Start time 6.45pm
Our meeting on Thursday 7th December has been organized by Alan Smith, Alan’s theme for this meeting is working with green wood. He has arranged for all 5 of the club lathes to be manned, he will be on one lathe with 4 more turners working the other lathes.
What is green wood I hear you say?, well it just means that the wood has been fairly recently cut down and retains a fair amount of moisture.
How recently cut down you ask? it could be that day or it could be up to a year for a larger tree or log if left in the round, why does this matter? if the wood has a large moisture count (and there are instruments to give you the moisture count on the market) it will want to move as it dries, sometimes this can be an advantage if you are working with Natural Edged blanks, but on the whole woodturners tend to work with seasoned or dried wood, the moisture content for most blanks would be no more than 14% and that’s the ambient you are likely to see. This % will give you the best outcome from your turnings, but even then some of them may distort a little, lidded boxes as an example can often move affecting the fit on the lids.
I have looked out a few pictures of items that can be worked green or with some moisture above that of 14%, natural edged items are probably the best example, even if they move it can be hard to see provided the base remains flat, and even if the base does move it can always be reworked to bring it back to an even base.
Here is a natural edged bowl that even if it moved a little it would be difficult to see.
Another turning that would be hard to see if there was some movement, and even if there was, would it matter?
Now for this bowl some movement would be plain to see, but it could always be reworked on both the base and the top, if this had a high moisture content I would rough turn it to about 20mm thick, leave it to season for at least a few weeks, then return it to the lathe and finish it after it had dried to nearer the % required.
This is the type of thing that can be made whilst green, these 2 bowls were made from wood that had been cut just 3 days earlier, they are made from ASH wood and made using a light source to highlight the wall thickness, both were cut to 2mm thick and made without stopping for any length of time as some movement will be happening, so get the cutting done fairly quickly the sanding sealing and polishing can be done at your own pace but get the cutting done in one go. These bowls are lovely to make, they are done out of normal practice ,by that I mean the inside is turned first with the light source then inserted for the external cuts, the light will shine through as a bright red glow the thinner you make the walls, I go for 2mm but you could go even thinner if you are brave enough.
We hope to see you all there on Thursday and do ask questions if you are not sure of what’s going on with any of the turners.
The weekly raffle will be on sale as will the Bumper Christmas Draw raffles, tea and coffee will be available for a 50p donation. Most of the Christmas prizes will be on show, we are still looking for any prizes for the Christmas draw being donated by the membership to come this week or at the very latest at the start of the meeting on the 14th December the date of the draw.
Good luck to everyone who has bought tickets or is still doing so, they will be on sale right up to 10minutes before the draw begins.
Do remember the Christmas Competition is on the 14th December, it’s open to everyone and you can put more than one item into the competition, there will be 2 winners (1st and 2nd) in each class and the overall winner will be awarded the MacGregor shield., and he or she may come from any of the categories. No criteria has been set for this competition you can make whatever you like. Judging will be held by the whole membership present.
The club fees for 2024 can be paid in cash to our treasurer Alan Geddes at any of the meetings remaining in 2023 or at any of the meetings held in January but you must be paid up for 2024 to attend the AGM on the 1st February 2024. Anyone not signed up and paid by that date will be deemed to have given up their membership. You can pay by cheque direct to Alan Geddes or by BACS as previously announced. Thank you.