On occasion due to scheduling issues or weather events we may have to delay or cancel meetings or workshops. Notification of cancellation will be sent by e-mail at least two hours before the event. Please check your e-mail for possible changes or cancellations prior to leaving for meetings or workshops especially during bad weather. As always you are the best judge of road conditions for your safe travel and are responsible for determining what is best for you.
Classes
Fundamentals of Woodturning Workshop
March 27 through the 31,2023. 9 AM to 5 PM daily.
For Members of the West Michigan Woodturners Club
You will need to be fully vaccinated including all Boosters, be willing to show proof of your vaccinations and follow the current Covid protocols to attend.
The workshop is for folks that are new to woodturning, or, the person that has been turning wood and wants to learn how to achieve better tool control, reduce “catches”, and become a “safe Woodturner. Fundamentals of Woodturning Workshop is a Woodturning Tools & Techniques skill based learning workshop focused on traditional steel tool usage, tool control, and SAFETY while operating a lathe. Time permitting we will discuss the use of Carbide tools for woodturning. The workshop is limited to 4 people so you receive plenty of personalized time with the instructor.
You will take home some useful objects to include bowls, a tray, a carvers mallet, and bench mallet depending on your productivity. Most importantly the real take away is the knowledge to produce most any wood turning you design.
**For safety reasons be prepared to wear short sleeve shirts while operating the lathes**
Things covered in Foundations of Turning Workshop are:
- Lathe operation, selection, and tuning.
- Sharpening and conditioning of all your turning tools.
- Spindle tuning of common objects ranging from knobs to table and chair legs.
- Wood selection, preparation, and the use of green wood to turn bowls.
- Turning of bowls from green and seasoned wood.
- Faceplate turning of flat surfaces such as making a serving tray.
- Chucking methods from shop built to commercial chucks.
- Sanding and finishing.
You do a lot of turning during the week. You have time to really practice newly learned skills thereby having them become habit and develop your muscle memory. You leave with some nice projects to wow the folks at home, but most importantly you will be able to tackle spindle and furniture parts and to turn bowls that will please all.
To register, email me, Bruce Dannenhauer, wildwoodservices@charter.net to be sure there is space available in the workshop for you. After confirming your place in the workshop send your payment of $250 (check made out to the West Michigan Woodturners Club) to the club treasurer, Peter Keith, 2516 Lakeshore Drive, Fennville Michigan 49408. Please note, refunds for cancelations can be offered only if your place in the workshop is taken by another member.
Thank you, Bruce Dannenhauer, Instructor
Required items to bring and the Tool List:
Lunch for each day! and your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. There will be plenty of water, coffee and tea available all day.
1. Face Shield. Suggested: Uvex Bionic Face Shield with Clear Polycarbonate Visor and Anti-Fog/Hard Coat (S8510)
Note, using safety glasses only does not afford adequate protection and are not allowed in the workshop.
2. Dust mask or respirator
3. Parting tool, sometimes called a cutoff tool.
4. Spindle roughing gouge, 3/4” to 1-1/4”, the bigger the better.
5.Spindle Detail Gouge 3/8”. Thompson Detail Gouge item #38D.
6.Bowl “V” flute Gouge, 5/8”. Thompson V Flute Gouge item #58V.
Please note; item #5 & #6 are the main and required tools for the workshop. You can purchase both of these tools from Thompson Lathe Tools,thompsonlathetools.com. You will need a handle for the Detail Gouge. We will make a handle for the Bowl Gouge in the workshop.
7. 1/2” scraper, square, This will be reground to be a very useful tool for making jam chucks or dovetails for your chucks.
8. Scraper, round nose, any size.
9. Sandpaper, sheet of each grit 100 up to 220 grit will be fine. We don’t do a lot of sanding since we will be using mostly wet wood.
10. Calipers, 4” to 6”.
11. Dividers, 4” to 6”.
12. Pencil.
13. Ruler, 12” steel or folding. (not a tape measure).
14. Notebook and pencil.
Nice to have but not required for the workshop.
1. Skew Chisel, 1” or wider.
2. 1-1/2”round negative rake scraper, *Note, this tool is optional but VERY USEFUL for face plate turning such as bowls you will be glad you own one.
Garage Groups
Garage groups are informal gatherings of members at a member’s shop to discuss wood turning and turn some wood. Members are welcome to join a group or start their own.
Workshops
In addition to the monthly demonstrations the club periodically arranges for internationally recognized experts in the field of woodturning to offer a workshop that is offered to club members for an additional fee. Typically class sizes are small to provide a more one-on-one experience than would be found at many woodturning schools.
Workshops attendance is offered first to members and if the class does not fill is then opened to the public.
West Michigan Woodturners 