So you are in a Fractal Burning club.

[Kent Crowell]

Maybe you are a past officer, web page builder, grant writer and all around doer in your club. Some new people are posting photos of their Fractal Burning samples on the club web page including the web page guy. . The Newsletter guy is sending out Fractal Buning images to people he does not know including minors. A local high schooler was the victum of an electrical shock while attempting to decorate a wood project. with his homemade device. The president ignores your input to have a vote just saying, " We are adults and can do whatever we want to do . We will go with no change. The Status Quo is OK with us." The club even had a live Fractal Burning demo at a club meeting in an old building with no fire sprinklers and only one way in and out. The guest presenter with a microwave part was a local MD so it must be safe. It was a full house and nobody spoke up. Most had no idea of the invisiable and hidden danger. Your lawyer and insurance agent say communicate your position to ban Fractal Burning and get away before a tragedy happens and you are the target of a wrongful death legal actiojn. Anyone can do whatever they want in thier shop, but when they do it in a club, they expose everyone to an insane liability. What would you do if your club is a fractal burning club?

 

[robo hippy]

It can be done safely. However, the engineer's conundrum comes in to play here..... "You can never invent some thing that is idiot proof. As soon as you do, some one invents a better idiot." Not some thing I will ever try.

robo hippy

 

[Dave Landers]

You likely know this and it sounds like it's unlikely that the club cares... but the AAW strongly discourages the practice. But there's not a whole lot of weight behind that, except that they will deny AAW insurance coverage:

Further, due to liability concerns, the AAW Board has decided to disallow chapters that promote, demonstrate, or allow the use of fractal burning to be eligible to obtain, or renew, insurance through the AAW for their chapter.

Seems like your insurance and lawyers have the right answer - communicate then cancel your membership.

There are a number of clubs that do online streaming of their club meetings and demos and welcome remote members. Maybe that's your reasonable option till your club's attitude changes.

 

[Ric Williams]

The first thing I'd do is write a detailed resignation letter, detailing my concerns and describing the reactions of the club officers to those concerns, and send it by registered mail to the club president. You want to have your concerns on record and a paper trail showing that you made your concerns known to the club. From your description it sounds like they'd be busy throwing each under the bus if someone took legal action against the club. Better to get as far away from them as possible. Lawyers are expensive and being at the losing end of a wrongful death legal action can ruin your life.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

We also had a club demo on this the year before all the publicity hit. We no longer allow demos and discourage use by members.

 

[Ric Williams]

 

[Alan Weinberg]

for those who know little re the practice: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal_burning

 

[Kent Crowell]

Thanks for all your comments.

The AAW has an 18 page section on Fractal Burning under the Safety tab. I have heard from several AAW leaders over the years that they can only suggest safety rules and as an educational non profit and cannot enforce a safety rule on members or clubs.

However, I would like the AAW Safety Committee and Board to add one line to the AAW Best Chapter web page Award and AAW Best Chapter Newsletter Award:

"Any Chapter that Promotes Fractal Burning or violates the AAW Policy should be disqualified."

Repeat the AAW Policy from May 17, 2017 below with the word Chapter added as needed.

It is the policy of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) that the process known as Fractal Burning is prohibited from being used in any AAW Chapter -sponsored events, including regional and national symposia, and that AAW-chartered chapters are strongly urged to refrain from demonstrating or featuring the process in chapter events. Further, the process of Fractal Burning shall not be featured in any written or online AAW Chapter publication, except for within articles that warn against its use. AAW Chapter publications will not accept advertisements for any products or supplies directly related to the process. https://woodturner.org/Woodturner/R...fety-Fractal-Burning-Lichtenburg-Burning.aspx
If you like this idea, share it with your elected AAW board members. Ask them to put it on the agenda . We have time to make this small change before the April 2024 awards deadline.