The Newsletter of the

North Wiltshire Woodturners Association

the Tree is well out of our reach. For EDITORIAL comparison, the Gloucester club has a membership of around 140 with a club night attendance of about 85 – their fees are My apologies for the rather long delay in very similar to ours. I rather suspect we getting an issue 15 together; a combination have saturated the North Wiltshire area as of having been on my travels quite a bit this our membership has remained fairly static summer plus a lack of material. Anyway, in the high 40’s for the last few years with a folk have rallied round and I at last have club night attendance of around the mid the time and material for a bumper issue. 30’s. The shows we have attended this year I gather the wood swap went slowly at do not seem to have attracted new first but then picked up pace. I would have members, although we have had a lot of fun loved to have been part of this as I think it at the shows. Getting back to the Festival of was a wonderful idea. Look out for another the Tree the tight financial climate was wood swap sometime in the winter. evident from the difficulty in auctioning off This summer, the club has had a stall at the chain-saw carvings. One of the real several fetes and craft shows. We’ve made highlights of the festival was the exhibition some sales and done some demos to charm of Frans Brown. Frans is a very talented the punters. Ian Murray-West has local amateur who once accompanied Chris coordinated these activities and has written Eagles to our club night. His turnery is first an article on them on page 4. There are class and he will be demonstrating for us in perhaps a hardcore of ten, or fewer, 2011. contributors to these events. We remain a I guess by now you will have seen the fairly small club with plenty of resources double page spread in the September but limited ability to mount a large scale edition of the Woodturning magazine about show. our club. Well done, Ron, for his article. As ever, I attended the last day of the We wait and see if this will generate further Festival of the Tree at Westonbirt and, as interest in our club. You may even have ever, the Gloucestershire and Bristol & listened to the considerable publicity the Avon clubs were well represented. A show club received on BBC Radio Wiltshire, of this magnitude would require an outlay spurred on by Ian’s idea of gifting the of around £1000. For the club to break even presenter with a turned pen. It’s good to I estimate that around £20000 worth of receive such positive publicity, if only to stock would be required (half the stock sold promote our craft and club. over 4 days with a 10% commission going OK, well enjoy the rest of Making to the club). On the evidence of the shows Shavings. All the best, we have attended this year, the Festival of Clive Alabaster

Page 1 Issue 15 September 2010

CLUB NEWS CHAIRMAN’S PIECE

CLUB NIGHTS A Very Green Lady Venue: The club night meetings take place Oh I did enjoy Mark Raby’s demonstration, at Hook village hall, just north of Hook I was so impressed with his paint effects, I itself, between Wootton Bassett and Purton. couldn’t wait to try them out. So a couple of days later I was in my work room all set Times: The evening runs from 7.30pm to to go. I turned a small bud vase and thought 9.30 pm although the hall is hired from I would give it a nice new paint effect. I 7pm to 10pm to enable us to set up and carefully followed Mark’s advice on how to clear away (your help would be appreciated pierce the top caps of the stains I was going with both). to use. Wonderful, I was so pleased with the results I thought I would make another Fees: £2 on the night, however, bring a after lunch, so being a tidy person I put little extra and have a flutter on the raffle. everything away and had lunch. All proceeds to club funds. Great lunch and all set to go again. I made another little vase again, set out all the little Diary: The program over the next few pots of stain and picked up a green and months is as follows: gave it a squeeze and then another squeeze. Nothing happened so I gave it a really big 15th September: Gary Rance squeeze and whoosh, I was covered in green stain… so was the lather, the floor 13th October: Clive Alabaster – long and the walls. I was green from head to toes stemmed goblet and must have looked like the jolly green giant. I missed the dog as I ran into the 10th November: AGM & Two lathes house to start scrubbing myself; it took running. ages to get clean and my hands had a green tinge for days. On going back into the work 15th December: Christmas do and demo room to clean up I found that the pot of from Tony Halcrow on bird callers. green stain I had picked up was a new pot and I hadn’t pierced the top. Silly me, so I now check all the pots before I use them MONTHLY THEMES and I have had great fun trying trying out different colours of stain, although I don’t The “Show and Tell” themes for the use much green! If you don’t like the forthcoming months are: results just sand it off. So when you give it To bring to the club night on: a go, remember to pierce the tops of the pots. 15th September – A natural edge item.

th Jane Flippance 13 October – An inlaid piece.

