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Upcoming  meetings and events:

April 16th 2022

Village Hall starting at 19:30

 Demonstration by Mike Charnley

We put the welfare of our members, demonstrators and others who use the meeting facilities at the forefront of resuming meetings please see additional information below or click here for the latest covid policy.

Recently displayed

2021 Malcolm Fox Memorial Trophy winners with Chairman Tic. First place went to Ian Cameron for his candle heat powered Christmas scene.

Second place went to Mike Charnley and third to Martin Taylor.

We encourage all members to bring items to meetings for display. See more in the main Gallery

Obviously we are very keen to ensure the safety of everyone who attends our meetings and members must understand that the following conditions will apply:

• You must not attend the meeting if you or anyone in your household, your support bubble or your work environment:

• Clinically vulnerable people should follow the latest government advice.
• You attend at your own risk
• A sanitising station will be provided at the entrance. Use this before entering the hall.
• Social distancing - members must keep at least 1 metre apart
• The Village Hall has decreed from that until further notice masks have to be worn at all times except then consuming refreshments.
• " There will be no charge for refreshments this year.
• Tea/coffee to be consumed observing social distancing, or outside.
• Handling of display items must only be by the originator.
• Free Raffle ticket allocated on entry.
• Members must ensure that the toilet is sanitized ready for the next user.  (Spray and wipes will be provided)

Please do not attend if you do not agree with these conditions.

These rules have been created following Government guidelines and the meeting Halls current rules, click here tor a full downloadable document

Change of meeting day and meeting procedure

Please note our meeting day has changed to the third Monday of the month. This is so that our meetings do not coincide with another group that use the same venue.

Committee news

The committee is pleased to welcome Martin Taylor and Stuart Clarke to the ranks of the club committee following the November 2021 AGM. We are sure they will be great assets to help organise and help take the club forward.

The committee aims to meet several times a year to discuss new ideas, organise upcoming events and find ways to enhance the club.

We do however require further member help to achieve our events and goals, help is always appreciated at meetings to setup and clear down and at our special events.

If you have fresh ideas, organisational skills or are just enthusiastic about the club and woodturning in general then please feel free to ask any committee member for an informal chat, or better still just volunteer to join on the AGM nigh held in November.

The current Committee:

- has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days

- has COVID-19 symptoms

- shows signs of, or has been in contact with anyone   showing signs of illness

March 21st 2022 - demonstration by Mick Hanbury

More about Mick hanbury - click here

A  full report is availbale within the March newsletter, here

John French is a long serving honorary member of the club and has a passion for making puzzles, he is in fact the puzzle master!  Over the years we have seen is finely turned and beautiful pieces at several demonstrations and shown on the members table.

We are now very pleased to be able to publish John’s booklet on one of his most complicated pieces:

Woodturning and the 20-Ball Tetrahedral Pyramid

In Johns words:

John French special puzzle booklet now available

“

At my local Woodturning Club, I have done various demonstrations and I try not to do the obvious such as bowls, hollow forms, etc, so when asked again I suggested combining two of my passions, turning and puzzles. This was accepted, and then I had to work out what I was going to turn for the demonstration.

One of the items I decided on was the 20-ball pyramid consisting of four linear 3-ball units and two 4-ball units as being easy to turn.

This has another benefit, as it provides good practice at turning beads and good tool control. To be ready for any questions, I started to research more into the puzzle and its many possibilities, and one thing led to another!

Read this fascinating article by clicking here

Upcoming meeting - May 16th 2022

We are pleased to announce that our demonstrator for this meeting will be Mike Charnley.

Mike is a retired professional woodworker and now an avid turner. He built his own purpose built workshop a few years ago and has a superb collection of very well maintained tools.

Mike is a precise and careful turner, with fine attention to finish and detail.

His turnings are exceptional and varied. This should be a good demontration.

Mick demonstrated making a vase or urn with foot and finial using book-matched spalted beech.

His approach is modular and the finial and footer can fit other similar items to allow for variation of a change of appearance to suit the final product.

The piece was completed entirely on the evening right up to the finishing stages which he completes at a later stage.  This is where Mick uses using various decorative painting techniques, patterning or pyrography with good effect.

Mick explained that the object used many of the woodturners skills including bowl and spindle turning, decorative spiralling techniques and the appreciation of good form and balance.

Meeting April 2022 - Multi turn

We At this meeting we had five members who had bought lathes and equipment along. There was not a large member turnout for the meeting, but all that attended enjoyed the evening and many said they learnt something or gained useful tips.

 Ian Cameron - Jigs for sphere making, work holding and sanding

Martin Taylor - Small turned novelty characters

Mike Charnley - Box making, hollowing and decoration

Tic Challis - Pyrography techniques

Stuart Clarke - Decorating tools and their use

Read the full report later in the April newsletter here

Other 2022 newletters can be viewed here

Weird and Wonderful Wood show - Haughly park - 14th / 15th May

We urgently need tombola donations for our stand at this year's Weird and Wonderful Wood event at Haughley park on Saturday and Sunday, May 14th and 15th.  Any turnings small or large would be very welcome, we are currently very short.

The club is also looking for members to help setup as well as attend the stand on the day, any member with access to a small van would be very appreciated.

Please call John Woods on 07770 226640 as soon as possible.