of pieces. Just for a quick
example, many of you turned at
least one small cone for the WOW
project. How many of you found it
challenging to turn a straight cone
¾” at the base and 3” long. I’m
guessing quite a few of you. And
for those of you that didn’t even
attempt one cone; I’d say you are
doing yourself a great disservice. So moving ahead, get
outside of your own box and try even the simplest of
things (tops, honey dippers, pens, etc.) until you are
comfortable with them
and then push yourself
on how you can do
something different to
that simple object.
You might be surprised
what you come up
with!
Michelle Love Turning a Cone
Turning Times June 2016
Page 23 of 31
WOODWORKERS BUILD AT GINGERBREAD PRESCHOOL
W
hat happens when eleven woodworkers go to the
Gingerbread House Preschool with Build & Grow
kits donated by Lowe’s? A group of young 4 and 5 year
old have a morning to remember building bird feeders!
So how did this happen? The youngest member of the
Central New York Woodturners, Ian Potter, attends the
Gingerbread House Preschool. His mother, Heather
Muckley, suggested to the preschool director, Miss
Wendy, that it might be great activity. Heather asked
Barbara & Charlie LaPrease if they could assemble a
group of volunteers. She then worked with the manager
at the Midler Avenue Lowes to order the kits and borrow
the supplies needed – a worktable (a piece of OSB),
supports for the worktable (upside down Lowe’s buckets),
and children’s hammers.
On Wednesday, May 11th the crew arrived by 8:30am and
gathered in the gym/auditorium. Barbara reviewed the
kits with the team and the first group of seven children
arrived. We worked through assembling the first set of
bird feeders and found that there
were some challenging areas and
most could not finish in the time
allocated. We moved on to another
group and another. Over three
hours, we worked with 42 kids,
completing all the feeders. At the
end of the session, all of the children
returned, found their feeder, and
assembled on the stage with the
woodworkers for a photo.
Thanks go to all the team members
from either the Central New York
Woodturners or the Sawdust & Woodchips Woodworking
Association who participated: Stephen Coyle, Chad
Dawson, Jerry Laffer, Barbara & Charlie LaPrease, Tom
Lawlor, John Mielcarski, Dick Parker, Jerry Sweeney, and
Jackie & Jim Yonkers. Thanks also go to Lowe’s for the
donation of the kits and the loans of the materials needed
to facilitate the build.
Aside from the great work performed by the team , many
breakthroughs occurred with some of the kids. A child
diagnosed with ADHD who never finishes worksheets
asked permission to stay and finish his feeder with Mr.
Chad. A young girl who resides with her grandfather
opened up to Jerry Laffer. A young boy found he could get
more leverage by climbing up into Jackie Yonkers’ lap.
Children who normally were very talkative were instead
shy and those who were normally shy expressed
themselves. Many children showed off their skills
pounding the nails. In general, all the kids had a ball and
the adults learned much from the kids
Turning Times June 2016
Page 24 of 31
REGIONAL MEETINGS & TURNING CONFERENCES
FINGER LAKES WOODTURNERS
T
he Finger Lakes Woodturners (FLWT) generally hold
their meetings on the third Thursday of each month
from September to May. Their next meeting is in
September. Their 2016-17 schedule is on their website.
In addition to their monthly meetings, they will host 2
national turners during their 2016-2017 season: Mark
Sillay on the weekend of November 18th and John Beaver
on the weekend of March 16th.
REGIONAL SYMPOSIUMS
S
everal woodturning clubs hold symposiums on a
regular basis. The closest, Totally Turning, will return
to Saratoga Springs in 2017 on April 1-2. Obviously, the
biggest symposium is the AAW International Symposium;
but there are others you can also plan to attend. Here are
a few within a day’s drive:
th
July 22-24 – Turn-On! Chicago 2016 – The 5 bi-annual
symposium of the Chicago Woodturners at the University
Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.
