Hey all, it's that time again!!
Thursday night Rowland Hege, a member of the Concord group and an
experienced tool maker, will be showing us how to turn a goblet. I don't
believe that we've had anyone demo a goblet for the group, and to make it
even better Rowland is going to show us how to use a new tool that he has
developed to do it. I haven't seen the tool, but there has been buzz about
it around Charlotte and Concord for a good portion of this year and I'm
excited to finally be getting a look at it and hopefully a chance to try it
out.
Last month Bruce and Raymond gave us great, and very timely, demonstrations
of turning a few styles of ornaments. I hope that you've had time to try
some of these and will bring the results to the meeting.
I will say that I've been turning some of the hollow balls with a short
finial and a long icicle and have been unhappy with the lack of roundness.
I'm not after a perfect sphere shape, but I'd like to get close to it and
can't. Actually I do pretty good on the left and not as well on the left. My
best effort on the left is with a shallow gouge and my best effort on the
right is with a skew chisel. I fear that I have a long way to go! Anyway,
thinking that this may be an issue for many I've asked Bruce to bring his
ball turning jig to the meeting. It'll turn a real sphere, and I think that
if I start with a sphere and then try to maintain that shape while reducing
the size freehand that I'll learn an effective movement. If anyone has any
other ideas for learning this please let me know.
Back to the purpose of this note, the meeting will be at UNCC again this
month. It is a great facility and I hope that you can all make it. The only
negative I've heard about it is the parking situation, and I hope to have a
long-term solution for that soon. For this meeting the club is going to
cover the cost of parking for anyone for whom this additional cost would
prevent them from participating - just find me at the meeting. [private note
to the board members, sorry I didn't clear this with you, I'll make a cash
donation to cover it, I just want as many people to be able to participate
as possible. If you aren't a board member what are you doing reading this?
Feeling guilty about reading this, then you should join the board!]
Finally I admit that I haven't read the bylaws in a while, but I do know
that we're working to fill positions in the organization for next year.
We've had the good fortune of having great leadership and active members for
the club since it was formed, and you all know that a group is always at its
best when new people volunteer for positions of authority. I hope that if
you're interested in taking an active role in making the club successful
next year that you'll talk to me, another board member, or otherwise make
your willingness to volunteer known (jumping up and down and yelling would
work). I think that we'll have nominations for positions at this meeting and
will either hold elections this meeting or next. Please think about stepping
up, there is a lot we'd like to do (more useful website, club newsletter,
community outreach, more demonstrations, etc) to make the club more fun and
valuable to members, but we need you to help develop and implement new
ideas. Here is your chance to make it what you want, and I promise, it's a
lot of fun!
Hope to see you all tomorrow!
Jim
PS - directions to the meeting:
>UNCC Meeting in Storrs Hall, College of Architecture
>
> From Charlotte: Take North Tryon to Highway 49, towards
> Harrisburg, and UNCC is just past W. T.Harris Blvd. The main entrance
> to UNCC is on the left (large UNCC sign at entrance at the light).
> Take an immediate right turn after entering the campus toward the East
> Parking Deck. The visitors section is on the lower level. The COA is
> directly across from the parking deck and the wood shop is on the
> bottom level (look for a huge two-story dust collector).
