Independence Woodturners June 2016 Newsletter

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

     Welcome to June. This is shaping up to be a busy month. The first of three “Camp Pen Turning” events was held on June 2^nd. It was a resounding success. Mel Bryan, Bill Baker and I, along with Tom Boley and Randy Zelenka from the Flint Hills Woodturners went to Camp Tomah Shinga in Junction City, KS and taught the counselors there how to turn a pen and had them turn one to take home. We took 5 lathes which worked out perfect. We taught about 14 counselors how to use a lathe. They really caught on quick and we all had a great deal of fun. The next two will be on June 22nd and July 13^th. I know it is in the middle of the week and most of you still work, but if you get the chance it is a very rewarding experience and a good time for all.
   This month we pass out the “Creativity Contest” pieces at the meeting. Elm quarters will be the base piece and as usual you can cut, glue, paint, stain or do anything you want as long as it comes from that piece of wood. No hardware may be added. It really makes you think about what you want to do with it. Pieces will be judged at the October meeting. New and experienced turners will be challenged by this one. So think out of the box and get out of your comfort zone and let’s have a big turnout for this contest. It’s always interesting to see what someone else sees in the same piece of wood.
Don’t forget that “Open Shop” has moved to the Saturday after our regular meeting. That being Saturday June 25th this month. The hope is to get more participation by working on the next month’s challenge piece while it’s still fresh on our minds. Of course if you have something else you would like to work on, feel free to bring it. We are all here to help and learn from each other.
Hope to see you at our regular meeting June 21st where the fun never stops and “Every day is a good day to turn”.

   Happy Turning

Mike McReynolds- IWT Pres.

Monthly Open Shop

Notice the change of which Saturday we have Open Shop

      Our monthly 'open shop' time will be on Saturday, June 25th from 10 AM to Noon at Metro Hardwoods, where we hold our regular meeting. It's a time to get together with other members and ask questions and have hands-on turning on the lathe. Members of all levels are encouraged to attend where we can share and receive from each other.
Note that we have changed the Saturday of Open Shop to the Saturday AFTER the monthly meeting.
     Last month we worked on preparing the pen blanks that we used for the pen turning demonstration/teaching we had out at the Tomah Shinga youth camp.
      This month we will work on something related to the demo presented in the monthly meeting earlier in the week.
         As always, you are free to bring whatever object or topic you desire to share or work on.
      See you there.

Scenes from last month

As Mike Straughn reported, the library is extending our display at the North Independence Branch of Mid-Continent Public Library. The display will continue to be available to the public through the month and may be continued beyond. The library reports that is has been one of the more popular displays they have had and would like to continue it. Thank you to all that have participated in the display promoting our club and your fine work.
We need to swap out some of the items in the display to keep it fresh and interesting so please consider sharing your handiwork. Bring what you would like to enter into the display to the meeting or contact Mike Straughn (816-812-7621) to get it into the display. Or, as Mike would prefer, meet him at the library (317 W 24 Highway, Indep, Mo.) at 10 AM Wednesday to help put it in the display. Please put your name on your item or in some manner identify it so that it may be returned to the proper person.

Where We Meet

Metro Hardwoods

4243 S. Noland Rd
Independence, Mo.

Click: http://mapq.st/1jjGqsW for a map

Hickory – Carya spp.

