masterfully making more marvelous...

November 2015 Newsletter

Masterfully Making More Marvelous Mallets

Contents Contents .......................................................................... 1

President’s Letter ............................................................ 2

October Presentation ...................................................... 2

Club Officers and Mentors .............................................. 2

Members Gallery ............................................................. 3

Club Member Profile ....................................................... 5

“Bud” Dilbeck .................................................................. 5

Empty Bowls .................................................................... 8

Out and About ................................................................. 8

Ask Dale .......................................................................... 9

Holiday Celebration ...................................................... 10

Wood Turning Sources ................................................. 11

Supporters of North Valley Woodturners .................... 11

New/Returning Memberships ...................................... 12

November 2015

Return to Page 1 Page 2 of 12

President’s Letter

It’s a rainy day (finally!) here in the North Valley, a good day to get a start on our next newsletter. I’d like to start-off with a very big THANK-YOU !! to all of you that brought project examples to share at our last meeting in October. As some of you will recall, due to a snafu (that’s an old military expression for “Situation Normal; All F---ed Up) we found ourselves without the ability to run our planned program. So, what did we do, we improvised. With many submissions for the Members Gallery we set-up the tables with the submissions, gathered our chairs around the tables and had an informal “show-and-tell-and-share” session which all enjoyed immensely. It provided an opportunity for questions and answers that involved everyone. This seems like something that would be good to do occasionally. Over the last several months we’ve mentioned our Empty Bowls program for which we will be delivering bowls again this coming year. Serendipitously, I received an e-mail just after the meeting from the local event coordinator. She was asking whether we would be participating again this coming year and also whether we thought that the “silent auction” approach that they used last year was a good approach. I assure her that we would be participating again this year and agreed that the “silent auction” approach was good. So, now we need to settle down and begin turning bowls for that event. Lastly, I will mention our upcoming annual holiday get-together. We have chosen Saturday, December 5th, as the date for this year’s get-together. We realize that this is an early date, but, knowing that we all will have other holiday events to attend during the season we thought that we would get an early start. See later in this newsletter for full details. So, keep on turning … Lynn

October Presentation

Our October presentation was an impromptu affair. Due to a SNAFU (see President’s Letter) we were without our audio-visual support and were unable to have our planned presentation by Glenn Lucas, an Irish turner. With some quick thinking we decided to turn the meeting into a genuine “club” meeting using the Member Gallery submissions as the basis. From comments received after the meeting this informal discussion opportunity was a great success.

Club Officers and Mentors

President: Lynn Shoger * Email: Lynn [email protected] Phone: 530-876-1419

Vice President: Paul Atkins * Email: [email protected] Phone: 530-570-3298

Secretary: William (Bud) Dilbeck * Email: [email protected] Phone: 530-345-5006

Treasurer: Gerald (Jerry) Letson Email: [email protected] Phone: 530-589-2981

At-Large: Kirk Berger * Email: [email protected]

Phone: 530-895-3959 * Denotes Mentors

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

November 2015


Members Gallery

The Members Gallery at our October meeting was likely the best that we have had. Many members were represented and practically all had more than one item to show. Dave and Linda Brannam had recently attended a workshop with Jimmy Clewes and shared examples of projects that they had completed at the workshop.

A pair of bowls with crushed stone inlay at rims

A pair of boxes

from ash with accent wood inlay on the tops.

A pair of bowls with detailed rims, one from walnut and

the other from maple.

A pair of shop mallets from maple.

Rick Fowler brought a trio of bowls turned from

Camphor. He had the wood for a while and decided to see how it would turn.

Sam Poole brought an interesting segmented vase incorporating a variety of details developed from a selection of woods and various grain patterns and a small segmented bowl of red oak and soft maple.

Jim Sanders used several of the cherry and maple wood blanks made available at the previous meeting to explore shapes.

November 2015


Jerry Letson brought a segmented vase comprised of birds-eye maple with walnut accents.

Bud Dilbeck brought a couple of bowls intended for donation to the empty bowls program. One was a straight-forward bowl from walnut and the other was a four-cornered bowl from maple which he turned at our demonstration booth at the Fiber Fusion.

Lynn Shoger brought a collection of lace-making bobbins some of which he turned while preparing for the Fiber Fusion demonstration and others that he turned during the demonstration. He also had a natural-edge cedar bowl.

All-in-all we had quite a successful Members Gallery with enthusiastic discussion among those present. Thank-you to all.