10th November – A Christmas present.

Page 2 Issue 15 September 2010 15th December – A “cock-up” (Ian Hooker Trail of the lonesome pine was anxious to point out that this means an Hearts of oak item which has gone horribly wrong. Neath the spreading chestnut tree Anything by the Beach (Beech) Boys Please note that only items along the theme Holly and the ivy for each month may be entered into the Apple blossom time vote for the favourite piece. The creator of Is this the way to (Pau) Amerello the item gaining the most votes wins the Jack in the box coveted Show ‘n Tell shield. Members may Yew are my hearts desire still bring in and display any other items Tip toe through the tulips (wood) they wish but these will not be included in Partridge in a pear tree the vote. Ce dar pyramids across the Nile Underneath the (l)arches Items may be photographed for the web site (with owner’s permission). I can add: Norwegian Wood (Beatles) Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree Laburnum purchase. – Ian Hooker

Mike Crawshaw and myself set off with GLUE – Brian Oram. Mike’s trailer into the depths of Bucks, near Denham, where the houses go for I don’t think I am a cheapskate but I do like lottery money. Poured with rain all the way to shop around. I did this about ten years but found it without too much trouble. ago when I needed to buy glue and noticed Lovely house set in around 12 acres with in the local Jewson’s that they sold PVA in numerous large outbuildings, ponds and a very large plastic cartons. I bought one and wood; and we were surrounded most of the am only now getting to the dregs of it. You time by free range turkeys, geese, hens and can debate the merits of PVA glue which is ducks! There was a lot of wood around, supposed to 'move' but most wood mainly fruit and some oak. The owner had movement is caused by bringing workshop a 3ft diameter oak on the ground and he 'dry' wood in house dry atmospheres. was planking it with a chainsaw and doing a very good job. The plank we saw was So, for the common good (!) I have done a about 3inches thick and 2ft across and 10ft bit of up to date research on the relative long, lovely strait grain and not a knot in prices of PVA glue. Axminster sell two sight. We got the laburnum but it still needs types; one costs £6.80 a litre, the other another couple of years to fully season so £7.90. In Jewsons there are a multitude of Mike is looking after it for us for the time choices, Unibond 8L costs £23.50 that’s being. Dry-ish journey back with a lot of £2.94 per litre and various Jewson makes nattering and a good day was had by us per litre cost are: £4.25, £8.90 and £5.94, both. so there is a wide difference to choose between them all. If you don’t use much GOING FOR A SONG glue then don’t bother to shop around but doing quite a bit of laminated work, which Flushed with enthusiasm following our does require heavy glue application, rendition of “Silent Night” at last quantity is some times needed. It wouldn’t December’s club night, Ian Hooker wrote be beyond the wit of some member (not to me recently with a number of timbers me!) to buy in bulk for resale to members. worked into song titles.

Page 3 Issue 15 September 2010

ARTICLES

“Summer Fairs” by: Ian Murray-West

This summer, the club has demonstrated at three locations.

We started at Bowood House, Calne on Sunday 13th June – a lovely sunny day. We had a good crew to erect our tent which is fairly large; 8m x 4m and has 5 frames, so five people make it easier to erect. We took the club’s big lathe but with only three of us at Hook to load it into the trailer it was a struggle but we eventually we managed with the help of a 5 purchase block and tackle. We were given a rather isolated pitch opposite the loos and a little used children’s slide, not the best location!! We generated a good deal of interest but relatively poor sales - just over £100. Clive and Jane were demonstrating using the club lathe, Mike Crawshaw on his own small lathe and Heather doing her Pyrography. There was a lovely little interlude when Clive and Mike had a competition to produce a miniature goblet in ten minutes - both achieved it, and Clive went on to produce one with a captive ring in thirteen minutes, see the photo opposite.

The next event was Saturday and Sunday at the Wychwood Steam rally at Ducklington near Witney. It was a very much smaller crew particularly on the Saturday – many thanks to George and Richard without whom we would have been truly up the creek. However, with a bit of fast talking we got a super pitch beside the main drag and opposite again the loos but this time also the food and beer area between the two main rings. They were a delightfully relaxed bunch of organisers who couldn’t have been more helpful. At times there were only three and sometimes only two of us – Heather had to cope with some young relatives. So I was left rushing from lathe to sale table and back again while Mike turned items to order on his smaller lathe.

