Welcome back to a new year of the Minn-Dak Woodturners!  We are looking forward to another exciting year.  Ron Williams was our first demonstrator for the start of this new year, and he discussed his recent trip to Arrowmont, an Arts and Craft school in Tennesee. 

Tips and Tricks from Arrowmont
Minn-Dak Woodturners
September 9, 2004

In the process of a week-long class at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, in Gatlinburg, TN, I acquired a number of ideas, shortcuts, etc. from the two instructors, Michael Mocho and Mark St. Ledger. 

• Safety Drive – turned wooden friction drive, gauge plate
• Marking out – precision marking gauge, center punch
• Skew turning – new grip
• Hollowing – round end mill
• Small Diameter Chuck Collets – simple device to hold small stock in standard chuck jaws
• Fitting finials – drill and drill gauge
• Turning a sphere – wood centers, ring to fit
• Turning and egg – taper at one end to fit drive taper

We had an incredible array of items brought in for our show and tell. 

• Dale Cook brought in a hollow vessel from a box elder burl
• Dale also brought in a 2 piece hollow vessel made from carved Russian Olive and ash.  He inserted the ash piece thru the opening in the top!.  (here's a closeup of the top)
• Paul Hedman turned and carved this walnut piece
• Kurt Anderson got a section of log from a tree he used to climb as a kid.  Here are some turnings he made from it:  photo 1  photo 2
• Kurt also hollowed this box elder vase and this oak burl bowl.
• There were so many items brought in for show and tell this month!
• Photo 01:
• Photo 02:
• Photo 03: