Author: Aileen Sneddon

XPro XP12 Plunging Router. Photos of it can be seen on our facebook page (@broxburnwcc) and the Router itself is on display in the Workshop.

The Router, a set of 0.5 inch bits and accessories is being sold for Charity and we are looking for around £50 but are open to reasonable offers.

If you would like to buy it or if you want to know more about it please give Ian a ring on 0794  1155 790 or send an email to iangraham9@blueyonder.co.uk

The Strathbrock Centre Manager has asked that all members be reminded that entry to and exit from the building is ONLY by the main door, Entrance B, and NOT by any fire escape. We are very grateful to the Centre for all kinds of reasons and we would ask that all members comply with this request.

This Chairman’s Letter comes hot on the heels of an excellent Club Night by the turner, Graham Ambrose from the Scottish Borders Club. He took as his theme off-centre turning and showed us how to make several out-of-the-ordinary objects, all of which were clever but fairly straightforward once you realised what was involved– I have already seen a couple being tried out in the workshop. 

Dave Willcocks is wanting to get the bowl-corer training on the road and suggests groups of 4 on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday morning, beginning at the end of the month. Could those who have signed up, please add to their entries which sessions would be convenient.

The other sign up notice concerns Club polo shirts which Jack Smith is organising. If you would like one (or more!) please place your order in an envelope, with the appropriate money, in the safe and a short will appear in due course, as if by magic.

A chap in Invergarry has hardwood offcuts available by the trailer-load which he reckons is about a cubic metre, which must be getting on for a tonne (or ton if you prefer). He won’t deliver it but can meet at Lochcarron (?!). He can be contacted at neville@woodworkz.co.ukor 01809 501353 or 0782 598 6513, should anyone be interested! It doesn’t appear to be the most convenient offer we have received.

The flatbed sander has been repaired and should be back in operation this coming Wednesday afternoon. The repair to the drum was expensive and it is not immediately obvious how the damage could have occurred. The sander MUST NOT be used as a thicknesser, or as a means of removing paint/varnish/nails – it is designed to remove only a small amount, say 0.1-0.2mm, at a time!

It would be enormously helpful if, when dust bags, bandsaw blades or other things are changed, a note was made in the diary by the sign-in sheet. Equipment that is broken and needs to be repaired should be entered in the Repairs Folder. Merely putting a notice saying ‘do not use’ without any explanation, is less than helpful. The Saturday morning maintenance crew does a great job and we should all help to make their work as straightforward as possible. Many thanks.

Finally, the Centre will be having its annual PAT-testing session sometime in March. We shall arrange for the mains-operated hand tools to be tested again. If you are in the habit of bringing electrical equipment into the workshop, it must be PAT-tested, so please arrange for it to be available when the chap is testing things. Sanders, hand drills, battery chargers, pyrography gizmos are some of the things we know are brought and it is important for the Club’s insurance that we comply. I am sure that you all understand. We shall give you as much notice as we can.

The chairman “had a tendency to assume that people knew what they were doing, perhaps because he generally assumed that he did not!”― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven

Lindsay

The Club enjoyed a visit from Graham Ambrose from the Scottish Borders 
Club for our February Club Night. He demonstrated to the audience of 
around 30, several off-centre projects including those shown – a duck, a 
vase and a pendant. The final object, a candlestick, illustrated how effective the result of off-centre turning can be while not requiring any unusual or specialised equipment. Members have already put some of Grham’s ideas into practice with some success.

Visit by Emma Cook, the Tiny Turner
Our November Club Night was a demonstration by Emma in which she turned the shaped spindles for a Christmas ‘bauble’ decoration. Indeed, the song from the 1950s musical Kismet came to mind as she fashioned beads, and coves, on the spindles to attach to a glass globe filled with a bangle of LEDs. Yes, you’ve guessed, ‘Baubles, bangles and beads’ but perhaps didn’t realise that the music was borrowed from the Russian composer Borodin. The evening started unhappily as Emma and her partner were involved in a shunt near Dechmont which wrote their car off. Undaunted and remarkably calm in the circumstances, she gave an accomplished demo, explaining clearly the steps, pitfalls and handy hints of the project as it evolved from a piece of padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii) about 8” x 1½” x 1½”. The LEDs, glass globe and ribbon can be bought from Emma (see https://www.facebook.com/TheTinyTurner/)

After a visit to St John’s A&E which ended around 1pm, Emma was up bright and early the following morning to run a masterclass in woodcarving. Once again, clear explanations and helpful hints abounded as the group chiselled its way to Celtic knots, fleurs de lis and oak leaves. The group was enthusiastic in its appreciation of the day which ended with an excellent tutorial on sharpening, which made the point that even although new tools appear to be sharp, they generally have not been sharpened properly. Emma left a couple of copies of her course book which covers many aspects of carving, including tool sharpening, and which can be consulted in the workshop.

After another demo to the Scottish Borders club on Sunday 25th, Emma and Roy made it back home safely in their hire car but were both still shaken and very stiff. However, while the Club enjoyed greatly their visit, it is probably one that they will want to forget. Mercifully, no serious personal injury occurred although both are still jolly stiff.

Lindsay’s first Chairman’s Message should be winging its way soon to an email box near you, so keep a watch for its arrival!

In the meantime here’s a small gallery of the finished products Eugene Grimley started at his recent demonstration night here at Broxburn. 

[Show slideshow]

If you have been inspired by Eugene’s work, feel free to send us a picture of your creations which can be added to out members work gallery.