Next Meeting - Wednesday September 21 at the school!

Written by William C Hall Tuesday, 13 September 2011 20:40

Hey Keystoners!

So where did the summer go?  Since most of our members plan their turning schedule by the phases of the moon and the alignment of the planets, the board decided to schedule this month's meeting at the school on September 21 - the Autumnal Equinox!!!   As you know, the Autumnal Equinox can fall on any day of the week, but we made sure it was on the third Wednesday in September this year, because you said it was important!

Round Table Discussion – Sanding, Polishing, Buffing, Finishing

This month's meeting will feature a round table discussion on sanding, polishing, buffing and finishing.  If you have problems in these areas, bring something that shows the problem.  If you've got solutions or favorite methods, bring examples and be prepared to discuss.  We've got a great pool of talent to help diagnose problems and willing to provide recommendations (even when you don't ask, but this time we're asking you to ask!).    If you have a tool, jig, favorite tips, tricks, secret formulas, or just questions concerning these issues, bring them to our Autumnal Equinox extravaganza. 

Some examples:  

• Jigs for cutting sandpaper discs or ripping flat paper,
• Tips tricks for keeping expensive finished from drying out once you've opened them.
•  When to sand between coats, when not to sand between coats
• How to use buffing wheels and compounds
• Grits, grades and compounds for sanding and polishing.

Finishing is the difference between a good project and great project, so plan on being a part of this informative discussion

Show and Tell

Show and Tell is one of the great things about being in a turning club.  When is the last time you brought something to Show and Tell?  Make it a point to bring something this time.  Are you a Beginner?  Intermediate?  Advanced?  Who cares!!  Bring something and show it.  Everyone will gain something through the discussions of techniques, design, challenges, solutions, mistakes and recoveries.  If you are a new turner, bring some stuff in and get some feedback on how to move the next level.  If you are intermediate or advanced, bring something in to help you move up, maybe learn something, or share some wisdom with the crowd.  It’s all good.  Do it!

See you at the school in two weeks!

Jim Kelly

JUNE MEETING

Written by William C Hall Friday, 13 May 2011 15:50

Hello All,

Summer is here maybe a little early. Things are getting busy and trying to plan a event has proved to be a challenge with everyones schedule. SO I'm sorry but we will not be meeting in June . Enjoy your cool spring (ha ha) turning. We will meet at Dave Sousas in July for a demo on captured star turning.

In Memoriam - Norris White

Written by William C Hall Tuesday, 22 February 2011 08:57

The club recently lost a wonderful gentleman who will be deeply missed.  Below you can find his obituary and a few photos from club members.  If anyone has something they would like to add here, please let me know.

- Bill

From:  phillyBurbs.com / News / Local / The Intelligencer News

Norris Stanley White
 

The Intelligencer
Norris Stanley White of West Rockhill Township, a carpenter, wood carver and wood turner, died Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, of congestive heart failure. He was 87.

Mr. White, the son of Edith Marion [Stemple] and Edwin Norris White, was born May 5, 1923. He grew up on farms in Bucks and Montgomery County.

He served in the 82 Airborne during World War II, married, had five children, worked as a union carpenter, served in West Rockhill government, and participated in wood turning and carving clubs and competitions.

The joy of Mr. White's life was carving and turning wood. His work was recognized with so many ribbons and awards at competitions that he had a small quilt and a wall hanging made from them. At the 'Horizons 2000: Artist Woodturners' exhibition, New York Times art critic Bess Liebenson described his work as 'the hit of the show: a leather-soft looking baseball glove and ball that turn out to be hollow, but stitched together just like the real thing.' The American Association of Woodturners (AAW) featured the baseball set -called Tools of the Trade -- in its 'Step Up to the Plate' juried and invitational exhibition, which opened at the Louisville Slugger Museum in conjunction with the AAW's 20th anniversary symposium in Louisville in 2006, and which toured the U.S. for a year thereafter.

Mr. White particularly enjoyed outdoor art shows where he could show his work and demonstrate wood turning with a treadle lathe he made. He was a sociable man who loved talking with people. He made small joke items to use as conversation openers, such as a 'tacks' shelter, 'idiot sticks,' and 'chicken dinner.' When frustrated visitors could not figure out the punch line or the method to the joke, he would demonstrate, and they'd all laugh. His business cards read, 'Having fun working with wood,' and that's what he did.

