Mountaineer Woodturner Jan Newsletter

We have 43 dues paying members for 2003. A number of members have still not paid their dues.

Since a shelter is not available at Cedar Lakes for our annual picnic on our regular scheduled Saturday, the group unanimously voted to reserve a shelter for Saturday, August 16, 2003 for our annual picnic. Put that on your calendar.

The February 8^th meeting will be our annual Tool and Wood auction. Bring spare turning tools and wood to be auctioned off to benefit the club, and bring your checkbooks to pick up some real bargains. Also at that meeting will be a roundtable discussion on chucks of all types. If you have a favorite technique for holding a chunk of wood on a lathe, come and discuss or demonstrate it.

Phil Selman recommended that the group get some more Mountaineer Woodturner Tee Shirts made up for sale to the members. No action was taken at this time.

The Arrowmont totem project was discussed, and a number of people volunteered to contribute: Dave Sheppard, Dave Jones, Jim Morrison, Jim Withee, Clarence Clarkson, Bill McKay, Don Jarrell, Myke Hymes, and John Crede. Joe Smith is chairman of the project.

We have missed seeing TK McClung at the meetings. We understand his wife has breast cancer and problems with her leg, so TK has been busy taking care of her. TK we have been thinking about you. In fact, Phil Selman finished his Show and Tell entry with Tru Oil!

Don Jarrell said he was going to attend the up coming International Wood Collectors Society meeting in Orlando, FL. He highly recommended membership in that organization.

Carl Mercer brought in some tool steel rods he had found locally at Sterling Industrial Products at 1037 Central Av. in Charleston. He showed us some tools he had made out of this material.

Jim Morrison brought our attention to a website, www.woodturnerpro.com that helps one with the layout of segmented turnings. It helps calculate dimensions, angles, etc.

Dave Jones has been busy again. He showed us an urn he had turned from soapstone. He uses carbide tipped tools for this material.
	He had two bowls turned from Walnut. One was from spaulted Walnut;
the other was a natural edged bowl.
	Dave had a nice Cherry bowl
and a cut off block of spaulted Maple (?) which was not turned but so attractive he could not resist bringing it along.
Bill McKay brought in a couple of nice Oak bowls.
	He was having trouble finishing them, but I found the "rustic" appearance rather interesting.
Gary Gibbs had a beautiful large spaulted Sycamore bowl
	and a nice large Cherry bowl.
Clarence Clarkson brought in an Elm bowl
	and a really nice hollowform from Box Elder (bleached) with a Cherry top.
Paul Weinberger had a jewelry box he had turned from Brazilian Cherry. On the inside was a green veneer with green flocking on the inside bottom.
Mike Wade showed us a mug from Bamboo, which a friend had given to him. Interesting.
Phil Selman brought in a really fine lidded vase from Cedar, finished with TruOil.
Joe Smith brought in a number of his fabulous turnings, some of which he used in his program. He had a couple of small natural edged bowls from Maple burl.
	There was an interesting hollowform from Oak.
He had turned a couple wonderful bowls from Oak burl.
	One was a deep natural edged bowl.
He had an unfinished spaulted Maple bowl that was turned between centers
	and a really nice footed spaulted natural edged Hickory bowl.
There was a beautiful natural edged bowl from a Walnut crotch, which really showed the "flame" effect.
	He also had a vase turned from Sumac - really beautiful wood pattern.

The Newsletter will be sent by email to those members who have given me their email address. This medium will contain an HTML document in which I have included links to pictures of the "Show and Tell" items as well as a link to the website. Those who do not have email addresses listed with me will receive the usual hardcopy newsletter by US snailmail. Any others who wish a newsletter by mail should let me know.

As I have mentioned before, I have no way to print pictures in the hardcopy newsletter.

Mountaineer Woodturners Newsletter

January 2003

Business

Joe Smith gave a very interesting and informative program.
	He demonstrated how he turns and carves his natural edged and footed bowls. He also showed his various techniques for sanding his bowls. You had to have been there.