August03 Newsletter

Hill Country Turners meet in the basement of the KACC (Kerr Arts & Cultural Center) at 228 Earl Garrett, Kerrville, Texas at 6:30 pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month, unless otherwise notified.

It is a sad opening to the Newsletter I must make in announcing the recent death of Hill Country Turner member Doug Clark. Doug passed away Friday afternoon the 25^th of July, 03. Sheila said his body just wore out. Doug suffered a mishap on his scooter at home some time ago and had been in Wilford Hall Hospital in San Antonio. I did not know Doug very long, but he was a friend from the very moment I first met him. With all his burdens, Doug always seemed “cheery in all weather”. The club, and I personally, will greatly miss him.

Our condolences go out to Sheila and the family and friends. This world was a better place when we had Doug Clark around. So, as we go into the end of summer and the beginning of winter, the ending of another year of turning, all of us that knew Doug, may pause in our activities now and then, thinking of our friend. I know I will.

“HEADSTOCK CHATTER”
(Everybody needs a boss to blame stuff on! This is the boss’s vent!)

Editors note: the President is out doing community service or something, this CHATTER is from the Vice President.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, THIS MONTHS DEMO WILL BE NICK HUNTLEY DOING HIS WORLD FAMOUS XMAS TREES OUT OF HILL COUNTRY CEDAR. SPEAKING OF XMAS DONT FORGET TO TELL EVERYONE THAT ITS NOT TOO SOON TO START THINKING ABOUT OUR XMAS PARTY AND ALL THE TOYS WE DO EACH YEAR FOR THE NEEDY KIDS IN THE AREA.IF ANY ONE WANT TO ORDER BANDSAW BLADES LET JIMMY HOLTON

KNOW I AM ORDERING DIRECT FROM TIMBERWOLF AND GET A GOOD DISCOUNT (10-19 BLADES= 15%,20-29=25%,30+= 30%) WE CAN MIX AND MATCH SIZES AND STUFF EMAIL jholton@ktc.com. BE SURE TO GET IN YOUIR SHIRT ORDER IF YOU HAVENT.DONT FORGET THAT THE T.T.T. IS THE END OF AUG. WE NEED A GOOD TURN OUT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL BREAK THE OLD RECORD OF 400+. ALSO IF ANY ONE WOULD LIKE TO RUN FOR A CLUB OFFICE CONTACT UEL CLANTON AND LET HIM KNOW.

(If you were there and paid attention you know, if you didn’t or weren’t, then this is a recap)

Well, I was there and then again I wasn’t! My apologies, verbose I cannot be this month on the meeting, I must have been in la, la land! The meeting took place in a somewhat more disheveled manner, but we got it done! Our guest was Dr. Genender . My notes are scant to none! I understand James Johnson wined and dined Dr. Genender. Dale introduced him and he gave a great demonstration.

Our New Camera man worked very hard and diligently filming Dr. Larry DeGender. Larry was good showing us how to turn platters. He caught a bit of prodding from the audience over using his shield and respirator. Raul was inducted to keep Dr. Degender on schedule and got caught napping only once. Sandy took over and all ended well. Roy and James Llewellyn came in with some work they had been doing. Seems Roy had some spindle work and James went and made himself a yo yo! Dale showed an offset tool rest from a gentleman that makes them in Colorado. Jimmy “borrowed” it right off the bat! Keith Longnecker showed a LARGE TEXAS SIZED pocket watch he made for his uncle. Dale showed a bowl made from the box elder James Johnson brought to the last meeting. With a bit more practice, our president will turn out some gallery quality stuff!! No real credible word on the Andy Chen DNA testing, these things take time you know. There was some more and I apologize, no notes!

NEW AND EXOTIC WOODS
(Since we learn and grow from our members, all of us need to strive for new members)

A sheet was passed around and it seems it never got further than the first row. Therefore, if you are a new member or guest, I did not get your name. Assuredly, you are welcome and we appreciate your attendance and participation.

CHIPPER OF THE MONTH
(This is who we throw money (or rocks) at for entertaining us at this months meeting!)

Seems the vice-president was pretty lucky in his pick of turners to give us a “free” show. We have the great talented Nick Huntley! Nick and mesquite don’t seem to get along together, so he has chosen to work with the next most bountiful wood we have, Cedar. I have seen some of Nick’s X-mas tree ornaments. WOW! Great timing too, not far off! It is interesting how he utilizes the cambium and heart colors to get an inspiring effect. You will have plenty of time to try these for Christmas, perhaps even make some for sale so you can have money to buy the editor a nice X-Mas present! Don’t embarrass yourself and offer some rancher money to cut some cedar, now that is under a government program! Nick is shown in action elsewhere in this month’s newsletter! It will be interesting to see how Nick treats his “high desk/short podium”!!!!

