Andy Coates was our demonstrator for July.
It was his first visit to us but I have a feeling it won’t be the last.
His ideas are different to a lot of turners we have seen over the years and hates the term “artistic” and prefers being called a wood turner with good ideas.

His first project was a good example of this where the end product would be a clock.
He says he uses scraps from other projects which he turns into different size discs and mounts them on an MDF face plate with several holes drilled on random centres to be picked up as appropriate.
You will notice that the one on the left has a hole in it. On the reverse it is bored out to take a clock mechanism. Once mounted on the lathe it is faced off and then a couple of beads are turned one hitting all the discs and one further out and only hitting some of them. These were sanded, mind your fingers! Some areas are textured in various fashions and then coloured using promarker pens, earth pigments, cosmic shimmer mist, Addirondak alcohol inks, you name it, he uses it The pieces are then removed from the face plate and mounted on a flat board in such a way that the centre circle flows like a river through the piece.



Andy’s next project was an earring stand made from a piece of laburnum, the base of which was to be a secret box!! In other words you put a couple of rings along side the join to make it look like a decoration.

Project three was a lidded bowl with a wide rim and heavily decorated using a pyrograph machine. The one he used particularly suits Andy because it uses a wire filament rather than a solid point and the filament can be used at a very high heat without burning out. It also heats up instantaneously, necessary when doing an intricate pattern. The solid tips take too long to come back up to heat. The photo is of one that Andy put on his display table. ( Another way of saying “one he made earlier”)

The last piece of the day was a box has a Jewish background and is called a Dreidal. The box is pyrograhed on the outside with a brick wall pattern and the bricks dimpled with a dremel to bring the wall to life. The lid is turned to create a spinning top and the base of the box is recessed to act as a dish for the top to spin in.

Our next meeting is on the 11th August and is a club day where anything can happen.. The usual array of lathes will be available for anyone who wants to try their hand at something new or wants advice and a practical demonstration to overcome a problem they are having with a tool or a shape they can’t quite get right.

There is a reminder on the notice board but I will repeat it here that the Farming World show is on from the 25th to the 27th August and we will be there in our usual shed. We will have two sales tables. One where the takings will go 100% to charity and one where you keep what you make but 10% goes to the charity we are supporting on the day. I think this year it will be the McMillan Nursing Home who were very good with Ernie Frith in his last days.

That’s it for this issue.
See you all on the 11th.
Graham

Notice board

DONATIONS FOR CHARITY
A reminder that if you have something to donate to be sold at Farming World please bring it to the next meeting. The show is on the 25th to the 27th August where we will be in our usual shed, close to the bacon butty shop and the loo!!


NEW SUPPLIER OF WOOD.
Shorne Wood Country Park

They can supply Sweet Chestnut, Sycamore, Silver Birch and very occasionally Ash. These can be supplied in various sizes and ages. They can cut the logs to any length or even do planks. The wood is seasoned outside and ranges between 6 months to 3 years at a diameter of between 2" to 12". The wood will, depending on size required, comes in metre high string bags which could hold approx six 13cm x 1m high logs, for about £20.00 a bag. Discounts for bulk buys is available so people may wish to club together. Orders for wood can be made 7 days in advance or some can be picked up on the day. All money goes towards the upkeep and running of the park and its facilities. If anyone is interest they can talk to Dawn Royall for more information and pictures of the wood are available to view if required. Dawn can be contacted on DAWNROYALL@MSN.COM