Club Night Report

Wednesday 11th June 2025

Club Night Photos for Wednesday 11th June 2025 - Guest Demonstrator: Keith Fenton

The demonstrator for the June 2025 meeting was the welcome return of Keith Fenton, who last visited us in September 2024.

Keith promised us a busy evening when he declared that tonight's demonstration would be the making of an Apple, a Pear, a Spec Buddy and a Pebble Shaped Tea-Light Holder.
In order to save time and avoid repetition - Keith had pre-prepared all of the blanks to be used during the evening by mounting them between centres, turning them to round, squaring-off the ends and cutting a holding spigot on one end.

The first item was an Apple made in mahogany - held in a 4-jaw chuck. The part was roughed out and finish turned, including the shaping of a recess for the calyx at the tailstock end. A 4 mm diameter drill, held in a Jacobs chuck was used to drill a hole in the tailstock end. The part was then sanded through the grits. Keith stated that the best advice on woodturning, that the had ever received was "Use your abrasives as if somebody else is paying for them" - wise words indeed! The part was then sealed with cellulose sanding sealer, burnished with a handful of the shavings, the surface was then cut back with orange Webrax and then Keith's own recipe of a mix of beeswax and carnauba wax (stick) was applied and polished with a paper towel - then parted-off, to be finish turned later.

The next item was a Pear - made using the same method as the apple, finish sanded, polished etc. and parted-off.

A home-made screw chuck was fitted in the chuck and the Apple was mounted on the thread. The stalk end was recessed and blended into the lower section of the apple. The sanding, sealing, polishing etc. was completed. The same procedure was carried out to complete the pear. A 5 mm diameter hole was drilled - at a slight angle, in the top of the apple and the pear for the stalks - a piece of the dried central 'spine' from a large horse chestnut tree leaf, was used for this. A clove was super-glued in the base to mimic the calyx.

Keith's third item was the making of a Spec Buddy - a cute, head and body shape, with a slot in the top of the head and a large nose to rest a pair of spectacles on. Keith mentioned that the body shape could be varied, as required - taller, shorter, thinner, squat - whilst the head would usually be the same.
The pre-prepared cylinder was mounted in a 4-jaw chuck and marked out with a simple story-stick. The part was roughed out using a bedan/ parting tool. A 10 mm diameter hole was drilled across the grain to create part of the head recess/ slot. The head diameter was finish turned and rounded over to reveal the hole/ slot in the top. The slot was cleaned up/ finished with 180 grit abrasive wrapped around a wooden rod. The body was finish turned and blended into the head. A 7 mm diameter hole was drilled in the head - at right angles to the slot, and tilted slightly upwards - to hold the 'nose'. The usual sanding and finishing procedure was used - and finally parted-off.
A nose for the Spec Buddy was turned to produce a 7 mm diameter stem and a larger spherical end and cut off at about 50 mm long. This was then CA glued into the head. A pair of 'googly eyes' were CA glued onto the head. Keith cleverly utilised sucking on a simple drinking straw, to pick-up and place the 'eyes' on the part.

Keith's fourth item for the evening was the making of a Pebble-Shaped Tealight Holder. The pre-prepared blank (approx. 6" diameter by 3.5" thick, spalted sycamore) was held on a 48 mm diameter recess, via expanding jaws in the chuck. The part was cleaned up and a holding spigot was turned at the tailstock end. The rounded, smooth, pebble shape was turned as far as possible on both sides. The usual process of sanding, sealing and polishing was carried out.

The part was reversed, and held on the spigot. A recess for the glass tea-light holder/ cup was made - approx. 50 mm diameter by 23 mm deep (the glass should be slightly proud of the final finished 'top' of the pebble). Keith specified that to reduce any risk of a fire - the wax tea-light should always be placed in a glass cup (e.g. about 50p each via Amazon) - along with suitable candle safety information - placed in the base of the recess. The end face was finish turned and blended into the top surface. Sand, seal and polish etc.
The final operation is to re-mount the part on the glass holder recess, and to turn away the holding spigot - slightly recessing the face to avoid rocking. Sand, seal and polish etc.

Tonight, we were presented with a varied and hugely entertaining, display of solid, basic turning techniques. A lot of ground was covered and Keith completed four individual items - something to inspire everyone.
Thank you, Keith!

The Display Table was well supported with some interesting items on display...

Frans Brown presented a large, brown oak burr, platter - finely turned, with 15 coats of finishing oil to complete the part. The platter was mounted on a stand made from a fragment of burr elm. Graham Furze showed a "Guess What This Tool Is" item he had acquired on a visit to a woodturning club on a recent holiday. A number of Members said that it was an old mortice chisel - used for making the lock recess in the edge of a door frame. Paul Kohn shared a large spalted ash bowl with a number of smaller bowls attached to the rim. He said it was for use as a 'chips and assorted dips' container. Paul also showed a smoking mushroom. Martin Barrett displayed a large brilliant blue stained (Chestnut Finishes) bowl with a cellulose lacquer finish. Roger Blake shared an eight-sided, rocking base box made in ash. Phil Lawrence presented a large walnut bowl that had been 'filled'/ rescued, with a blue coloured transparent resin - along with a lidded pot made from an old bowling ball (very tough, and very heavy), even the use of carbide tooling still made it hard work to get a result! Phil also showed a small bowl made of cocobolo. Tim Mortimer displayed a lidded bowl made of copper beech with a sycamore top, complete with a rosewood finial. Bill Savage showed a tape-measure box, utilising all hand-chased, threaded parts. The outside of the box had been decorated with a Dremel tool burr and painted black - then sanded. Arthur Kingdon showed a small vase containing some experimental Rose Engine turned flowers, in yew and African blackwood - mounted on gold-coloured aluminium wires.