Club Night Report

Wednesday 8th October 2025

Club Night Photos for Wednesday 8th October 2025 - Guest Demonstrator: Bryan Milham

The demonstrator for the October 2025 meeting was a warm welcome to a long-standing regular visitor Bryan Milham.
Bryan announced that for the evening he would be showing: a tealight holder with a difference - a Brandy Bubble/ Balloon shape, and some Decorative Birds.

Bryan started with an ash log, approx. 4" diameter by 8" long, mounted between centres. Using a bowl gouge he trued it to round, squared the end and cut a tenon on the tailstock end. Mounted in a 4-jaw chuck - the basic shape was marked out and turned - some 'room to work' was made at the headstock end. A 1" diameter Forstner bit was used to drill a hole in the end face via the tailstock. Bryan proceeded to use one of his favourite tools - (a 'Woodcut Pro-Forme' hook hollowing tool) to hollow the goblet. This tool excels working in end-grain, and can be quite aggressive if desired. The hole was re-drilled deeper, finish hollowed and finally tidied-up with a negative rake, curved edge scraper.

A custom centre was mounted in the tailstock - this featured a threaded end, along with threaded inserts to enable a large cone to be used to support the goblet. The outside, bottom of the goblet shape was completed - a sized spigot (for the base) was turned. There was a large loose knot in the side of the goblet which was drilled out. Bryan then used a fine-tooth pull-saw, to cut two slots from the goblet rim into the drilled hole. This area was extensively scorched with a blowtorch.

An oak block was mounted in the 4-jaw chuck - a hole drilled to suit the spigot on the goblet base - and was finish turned to shape. The base was assembled to the goblet bowl.

Bryan's next project was the making of two small decorative birds. The body was made from a 1" square by 4" long section of beech, mounted in a chuck. A small hole was drilled in the end, via the tailstock and was then opened out to a cone shape - which was supported with the tailstock centre. The tail and body sections were turned to shape and parted off. The head was also made from beech - with the beak part being turned first and then the remainder of the head shape. A sanding disk was mounted in the chuck, and the body and head part-off areas were blended in - the coned tail area was sanded to produce two-flat areas.
A second bird was made, using similar techniques to produce a 'pointed' tail and an elongated woodpecker shaped head. Small holes were drilled in the heads and bodies - then assembled using thin dowels, glued in place. The birds were displayed, mounted on a yew branch.

Tonight, we were entertained with the making of a 'brandy glass' goblet shaped tealight holder, turned and hollowed to leave a thin-wall - then completed - using a saw and a blowtorch to create a decorative effect. Along with a couple of cute ornamental birds. Thank you, Bryan!

The Display Table was well supported and showed a number of items...

Paul Kohn showed a large spalted maple bowl, featuring a blue coloured insert made from resin - the bowl was made by Simon Hope at a recent show and handed to Paul for finishing. Paul also showed a large three-tier cake stand, along with three different clocks, made from yew and a 150-year-old newel post. Martin Leadbetter presented a large resin and pine cone vase - the blank was made with the aid of his pressure pot/ vacuum chamber. Frans Brown displayed a large carved rim platter made in apple that he had 'force' dried via 26 sessions in a microwave, taking the item from 32% to 10% moisture content in a 24-hour period - the timber had distorted but not cracked. Frans also showed a large square shaped boxwood dish that had three carved feet on the base - finished with oil and buffed. Ron Carter displayed an offset winged bowl made from pine that had suffered from a bad combination of oil and cellulose sanding sealer used as a finish. He also showed a rocking pot with a black painted interior and an off-centre turned candle stick made from laburnum. Dave Newman presented a banksia nut vase that contained a much-modified battery operated 'candle.' Martin Barrett displayed an apple made from spalted apple and three small rocking bowls - one made from oak and two in sycamore. Roger Blake showed two wide rim bowls - one in sycamore and the other in oak where he had used a black 'Sharpie' pen to colour the rims. Tim Mortimer presented four items - an oak pot with a spalted birch lid, featuring a Japanese inspired black walnut handle, and a similar plain pot also in oak. Both of these had been 'ebonised' with a solution of vinegar and wire-wool. Tim also showed a small bowl in brown oak and a rocking pot made from an oak branch with an oil finish.