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Splinters April/May 2012

Newsletter of the Christchurch Woodturners’ Association http://woodturning.org.nz/index.php

Heritage Timber Turns up at March Clubnight

This lampstand, right, made by Bruce Irvine, comes with a pedigree. The timber is Canadian Oregon, a much tighter-grained timber than its NZ cousin, and also gives a much better turned finish. More importantly however, this piece was from an old goal post from our much-revered “Lancaster Park”. Rick Bolch won the show table display for best turning over the summer, with one Christmassy decorated piece and one lit up like a Christmas tree.

The club meets for a demonstration on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm at the College of Education, and for a hands-on night at Cobham Intermediate every third Thursday of the month, also at 7pm. All are welcome, and there is a $2 door charge for the demonstrations.

Club Nights February and March Your Guide to New Inside the Shed Photos & Reports, DVDs in the Club Inside Don Reeves’ Pages 4 & 5, 8 & 9. Library, Page 7. Shed, Page 10 & 11. Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012 From the President

You will see the name of miss of a similar accident a happily turning off the two new contributors to this decade ago, when a Jacobs spigot when suddenly there newsletter for the report of chuck flew skywards in front seemed to be an explosion in the March meeting. Thanks of the operator’s face. front of me. I stayed on my very much to Ray Morgan Fortunately he didn’t get to feet, but it took several and Rick Bolch for stepping describe the experience of a seconds for me to realise into this role so ably, and to 7mm bit and chuck that the bowl was no longer Tom Dodd for a decade’s going sharp end first up his on the and there was worth of club night reports. nostril, but it was a near something sticky oozing thing. In both these cases, from my forehead. There At the recent committee the problem could have been followed an ambulance trip meeting we decided that I avoided by either stopping to hospital at 11pm. By 2.30 need to get the meetings the lathe before winding the am I was back home underway more promptly to bit out, or by holding tightly sporting ten stitches in my allow for more time to to the Jacobs chuck while head, having had an x-ray socialise after the end of the retracting the drill bit. that showed a fractured demonstration. With the skull. What was to be need to get equipment set Thinking about these similar learned from this? up, we may still not meet the incidents a decade apart advertised start time, 7pm, makes it clear that what we 1. Working out in the shed but please try to be there by learn from accidents or near late at night with no-one then to avoid missing the misses needs periodic arranged to check on my start of the meeting. repeating as we have a return was not a good continual influx of new idea. My wife was Noel’s talk on safety for members. This prompts me already asleep in bed Woodturners in March has to recount lessons from my when this happened. important messages for all of own worst accident, in the Fortunately I did not lose us, so please read the March hopes that it may spare you consciousness. meeting report carefully and repeating my mistakes and ask Noel if you need further injury. Also about a decade 2. Don’t use extensions on clarification. Especially, ago, I was using Cole jaws Cole jaws. It’s better to note the accident to a to take the bottom off a large get some help from member resulting from a bowl. It was too big for the someone who has a Jacobs chuck and drill bit Cole jaws, so I was using vacuum chuck. coming out of the tailstock some homemade extensions 3. I was exceeding the while being withdrawn from copied from those made by the workpiece. I a near manufacturer’s maximum another club member. I was 2 11111111

Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

speed for the Cole jaws. This made the impact Hands on at Avice Hill more serious. Remember that doubling the speed quadruples the energy with which something flies off. And in case you think you will see it coming and duck, you are deluding yourself.

4. I was not wearing my face shield.

5. I did not have the tailstock A good handful of club members demonstrated their skills up for support. I now keep and sold their wares. A decent number of the public, the tailstock supporting young and old, came out to watch, and have a turn. It is any spigot I am removing great to see young people getting some on them. until the last possible stage, whatever the work- holding method.

Any one of the above factors could have prevented my accident or significantly reduced its seriousness. Hopefully none of you will repeat my mistakes.

Happy and safe turning! More Reasons to Attend Club Nights

April Demonstrator: Soren Berger April Showtable: a piece turned between centres.

May Demonstrator: Aoraki tutors: methods of holding the workpiece. May Showtable: a piece including a natural edge with or without bark.

June: AGM, then Les Brindley with his off-centre chuck. Showtable: a lidded box.

July Demonstrator: a guest turner, to be confirmed. Showtable: something turned off-centre. 3 111111

Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

February Club Night: Starting with the Basics

The first Club Night for the year featured demonstrations from Aoraki tutors Rex and Bruce, revising the essentials of turning.

Rex began with a foot-long, one and a half inch stick of kauri between centres. He roughed it down, half with the usual roughing gouge and the other half with a skew , cutting with the centre of the blade. The each side for easier grain It was then time for the cross difference in finish was noted matching. pieces, the ‘branches’ of the when he passed it around mug ‘tree’. They were to Then it was Bruce’s turn, later, once he had made some come out of a half inch by four and he had a pre-drilled coves and grooves. inch blank, and once roughed, length of liquidambar, 15 a spigot was shaped to fit the Next, an eight inch by two inches long and two inches drill holes in the tree. The inch rattle blank was square, destined to become trickiest part here is getting all roughed, already containing a mug tree. He marked the six branches identical. five soy beans. As he cut thickness with calipers and grooves with the skew, Rex roughed it down using a Bruce showed the on his reminded viewers that gum cup drive in the headstock, skew and spindle gouge, will build up on the bevel using the roughing gouge which are both ground to a 30 when using kauri, and need like a skew. degree angle. more regular grinding. Once happy with the spigot The rattle is a quick turning on the end to fit the pre- project once the preparation made base, Bruce marked has been done, with a mortise 20mm either side of the and tenon joint keeping the holes already drilled in the beans secure inside, and of blank. Here he made course having marked the grooves with the skew, then grain at which end the beans added some shallow coves are located, and marking with a spindle gouge. 4 111111

Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

February Club Night, Evenings With Summer Visitors Continued

In keeping with the evening’s In our first clubnight for steadily since Pat was there. theme, Bruce 2012, Shirley McGregor and her daughter Lara came up Just by way of comparison, displayed a range of other George said that over there, items turned between centres: from Queenstown, and Marcus Dawkins was down a club subscription costs 20 candlesticks and candelabra, pounds a year, and each paper towel holder, pen, from Havelock. club night comes with a 4 peppermill, letter opener; and In March, George Bell had quid entry fee. there are plenty more. come all the way from Graeme Trost passed around Sheffield, in England, to be a kauri goblet, challenging at our club night. The club members to guess its mystery there, of which our own Pat purpose. Some of our savvy was a member for a year blokes knew exactly what it back in 2006/7, numbers 85 was: a fetoscope, for hearing members and has grown unborn babies’ heartbeats. As aluminium was too cold for mum, and other FREE Turning Magazines! too dense for the wee sound to be heard, just the right Available at the next few Club Nights, so kind of timber was required. come along and take a couple home. Maybe with a raffle or show table prize….

Keith Gardiner won the show table with some of his customary micro-ornamental turning [right]. Go fetch a magnifying glass – or you may not see the smaller captive ring inside the tube! 5 111111111111111

Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012 Our Very Own Club Polar Bear Who’s the least sensitive man in the club? If it’s sensitive to the cold we’re December and January in the day. talking about, the answer is Canada, where his son lives. They both entered the On returning home Rex paid now clear. the price of having vacated annual Polar Bear Swim on Rex Marshall spent some of New Year’s Day, at Christchurch over summer – Boundary Bay where the US he spent a few days picking up everything that fell down and Canada share a beach. [again] in his workshop. Rex reckons it was about five degrees in the water and Below is the iceberg trophy. about the same out of it. So he pretty quickly made it out to the buoy and back, and was awarded a couple of prizes: having traveled the farthest to be there, and being the oldest swimmer on

In association with CERTIFICATE IN

Another Certificate Course will commence in July 2012.

