Category Archives: Carpentry and Joinery

Joe Futcher – Surrey Association of Woodturners

The Association was formed in January 1990 to promote the art and craft of woodturning. The aim is to build a lively association by interchange of ideas and skills improving the woodturning of members. The Association meets at 1930 on the second Friday of each month at the Mychett Centre for a demonstration, a talk on a relevant turning related topic or other related activity and a chance to meet and discuss the hobby with like minded people.

Annual subscription is £25. If you are interested contact the chairman Paul Nesbitt 0208 848 7137, or Richard Davies 01483 472 554, Peter Stent 01252316365

 Throughout the UK there are a number of shows and demonstrations for professional and amateur woodworkers, two of which I have previously attended, one in the south-east and one in the south-west.

In the south-west, Yandles hold a show twice yearly, one in spring and one in the autumn. Yandles’ shows are held at their premises, Hurst Works, Martock, Somerset TA12 6JU (Tel: 01935 822207).

Each show has demonstrations of Woodturning, Knife Making, Carving, Marquetry, Routing, Stone Carving, Furniture Restoration, Guitar Making, Sculpture Carving (using a chain saw), Pyography and various other skills including hobbies such as Crochet and Jewellery, the latter two probably more appropriate for the ladies.

At the Yandles shows there are usually over 40 trade stands covering, and some demonstrating, the use of almost every type of woodworking tool you are likely to come across as a woodworker either amateur or professional. There are some good special offers available on both tools and timber.

Entrance and car parking are free and the events are always very well attended, attracting coach parties from as far away as South and West Wales. It’s worth getting there early!

The Yandles Autumn Show this year is on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th September.

This year they celebrate 150 years in the woodworking trade. Well worth a visit if you are into woodworking.

For more information visit http://www.yandles.co.uk/

In the south-east D&M Tools hold events at Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ   (Tel: 0208 892 3813 – Twickenham office of D&M Tools)

At this tool show all the major manufacturers of woodworking tools are present giving advice and demonstrations and offering products for sale often with some good discounts on price.

The location is easily accessed and has the added bonus of giving access to the Kempton Park Racecourse restaurant with its panoramic view over the racecourse.

The next D&M Tools show is Friday 8th Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th October 2010, with free car parking and entrance.

More information at: http://www.thetoolshow.com/

I was wondering if any Old and Bold readers partake in the hobby of woodturning?                                       

About four years ago I saw an advertisement for woodturning courses to be held at the premises of Axminster Tools in Axminster. As I hadn’t turned wood since I was at school some 45-50 years ago, I thought I’d have a go.

There were five of us on the course, three old codgers and a couple of marginally younger blokes. Same story from the old codgers, they hadn’t turned wood since school days. The course was excellent and brought back old skills but with equipment superior to that used all those years ago. Over three days we learned about health and safety, some of the different types of woodturning tools, practised sharpening tools and using them on the lathe. Today there are so many varieties of turning tools that it can be a bit of a minefield, not to mention the potential expense of equipping yourself. By the end of the course we had all made a couple of bowls, some spindle work and some odd shaped pieces for decoration. We had learned the art of polishing our newly made items, and making them presentable.

After the course I bought an Axminster bench top lathe, small but perfectly alright for what I was going to make; maximum bowl size 8-inch radius. This lathe is also great for making spindles, handles for items such as magnifying glasses, letter openers, lace maker’s bobbins and so on.

Before I started making turned items at home I bought a dust extractor from e-Bay followed by a selection of turning chisels (roughing gouge, skew chisel, parting tool, bowl gouge, scraper) from the same source. These were sufficient to get started, but not before buying facemasks to prevent breathing in wood dust. I already had a grinding wheel to sharpen the chisels.

Ready to go and for the next two years family members got anything from a wooden bowl to a chair leg for Christmas!

Things don’t always go according to plan though – towards the end of last year I was turning a bowl out of bubinga wood, had completed the outside including a fine polish, had turned it round and started the inside when I had a ‘catch’ and the bowl flew off the lathe, did a couple of circuits of my shed and ended up crashing into and ripping the bag on my dust extractor. As the extractor was running at the time, everything in the shed, including myself, was quickly covered with dust and wood shavings. Now I know the reason for emergency shut-off buttons on all the machines!

I subsequently bought a few extra items – band saw and various chucks for the lathe.

If any of the readers partake in woodturning it would be good to read about it. If not, then a hobby worth considering for the future?  I am no expert but can knock up a few good pieces without much trouble, and find it an enjoyable and rewarding hobby.

There is so much information on the Internet, but one site in particular is good for blog:

http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=975

Thanks for that Colin, here’s your next project – Turning a pine goblet