Mr. White began carving animals, such as squirrels and rabbits, when he was 15. He returned to carving after building his own home in 1954. At that time, his work was mostly free form. He joined the Pennsylvania Delaware Valley Woodcarvers club and the Wilhem Schimmel Carving Club. He carved many birds and other small animals including a weasel and bear cub. In about 1985, he began turning wood on a lathe after using the machine to polish the many bells that he and his wife, the late Mary Gorman White, collected over the years. Then he was hooked on turning and joined the Bucks AAW Chapter of Woodturners and Keystone Woodturners clubs. He also participated in the Bucks County Artmobile Program -- TURNstyles - The History and Art of Wood Turning.

White built furniture such as tables, cradles, and hope chests. He repaired many wood items, from spinning wheels to antique easels. He carved and turned walking sticks. Although he had gigantic fingers and hands, he turned tiny wooden beads to make necklaces. In the late 1990s, Mr. White turned and built from Osage Orange wood deadeyes, blocks and other rigging items for the Sultana, a reproduction of an 18th Century schooner that a non-profit organization uses as a teaching vessel on the Chesapeake Bay. Most recently, he focused on turning bowls, plates and hollow vessels. Part of the artistry of woodturning is in how the turner deals with cracks and defects in the wood. Drawing on his experience with the baseball project, Mr. White sometimes stitched cracks with wicker or string. He also used glass or other material to enhance defects.

Mr. White enjoyed sharing his love of woodturning, teaching the craft in his own basement shop, with fellow Bucks Woodturner Dave Hardy, and at the Fine Woodworking Program in the Division of the Arts, Bucks County Community College.

Mr. White was drafted into the U.S. Army in February, 1943. He volunteered to become a paratrooper and served in the elite 82nd Airborne in Europe, where he participated in D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and the famous standoff with the Germans at Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

When he returned to the states, Mr. White toured the country by car, visiting Oregon, California and Hollywood, Fla., where he met Mary Gorman, a schoolteacher from Asheville, N.C. Ms. Gorman and Mr. White were married on December 27, 1950.

Mr. White served as a West Rockhill planner and supervisor, and for many years as a member of the Joint Sellersville-West Rockhill Recreation committee. For most of his career, he worked as a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters union for Orleans Homebuilders Inc. constructing homes in Philadelphia.

After marrying in Asheville, N.C., Mr. and Mrs. White settled in Pennsylvania, where they had five children.

Mary White preceded Mr. White in death, as did two sons, Norris S. White Jr. and Timothy D. White. Mr. White is survived by a son, Donald P. White of West Rockhill; and two daughters, Catherine M. McFadden of Doylestown, and Barbara W. Stack of Pittsburgh. He also is survived by six grandchildren, Adam and Benjamin White, Logan and Whitney Stack, George McFadden and Mary Martin. His beloved great-granddaughter, Vivian Esme Martin, died in February 2009. Mr. White also is survived by three of his five sisters, one of whom, Geraldine Kulp, also lived at the Lutheran Community at Telford, where Mr. White resided since last summer. Mr. White also is survived by his sisters, Helen Getz of Chestertown, Md., and Bertha Groves of New Port Richey, Fla.

His funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 18, in the Bernard Suess Funeral Home, 606 Arch Street, Perkasie, where family and friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday or from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday. Interment will follow in St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery, Sellersville. Suess Funeral Home,

Perkasie

www.suessfuneralhome.net

February 15, 2011 5:50 AM

January Meeting!

Written by William C Hall Wednesday, 05 January 2011 08:45

This month’s meeting is at Dave Sousa’s house,  76 Jackson Rd. Gilbertsville, PA.  Anyone that’s been in Dave’s shop knows it is a great place to have a demo.  Thanks to Dave for hosting!!!

Demo – Tom Buchner

Tom Buchner is demoing boxes or bowls (the Prez says boxes, website says bowls….we’ll get it sorted out!).  Dave is a member of Lehigh Valley Turners and has demoed for us in the past.  He is very talented, a great demoer/trainer and very enjoyable to watch and learn from.

AAW Chapter Entry

Also, this is your last chance to get a piece entered for the AAW 25 year collection.  The rules are here http://www.woodturner.org/sym/sym2011/Exhibit/.  The club will cover the entry fee for the winning entry.

Show and Tell

As always, we will be having a show and tell, so bring something to show and tell us about it!

See you in Gilbertsville!