Club Night Report
Wednesday 14th May 2025
Club Night Photos for Wednesday 14th May 2025 - Guest Demonstrator: Paul Sweet
The demonstrator for the May 2025 meeting was the welcome return of Paul Sweet, who last visited us in March 2024.Tonight's demonstration was the making of a Bowl with Handles. This is basically a bowl with an undercut and rolled over top edge - the rim is then cut away to leave two opposing handles. By request of the Club Committee, this was a repeat of the demonstration Paul presented at the March 2024 meeting. This was partly for the benefit of new members and for those members who were not present at that meeting - lots of standard bowl turning techniques were shown, along with the addition of the creation of the handles.
For this evening's demonstration Paul used a wet (ish) 10 inches diameter by 5 inches tall blank of 'flame' (figured) spalted beech. See the Club Night Review for March 2024, for photographs and a description of the processes involved in the making of the bowl and handles.
The second part of the evening comprised of the making of a decorative, coloured and carved Artistic Goblet. The blank was 4 inches square by 6 inches long, sweet chestnut - held between centres. The blank was made round, the end was faced and a tenon cut on the tailstock end. The part was reversed into a 4-jaw chuck, and utilising tailstock support - the outside diameter was re-trued. The outside shape of the goblet was rough profiled. The inside/ bowl of the goblet was rough and finish turned - leaving a fairly thick wall. The outside profile was finish turned to leave a thick stem and a flared foot.
Owing to time-constraints, and a certain amount of repetition - only part of the item was decorated to just show the processes. The bowl area of the goblet was decorated using a Kutzall burr (ball shape) driven in a Dremel type tool, to create a random pattern of 'dimples'. The edge of the base was decorated with a straight cutter to create a number of shallow notches around the edge. The decorated areas were 'de-fuzzed' with a gently applied, nylon flap brush similar to Toolstation Part No. 28885.
The outer surface of the part was sprayed with matt black lacquer. Then the goblet area was 'dusted' with a gold/ gilt powder - applied with a soft make-up brush. The inside of the goblet bowl was coated with a thin coat of 'size' or in this case - a thin coat of white PVA glue, spread out with a finger. Glitter flakes (Emma Cook - The Tiny Turner, is a supplier) - were applied to the sticky surface - more than one colour can be used to get varying effects - to complete the part. Note: try searching on the Amazon UK website for: "Kutzall burrs" (the results will also show a range of competitor products), "gold powder" (it's not real gold!) and "glitter flakes" (for a choice of over 300 products - choose carefully!).
Tonight, we were presented with a masterful display of bowl turning - with a twist, and an unusual heavy goblet that had been carved and decorated. Food for thought and inspiration. Thank you, Paul!
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The Display Table was well supported with some interesting items on display...
Don Webster presented a large platter (10 inches diameter by 1 inch tall) made in plum, with a wide, black painted rim, that had been decorated with a (Dremel) ball burr. He also showed a small oak bowl made from an upcycled fire surround. Georgina Brown showed a large heavy burr bowl. Frans Brown displayed a winged bowl made in yew - with three carved feet at the base. John Theobald presented a small mortar and pestle made in cherry and mahonia. Dave Branscombe showed a turned pen with a Bic insert, along with a weed pot, both made in purpleheart. The remaining six items on the table were all made by Martin Barrett - a white painted sycamore bowl - decorated with a ball burr, a small weed pot - painted with black gesso, plus a gilt wax finish. Tim Mortimer had turned a tall thin-walled vase, in elm and handed it to Martin to decorate with various coloured stains and finished in gloss lacquer. A weed pot made from wet laburnum complete with some wooden flowers was shown, and a shallow burr oak bowl that had a number of bark inclusions present in the timber. Finally, a couple of turned apples - one in laburnum and the other in cherry - both with African blackwood stalks. |
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