Bruce has several names at present and spaces for more.

Contact the Club Secretary soon to confirm a place.

This is a 54 module Course and takes just over 2 years to complete.

The classes are held at Cobham Intermediate School one Saturday a month for 10 months of the year.

At present the Course is self-funding by Aoraki Polytechnic.

This could change. Talk to Bruce. 6 Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

Once Were Videos: Now on DVD

Les Brindley has spent a good trivet, bottle coaster, hollow Mike Darlow ( 3hrs 40min ) amount of time transforming vessel, end grain beads. the club’s video collection The Practice of Woodturning Ernie Newman (2hr 50min) into a more workable set of (disc 2 of 2): cupchuck turning, collet and scroll DVDs. Novelty items, slim spindle chucks, screw chuck, various turning. This list shows what is chucks and other forms of available from the club Michael Lee (70 minutes) work holding, bowl turning. library each month. Thanks Les for the effort. Drying and finishing bowls, Guilio Marcolongo (1.5 hr) sharpening, Dremel Symposium 2000 lidded box. Remi Verchot (3 hours) enhancement. Gordon Ward (2 hours) Free form spiral boxes, Chris Stott (106 min) hollow forms, turning. NAW Symposium 2000. Natural edges and used, Spiral stemmed goblet, Woodturners’ Symposium reinforcing the bark edge, textured bowl. 2000, Living Springs (2.5 hr) turning burrs, hollow forms and use of hollowing tools. Blue Hall, with decorative Bonnie Klein (2.5 hours) strips included in bowl blank. Del Stubbs (2 hours) Disc 1 of 2: chattertool embellishing, tops, small Jim Manley , shear scraping a Bowl turning, design of makeup mirror wooden nut bowl. shape, tool shapes, rubbing surround, different tool the bevel, shear scraping, wet Des Downes, Decorative materials, sanding, simple friction turning using Rose Engine maintenance, design of tools chuck, plate for beginners, Lathe. (scrapers, gouges, skew etc). plus something for the more Kelton Industries (20 min) experienced turner. Bonnie Klein (2 hrs 20 min)

Woodturning accessories. Mike Darlow (3 hours) Disc 2 of 2: threaded box turning, making an acorn, The Practice of Woodturning Richard Raffan (1.5 hours) collet chuck, spiral turning, (disc 1 of 2): beginners guide greenwood scoop. Turning projects, ornamental to lathe and accessories, basic platter, extremely thin spindle setting up, turning processes, Thanks again to Les for with captive rings, spherical tool sharpening and use, making these more accessible turning, spurtles and spatulas, spindle turning. to many club members. , endgrain cutting, 7 Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012 March Club Night: Safety First

The demonstrator for the saw must be 40m away from slowly, and from in front of evening was Noel Graham, the worksite. A first aid kit, the sawyer, wearing their own who began by emphasising a form of working commun- proper safety equipment. the importance of this topic. ication [cellphone to be Appointing someone boss to He noted the legislative carried on the operator] and supervise the worksite helps. requirements through ACC a fire extinguisher must all and OSH here in NZ as well be at that refuelling site. AT THE LATHE ITSELF as the UK, Australia and the Moving on to the lathe, it is goal USA. Rather than a , The saw operator must be important to regularly check ZERO harm is more of a wearing appropriate safety it for defects and to ensure all responsibility to ourselves, clothing and equipment: screws, bolts and leads are observers, helpers or visitors safety helmet (to be no more tight and in good condition. to our workshops. that two years old and dated) Check that the timber is with a drop down mesh Thinking safely is the starting securely chucked, and visor; ear muffs, safety point, and thus Noel began handspin the piece before gloves, a hi-vis vest, the steel his presentation at quite an switching the lathe on. Check capped safety boots and obviously hazardous point, your speed is correct. where a turner often meets certified protective leggings the , with a . or overtrousers. Leggings When from the must not be leather; the tailstock keep your hand on Using ladders in conjunction required gear now is anti-rip the Jacob’s chuck to ensure with tree felling is dangerous. fibrous cloggers that will jam that it has not become loose Tree felling, if not a simple the saw. in the tailstock. If it has, operation, should be left to wind the tailstock in or turn Noel pointed out that a professional tree surgeons, the lathe off and inspect why distance of 4 metres must be who have proper equipment, it has loosened. Using the maintained between the saw safety gear and appropriate Jacob’s chuck is a two hand operator and helpers. This is training and licences. job, at which concentration because the larger have cannot afford to waver, as the chains 2.2 metres long on a picture below attests. With a 1m bar length of 1 metre – if Chainsaws must be kept bit of one-handed drilling, this the chain breaks, the total maintained and chains sharp. nearly broke an arm! length of chain and bar once A leather glove fitted to the the chains flies free is over 3 handgrip adjacent to the metres. If any helper must chain brake is good practice. approach, they must do so The re-fuelling station of the 8 Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