Demonstrators are Nick Agar, Rex Burningham, Robin
Costelle, Clay Foster, Stephen Hatcher, Frank Kobilsek,
Rob Nelson, Graeme Priddle, Mark St. Leger, Mark Sfirri,
Rob Wallace, Vince Welch, and Molly Winton. Visit
turnonchicago.com for more information.
September 24-25 – Mid Atlantic Woodturning
Symposium – Lancaster Marriott/Convention Center,
Lancaster, PA. See below for website.
October 27-30 – 5th Segmenting Symposium at the
Boston Marriott Quincy, Quincy, MA. Demonstrators are
John Beaver, Bob Benke, Jerry Bennett, Bruce Berger,
September 24-25, 2016
Andy Chen, Robin Costelle, Ray Feltz, Tom Lohman, Mike
McMillan, Wayne Miller, Al Miotke, Jim Rogers, Malcolm
Tibbetts, and Gary Woods. Visit
www.segmentedwoodturners.org for more information.
November 4-6 – Virginia Woodturning Symposium at
the Expoland outside Fishersville, VA, just east of Route 81
off Route 64. Demonstrators are Trent Bosch, Jimmy
Clewes, Barry Gross, Lyle Jamieson, John Jordan,
JoHannes Michelsen, Frank Penta, and Bob Rosand. Two
day pre-registration (which ends on October 29, 2016) is
$75 with a second family member for $45. Visit
http://www.virginiawoodturners.com/index.htm for more
information.
ANNUAL AAW CONFERENCE
T
he 30th annual AAW International Symposium is in
Atlanta, Georgia at the Atlanta Convention Center at
AmericasMart with the host hotel as the Westin Peachtree
Plaza on June 9th thru June 12th Get the latest
information from the AAW website
The symposium features 3 days of woodturning
demonstrations and meetings led by over 70 talented
experts. Multiple rotations are held simultaneously so
attendees have many types and styles of woodturning
demonstrations available throughout each day. There is
an instant gallery that you can enter with up to 3 of your
own pieces. There is also the largest woodturning
tradeshow anywhere, including tool and lathe
manufacturers, vendors of wood and other materials, and
suppliers related to woodturning.
Lancaster, PA
Demonstrators are Cindy Drozda, Dennis Fuge, Kurt Hertzog, Eric Lofstrom,
Mike Mahoney, Binh Pho, Mark Sfirri, & Al Stirt.
Being held at the Lancaster Marriott/Convention Center in Lancaster, PA.
Registration is now open and will be closed when they reach capacity.
Visit www.mawts.com now to get more information and register.
Turning Times June 2016
Page 25 of 31
FINISHING PENS
BY DON WARD, RED RIVER PENS
Editor’s Note: More Woodturning Magazine has a program for Woodturning Club Newsletters whereby they provide
articles to be included in newsletters. This is the current article provided. Interesting that it covers finishing, a topic we
covered during our May meeting! Check out the website at www.morewoodturningmagazine.com.
Note: Please be aware that some, if not all, finishes can cause reactions to those who are sensitive to them.
T
he topic of finishing pens comes up at least once a
week on the pen forums with subjects such as these:
• What is the best finish?
• What is a quick and durable finish?
• What is the most durable finish?
• Which finish is the easiest to apply?
• Is a sanding sealer necessary?
Which finish is quick, easy, and durable? While those
three qualities don’t go together, I would say that none of
the finishes I’ve tried are especially difficult. Some take
more time than others and some are more durable than
others, but I’ve not come across a finish that is especially
problematic.