Having spent the night on my sofa cushions and slept like a log (with the assistance of a few pints from the bar tent and the band that went on into the night) I had a nice early morning start turning a very big platter that would not fit on my own lathe. On Sunday we had a much bigger crew, with Ian and Richard demonstrating as well as Mike continuing to turn out items to order. Heather and I had to cope with a very busy sales table. All in all we had an extremely good weekend taking £2.50 short of £500.

Our last event was the Fairford Steam and Traction Show a two day affair on the 21st and 22nd August, a bit closer to hand. Again we had a very good pitch with the “loos” close to hand, and facing the catering vans and the main collecting area for the ring demonstrations.

At a committee meeting a few days before we decided that the big lathe was a bit dangerous to haul in and out of the trailer, and it needed a number of people to handle it – at Bowood,

Page 4 Issue 15 September 2010 we nearly had an accident moving it into the tent on rough grass, so we took the little lathe, not so little, but one person can pick it up and the stand moves separately. I must say I was quite relieved not to have the great monster behind me especially when I had a puncture on the trailer on the way home and a jack that wouldn’t go quite high enough. By great good fortune Ian and Ron were behind me and made the tyre change look simple.

Again we were a bit short handed on the Saturday; very many thanks to Keith, Alan and George for turning out to help with the tent and to Keith and George for minding shop most of the day so that Mike, Heather and I were free to demonstrate. Saturday night was appallingly stormy with rain thundering down on the tent – absolutely waterproof. I was again on my sofa cushions, staying dry but very disturbed. I woke on Sunday to a beautiful day which also proved to be a very successful day both demonstrating (although Ron was a bit peed off after his piece shattered on the lathe) and sales, we grossed just under £300 over the weekend. The club’s commission of 10% just covered our expenses on some extra extension cables (none of us had bought any) and some bacon butties for the tent build crew.

So that’s it for this year. My especial thanks go to Heather and Mike Crawshaw, without whose steadfast support we simply couldn’t have managed. Heather’s Pyrography was a major attraction whilst Mike was kept constantly busy making dolls’ house sized pieces, Christmas trees, lavender holders and pens to order! Also, they have looked after and transported the tent, which we have now become experts at erecting and striking. Our little generator which we bought just before Bowood for £219 has done sterling service running two lathes and the kettle at the same time on less than a litre of petrol an hour. It is available to any member for hire at £10 a weekend or £20 a week – subject to availability. Please see me as the current keeper.

Lastly .... If we are going to do this next year we do need the active support of more members. Although it is quite hard work, it is a very rewarding day out, and a great opportunity to get rid of pieces that family and friends don’t want. You do not need to be greatly talented, it is fun talking to the public, so come and support the club next year.

Ian Murray West.

STOP PRESS: Ian M-W has just informed me that our application for a stall at the STEAM Christmas craft fair in Swindon has been successful. This is a large and prestigious two day event (4/5 Dec) and we have been very fortunate to have been accepted. Perhaps all the recent good publicity the club has been receiving has paid off. However, I re-iterate Ian’s plea for greater involvement from club members.

STEADY, BOYS (& GIRLS ), STEADY ! by Brian Oram

Vernon Hughes article on lathe steadies (Issue 13, Dec 2009) struck a chord with me as I have need to use one quite extensively making a round laminated egg timer drilling twelve 6” holes of various diameters. The problems of bought steadies and their cost is obvious from the Axminster catalogue they sell only one version to fit their own lathes and it costs £36. It is the one illustrated in Vernon’s article.

Page 5 Issue 15 September 2010 Obviously steadies have to be designed to suit the lathe bars and spacing of individual lathes so a homemade one is a good idea. I do remember the steady made by Colin Hazell but the steady illustrated was given to me by Ken Crittle and, I think, made by him and works on a simpler principle. The triple bars used to support the wood are square ended pieces of a man made plastic ‘wood’ of hard smooth density but I am sure that any hard wood – Ash or Oak would serve equally successfully. They are slotted and run in externally fixed guides and screwed with hefty screws with washers under their heads which run in close fitting grooves.