…or, How to Remain an Intact Woodturner

Do not wash your hands make sure there is a large with solvents such as turps. surface support area/plate to These can be absorbed into support tools when grinding your system through the them. An 80 grit-grinding pores of your skin as well as wheel is probably sufficient; It is prudent to wear a full- smelling the vapours. they are cooler and do not faced protective mask, rather Continual contact with heat the metal as much as than just eye protection. solvents in this way will finer grits do. Buy a stone This should be kept clean eventually cause serious dresser when purchasing and scratch- free. If it is time illness and possibly death. your grinder, and use to replace the screen do so: it sparingly to remove shiny is cheap insurance. BEWARE spots and clogged wheels. Change the wheels when the DUST – THE ENEMY This is the leading power tool for amputations. The diameter has shrunk so Dust of 10 microns and majority of accidents happen much that sharpening is smaller is dangerous to our after the saw has been turned difficult and dangerous. The health. 1 micron is tissue off. Ensure all guides are set South Auckland club damaging and a dust mask correctly and the band is website has good sharpening of the “Dust-b-gone” type is correctly tensioned. Do not guidelines. And sharpen the absolute minimum. The leave the bandsaw before the your tools to suit your 3M double filter mask is the band has stopped rotating, personal turning style. Noel preferred minimum followed remain standing in front of it demonstrated sharpening by the more industrial type to stop others getting near with different guides for of positive powered pressure the revolving band. various turning tools. units available from Carba- tec and Triton. Some kinds GRINDERS ANYTHING ELSE of ventilators take a pad that Hold onto angle grinders Always use an RCD combats solvent fumes. with both hands, one on the [residual current device] on When a chuck turns on the handle and the other holding each power tool. Be wary lathe, it creates a vortex the body. Never use one when buying used tools: drawing dust towards them. without a guard. Wait for check chucks, plugs, cables Place extraction scoops just the wheel to stop before and that all the safety forward of the chuck to placing it on the bench and attachments and have been extract the bulk of the dust. wear a full-face mask. checked during their lifetime. SOLVENTS When using bench grinders, 9 111111111111

Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

Quarter Shed, Whole Ingenuity This is the shed of a man who knows how to make things. Don Reeves has been making things, and making things that help to make things, all his life.

He’s been in this house ten years, and started in a shed in the backyard. When he came into the garage, everything got too dusty, so the solution was to section off a quarter of the space. It is a bit like a One of the more interesting Like many others in the club, glasshouse, and has just the projects while working for Don attended an evening space he needs for two Reco Engineering was class with Max Melisi at (he tinkered to make the parts making a machine to move CPIT for a few years to really interchangeable between along vineyard rows, picking get his teeth into the turning. them), drill and two grinders. the fruit. Over the three decades of turning, he’s also had a layoff Don’s working life began Woodturning appealed to for a few years and done with a six year apprenticeship this toolmaker who had long other things, and is about to as a tool and die maker in been around metal lathes. complete the Aoraki course, Don likes the fact that he England. After working there which has given him heaps of for a while he moved to can do a bit of thinking different directions to take Christchurch with his wife about a project, make a or with turning. Enid, working at several tool that will help him to engineering firms, including make the product more Don is particularly enjoying 23 years doing injection easily and use it over again. open segmented turning at at Talbot Plastics. Clockwise from top: the corner of the shed; 3 bits of Don- made furniture; a skateboard became steady for holding longer segmented workpieces. 10 1111111111111

Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

Don Reeves ONE-OFFs: Pat’s Measuring Jig

the moment, taxing the brain In turning pendants with an makes checking of the with a wee bit of off-centre hole, I need the diameter easy. The diameter trigonometry, having made a diameter of the blank to be should be such that the piece few wee jigs to get it all accurately turned to 50mm passes the first shoulder in happening efficiently. Jack diameter. This allows a the jig and sits on the second Jordan started Don on it, and good fit in the off-centre shoulder. The right hand they’re the main thing now. chuck while the hole is photo shows a finished turned from each side. The pendant nestling on the simple “go – no go” correct step in the jig. measuring jig shown at left Pat Jordan

And making furniture is still a passion. Don made plenty of the furniture in his house, All Go at Garden Gala including a rocking chair.

So, here is a skilful craftsman Club members again demonstrated at this Riccarton House working with patience and event in February. Pictured are Ray and Rex hard at it. nous to produce beautiful things from wood. A joy to behold.

11 Methodist Mission says “Thanks for the toys!” April/May 2012

CALENDAR symposium at Wesley $200 each, or $225 to non- College, Paerata. 14 demon- members. MAY: the East Otago club in strators, lots happening. A milking machine vacuum Palmerston is hosting the pump for a vacuum chuck, South Island Fun Day. FOR SALE “as used by Bruce Irvine” 7 JULY: NAW’s AGM at A Nova 3000 lathe is [it’s actually a size bigger Rangiora is not just reports available; if interested please than Bruce’s]. Call Graham and meetings, there are also see Pat Jordan. on 383 5909. some great demonstrations. Teknatool outrigger for larger THANK YOU 14-16 SEPTEMBER: Timaru turning, for DVR, 1624 and Woodturners’ Club has a Thanks again to Tom Dodd 3000 lathes. It’s never been 25 th jubilee celebration, with for all the reports for used and currently retails for Terry Scott and Guilio Splinters over the years. $409; available for $280 or Thorough, detailed, spot on Marcolongo. Tool sale and near offer. Call Ian Conway raffle, Saturday workshop – now enjoy just watching. on 388 4101. and Sunday demonstrations. Contact Adrian Slooten Sincere thanks from Alison Les Brindley has made an off- Syder, for kind words, visits [email protected] for centre chuck, which is able to registrations. and phone calls from club be reset up to 32mm, in 4 or members over the difficult 4–7 OCTOBER : South Auck- 5mm increments. He will sell time of Brian’s passing. land Woodturners’ Guild is these to club members for to run a major woodturning 2011/12 Committee Contact Details

Patron : Soren Berger, 25 Rodney St, New Brighton; 388 1004. President: Pat Jordan, 39 McBeath Ave, Hoon Hay; 942 4279. Treasurer: Bill Parsons, 76 Fendalton Rd, Fendalton; 351 5647. Secretary: Bruce Irvine, 401 Withells Rd, Avonhead; 358 8482. Newsletter: Danny Brooks, 950 Lower Styx Rd, Brooklands; 329 2126. Les Brindley: 51 Charles Upham Dv, Hillmorton; 338 2216. Peter Clemett: 36a Fenhall St, Russley; 342 5242. Noel Graham: 63 Oakley Cres, Hornby; 349 8976. Celia Irvine: 401 Withells Rd, Avonhead; 358 8482. Rex Marshall: 396 Greers Rd, Bishopdale; 352 9297. Ray Morgan: 154b Brookside Rd, Rolleston; 366 9795. Mike Wing: 7 Donovan Pl, Halswell; 741 1475. 12