The quality of the final finish will be directly proportional
to the surface preparation under that finish. A quality
finish on a pen starts with sanding. Sanding should start
with as fine a grit as possible. I turn pens with a skew
leaving a very smooth surface on which to begin sanding. I
often start with 320 grit sandpaper when possible. After
sanding with the first grit, stop the lathe then clean the
blank and apply a sanding sealer. Then, continue sanding
through finer grits. I stop sanding at 600 grit. Stopping the
lathe and sanding length-wise after each grit of sandpaper
is also a good practice, as is cleaning the sanding dust off
of the blank. Cleaning will remove dislodged grit and keep
it from interfering with the finer grits. On open grain
wood, I use a slurry made from thin CA and sanding dust.
The CA slurry will be discussed in more detail later. After
sanding with sandpaper sand with Micro Mesh™, a
cushioned abrasive, which leaves the wood surface as
smooth as glass and ready for the chosen finish. More
information about Micro Mesh™, which is available from
all pen turning suppliers as well as most woodturning
suppliers, can be found at www.sisweb.com/micromesh .
Purchasing full sheets and cutting them into smaller
swatches is much more economical than purchasing the
smaller swatches in sets. Micro Mesh™ will last for several
months and can be cleaned by placing it in the pockets of
jeans or in a separate garment bag and tossing in the
washing machine. It can also be used wet for wet sanding
acrylics and plastics. One thing I’ve noticed penturners
doing (incorrectly) is assembling and handling pens as
soon as the finish is applied. A newly finished pen should
be given time to cool and cure before assembly and each
finish has its own cure time. Learn what they are and
respect that for a much better finish.
FINISHES FOR PENS
SHELLAC BASED FRICTION POLISH: The finish most of us
started using is shellac-based friction polish. Most
penturners who make pens to give away (the recreational
or casual pen turner) will continue to use shellac based
friction polish. When used correctly, shellac-based friction
polish produces a very stunning finish. However, all too
often shellac friction polish fails to produce the finish we
desire for two reasons: (1) the use of too much friction
polish for each coat and/or (2) not applying enough
pressure (friction) to create the heat needed to evaporate
the solvent leaving the shellac behind. Ever wonder why it
is called friction polish? Several coats can be applied but
the pen blanks should not be handled until the final coat is
completely cured. Waiting until the next day to assemble
the new pen is best. A nice shellac-based friction polish
finish can be ruined by handling the pen while the shellac
is still warm and not fully cured. Shellac-based friction
polish is not as durable or as hard as pure shellac. They
have oils and solvents added that make them easy and
quick to use, but reduce the durability of the finish.
Remember the white rings we often find on older
furniture? Those white rings were caused by moisture
condensing on drinking glasses and reacting with the
finish—the shellac finish. Shellac reacts with the moisture
and oils from our hands and causes the finish to
deteriorate and turn darker as the pens ages and is used.
Shellac-based friction polish is great for turnings that will
not be handled. Several profess to like this patina and
that’s fine. Several of us do not, and that’s fine also. Pure
shellac is quite durable but takes lots of time to properly
apply.
LACQUER: Lacquer is one of my favorite finishes. It is not a
quick finish because lacquer takes a week or two or longer
Turning Times June 2016
Page 26 of 31
Finishing Pens by Don Ward – page 2
to fully cure and reach its full hardness. But once it does
fully cure, lacquer can be buffed to a deep shine. Lacquer
can be used in several ways: (1) full strength from the can;
(2) diluted using lacquer thinner; (3) spray can; or (4) the
dipping lacquer. Lacquer can be purchased in gloss, semigloss, or satin finish. But remember, lacquer must be
allowed to completely cure to its ultimate hardness before
buffing. This may take several weeks depending on
individual shop conditions. I prefer a 50-50 mix of gloss
lacquer and lacquer thinner applied on the lathe with a
clean cloth. I apply 6 or 7 coats and allow the pen to cure
for two weeks before assembling and buffing. It is not a
fast finish, but lacquer is a great finish for pens.
instructions where ever the forum stores articles and
instructions. My CA instructions follow. I use either a
sanding sealer or a slurry of CA and sanding dust after
sanding with 320 sandpaper. Sanding through 600 grit
sandpaper is followed with Micro Mesh™ starting with
1500 and progressing through 12000. An application of
Medium Walnut WATCO Danish oil follows. The Danish oil
darkens the wood just a little and makes the grain very
noticeable.