Annual Membership Renewal

It’s that again, time to renew your membership for the coming year. Thank-you for your participation in the North Valley Woodturners. Our club would not be what it is today without your participation. Our membership dues will continue to remain the same at $35 per year and need to be paid by the first of the year. We have had an interesting and exciting past year and are looking forward to continued new things for the year ahead. Please make payment of your dues by cash or check to Gerald (Jerry) Letson, in person or by mail.

The North Valley Woodturners (NVWT) is an affiliated chapter of the American Association of Woodturners. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, information, and an organization for individuals interested in woodturning. Whatever your skills, if you want to take them skills to the next level, the North Valley Woodturners is a local club for you. Check our website www.northvalleyturners.org for meeting times and location and come join our members at a meeting! Membership Benefits

Monthly meetings and other activities including summer picnic and holiday party

Demonstrations by local members

Monthly Members Gallery participation

Monthly newsletter

Individual mentoring by experienced members

Wants and Disposal announcements in the monthly newsletter

Participation in public demonstrations

http://www.northvalleyturners.org/

November 2015


Club Member Profile “Bud” Dilbeck

The Directors of our club have talked off and on about including club member profiles in our newsletter. So, for our first member profile we will be profiling Bud Dilbeck, our club secretary.

Bud has been a life-long resident of Durham, CA, so you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows more about where to find wood, or just about anything else, in our area. Growing-up here Bud had the opportunity to take two years of shop in high school and that is where he had his first encounter with the lathe. That experience was left behind during a tour of duty with the US Army, service as a police officer, and, a career as owner of a copier service company. When he retired from his business about 25 years ago he looked about for something to fill his time so he turned to woodworking. His son gave him his first lathe, a Jet with a 12-inch swing and mechanical variable speed control. At first he didn’t do much with the lathe except let it gather dust. But one day he decided to try it out. A basic set of tools, “mostly scrapers” he

says, came with the lathe and that is what he had to work with. Bud spent about a year-and-a-half “fiddling” with the lathe and the tools trying to get them to work like he wanted. He didn’t have a chuck so he used a faceplate and waste-blocks to mount his wood on the lathe. Finally, he decided to take a beginning turning class at Craft Supplies in Provo, UT. That experience opened the world of turning to him. The focus of the class was bowl turning and that “sucked” him in. He claims that he has no real interest in artistic turning so the utilitarian nature of bowls, plates and cups provided focus. Probably the one thing from that first class that is indelibly imprinted in his mind is how to hold the gouge and present it to the wood. “45 – 45 – 45” is the mantra; hold the gouge at 45 degrees to the toolrest, approach the wood at 45-degrees to the bed of the lathe, and rotate the gouge at 45-degrees from vertical away from the face of the wood. At the end of that first class he bought four gouges and a Tru-Grind sharpening system. Over the next year and a half he believes that he turned between 300 and 350 bowls and plates with some goblets and Christmas ornaments thrown-in. During this time he acquired a new 16-inch throw variable speed Jet lathe and began buying more turning tools. To provide an outlet for the quantity of pieces he was turning he began participating in craft shows and selling his turnings. With some experience under his belt he decided to take a second (intermediate) turning class at Craft Supplies. There he met “the gang”, the turning school regular instructors that co-taught the class and who opened the door to techniques and details that would add to his turnings. He discovered the wide range a capabilities that could be brought to life with the simple bowl gouge. He also learned that the choice of wood could make or break a project. And, choice involved a whole range of things: species, grain-figure, color, moisture, texture, and more. Also, he learned that a turner’s capabilities could be limited by the tools he

November 2015


chooses and acquires. Following this second class he continued with his turning and participation in craft shows. A year-and-a-half later Bud returned to Craft Supplies to take the Advanced turning class. This turned out to be a “bust” and a “blessing” for him. The “bust” was that 8 of the 12 people enrolled in the class were no better than beginners and Bud learned little from the class. The “blessing” was that the instructor for the class was noted wood-turner Jimmy Clewes. Bud struck up a relationship with Jimmy and when Jimmy began offering classes on his own six months later, Bud signed-up. As it turned out, two of the others signed-up for the class

dropped out at the last minute and Bud was able to enjoy a one-on-one class with Jimmy Clewes. What a blessing that was. Over the last couple of years craft shows have not been as successful a venue for woodturning as they once were. As a result Bud has shifted his focus to teaching. He’s happy for any opportunity to share what he has learned over the years with anyone interested in learning. Bud’s shop is a working shop. Everything is close at hand from turning tools to larger equipment to turning blanks and roughed-out bowls.