The upright body is made of 1” plywood securely fixed to a square base to span the lathe bars with a central locating piece and bolted to an underside cross piece to hold it all in place and stop twisting. The verbal description sounds a bit involved but the photos below give a good idea of the finished article.

Brian Oram

Page 6 Issue 15 September 2010

SUPPLIERS LIST

We thought it useful to reproduce a list of local timber and tool suppliers. Thanks to Richard Branscombe for compiling the list.

Item Supplier Catalogue Lathe Accessories Axminster Yes Craft Supplies Internet Lincolnshire Woodcraft Internet Stiles & Bates Yes

Woodturning Tools Axminster Yes Craft Supplies Internet Crown Internet Lincolnshire Woodcraft Internet Robert Sorby Internet Stiles & Bates Yes Toolpost Internet

Tool Steel (for DIY Tools)

Abrasives & Sanding Discs etc Axminster Yes Toolpost Internet Styles & Bates Yes Craft Supplies Internet

Adhesives Axminster Yes Toolpost Internet

Finishing Axminster Yes Craft Supplies Internet Toolpost Internet

Dyes & Colourants Chestnut Products Internet

Clock Inserts etc Craft Supplies Internet Lincolnshire Woodcraft Internet

Handicraft Items Craft Supplies Internet Toolpost Internet

Page 7 Issue 15 September 2010

Pyrography

Timber - Full Planks Interesting Timbers Yes Tyler Hardwoods No Vaston Timber No

Timber - Part Planks Interesting Timbers Yes

- Turning Blanks Interesting Timbers Yes Craft Supplies Internet Toolpost Internet

- Veneers Craft Supplies Internet

Here are some further contact details:

Supplier Address E-mail Axminster Unit 10, Weycroft Avenue, Axminster,Devon, EX13 5PH www.axminster.co.uk

Chestnut Products via Accredited Stockists www.chestnutproducts.co.uk

Crown Hand Tools via Accredited Stockists www.crownhandtools.ltd.uk

Interesting Timbers Wells Road, Emborough, Bath, BA3 4SP www.interestingtimbers.co.uk

Robert Sorby via Accredited Stockists www.robert-sorby.co.uk

Stiles & Bates Upper Farm, Church Hill, Sutton, Dover, CT15 5DF www.stilesandbates.co.uk

Unit 7, Hawksworth, Southmead Ind. Park, Didcot, OX11 The Toolpost 7HR www.toolpost.co.uk

Unit 7, Hawksworth, Southmead Ind. Park, Didcot, OX11 The Toolpost 7HR www.toolpost.co.uk

Tyler Hardwoods Ltd Salisbury Road, Shalbourne, Marlborough,SN8 3NE www.tylerhardwoods.com

Studley Sawmills, Studley, Calne WILTS SN11 7PD Tel:01249 813173. Lots of oak available Vastern Timber – see Clive for a price list. www.vastern.co.uk Co The Sawmills, Wootten Bassett, Swindon, SN4 7PD

In addition to this, Jenny Starbuck has given us a copy of her supplier listing. It is rather too long to reproduce here but it will be posted on the club web site. www.woodturning.btik.com

Page 8 Issue 15 September 2010 In addition, below is a copy of Jenny Starbuck’s supplier listing:

Jennie Starbuck : Information about some of the materials and equipment I use. These may not be the best materials or tools ‘out there’ but they are the ones I know about, find successful and should provide a place to start! None of the manufacturers mentioned give me ‘freebies’ and I do not sell any of these items!!