The pen is now ready for the CA finish. Here are the steps I
use:
1.
PLEXIGLASS: After reading several threads on the
penturning forums, I think plexiglass finish has potential.
Basically, the plexiglass is broken into small pieces,
dissolved into acetone and applied to the pen. Smaller
pieces will dissolve quicker. The solution needs to be
stirred often to keep the pieces of plexiglass from forming
one large mound of plexiglass reducing the total surface
area of the plexiglass and requiring more time for it to
dissolve. Add more plexiglass or acetone as needed to
reach a solution that is close to thick syrup in consistency.
The mix is applied to the pen using paper towels. Two or
three coats are applied and when it dries, wet sanding
seems to be the best way to sand. Wet sanding keeps
down the heat and the finish doesn’t melt. Caution: use
only real plexiglass. Other clear plastics like Lexan(tm) will
not work. And, the best plexiglass to use is the Cyro brand
which is used by picture framers. Cyro brand Acrylite™ is
the only sheet acrylic currently manufactured that is
guaranteed not to yellow. Other brands of sheet acrylic
will yellow, especially the Plexiglass™ brand. Scrap from
picture framing shops can be bought cheaply or often will
be given away; else it ends up in landfills
2.
CA (CYANOACRYLATE) glue with or without Boiled Linseed
Oil: As will soon be revealed, finishing pens with CA glue
has become my finish of choice. And, I also use boiled
linseed oil with the CA. Woodturners have been using CA
glue for filling checks, cracks, and gaps on woodturnings.
But, CA has become a popular finish for pens. I know some
turners who use CA for a finish on small bowls and spindle
turnings. CA is used with and without boiled linseed oil
and results are quite comparable. I’ve seen excellent and
not so good CA finishes where CA was used with boiled
linseed oil as well as without the oil. Several excellent
instructional articles have been posted on the penturning
forums outlining the finishing techniques for CA glue. Go
to your favorite penturning forum and you’ll find those
3.
Tear a sheet of paper towel into six or seven strips
and fold. Use a piece of paper towel folded several
times, add three drops of boiled linseed oil and
apply a light coat of boiled linseed oil to the
spinning pen blanks, using a slow lathe speed. I use
three drops for the entire pen with each coat of CA.
I apply the finish at a much faster lathe speed now
than I did when I first started learning. (Note: if you
use too much oil the CA will gunk up and not be
nice and smooth or the finish will appear to have
some ghosting spots, like maybe the CA is not stuck
to the wood.)
Hold the paper towel applicator from step 1 (which
was used to apply the boiled linseed oil) against the
bottom side of blank. Starting with the paper towel
and CA bottle on same end of pen, add a thin layer
of medium CA on top of blank as the blank spins
while moving the CA and towel pad from one end of
the pen to the other--one pass only--then add light
pressure with the paper towel on the blank,
constantly moving side-to-side until the CA is dry
and the surface of the pen is smooth and slick. The
CA will heat up some (the heat is from the CA
curing, not the friction applied by the paper towel
applicator.) Repeat process for second blank. The
paper towel should be kept moving from end to end
and the CA will cure to a bright shiny coating. After
some practice, you will be able to determine how
long to keep the applicator on the blank and
moving. I think many who try this remove the
applicator too soon and hence the high failure rate
and frustration. Now, do the same to the other half
of the pen.
I sometimes lightly sand between the CA layers but
most of the time I don’t...you will learn to tell when
you should. I use very fine sandpaper (600 or 1000)
or the 1500 MicroMesh™
Turning Times June 2016
Page 27 of 31
Finishing Pens by Don Ward – page 3
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Repeat step two...I do four coats of CA/boiled
linseed oil.
