END OF SUMMER TURNERS ANONYMOUS
MY TURN:
Well, Salli just left for the first day of school so I guess summer is about over.
I don’t know about you, but it has gone way too fast for me. The trip to Richmond was fun and dug a hole in my wallet. You have heard the saying “we are only one tool away from greatness”? If the tool room at the symposium is any indication then we have a lot of great turners out there.
I had a week at Arrowmont along with John Schlueter and Bill Blasic taking the Alan Trout class. We had a great time and learned so much. Alan is loaded with talent and shares with all. I will bring along a couple pieces to the picnic.
Speaking of the picnic, I hope you saved the date. We are especially interested in seeing what you have done this summer, especially those who have taken a class. We would like to meet your family, and if you have any friends who want to learn about turning we would be glad to meet them also. Just let Becky know how many are coming so we have enough food. I will bring at least one lathe with me, maybe two if they fit, so if you have a tool that just won’t behave, I believe someone there can help you out.
THE PICNIC
A reminder that our picnic is on Saturday, August 24, 11am to 7pm. Set up will begin at 10:30am. It will be held at Evergreen Community Park, 3430 Evergreen Road, Pittsburgh, Pa 15237 (Ross Township). The following link is about the park
If you are planning to attend, please bring either a side dish or dessert. Let Becky know what you are bringing so that we don’t have duplicate dishes. Also, if you plan to help out at the picnic, either set up or clean up, contact Becky at (412-805-6693 or email me at ramaruca@gmail.com). MANY HANDS MAKE LESS WORK.
Dave Belter will be bringing one of the travel lathes, so plan to bring some sharp tools to the picnic. We will also have a table available for the Instant Gallery as well. This is a great opportunity to show off what you have been working on. All projects are welcome—complete or not.
There will be two short TA meetings concerning upcoming events, and demos at our new location—WOODCRAFT. The first meeting will be around 1pm for those attending the picnic early in the day and a second meeting will be around 4pm for those coming later. Both meetings will cover the same information so you only need to be present for one meeting. BOARD MEMBERS—there will be a short meeting for us as well.
I look forward to seeing many of you there and meeting your spouses too.
COMING UP!
ROSS COMMUNITY DAY
We have been invited to do a demo at Ross Township’s Community Day on Saturday, September 7th at The Block at Northway (the old Northway Mall). We will have a booth where we can turn on a lathe and display our work. The time is noon to 9pm. Please let Becky know if you can attend and how long you can demo that day.
FAIR IN THE PARK
Our annual presentation at Fair in the Park this year is Friday, September, 6th — 1pm – 7pm thru Sunday, September, 8th — 10am – 5pm. We need volunteers to demo or talk to people. Hopefully we will not get rained out again. If you are considering attending 1 of these days, even if it’s only for a few hours, it will be appreciated. Please contact Dave Betler (412-848-6911 or dabetler@gmail.com). We will also have a sign-up sheet at the picnic. Bring sharp tools (we won’t have a grinder) and some of your completed projects to the booth (I know you all love to show your stuff).
These demos bring in new members and showcase what we do as an organization, as well as helping, teaching, learning, & having fun in woodturning.
Please note: We are not allowed to sell any of our projects at these events. It puts our tax exempt status in jeopardy.
NEW DVD’s IN THE TA LIBARAY:
We acquired Ted Sokolowski’s other 3 DVDs:
- Making Candlesticks (2 Disc Set)
- Making a Peppermill
- Mixing & Matching Color for Woodworkers
They will be available soon to the membership.
SEPTEMBER IS THE NEW SEASON:
September 21st Club Meeting. Yes, you have to watch that same old show-off again. Dave Betler will have a brand new demonstration on how to turn a genie lamp on the lathe. This is something that I said was impossible 5 years ago, so this will be like going to a NASCAR race – you wait for the CRASH! This demo will repeat at the OVWG in October
COMING IN OCTOBER:
October 19th Club Meeting – She ain’t afraid of that skew! Linda Van Gehuchten will show you the simple things to do to make this one of your favorite spindle turning tools (OR USE IS AS A NEGATIVE RAKE SCRAPER). Linda has been one of the original club members, TA club president, AAW board member, and remains one of our few professional turners. We are lucky to have such a talented person to share with us.
Mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium (MAWTS) this year is October 4th thru the 6th. Held in downtown Lancaster, PA this is a nice event and has been a favorite of many of our club members.
Ohio Valley Woodturning Guild (OVWG) is holding their bi-annual symposium October 18th thru 20th. This is a great event that many of our club members attend. One of our members will be a demonstrator this year. Please see their website for information. https://ovwg.clubexpress.com
See-Ya,
Dave Betler