This is the month!! Texas Turner Two ….. If you haven’t registered, the web link is at the end of this newsletter. You don’t want to miss out on a group picture do you?

We have a member not doing too well. Paul Korbach is in a bad way. Please keep Paul and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Jim and Martha Hill skipped the country and went off down to Florida while leaving Buddie with the editor! Martha got to meet Mickey, she said she brought Goofy with her! I think Jim missed out on meeting Minnie and was heartbroken to some extent! Buddie was a small dog when Jim brought him over, but funny thing, I went out to check on Buddie the first night and I swear he quadrupled in size and had developed a totally different attitude than when he first arrived!

Buddie is a pretty good dog as far as dogs go. The first day he killed one of the editors dogs, the second day he jumped the fence and went swimming in the editors pool(seemingly forgetting where he got in and was rescued by the editor). It is awful hard to love a wet dog!

This little episode resulted in the editor ending up with a much taller and stronger holding arena (you ever tried to haul cattle panels in a red Toyota Celica?) . Jim really was not all that forthcoming about Buddie. Buddie does not like cats very much, tolerates the one remaining dog, detests coons, thinks tree squirrels are tasty and simply goes ballistic over opossums!

The editor’s wife feeds all the neighbors cats, her three cats and at least 5 wild cats (we only have an acre, so cat traffic is pretty steady). Buddie has gotten plenty of vocalizing in so far. He rehearses every night at about 9, 10, 11, 12,…..3,4,5,6…! The high octave soprano notes never occur before bedtime, always after! A good leghorn rooster has got nothing on Buddie. This dog is better than any rooster! The editors one remaining dog has actually learned to sleep with his paws over his ears! Buddie has the neighborhood pitching in for a recording contract! Oh yeah, if you offer to keep a friends dog, check on the phase of the moon. Buddie doesn’t seem to like full moons either.

Well, guess the picnic is on hold till next year, things just got busy and the preliminaries never got “put together”.

NAP ATTACK STUFF
(Material borrowed, received or stolen that might help your turning)

This thickness gauge performs the same function as calipers. I made it in 1982 to measure the wall thickness of the first bowl I ever made. I was totally ignorant about woodturning at the time and I made the bowl with nothing but scrapers made from old files. I still have the bowl.

The gauge is the first piece of turning equipment I ever owned. It is very useful and I use it frequently.

This is another gizmo which is very easy to make. Probably, the most difficult thing is finding a suitable piece of plastic tube to suit the available dowel.

Such a gauge can be made any size to suit the user and the wire can be bent into any suitable shape. To give an idea of size: in the one shown above I used 1/4 in. dowel 7 ins. long. I joined the wire to the tube with epoxy resin.

Before the gauge can be used the dowel must be pushed up the tube so that it is in contact with the wire; a pencil mark is then made on the dowel at the outer end of the tube. The distance between the end of the tube and the mark on the dowel then indicates the thickness being measured.

(Here’s the rules: Be the first to submit the correct answer to the editor via e-mail or phone and win a Great Teaser Award at the next regular meeting. You gotta be at the meeting to collect your booty. In the event no one wins in the short time to solve the teaser, the prize will be awarded to the first solution at the following meeting after the solution is received) huh?
This is designed as an individual grey matter exercise, no collaboration between husbands, wives, or friends allowed!!

Editor’s note: No one solved last months, they are printed again below, one person got one right but missed the other. Surely these are not too complicated for our crew?

1. If you went to bed at 8 o'clock at night and wound up your clock alarm to get you up at 9 o'clock the next morning, how many hours sleep would you get?

2. How much dirt would be in a hole 6 feet deep and 6 feet wide that has been dug with a square edged shovel?

1. What is the only sport in which the ball is always in possession of the defense and the offensive team can score without touching the ball? BASEBALL

It is with a great sense of loss that Hill Country Turners bids farewell to one of its’ members, Doug Clark.

Doug Clark-passed away on Friday, 25^th of July, 2003. Doug was an enthusiastic wood turner, not to mention a very good one. Doug always wore a warm and friendly smile and was a real gentleman in every sense of the word. Doug may have been small in stature but was a giant in all things that really count. A memorial service will be held on August 7, by Reverend Warren Hornung at the First United Methodist church at 321 Thompson Dr, in Kerrville. All members are encouraged to attend. Doug was born on July 8, 1955 in Uvalde, Texas. He and Sheila Berkley from Capron, Illinois were married on July 13, 1973. Doug is survived by his wife Sheila, their son William and daughter Jessica. Also, his parents John and Laquita Watson, a brother, Robert Clark, and two sisters, Joyce Alapic and Marilyn Gonzales.

