Charlie_W
Member
Yup, Wifey and I did Date Night at our Woodcraft!....we were the hosts/ instructors and not students on the date.
We had three couples and of the six, only one gentleman had taken one Introduction to Woodturning class about six months prior.
After munching on a sandwich platter and chips while getting acquainted, we got to work. I gave basic intro to the lathe parts and what they did, introduced our pen kit, a Wall Street II ( Sierra style) and demonstrated use of a spindle roughing gouge on our pen blank. I showed a scraping cut, peeling cut and a planing cut).
Once we had everyone set up with a practice blank ( blank drilled to 1/4"...no tube...on their mandrels) we powered up. Wifey and I both were working around the workbenches helping with tool position/ cutting angle and doing hands on their chisels to get some of them going.
With the practice blank, they learned a lot about how to use the roughing gouge to make their cuts and practice shape and getting close to the bushings.
Then on to the real blanks which I had already tubed up, ready to go. I had cherry and maple for their choices as these were not only both good turning woods but were also good for pyrography which Wifey would do with them later.
All went great! Most were able to work without much assistance and only a couple need a little more help. Everyone had a successful first blank! They learned several cuts with the roughing gouge and were turning both right and left handed on the peeling cuts!
Next, they worked with Wifey on embellishing their pen blank if they chose with pyrography. I did have extra blanks so two guys chose to turn a second. I showed them the toothpick holder key ring kit at Woodcraft which they purchased and with calipers, they both turned blanks for these.
Then the embellished pens went back to the lathe for some friction polish.
We assembled the pens and key rings and there were six happy campers!!
We forgot to get pics of all the pens together but did get one pic off Facebook.
Even though doing a workshop class if a good bit of work, Wifey and I both had a wonderful time and are planning on doing another when they can add us to their calendar!
We had three couples and of the six, only one gentleman had taken one Introduction to Woodturning class about six months prior.
After munching on a sandwich platter and chips while getting acquainted, we got to work. I gave basic intro to the lathe parts and what they did, introduced our pen kit, a Wall Street II ( Sierra style) and demonstrated use of a spindle roughing gouge on our pen blank. I showed a scraping cut, peeling cut and a planing cut).
Once we had everyone set up with a practice blank ( blank drilled to 1/4"...no tube...on their mandrels) we powered up. Wifey and I both were working around the workbenches helping with tool position/ cutting angle and doing hands on their chisels to get some of them going.
With the practice blank, they learned a lot about how to use the roughing gouge to make their cuts and practice shape and getting close to the bushings.
Then on to the real blanks which I had already tubed up, ready to go. I had cherry and maple for their choices as these were not only both good turning woods but were also good for pyrography which Wifey would do with them later.
All went great! Most were able to work without much assistance and only a couple need a little more help. Everyone had a successful first blank! They learned several cuts with the roughing gouge and were turning both right and left handed on the peeling cuts!
Next, they worked with Wifey on embellishing their pen blank if they chose with pyrography. I did have extra blanks so two guys chose to turn a second. I showed them the toothpick holder key ring kit at Woodcraft which they purchased and with calipers, they both turned blanks for these.
Then the embellished pens went back to the lathe for some friction polish.
We assembled the pens and key rings and there were six happy campers!!
We forgot to get pics of all the pens together but did get one pic off Facebook.
Even though doing a workshop class if a good bit of work, Wifey and I both had a wonderful time and are planning on doing another when they can add us to their calendar!
