Woodturning clubs activities

[andersonec]

If you were the member of a woodturning club, what would you want to happen at your meetings other than the usual demonstrators?

Andy

 

[wizard]

Lap dancers

 

[tekno.mage]

I am a member of a woodturning club and other than formal demonstrations by a paid demonstrator, our "Hands On" meetings are also popular. These involve several lathes & specialist tools belonging to the club available for members to use - either to try out a particular tools/technique under the guidance of more experienced members, or to allow complete beginners to have a try at turning, or to allow a club member to demonstrate a particular project in an informal atmosphere. We also have a woodcarver among our members and he brings his tools along to demonstrate woodcarving techniques with an opportunity for other people to try their hand at carving. These more informal meetings also have the benefit of time being available for members to chat and get to know each other better. Much swapping of wood and ideas goes on

 

[user 17340]

Tips on photographing your own work could be useful - it makes a huge difference whether just keeping records, sharing work or selling on line.

 

[McAldo]

+ One for hands-on sessions.
The one I attended at my club was unvaluable, for a beginner like me.
Mini hands-on in addition to demonstrations would be good as well, again for beginners.
Something like a 5 minutes session with a member showing the very basics of sharpening, or basic cuts with a gouge or skew, sanding, finishing or basic safety while working on a lathe. Obviously it would be something on demand, not every month there will be a beginner, but it would be useful I think.

Personally, while I am a bit shameless in approaching members and asking for advice, I am also conscious that it's their time at the meeting I am stealing, perhaps they'd prefer to talk with experienced members of cool stuff, rather than spending 10 minutes showing me how to hone a skew
And again, asking a demonstrator to show very basic things can be a bit awkward. Last meeting we had a full day with Stuart Mortimer. The guy is amazing and people were asking questions about the pretty complicated pieces he makes. I felt a bit of a fool showing him how I butchered my gouge aiming for an Ellsworth grind, and asking him how to correct it.
Of course he showed me, and fellow members are always really helpful when I ask. But I suspect people more timid than me might be more comfortable with an allocated time, albeit very short.

I see the raffle is quite popular at my club. Small prices, and mostly a way to finance extra activities, but everybody enjoys it. And a member buys chestnut products in bulk and sells them at meetings, which I guess is quite convenient if you only need a bottle of this and that, rather than ordering online and have to wait and pay postage.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

+1 to all the above and one thing our club does once a year is a dirty great auction to raise funds. Its wood and tools

 

[duncanh]

We (Northumbrian Woodturners) have the usual professional turners every other month or so but also have shorter evening demos from club members (mainly the same 3 or 4!) or members from other local clubs.
We also have evening sessions talking about design, critique, small themed competitions, a yearly unthemed competition.
Twice a year we have an open day where Martin Pidgeon sells wood and sometimes does a demo. There's often other activities such as carving and sometimes a member brings his cnc ornamental lathe.

We tried to introduce bookable sessions for beginners to get one to one or small group tuition but no-one took up the option.

There's a raffle every meeting.

Every year there's an inter club competition between the Northumbria, Sunderland, Borders, Eden, Wearside which is held at the Brampton venue of the Borders club.

Details of the current program

 

[boysie39]

Tips on photographing your own work could be useful - it makes a huge difference whether just keeping records, sharing work or selling on line.

I would agree with this . Lots of people who have no idea about photography would love to know what way to present their work .Even in this age of high technology presentation is the main factor I believe .

 

[chipmunk]

Every year there's an inter club competition between the Northumbria, Sunderland, Borders, Eden, Wearside which is held at the Brampton venue of the Borders club.

.... I know we won the inter club competition this year, but don't take it out on us by conveniently forgetting Cumbria

I know it doesn't work for all clubs but we meet for a full day (3rd Saturday) 11 times per year. One advantage of this is that, unlike evening meetings, we can have professional demonstrators and still have time for chatting and picking the brains of fellow turners about problems and issues.

Jon

 

[andersonec]

Thanks chaps, it's just that I've been invited to join our clubs committee and being a relative newcomer and having only turned for about a year, club activities are not something I know a lot about, some of your suggestions are not things which happen at the club so hopefully I can nick some of them and put them forward.

Wizard, I'll put that top of the list :wink:

Andy

 

[Jethro]

At our club we have a gallery-project night where we show our work.
We have 2 tables, the gallery table you can put in any work you have done,
the project table consists of a set subject bowl-box-toy or game ect,we then
take it in turn to talk about what we have done,answer questions,ask questions,
and just have a general discussion.It is agreat evening, you get to know what other
members can do, who specialises in different things,you even get to recognise members work.
It is not a competion just a good light hearted social night.