Chances are, in this, the bar-b-que season, you have enjoyed the flavor, and aroma and even the cooking fire of this month’s “Wood of the Month”, Hickory. That use, and being used as firewood are the less glorious uses of this wood because of its high thermal energy while being burnt when the wood is not suitable for its other primary uses. Hickory is one of the primary woods used for the handles of many tools, sporting equipment or anywhere a tough wood is needed. Hickory is denser, stiffer, and harder than either White Oak or Hard Maple. Additionally, it has excellent shock and impact resistance, and is used in applications where overall toughness is paramount. Of all hardwoods, shagbark hickory is the best wood for handles for axes, hammers, hatchets, and picks and nearly 80% is used for this purpose. Today increasing quantities are used for athletic goods, such as skis, lacrosse stick handles or golf clubs. Other minor uses include ladder rungs, drum sticks, inexpensive archery bows and agricultural parts. Hickory is probably the toughest wood in the US, thus the nickname “Old Hickory” of one of our ancestors, civil war general and president, Andrew Jackson.
Hickory is the genus Carya of which there are about 17 to 19 species worldwide. As many as 12 are found in the United States with about eight in Missouri. The Carya genus, or Hickory, is divided into two main groupings; True-Hickory, and Pecan-Hickory. Species in the True-Hickory group tend to be slightly denser, and therefore a bit harder and stronger than the species in the Pecan-Hickory group. Although the two groups of hickory can be reliably separated, identifying particular species within each grouping is usually not possible. The species in the Pecan-Hickory group, here in Missouri, include; Pecan, Bitternut hickory, and Water hickory. The species in the True-Hickory group includes; Shagbark hickory, Shellbark hickory, Mockernut hickory, Pignut hickory, and Black hickory. Shagbark hickory is probably the most common and the most likely to be found commercially however, all hickories are lumped together and no attempt is made to identify the species. Shagbark hickory requires careful seasoning to prevent splitting, checking, warping and other defects due to its high degree of shrinkage while drying.
The working properties are excellent, provided tools are sharp. A common problem during planning is tearout if cutting edges are not kept sharp. And it tends to blunt cutting edges. It is hard to nail without splitting and pre-drilling is required for screwing and it finishes well. No finish is used in many applications, such as tool handles, but it will finish satisfactorily with varnish or oil stains. Bending properties are excellent and that is why it is used in Windsor chair building or other furniture making where bent wood is required. When turning hickory, the term “turn downhill” will become readily evident because of hickory’s tendency to chip out and split. Therefore, keeping your tools sharp is vital.
The heartwood is brown to reddish-brown. The very wide and nearly white sapwood is considered more valuable than the heartwood. The texture is rather coarse, and the grain is usually straight but sometimes wavy or irregular.

You can read more about Hickory at; Hickory on Wikipedia and on The Wood Database.

Written by – Mel Bryan

Submit your tips for this column and win a $10 gift certificate from Craft Supplies, USA if it is published here in the newsletter. You may submit your tip to Mel Bryan at mrsebryan@planetkc.com or indepwoodturners@gmail.com

Now for this month's tip:
An inexpensive buffing setup can be made using a paint roller mounted between centers on hubs that you can turn to fit the roller. Use as "fluffy" a roller you desire. It works great for small items like pens, jewelry and such. You can charge it with your buffing compound and wax in sections and get the job done on one roller (especially for small items).

Mel Bryan

Youth Camp Pen Turning

On June 2nd members Mike McReynolds, Mel Bryan and Bill Baker went to Camp Tomah Shinga near Junction City, Kansas to teach 14 young people how to turn pens. This was an introductory session with the counselors that will be working at the camp this summer. It was a fun and interesting experience. We took 5 lathes (2 of the clubs and 3 of our own personal lathes). We met up with two members of the Flint Hills Wood Turning club from Manhattan, Ks. It was great to meet other woodturners, work with them and exchange ideas and experience. The camp is nestled back up in the woods (yes they have woods in Kansas) where we set up shop in a shelter house in the shade of several trees. It was great to do wood turning outdoors with a gentle breeze and work with some very appreciative young people. They all enjoyed making a pen which they could call their own.
The trip was very helpful to show us what to expect and help us prepare for return trips on June 22nd and again on July 13th when we will work with younger people (young teenager types). If anyone is interested in joining us, please contact us before our meeting because the trip is the day after the regular meeting and we need to make travel arrangements. We will go out and return the same day. It is sure to be a fun and fulfilling time. You may call any of us; Mike McReynolds 816-356-7262, Mel Bryan 816-524-7767, or Bill Baker 816-836-5656.

Turn With Independence

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