November 2015


He has tables and other work surfaces piled high with blanks and bowls in various stages of completion. When he is turning he focuses on the body of the bowl and takes it to completion.

When he removes it from the lathe he sets it aside so that he can remove the tenon and finish the foot later. He has a lot of bowls waiting for the foot finishing.

And his supply of blanks is unbelievable. This is only a portion of the blanks that he has inside his shop. Outside he has stacks of slabs ready to be cut into blanks and shelves of roughed out bowls drying in paper bags filled with wood shavings. It will be a while before he is able to turn all the wood he has at the ready. But, don’t tell Bud that there’s a great tree coming down. He’s ready with his saw and truck and trailer to go make sure that there isn’t good turning wood that will get away. To say that Bud loves turning is an understatement. It has become and continues to be his passion and he advocate for that passion every chance that he gets.

November 2015


Empty Bowls It is time for us to be turning wooden bowls that can be donated to the Empty Bowl program here in Chico. The part of the program we participate in is the annual dinner fundraiser. We do not have the specifics for when the fundraising dinner will be held in 2016. But, it is not too late for us to be turning bowls to contribute. This past year our club donated over three dozen bowls to this fundraising program. It would be great if we could double our contribution for this coming year. Bowls do not need to be fancy. Simple straight-forward bowls are as appreciated as any. Our participation in this past year was such a success that rather than distribute our wooden bowls as a part of the entry contribution they were placed in a special Silent Auction. This was a real success for the program. You do not need to wait until just before the event to make your contribution. You can make your donation of one, two, or whatever number of bowls ant any of our regular meetings or by special arrangement by calling Lynn Shoger at 530-876-1419. Thanks in advance for your participation in this worthy cause.

New This Year for

Empty Bowls North Woods Figured Wood out of Forest Grove, OR www.nwfiguredwoods.com made a contribution of eight 6 x 6 x 2 and 6 x 6 x 3 plain soft maple blanks for the Empty Bowls program here in Chico. In addition, the club made available a large lot of maple and cherry blanks for turning bowls for the program. These were distributed at the October meeting.

Out and About There are opportunities for each of us to participate in that will help our individual development as woodturners. Some of these events are workshops where new approaches and techniques are presented. Others of these are venues where craftspeople such as we woodturners may present our turnings for sale. Each of these types of events are opportunities for us to learn about and improve our capabilities as craftspeople. We recently visited the Sacramento Arts Festival which held its eighteenth annual exhibition the weekend of November 6th, 7th, and 8th at the Sacramento Convention Center. This was an event that was open to a wide range of craftspeople from around the western US. Included in those present were two woodturners from the Sacramento area. Next year’s Arts Festival is schedules for November 4th, 5th, and 6th, also at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Creative Arts league of Sacramento is sponsoring the By Hand competition with exhibition from January 16th, 2016 through February 27th, 2016 at Blue Line Arts in Roseville, CA. The entry deadline is November 12th, 2015. Full information for the event is available on line at www.bluelinearts.org or by calling (916) 783-4117. Club member Norm Hinman will be present his turnings in the All-Member Holiday Show at the Artery, 207 G Street, Davis, CA from November 23rd to December 31st. We have learned recently that Rockler Woodworking and Hardware has opened a new store locally at the Blue Oakes Town Center, 6648 Lonetree Boulevard, Rocklin, CA, northeast of Sacramento on I-80, just beyond Roseville. Rockler, similar to Woodcraft, carries a complete line of woodworking (including turning) tools and supplies.