Medium Manufacturer (if only Detail Where? & approx. price one) May 2009 Colouring Liberon concentrated Come in 15 ml bottles for about £4. Dilute with water (about 10% paint to www.liberonltd.co.uk water stain water). Shelf life up to 3 years (will dry out in bottle) – longer lasting if stored diluted. Chestnut spirit stain Try the sample pack of bright colours for about £13 www.axminster.co.uk Blow straight onto the work with a diffuser for splatter effect or brush, wipe on or airbrush. Artist’s spray diffuser It must be opened fully to work. Remember to blow – not suck! Best from Art shops, Ebay most art (to blow stain on work) at least 12 inches away from work. Protect the lathe! materials sites online. £2 - Airbrush Practice with water and try to spray it onto a mirror before you try with £6 your work! Golden Artists Colours artistic airbrush colours made in USA Ebay £45 3D paint – Starter packs of 1 fluid ounce bottles opaque and transparent www.artifolk.co.uk £42 per Long shelf life and therefore very economical set Crackle Anita’s 3D paint Use like icing a cake to give raised areas of colour. Ideal to highlight Ebay – craft shops Texturing centres of flowers or add shiny berries to holly etc. About £2.50 Viva Croco Crackling Size of ‘crackles’ determined by thickness. Thin coat+ small, subtle cracked www.craftonline.co.uk Gold / silver colour effect / thick coat (2mm) effect of aged picture frames! £6.00 (August 2010) etc. Liberon designer Wonderful range of colours – best with an undercoat, which they supply, www.liberonltd.co.uk metallic varnish (red for gold, white for silver). They dry out quite quickly – so don’t get too much. Superfine metallic Basic colours can be mixed easily into any shade of cold/silver/copper C Roberson & Co powders As powder, lasts indefinitely. Mix as much as you need.If you are keeping it www.heatoncooper.co.uk Page 9 Issue 15 September 2010 for a while it helps to put a glass bead in the jar to aid in mixing. If left for too long mixed in the jar, it discolours. Ormoline metallic paint (carrier for above powders) C Roberson & Co medium www.heatoncooper.co.uk Jo Sonja Metallic Speciality Colour Set of 6 small 20ml tubes – I have seen this used but not www.pegasusart.co.uk Colours tried it yet (order in the post). Very dense colours. £10.74 (August 2010) Interference paint Only shows up on a black surface – so good to disguise areas pierced with a www.hennydonovanmotif.co.uk very high speed drill if required. 5 shades. Wax effects Jo Sonja Iridescent Speciality Colour Set of 6 small 20ml tubes – excellent value – goes a long www.pegasusart.co.uk Colours way. Best on a dark surface – works beautifully on ebonised wood. £11.98 (August 2010) Liberon Gilt Cream Comes in a range of colours – will eventually dry out. A little goes a long www.liberonltd.co.uk way. Leave to dry on the piece. Remove excee with paste wax with lathe revolving. Beware – it shows up torn grain!!!! Liming Wax A traditional way to enhance the grain – use as above A variety of manufacturers Colour to add to clear Earth Pigments. Coloured powder that does not dissolve in the wax. Can be Nutshell wax or liming wax mixed with liming wax – or with ordinary wax to give different colours. www.nutshellpaints.com Cost depends on the substance – some is very expensive. £4 to £20+ Glue Original High-Tack All purpose very sticky glue. Fast hold, slow dry, flexible, transparent and Most craft shops will bond most materials. Yandles High-tack fast dry All purpose very sticky glue. Fast dry, flexible, transparent and will bond Most craft shops most materials. Yandles Tight bond I use this to fix wooden inlay pieces. Most DIY stores (Waterproof) Holds very well. Yandles

Page 10 Issue 15 September 2010

Inlay Clear casting resin Preferably with good UV light resistance. www.tiranti.co.uk materials Only lasts about 6 months (less in winter) – so don’t buy too much. Some is Another brand I have used is sold with catalyst (hardener) but Tiranti sell it separately. ‘Bonda Resin’ Catalyst Watch where you store this as it has a lot of safety warnings! www.tiranti.co.uk It has a much longer shelf life than the resin. Pigment for resin A variety of colours both opaque and transparent are available. You only www.tiranti.co.uk need about 5% of colour to clear resin. Increase the catalyst from 1% to at least 2% when using any additions. Other Copper, pewter and brass powder. Crushed stone. Craft supplies colouring/texturing Glitter powders Can use any sort of glitter materials for resin. from craft shops Other Iwata ‘Hi Line’ Lots of control. Can mix paints (Golden – see above) in the reservoir as you Lots of sources when you airbrush airbrush go. search. Look for best deal materials (about £150) Sparmax Airbrush This allows you to use your airbrush all day (with breaks) without it As above (about £15) Cleaning Pot clogging and having to be thoroughly cleaned. Spray a little airbrush cleaner into it at the start of the day. Liquid Reamer Often contains Xylene – necessary to clean paint out of the airbrush but As above (about £2-3) (cleaner) can be used to release ink from photocopies. Airbrush medium Can be used to thin paint but also helps the paint to stick to a very glossy Anywhere selling airbrush ‘Liquitex’ surface. paints.