After the final coat of CA/boiled linseed oil, sand
with Micro Mesh™ 1500 to 12000.
After sanding with MicroMesh™, I buff with Tripoli,
white diamond and HUT Ultra Gloss Plastic Polish.
Next, I use McGuire’s scratch and swirl remover
auto polish and I use it as directed on the tube.
I use no wax or other top coats over the CA finish.
That’s how it’s done and the result is a great durable finish
for pens. After using this finish for three years now, I get
such a great looking finish after the final CA/boiled linseed
oil application that I have stopped the sanding after the
CA application and go straight to the buffing step. This has
come with practice and continual tweaking of the
application process. I often apply the CA to the paper
towel applicator and then apply the CA to the spinning
pen, but I think learning as I have outlined may produce
quicker successful results. Deviations can be developed as
you become comfortable with the CA/boiled linseed oil
finishing process. Happy finishing....and, OH YEAH, you
should keep a can of acetone close by. You will figure out
why!
Do a good turn daily!
More Woodturning Magazine is a monthly online magazine for turners who primarily turn wood. It is
designed to provide educational material and guidance in woodturning techniques and to keep you informed
about what is happening in the woodturning world. Visitors can purchase an annual subscription which allows
them to read the magazine content online or print it out for easy reading. One year subscription is $25. Here
is the link to the magazine webpage: http://www.morewoodturningmagazine.com/index.php
INTERESTED IN SEGMENTING?
Attend the 5th Segmenting Symposium
October 27-30, 2016
Boston Marriott Quncy
Demonstrators include John Beaver, Bob Benke, Jerry Bennett, Bruce Berger, Andy Chen,
Robin Costelle, Ray Feltz, tom Lohman, Mike McMillan, Wayne Miller, All Miotke, Jim
Rodgers, Malcolm Tibbetts, and Gary Wood
The Cost is $275 per Member or $290 per Non-Member
Hotel Discounted Cost: $139 per night
Details on the AAW Chapter website - http://segmentedwoodturners.org
Turning Times June 2016
Page 28 of 31
OUR MONTHLY TIPS
SEGMENTING RESOURCES
BOWL PRESS
ur June demonstration/discussion focuses on
segmenting options. In concert with that discussion,
Mel Taber is sharing a couple resources you should
consider looking at if segmenting is something you want
to pursue.
Y
O
The first resource is a wonderful set of three videos found
on You Tube. Jerry Bennett, one of the experts in
segmenting produced the three videos. The titles are
Segmentology: The Basics, Segmentology: Beyond the
Basic, and Segmentology Tilt! The link to connect you to
the videos is: https://youtu.be/6Yl-qDN1HtI
The second resource is a source for templates used when
cutting segments on a table saw. Check out Seg-Easy at:
http://www.segeasy.com/toystore.htm
Woodturning Online, the group that provides monthly
articles for our newsletter, has a special section that
focuses on the unique aspects of segmenting. It includes
some project plans – beginner and advanced, links to
software that can be used to design projects, links to tools
and jig that can be used for segmenting, and links to some
articles. Check it out at:
http://www.woodturningonline.com/Turning/segmented_
turning/index.html
ou may not have
seen this in the April
newsletter and since
we are focusing on
segmenting this
month, we are
repeating the tip.
Are you assembling
layers of wood
before turning? How
are you clamping the
wood? Borrow a tip
from the scrolling
community – build a
bowl press! What? You see, scrollers are making bowls
on their scrollsaws and they are making presses to place
even pressure on their bowls when they are assembled.
Want to make a press? There is a great set of plans on the
ScrollMania website – www.scrollmania.com. Look under
Plans. The website has several other tools including an
angle calculator and board foot calculator. Check it out!
GOT A TIP? SHARE IT HERE
S
end to Barbara by the 20th of each month or write it
out and hand it to her at the meeting! Hey, we all have
tips! Yours is probably excellent!