http://www.nwfiguredwoods.com/http://www.bluelinearts.org/

November 2015


Ask Dale “Ask Dale” presents questions submitted by readers of the magazine Woodturning Design to Dale Nish, noted woodturner, educator, author and founder of the Utah Woodturning Symposium. Dale Nish would respond to these questions in a column that he wrote for Woodturning Design. The magazine found this column so useful to their readers that they have posted the entire series on their website. When the magazine was contacted for permission for us to re-publish these questions and answers they agreed provided they were credited as the source http://www.woodturningdesign.com/askdale/index.shtml . It must be noted that Dale Nish passed away suddenly at the end of May 2013 and these questions with his responses are a lasting legacy. Question (from Issue 15): With my midi lathe, I cannot seem to get on-axis alignment between the headstock and tailstock. The main problem seems to be with the left/right alignment and appears to be due to slop in either the bed of the lathe or the tailstock bottom. For example, wobble is plainly visible while trying to drill with a Jacobs chuck in the tailstock Morse taper. This seems to be common in other midi lathes that I have looked at in showrooms. I’d like to attempt making a peppermill, but using a larger drill like a Forstner bit, would be out of the question. Is there any trick or technique to finding and preserving alignment other than buying a more expensive machine? Answer: This is a fairly common problem with many lathes, not just midi lathes. This misalignment can be caused by several things. One of the most common is dirt or grime buildup inside the Morse taper area of the head or tailstock. Put some solvent such as mineral spirits or lacquer thinner on a clean rag and carefully wipe out the inside of the Morse taper. This area should be shiny and clean. Remove the tailstock from the lathe and carefully clean any grime or grease from the base of the tailstock. Wipe the lathe bed clean, and if necessary, remove any rust with 400-grit wet or dry abrasive paper. Clean with a dry cloth, replace the tailstock, and tighten loosely. Wiggle the tailstock to check for a secure fit between the bed ways. The tailstock should slide easily but not be sloppy between the ways. Place a new drive center or 60o cone center in the headstock and tailstock. They should fit securely into the Morse taper in the head and tailstock. Now, slide the tailstock to within an inch or two from the headstock. Tighten the tailstock to the bed so it is secure, and advance the quill until the points meet.

They should match closely. Also, this alignment will suffice for most requirements. If they do not line up, loosen the tailstock and slide a piece of brass shim stock under one side of the tailstock. This is a trial-and-error process and may require inserting the shim stock in various places until the alignment is acceptable. Brass shim stock is available at machine shop suppliers and comes in various thicknesses. A good thickness with which to start would be 0.003. Once the alignment is acceptable, mark the position and put a little epoxy adhesive on the shim stock, insert the shim stock under the tailstock, and clamp the tailstock in position. This procedure will usually solve alignment problems. ************************************************************* Question: In a previous “Ask Dale” column, you stated that a safe speed to turn bowls is “D x RPM should equal between 6000 and 9000 RPM”. My lathe motor turns at 1725 RPM. I have a set of step-down pulleys with the following diameters: 3-1/2”, 3”, 2-1/4”, and 1-1/2”. Is it possible to calculate the lathe speed with this information? Answer: I believe the formula in the Spring 2005 issue stated that a safe speed to turn bowls is “Diameter in inches x the RPM of the lathe which will give a number between 6000 and 9000.” This is NOT 6000 to 9000 RPM, but only a number between 6000 and 9000. For example, an 8” bowl entered into the formula would be 6000/8 = 750 or 9000/8 = 1125. In review, 8 x 750 = 6000, 8 x 1125 = 9000. A good choice of speed would be somewhere between 750 and 1125 RPM. Pulley diameter does not enter into the calculation. All you need to know is the RPM of the lathe when the belt is in a particular pulley while operating a step-pulley lathe, or the RPM at a particular setting on a variable-speed lathe. Common speeds on a 6-step pulley lathe are in the area of 500, 800, 1250, 2650, and 3700 RPM. If you are turning a 6” bowl from a bandsawed blank (which would be reasonably round) the calculation would be 6000/6 = 1000 or 9000/6 = 1500. I would probably select the 800 pulley, which is a little below the 1000 number or the 1250 which is a little below the 1500 number. I believe that a bowl blank which is round and is from sound material can be turned safely within 10% of the recommended numbers. A reminder … the 6000 and 9000 range is just a number and is NOT RPMs.

http://www.woodturningdesign.com/askdale/index.shtmlhttp://www.woodturningdesign.com/askdale/index.shtml

November 2015


Holiday Celebration

Mark your 2015 calendars for December 5th as our day for the club to celebrate the holidays. Again this year, in a continuing effort towards a more festive atmosphere we will again meet at the home of Kirk Berger. Not only will this be a relaxed setting, it will provide the opportunity for us to add a little wine to our refreshments. Speaking of refreshments, we are requesting that all attendees bring a plate of finger-food, appetizers or dessert, to share. Also, we will have a turning challenge. In support of our contribution to the Empty Bowls fundraising campaign we are asking that you bring an empty bowl or two to add to our club donation. If you have not signed-up either prior to, or at the November meeting, please contact Kirk Berger by e-mail at [email protected] to let us know if you will be attending and whether you will bring a spouse or guest.