Art Masking Fluid Can be used to mask out and area that you want to leave as natural wood. It Windsor and Newton is a bit like copydex and will peel off if rubbed with a rubber. I prefer to seal the grain before using it – especially on ash. Designs Outline stickers Available in most craft shops and on-line. Stickers usually cost between Most craft shops – make sure 80p and £1 a sheet. It is always worth making a photocopy* of your it says ‘outline’. favourites – this allows you to change the size if requires and use them as transfers. The ones with bigger holes are easier to use. *Must be a laser copy – ink can be released with a small amount of solvent on the back (xylene, nail varnish remover, cellulose thinners) Page 11 Issue 15 September 2010 They can be used as piercing stencils or to airbrush over – then remove. Craft paper cutters These can be used to cut out shapes in frisket (or even masking tape) to Most craft shops. Excellent give positive or negatives for air-brushing. US range from I also use them to cut thin copper for decorative features on my work. www.decocraft.co.uk

th Piercing NSK Presto drill Air lubricated drill that does 400,000 revs. Best on work up to 1/16 inch www.blackforestwood.com (1.6mm). Can gat an oil lubricated one The kit is available from Black Forest Woods (in Calgary) – it is not cheap! from Turner’s Retreat Burrs Tapered Fissure #699L – this is the cutting burr I use most. They come in www.blackforestwood.com packs of 5 for about $15 (Canadian). They can be used foe a long time in all burrs quoted manufactured wood as long as you clean any carbon off with a soft wire brush. They are by Brasseler USA dental however very brittle and snap easily if knocked. instrumentation – but I do not know whether they will sell small quantities direct – their website is not clear (and not for the faint hearted!). Round #1 FG Carbide bit – a very small texturing ball. The one I use most www.blackforestwood.com for texturing – so far I have not broken one or blunt it on wood! The next size up. #2 FG is a bit more robust – but too much pressure can push it through thin work. The company used to sell these singly as well as in packs of 5. Inverted Cone #39 FG has a small ‘dovetailed’ end. It will slightly undercut www.blackforestwood.com giving a shadow line contrast between textured areas and plain areas. I have only used 1 in over 5 years and it still cuts well. The company used to sell these singly as well as in packs of 5.

Page 12 Issue 15 September 2010

Compressor Silent Compressor Sil-air 50-15 now sold as ‘Whispair’ It will supply 50 litres per minute and has a reservoir of 15 litres and a www.abac.co.uk is a starting noise level of 40 dB point. This is more than the airbrush needs but it works hard with the piercing tool. It should be rested after 15 minutes continuous running – and so should you – vibration related ‘white finger’ should be avoided!

Midi Lathe Charnwood Variable Similar frame to the Record Midi variable speed (presumably from the £199 Speed W820 same place in China). A good, sturdy lathe which will take a 12” blank – but because it lacks torque at low speeds you could not turn such a big piece of wood, whereas the Record (costing 3 times as much) can because it has a 3- phase motor and an inverter). ¾ HP 3-phase Home modification Goldcrest Technologies £190 motor Direct buy through Ebay /inverter Not a job to tackle without a fair amount of skill and experience. name replacement goldcresttechnologies If you want more information about this mod, contact Chris [email protected] Other useful Proxxon detail sander I use this a lot! It has a variable speed option. You can remove the need for Available from Proxxon / tools expensive abrasive pads by putting Velcro on the pads and cutting your Axminster Power tools etc. own. It is excellent on very fine, thin pierced work. Proxxon band sander Like it’s big cousin, the Black and Decker Power File, this is a very useful Available from Proxxon / tool for shaping and cleaning up edges. Axminster Power tools etc. Proxxon long neck For shaping/ carving. Not too big to hold and less daunting than it’s big Available from Proxxon / angle grinder cousins. Can use arbotech cutters on it. Axminster Power tools etc. Desoutter RediPower An air powered sander with the added advantage that the exhaust is not Axminster Pawer Tools RP9775 Mini random directed at your hand, so you don’t freeze! Comes with 2” and 3” Velcro orbit sander covered holders for circular sanding discs.

Page 13 Issue 15 September 2010