Robert Love recently completed working two arduous
nuclear refueling outages at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant
in Maryland and at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant up
north in Scriba. With his tough overnight schedule,
spending time turning was not possible. Recently, he
sent along this photo and noted, dang it was good to
do some turning!
Michelle and Robert are attending the AAW
Symposium after visiting family in Tennessee who
they’ve not seen for two years. He is donating this
bowl for the empty bowls project at the Symposium.
He will be demonstrating turning square bowls at our
November meeting!
Turning Times June 2016
Page 29 of 31
SHAVINGS & SCRAPS
CLUB TOOL RAFFLE
T
he tool raffle is a Robust 9” small “J” standard 1” post
tool rest (Model 09-SJ-LO) which was donated by Dick
Hoblitzell. Our drawing will be this month. Don’t forget to
get your ticket!. Tickets are 1 for $1 or 6 for $5.
CLUB VIDEO RENTALS
T
he club maintains a library of various videos in DVD
format for rental by members. The cost is $3 per
month. If you miss a month to return a video, you must
pay $3 additional for each month over the initial month.
We urge you to try to return on time as many others have
interest in the videos as well. If you have suggestions of
videos to be added to the collection, please let Phyllis
Radford know. Donations are always welcome.
CLUB SANDPAPER SALES
T
he club purchases Carborundum sandpaper in bulk for
resale to members and guests at meetings. Ten grits
of sheet sandpaper are available at $0.75 per sheet – 80,
100, 120, 180, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800, and 1000. Sanding
pads of 5 different grits – medium (120-180), fine (320400), superfine (500-600), ultrafine (800-1000), &
microfine (1200-1500) are also available at $1.50 per pad.
often loaned because beginners need to figure out what
to purchase and we encourage you to borrow the club
tools as a way to determine what works for you.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT – TOPS
E
ach year the CNY Woodturners donate handmade tops
to the Witter Agricultural Museum for sale in the
museum to benefit its operation. We need to start
working on tops for the 2016 New York State Fair! The
2016 goal is 1000 since we ran out of tops on Tuesday,
just 6 days into the Fair. Deliver all tops to Barbara
Raymond-LaPrease so they are counted toward your
totals for the end of year raffle. Please follow some rules
when making tops:
 No tops should be made from old CDs or DVDs
 For safety purposes tops should be larger than 1¼” to
meet federal requirements.
 Please take time to decorate your tops – using various
tools to add texture and/or colorize them when using
plain wood.
If you need help turning a top, start with page 6 & 7 of the
August 2015 newsletter (on our website) or ask for help.
CLUB GOALS – 2016
CLUB DISCOUNT AT HARTVILLE TOOL
M
embers who choose to be part of the Hartville Tool
club discount program can purchase any of the
tools and supplies offered by
Hartville at a discount of 15%
— unless the item is on sale or
is on clearance and the price is
better. Orders can be placed
by phone at 800-345-2396 or from their internet page at
www.hartvilletool.com. When ordering by phone, identify
yourself as a Club Discount Program Member. When
checking out via the internet, type Club Discount Program
Member in the Checkout Notes. The club receives a 5%
rebate check on a yearly basis calculated on all club
members’ purchases.
CLUB TOOL LOAN PROGRAM
T
he club owns 10 lathes, 5 sets of basic tools, 2 face
masks, 3 chuck sets, and several miscellaneous tools.
Members may borrow equipment if they have a need.
Tool loans must be limited to a maximum of 2 months and
tools must be returned where loaned from, not handed
off at meetings. The Board recognizes that tools are
DONATIONS BY MEMBERS
ITEM
GOAL
CURRENT
Tops
1000
221
Ornaments
150
81
COMMUNITY SUPPORT – ORNAMENT SALES
M
embers of CNY Woodturners support a local effort
to donate funds to charities that support children
through the sale of donated ornaments and other turned
objects. Since 2006, members have created and then
donated a wide variety of ornaments, magnets, bottle
stoppers, and other items. Sales are coordinated by
Barbara & Charlie LaPrease. Our current charity is the
Ronald McDonald House. Donations are recorded, noted
in newsletters, and provide the basis for end-of-year
awards. See page 18 for more information!