Map to Kirk Berger’s Home for Holiday Celebration Map Link

mailto:[email protected]://www.google.com/maps/place/9+Lindo+Park+Dr,+Chico,+CA+95926/@39.733128,-121.840592,18z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x808327bbf335abef:0x9a2560fbe09e21ec?hl=en

November 2015


Wood Turning Sources

Many of you have asked about sources for wood turning lathes, accessories, supplies, etc. The following list not complete, however, this list will get you started and includes sources familiar to many other wood turners. Please forward any additions you would like to share for this list. Craft Supplies USA, “The Woodturners Catalog”, www.woodturnerscatalog.com

Offers a full range of wood turning lathes, accessories, tools, finishing supplies, turning kits, and instructional books and videos.

Hartville Tools www.hartvilletool.com/

Offers a full range of woodworking power equipment, hand tools, lathes, accessories, carving tools, and finishing supplies.

Klingspor’s Woodworking Shop, www.woodworkingshop.com

Offers a full range of woodworking power equipment, hand tools, lathes, accessories, carving tools, and finishing supplies. Noted for their abrasives.

Packard Woodworks Inc., www.packardwoodworks.com

Offers a full range of woodworking power equipment, hand tools, lathes, accessories, carving tools, finishing supplies, woodcraft kits, and instructional books and videos.

Penn State Industries Woodturning, www.pennstateind.com

Offers lathes, accessories, tools, equipment and turning kits. Noted for their supplies for pen turners.

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, www.rockler.com

Offers a full range of woodworking

power equipment, hand tools, lathes, accessories, carving tools, finishing supplies, and woodcraft kits.

Treeline The Woodcraft Specialists, www.treeline.usa.com

Offers a full line of carving equipment, tools, and instructional books and videos. Focus is on the wood carver and wood turners adding embellishment to turnings.

Wood Carvers Supply, Inc., www.woodcarverssupply.com

Offers a full line of carving equipment, and tools. Focus is on the wood carver and wood turners adding embellishment to turnings.

Woodcraft Helping You Make Wood Work, www.woodcraft.com

Offers a full range of woodworking power equipment, hand tools, lathes, accessories, carving tools, finishing supplies, woodcraft kits, and instructional books and videos. Focus is on the general woodworker.

Rob Wallace’s Woodturning Links, www.public.iastate.edu/~rwallace/WTlinks.html

This website contains links to nearly 400 websites focused on woodturning. Enough to keep you up for several nights.

Supporters of North Valley Woodturners

We are beginning to attract the support of retailers that offer woodturning supplies and equipment. Hartville Tool, is offering a 10% discount on purchases when you identify yourself as a member of the North Valley Woodturners. Packard Woodworks Inc. is offering a 10% discount on purchases when you identify yourself as a member of the North Valley Woodturners.

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/http://www.hartvilletool.com/http://www.woodworkingshop.com/http://www.packardwoodworks.com/http://www.pennstateind.com/http://www.rockler.com/http://www.treeline.usa.com/http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/http://www.woodcraft.com/http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rwallace/WTlinks.html

November 2015


New/Returning Memberships The North Valley Woodturners is a growing woodturning club, now in our third year, located in the north valley of California. The North Valley Woodturners has been accepted as an affiliate of the American Association of Woodturners, the national association of woodturners. With access to the resources of the national organization we are able to extend the many benefits and resources which are available from that organization to our members. The North Valley Woodturners membership includes woodturners with a wide range of interests and abilities.

Our membership includes woodturners that are just beginning to explore their interest in woodturning as well as woodturners with many years of experience. In addition to monthly programs that address a wide range of topics in woodturning the club has developed a mentoring program to provide instruction and assistance to the beginning turner. If you are not a member and you wish to join the North Valley Woodturners club, Please complete the following membership information form and return it along with your annual dues at the next meeting. You may also mail the completed information form along with dues payment of $35 to the attention of: Gerald Letson, Treasurer, 357 Skyline Boulevard, Oroville, CA 95966.

Membership Information Name:________________________________________________________ Date:______________ (Last) (First) (M.I.)

Address:__________________________________________ City:_________________State:_____ Phone:_____________________ Cell:______________________ E-mail:_____________________ Woodturning Interests:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Skill Level: Never Turned:_____ Beginner:______ Intermediate:______ Advanced:________ Comments:______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________ Submit this Application to the Club Treasurer along with dues of $35.00 at next meeting, or, mail to Gerald Letson, Treasurer, 357 Skyline Boulevard, Oroville, CA 95966

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