Another Good Club Night - January 2007

This month was no different to any other for me; I had the usual panic as my good wife calls it to get my competition piece done it time. I had it all organised at one point thinking this time it would be easy, but that soon changed when it was brought to my attention that I was a week out. So with absolutely no plan in mind I put blank to lathe and the rest is history as they say, I was more or less happy with my effort and as always I learnt something new.

I arrived much earlier than normally required tonight as Don had some things relating to the hall to discuss, the important thing was he put the kettle on first and got the tea/coffee making box out. Julie was also there with most of her turning equipment laid out ready to go; we put up a few more tables and set to preparing and bringing in the club lathe. I saw a new face and politely asked if he would be so kind as to help me push the lathe up the boards and into the hall, which he kindly did, turns out he was only visiting us to assess our camera/monitor system and had nothing to do with turning at all, oops.

Anyway as others arrived the chairs where positioned and the rest of the tables for the raffle and competition things were put up. The usual plenty of time disappeared and it was time for Don to call for silence, I have to say it's quite a relief when that happens because it means I have nothing to do for a while, well apart from ripping through my box of bits looking for my notes I'll need in a few minutes when he hands the hall over to me briefly. I have yet to say and do everything I have planned for in the brief moment I address the members, always as I sit down I see the things I put out to remind me but Don has moved on and the opportunity is lost, one day!

So our demonstrator for the night is introduced, Julie Heryet is the name and thread cutting is the game, that's my writing it not Don saying it you understand. Julie explained how she became a turner and then how she moved on to threading, she gave a thorough description of what threading is all about and handed plenty of things out for the audience to look at, I think its probably the first time most of us had seen these strange looking cutters before. Julie explained that she wasn't going to try and finish a project tonight but was going to explain and show the detail that is thread cutting.

With the aid of the Nobo board on a number of occasions various methods where explained along with some do's and don'ts, the second half of the evening concentrated on cutting both parts of the soon to be box, and you shouldn't be surprised to know they fitted together very well, the outside of the box will be finished in her workshop. And with that Julie took a couple of steps back and the demonstration had finished to which the audience gave a good round of applause, and quite right to. Don got up and said a few words which encouraged another round.

During the evening there where a good number of questions answered and in the tea break a crowd took the opportunity to take a closer look at the cutters and progress on the project so far. I have to say before tonight I hadn't even considered thinking about thread cutting and wasn't expecting to take much notice until I was, however Julie managed to make this subject very interesting and more importantly she was entertaining. I was watching with keen interest and trying to note the detail of the work which has fascinated me to the point that I will try it as soon as I can get the tools and quality timber to work with. That's what I call a good demonstration and I'm sure a number of our members have gone home with the same interest as me.

There was something pleasantly different about tonight's demonstrator and I'm having a problem explaining it, Julie has a bubbly personality and settled in with our friendly club right away, she has a good sense of humour and just fitted in with us like old friends. She knew just how much knowledge was needed without getting to deep in the theory, for example, when allowing for the extra diameter on the spigot for the cutting of the thread, she knew to a decimal point how much it was but simply said "I just add a bit". That's what I like, understand the theory and what you are doing but keeping it simple, after all you must never forget it's just a hobby after all, and you're supposed to be out there in that freezing cold shed enjoying your self. I don't know that I've done Julie justice in my write up but I'm sure you readers will understand what I'm trying to say.

For those of you that are quite happy to bury yourselves deep into the exact terminology and understanding of threads then click on this link for a description and a drawing, it explains it all. http://www.boltscience.com/pages/screw3.htm

Back to our light hearted evening at the club house. I mentioned our open weekend again and Don passed over to Trevor for the raffle after thanking Dawn and Angy for doing the refreshments tonight. As the hall was cleared the numbers where called out, I had two numbers come up tonight, only took one prize as you do. There where a few members I was pleasantly surprised to see tonight as they had not been to well of late. There were all the last bits to get sorted and things to say while clearing everything away, its done very quickly and you have to keep your wits about you not to loose things. Many thanks to Steve B for re stacking our cupboard/Tardis tonight. Finally I shook hands with Julie as she went out the door and thanked her, the lights went out, the doors were shut and there goes another good club night.

Well almost………..In the car park I noticed a jig that had caught my eye earlier tonight and asked the guys what it was, "its for next months competition" came the reply, "you will need to make one of these to make your pair of thermed turnings" well that wiped the smile of my face I can tell you, Ill have to start panicking a lot earlier if I'm to be finished ready for our February club night. Anyway, there goes another good club night, not sure about the next?



Boots- January 2007