Turning Times June 2016
Page 30 of 31
SHAVINGS & SCRAPS
ANCHOR SEAL AVAILABLE AGAIN!
A
few years ago, the club purchased a 55 gallon drum
of anchor seal which was then divided and sold at
meetings. We ran out so the Board authorized another
purchase. The drum is delivered to Jim Yonkers who fills
gallon jugs. The jugs are then sold for $10 each at
Charlie’s sale table during the meetings. Jim brought
them to the May meeting and we will have it at the June
meeting. If you need anchor seal, now is the time to
purchase it. Anchor seal is used to seal the ends of wood
to prevent checking while it dries or until you decide to
use it.
NEEDED: Clean plastic gallon jugs –
not flimsy milk jugs. Heavier juice
bottles, anti-freeze or window washer
fluid jugs are good. Please wash out
and bring in a bag to a meeting. Give
to Jim Yonkers.
SHARPENING SERVICES
O
ne of the most asked questions is where can I get
table saw blades and other tools sharpened. The
Sharpening Shed in Cicero closed and the person who
purchased the tools hasn’t really started up the business.
Recently, Phyllis Radford sent your editor a note about a
sharpening service in Kirkville. The service is run by Paul E.
Hart and is located at 7902 Kirkville Rd, Kirkville, NY
13082. The phone number is (315) 656-2899. Phyllis
noted that her father has previously used the service. The
prices depend upon the number of teeth and size of
blades. He also sharpens hand saw and replaced tips on
saws. The flyer she provided has the following statement:
“All saws on being received will be cleaned, checked for
run out, minor retension (no charge), sharpened, polished,
and dipped in plastic to protect the tips and prevent rust.”
If you use the service, please report back.
PLAN AHEAD FOR JULY CHALLENGE
T
he June demonstration by Larry Prunotto and his crew
will focus on creating multi-piece turned projects like
those that are segmented or staved, concentrating on
staved construction. The challenge then for July will be to
create a staved piece. To do so, you may need a special
router bit – called a Bird’s Mouth bit or multi-sided glue
joint bit. If you plan on making a staved piece, you may
want to order the router bit ahead of time. At least four
different vendors have the bits: Woodline (click here); Lee
Valley (click here); MLCS (click here); and Infinity Cutting
Tools (click here).
AAW OFFERS GUEST MEMBERSHIP!
Y
our officers just received notification that AAW now
offers a 60 day Guest membership program! You must
setup an account but thru it will you be able to review
what the AAW has to offer. You will not have access to
everything but you will have access to enough to learn
about the vast array of resources available from AAW!
Check it out by clicking here.
MAY ISSUE OF WOODTURNING
FUNDAMENTALS AVAILABLE
I
f you are already an AAW member, the next issue of
Woodturning FUNdamentals is now available online. It
is ALSO be available thru the Guest Member opportunity!
In the May issue are articles by Barbara Dill about turning
multi-axis spindles and by David Schell about selling your
pieces plus more. Additionally, there are several tips and
a link to a video on making a natural edge bowl.
COLORED PLYWOOD SOURCING
M
any members enjoy working with colored plywood
when making their projects. As woodworkers, we
called the product dymondwood. But really there are
different products. The maker of Dymondwood , Rutland
Plywood, burned in August of 2014. At this time,
Rutland’s owners have not licensed their product to
anyone or rebuilt the factory. Some suppliers have
Dymondwood available in limited supply.
