The August meeting demonstration was Ernie Conover – How to Sharpen and Use Bowl Gouges. 

Ernie Conover demystifies a variety of bowl gouge grinds, including the 40/40 grind, Pain/Child grind and Irish grind. Ernie explains how to create them on the grinding wheel and what they’re used for. Use this guide when sharpening your gouges to fit your style and how you will use them in your turning.

The July meeting demonstration was Tracy Makovec – Toothpick Holders        

These toothpick holders are easy and fun to turn.  There are multiple steps involved that allow the turner to practice basic turning skills and accurate measurements.  Wood for this project can be easily found in the scrap box or firewood pile.

Glen Brown’s BFAB.

A “bowl from a board” (BFAB) is a woodworking technique that transforms a single flat board into a three-dimensional bowl by cutting it into concentric rings at an angle and stacking them, typically reducing waste compared to traditional bowl turning. This method often uses a lathe or bandsaw to create stacked, glued rings that are finished into a smooth vessel.

The May meeting demonstration was Dave Kerley making a molinillo, a traditional Mexican utensil for stirring hot chocolate.

Pewa – (pronounced peh-vuh) are more commonly known to most woodworkers as butterfly patches or repairs.  In the turning world they are commonly referred to as pewa.  Pewas is the Hawaiian word meaning – tail of fish, shrimp, pr lobster. In Hawaiian culture it symbolizes – healing: Due to its use in repairing, it symbolizes mending relationships, community healing, and restoring cultural continuity. 

It’s more commonly used today in flatwork to keep a crack from expanding.  It can be used in wood-turning that way too, but there are other uses that pewas/butterflies can be in woodturning such as accenting a piece by using a different color pewa/butterfly than the wood of the main piece, “artsy” uses, etc.

At the February 14th meeting, club member John Petro will demonstrate how power carving can be used to embellish woodturning by starting with a near finished turned form: often a bowl, vase, or platter. A clean, symmetrical surface created on the lathe becomes a canvas for adding texture, movement, and visual interest.

He’ll introduce power-carving tools, such as small dental micro motors, rotary tools, or flexible shaft tools, along with different burrs, carving wheels, and abrasive attachments. Before carving, emphasize safety, including secure work holding, body positioning, and appropriate protective gear.

He’ll show how light, controlled passes create flowing patterns, facets, or organic textures that either follow the form of the turning or intentionally contrast with it. He’ll show how changes in pressure, tool angle, and bit selection affect depth and character. He’ll discuss design choices like balancing carved and smooth areas, preserving wall thickness, and using texture to guide the viewer’s eye or enhancing the grain.

He’ll then finish the demonstration by discussing how sanding, burning, or wire brushing can help soften edges and unify the design. John will also talk about finishing techniques that enhance the shadows and highlights created by the carving.

The demonstration for the January 10th meeting was our member and past President, Bruce Dannenhauer showing one of the many ways to turn a platter from a thin, one-inch thick piece of wood. He included several options for mounting the turning blank on the lathe as well as the turning steps to follow that should assure that you end up with a nice platter.

The October 11th membership meeting demonstration will be our club president explaining and demonstrating the Vicmarc Oval Turning Device. The device also known as the VOD is made to allow the “turning” an oval shape instead of the normal round turning shape. It is an interesting machine the wood lathe powers. The operator needs to be a skilled woodturner as the VOD has a very small point the wood can be constantly carved with a lathe tool. This should be a very educational and interesting demonstration that will help any woodturner decide if they would want their very own VOD for their lathe.