So what did you learn about turning at the AAW symposium?

[john lucas]

I'll kick it off. I'll have to go through my notes to do much more. 100 year ago (well it seems that long ago anyway) I learned to carve inside a block of acrylic to make a rose. I had forgotten about it. While sitting in on Ed Kelle's demo he used one of those carvers that looks like a tapered drill bit. That's the same tool we used to cut the rose. Great tool for excavating inside turnings. Thanks Ed, I'm ordering one this week. (crap more money on the card).
Did you see the shoe covers Bruce Hoover had in the Thesandingglove booth. Keeps the shavings out of you shoe. (darn there goes more money on the card).
Sharon Doughty showed how she inserts 3 1/8" magnets in the lid and base of her boxes. This keeps the lid aligned so the grain matches and she can make the lid less snug so they don't bind up with humidity changes. (Like they have that problem in Hawaii 🙂. The magnets are recessed and the hole is filled with sawdust to conceal them.
Monster tools new adaption to the laser makes adjusting it easier and reduces the vibration. This falls under the Cool Tool category as well as the ball cutter that Wivamac is selling through Choicewoods.
Hunter tools had 3 new mini tools for hollowing boxes and ornaments. There is a straight cutter, top down cutter and a bottom up cutter. I don't know if that's what Mike call them but the top down cutter is angled for cutting from the lip down to the side when hollowing ornaments. The other cutter is angled to cut from the bottom up to the side. Granted on ornaments it's not necessary for a super clean cut but when used on boxes or ornaments with holes in them these tools will really shine.
Robust lathes have a really complete line of their tool rests that have a hardened bar on top. I'm pretty sure a curved on is on my list of purchases for this next year. I have one of the straight ones and love it.
There was so much more but I'll stop there for now.

 

[Donna Banfield]

Good Idea, John!

I'll admit the current controversy is overshadowing all the good that came out of the Symposium for me. This is a good thread to get (me at least) to recall everything I learned.

1. I DID NOT have enough $$ saved for the Trade Show. I had been saving my money since last September when I made my hotel reservation. I went with a list of tools/toys to acquire. I bought things that I didn't have on this list, true, but next time (hopefully), I will save double the $$.

2. Everyone I met at the Symposium - attendees, demonstrators, volunteers and vendors - were all wonderfull. Just a great bunch of people who I loved hanging out with all weekend.

3. I focused my demo rotations to surface treatment - piercing, painting, carving - because those are the areas in which my interest is high, and where I would like to develop my skills. If I went to a broad spectrum of rotations, I really think my head would have exploded! As it was, I got very little sleep each night because I was so jazzed from the day's activities that my brain wouldn't shut down.

4. I came away from each rotation I attended with pages of notes and ideas. Now I need to organize myself and my time to begin implementing those ideas.

5. I could go on...but...time to get into the shop and begin working on item #4 on the list 😀

 

[Rob Wallace]

I always learn something.......!

Well...

I did manage to chat with John Lucas for a while.....unfortunately I was demo-assisting in the next room exactly opposite when he was doing his hand mirror demo (....that I wanted to see!), so I missed that one....

I did learn about some quick ways to do stack-laminated bowls from a piece of 8/4 kiln-dried lumber - Stephen Gleasner did a great job on his demo. I was his demo-assistant for this one and was actively involved in the demo by being a 3rd and 4th hand at times when needed.

I was happy to learn that the talk on "Form" that Malcolm Zander did as his demo had nearly the same content as my demo on Basics of Bowl and Vessel Design.... always good to know if you're thinking the same (or not) as others.

I became even more convinced that surface texturing is not as complicated as it appears, and that interesting things can be done with simple equipment, techniques, and media (particularly acrylics). Graeme Priddle's laid-back demo on surface texturing was a relaxing entry into doing things creatively without over-thinking the method and equipment. Now to find the time to actually TRY this....???

I demo-assisted for Al Hockenbery, and even though I have turned a lot of hollow forms, I still managed to come away with a handful of great tips and alternate ways of doing things I already do. His demo was well-presented, clear, and on time. I'd DA for him again anytime!

I thought the handout book was particularly well-done this year - lots of great details and hints.

Having the ability to see my name laser-engraved into one of Doug Thompson's new handles was a fun treat! For as much time as I spent in the Trade Show, I came away with relatively few new toys or very much wood. (....do I have everything I need already? Naaaaaahhhhhh....!) I guess I talked to friends too much (...is that possible?) while I was in the Trade Show, and did less shopping than I thought I did. Also got to see Don Geiger's new innovations in sharpening tools & jigs, Bruce Hoover's excellent trade show set-up, and lots of other friends at various booths.

I came away with some interesting new ideas from the Instant Gallery - I have to go through my photos more carefully to better study the pieces. Not enough time to do this at the meeting....an almost overwhelming number of great pieces to try to digest in a few hours.

It became clear to me that the potential bidders at the auction following the banquet were nearly all fatigued by the time (9:30) I took over calling from John Hill.... ...trying to bid-up items while people were yawning is a difficult task. In general, it was more sedate bidding overall this year - perhaps a sign of the economy, or something different about the psychology of what we were trying to do. Many items went well below market value. Some buyers got some great deals; some artists donating pieces did not. Forced to think of what we can do differently.....?? Suggestions???

Already looking forward to St. Paul next year!

Cheers,

Rob

 

[john lucas]

Rob You did a great job at the Auction. I always wondered what would happen if John got sick or as he said had a sore throat. I'm glad they are making preparations and you did well. Alas I did not win the lottery so no bidding from me. I did try to avoid yawning. Hard to do when you get up at 5 and go to bed at 11 every night.
I thought it was interesting that a lot of people complain about all the painting and texturing on wood but Ed Kelle's demo was in one of the large rooms with 200+ people. Standing room only. Somebody is at least thinking about painting and texturing.

 

[Steven Antonucci]

very little about turning, but lots of other stuff

I learned to shear scrape with a floating scraper at the John locas demo 😀

I also learned that the bar is going up and that we are all getting better at producing our craftt. Hard to stand out in a crowd with that much talent.

Picked up some do's and don't for submitting articles to AW. Trying to get published is another creative outlet that woodturning offers.

Got a neat jig out of John Lucas's demo for drilling holes. Hans Weissflog had another neat jig for turning concentric offset circles. Both can make doing something very difficult exceptionally easily and with minimal cost.

 

[Mike Brazeau]

Doug Fisher in the turning portion of his two demos, showed how he makes a convex portion on the back on his wall hangings. When he mounts this on his 8" oneway vacuum chuck, it allows an eccentic variable depth cut as well as off-center on the front face. Have drawn up a simple glue chuck based on the effect and hope to get to use it one of these days after getting caught up on grass cutting and other yard work neglected. My sketch created in MS Paint seems to be somewhat screwed up in Preview.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Maybe we need a John Lucas inspired jigs and inventions area in the gallery? You would come away with a whole years worth of tips for the journal.
We could vote for the best, heck I will sponsor the first prize.

 

[john lucas]

Steve Should I tell them what you taught Trent Bosch's son? Naw, but it was funny.