Doug was a silent hero, always a confidant to many, patiently listening to their troubles and never unburdening himself on them. We caught the proud little man completely off guard one day and saw the emotional side of his graciousness over a silly Powermatic wood lathe. He will be warmly remembered by all who knew him.

Cheap easy Metal powder. Get a piece of brass or copper tube and put it against your belt or disc sander. The powder generated goes into the tube and can be poured out into a container. You control the size by the grit of the belt. I find that 120 grit works well. Caution, the tube gets HOT! Also, check with your local locksmiths and key makers!

Most turners run their lathes too fast.
If the shavings hitting your hand feel hot, the RPM is set too high and will only result in a poor cut and premature dulling of your tool edge. (This tip from Canadian Woodturners)

FREE WOOD AND ETC.
(If you got it and don’t want it, tell us about it here; wives, husbands and kids excluded)

Not as “green” pear-Will share..Contact Lewis Dodd-(830) 997-3652 or ripsawed@ktc.com

CLASSIFIEDS (FOR SALE)
(Make room for more and bigger tools, sell those old ones here)
(Same exclusion as above applies)

This lathe will be sold to the highest sealed bidder! Your sealed bids in a plain envelope need to be brought to Sheila's house at 133 Looker Dr., Ingram, Texas. Call (830) 367-5817 if you need directions. The sealed envelopes will be opened at 10 AM on Monday, August 4th, 2003. Starting minimum bid is $1600.00. The money needs to be there then also! (Bring enough money to give the help a nice tip). Help will be there at that time to help with the lathe.

This lathe is a 2 H.P. , 230volt, three phase with converter(runs on 230volt single phase), variable speed, 1 1/4" X 8 tpi spindle with #1 morse taper. Swing can be as much as 80 inches, as it has a sliding headstock. It is 34 1/2" between centers. This is a professional quality lathe in extremely good shape. It weighs 650 pounds and breaks into 6 pieces for easy moving and reassembly. Some specialty tools come with the lathe.

This is your golden opportunity to obtain a professional lathe that has turned some great woodwork. Who knows, it may retain some of Doug's skill as a professional turner. It would sure be nice to know someone in the club has that lathe, just so we can check on it now and then! Bid high, REMEMBER, this was one of OUR MEMBERS, and the history of the lathe alone, makes it a premium find!

Should you not be able to be there, you need to make arrangements with Lewis Dodd (830) 997-3652 (ripsawed@ktc.com) or Uel Clanton (830) 896-5288 to convey your bid and money!

Vern’s charming guest from Fredericksburg, Linda West, chose lucky number 12 and won again. Don Kaiser and Larry Walton also collected booty. This was all done over a formidable opponent, Mr. Bill Bradfield. Bill came with purpose and determination and succeeded in capturing three bringbacks. He better start turning early this month!

Whatever excuse offered, these folks were sorely missed at the last meeting or did not sign the sign in sheet!

Talk about being lost, the editor must have been in la, la, land. The member and guest sign in sheet did not make the total trip, therefore, no list of lost “souls” can be compiled. We appreciate all who showed up.

Xvxn though my typxwritxr is an old modxl, it works quitx wxll xxcxpt for onx kxy. Thxrx arx 46 kxys which function wxll xnough, but just onx kxy not working makxs thx diffxrxncx.
Somxtimxs it sxxms to mx that our group is somxthing likx my typxwritxr, not all thx kxys arx working propxrly. You may say "Wxll I am only onx pxrson. It won't makx much diffxrxncx." But you sxx, for thx group to bx xffxctivx it nxxds thx coopxration of xvxry pxrson.
So the nxxt timx you think that you arx only onx pxrson and that your xffort is not nxxdxd, just rxmxmbxr my typxwritxr and say to yoursxlf "I am a kxy pxrson and nxxdxd vxry much !"

Funny thing, Johnny Tolly sold me a vacuum pump, it and about $400 will now let me lose things a little easier!! We shall see! Slowly but surely eliminating all excuses!!!

The only Oscar statuette ever made of wood was presented to Edgar Bergen for his ventriloquist’s dummy/partner, Charlie McCarthy. The Academy honored Bergen for his “outstanding comedy creation” in 1938.

A woodpecker can peck up to 500 times per minute
or 8 times per second. (Now that's using your head!)

Hill country turners is a chapter of the American Association of Woodturners dedicated to providing education, information and a place to meet and discuss woodworking and woodturning.

(I misspelled this last month! Geesh, ll letters, the odds are pretty good!)