Enter by Cousineau Wood Products of North Anson,
Maine. First they made the Spectraply product and now
they have introduced the DymaLux product. They say it is
“resin-infused, wonderfully colored, waterproof, stabilized
& rugged Birch laminate”. If you need colored plywood
blanks – even dowel stock, you can purchase directly from
Cousineau Wood Products which recently launched an
updated website - http://www.cwp-usa.com/
LOOKING FOR ABRANET® ROLLS & SHEETS
A
branet, by Mirka, is available in discs, sheets, and rolls
from a website called Supergrit, the online presence
for Red Hill Corporation. If you search the web, you can
find other retailers, including Amazon, who sell the
product. Thanks Mel!
Turning Times June 2016
Page 31 of 31
CLASSIFIEDS
Classifieds are welcome with the caveat that
people notify the editor when entries are sold.
FOR SALE: Gemini Wood Carver/Duplicator
 No Reasonable Offer Refused  The machine
is complete and has the decoy/gunstock option included.
Ready to put on your bench and have running in an hour
or less. I will assist you in set up if you want. Made in USA
in Elbridge, NY. Contact Mel Taber, (315) 487-7855 or
[email protected]
FOR SALE: General International I HP Dust Collector with
1 MICRON CANISTER FILTER, 4 inch inlet, 110 volt. $290.
Contact Mel Taber, (315) 487-7855 or
[email protected]
FOR SALE: John Ruttan’s General Lathe, variable speed,
bed extension, $2,200.00 or offer. Also, John’s Langer
[now Carter] Hollowing System $375.00 or make offer. I
believe this was only used once. Contact Mel Taber at
[email protected] or (315) 487-7855
AVAILABLE: Owner has over 1400lbs of white oak from
shipwreck, Lizzie H. Brayton which was built in Bath,
Maine in 1891 and sunk Dec 1904. Was recovered in Jan
2013 after Hurricane Sandy. Contact Joe Drozek @
[email protected]
FOR SALE: Sam Yook was a former member who
relocated recently to New York City. His remaining
equipment and wood is located at Bob Ireland’s home
south of Fulton. Please contact Bob via email –
[email protected] or if necessary by phone at (315)
404-7085 to make arrangements to see or purchase these
items. EQUIPMENT STILL AVAILABLE: Earlex Spray System
$100; Makita 1806B Planer $ 150; Skil Jig Saw $ 10;
Battery - Maxx Everstart 35N $ 40; Makita 1912B Planer
w/extra blades $ 90; Radiant Heater $ 25; Dewalt 9"
Polisher/Sander $ 65; Honda Generator $ 600; Makita
9045B Finish Sander $ 10; Woodsman Pro 48" chainsaw
bar $ 40; Oregon 40" chainsaw bar & chain $ 40 WOOD
SPECIES FOR SALE: Ash; Birch; Bubinga; Cherry; Curly
Philippine Mahogany; Elm; Imbuya; Jatoba; Mahogany;
Maple; Padauk; Pecan; Poplar; Purpleheart; Walnut; &
Yellowheart – Different sizes available.
FOR SALE: Vega 2036 Lathe w/1.5HP motor, variable
speed & reverse [16” inboard & 20” outboard]. Plus
many tools & accessories, including a Pro 36 duplicator
with patterns. Lathe & duplicator were not heavily used
& are in very good condition. Make an offer. Contact
Andy Dennison at (315) 429-1264. [Located in Cazenovia]
FOR SALE: Craftsman COPY CRAFTER. $150. Contact Fred
Brockway at (315) 521-5873.
Memphis Hardwood Lumber – Situated on the bank of
the Old Erie Canal, over 40 species of domestic and exotic
hardwoods – including turning stock. Only local supplier
for Baltic birch plywood in different sizes – 1/8”, ¼”, ½”,
etc. For more information, see website
www.memphishardwoodlumber.com. Custom engraving
also available. Located at 6535 Church St, Memphis, NY.
Open M-F 8am–4pm. Call for Saturday appointments.
(315) 689-3949