REMEMBER: Limerick and District Chapter are holding their 25th Anniversary Seminar on
 May 14th 2016, At The Kilmurry Lodge Hotel, Limerick 
Full details on their website: http://www.limerickwoodturners.com.

DEMONSTRATORS:-
 LIAM FLYNN
CHRISTIEN VAN BUSSEL 
DONAL RYAN
TRADESTANDS IN ATTENDANCE 
Donal is already booked to demonstrate at Cork Chapter later this year.
This is one of our neighbouring chapters and we should support them.

Attention Cork Chapter Committee members. A committee meeting will be held at The Midleton Park Hotel on Monday next, 21st March (2 days time) at 7.30 p.m. to finalise preparations for the seminar scheduled for 4 weeks time, 16th April.

Our March workshop was, again, in our usual venue in Togher.  John Ahern, our Chairman, was the first demonstrator and he decided to repeat a workshop he did about 10 years ago.  This was a napkin ring but with a special emphasis on the jig he uses.

John likes to cut individual squares for each ring and sometimes he drills out the hole (about 35 mm) by clamping it onto a drill press or, sometimes, he might drill it out on the lathe.  The size of the ring is a matter of choice but the one John made for the workshop was 38 mm long.

John Ahern, making the cuts in his jig

The jig is just a base with a stem turned so that the rings fit neatly.  The stem is made of ash because of the flexibility of it.  A hole (size not critical but about 6 or 7 mm.) is drilled down for almost the full length and then the shaft is cut longitudinally, north/south & east/west so that when a pointed tailstock is inserted and tightened up it expands the shaft sufficiently to hold the ring for turning.

Jerry Twomey decided to demonstrate the turning of a banksia nut.  He had prepared one beforehand by cutting off the two ends and gluing in two pieces of wood where he had made the cuts.  He turned the entire lot into a most beautiful bud vase. 

Gerry Twomey's banksia nut bud vase.

Jerry advised holding the nut in a clamp when trimming the ends on the bandsaw, thus ensuring it doesn’t turn, with possible catastrophic consequences.  He also suggests using full-face protection, using tight cuffs on the smock and removal of watches or bracelets, as the debris from the nuts can be quite irritating on the skin.

banksia nuts

March competition entries

The competition was based on the February workshop and was for either an eggcup, with or without an egg, or a sphere.  The entry was disappointingly small but the standard was very high.  Liam Murray won ‘Beginners’.  ‘Intermediate’: Joe Kennedy, Denis Desmond and Marea Power, in that order.  ‘Advanced”: David Lee, Charlie McCarthy and Paddy O’Rourke, also in that order.

Liam Murray (right), winning his first competition, congratulated by Peter Manning

Charlie McCarthy(2nd) and Paddy O'Rourke (3rd) with judge, Peter Manning.

The Chapter Seminar will be held on Saturday, 16^th April and the venue this year is Togher Scout Hall, quite close to our usual Togher venue.  It is on the city side of the fly-over and on the corner of Togher Road and Tramore Road, just where one turns in for St. Finbarr’s Hurling and Football Club.  Colwin Way – well known from his work with Axminster – is the demonstrator and we are happy to report that Des from The Hut will set up shop for the day.  Registration will commence at 9.00 a.m. and the demonstration will start at 10.00 a.m.

The cost of the seminar is €35.00.  In order to keep costs at a minimum we are not serving lunch (bring your own) but will provide tea and coffee.

There will be a Master class with Colwin on the following day (Sunday) at Tony Farrell’s workshop in Waterfall at an additional cost of €25.00 but places are limited and will be confined to those who participate in the seminar on the previous day. 

Bookings can be made with our Hon. Secretary, Mick Bouchier at 086 8520542 or by email to mick.bouchier@gmail.com.  Checking Mick’s list today it seems that booking is strong and anybody interested is well advised to make contact immediately.

We were back "at home" in Togher for our February workshop with two of the best turners we have in our chapter.  

Peter Manning did an eggcup and egg but with a "twist". Literally.  The 'leg' of the eggcup was done offset.  In Peter's hands what might be considered ordinary turned out to be extraordinary and I have no doubt but from here on eggcups produced by Cork Chapter members will have that "Manning Twist".  His egg too was perfectly formed and sat exactly as it should in the cup when the project was finished.

Peter Manning, working on his eggcup.

Eggcup with a twist + egg

Gerard Hennessy was our second demonstrator.  Ger has developed a huge interest in going beyond the simple turned item, be it a bowl, hollow form or spindle.  According to him these are just a “blank canvas” and are merely a foundation for what he eventually wants to produce.  It could be said that he has moved on from just being a ‘woodturner’ to being a ‘woodturning artist’. 

Ger Hennessy with his "artistic" hollow form

On the lathe Ger produced a medium-sized hollow form and then set about cutting grooves into it and eventually piercing them in random pattern in a way that produced a most interesting and attractive piece that would be a valuable addition to any collection.

Ger Hennessy's sphere, incorporating the Celtic Knot

With time left before our scheduled finishing time Ger then produced a rather perfect sphere but incorporating the beautiful Celtic Knot design that Pádraigh Mac An Fheallaigh demonstrated in January.  This is achieved by cutting deep slots into the squared wood and filling the slots with veneers of a contrasting colour before turning them in the ordinary way.  The resulting sphere was very attractive and when sanded and polished is bound to make an interesting conversation piece wherever it is produced.

February competition entries

The competition was for a spindle-turned item, with or without the same Celtic Knot design.  Pat Dromey, Joe Kennedy, Brian Goulding and Charlie McCarthy were among the winners in the various categories.

Winners of "Advanced": Charlie McCarthy, Paddy Lynch and Peter Manning.

Before the workshop got under way there was a short committee meeting, mainly about our Chapter seminar.  It will be held on Saturday, 16^th April and the venue this year is Togher Scout Hall, quite close to our usual Togher venue.  It is on the city side of the fly-over and on the corner of Togher Road and Tramore Road, just where one turns in for St. Finbarr’s Hurling and Football Club.  Colwin Way – well known from his work with Axminster – is the demonstrator and we are happy to report that there will be a shop available for the day.  Registration will commence at 9.00 a.m. and the demonstration will start at 10.00 a.m.

The cost of the seminar is €35.00.  In order to keep costs at a minimum we are not serving lunch (bring your own as the nearest shop is a good distance away) but will provide tea and coffee.

There will be a Master class with Colwin on the following day (Sunday) at Tony Farrell’s workshop in Waterfall at an additional cost of €25.00 but places are limited and will be confined to those who participate in the seminar on the previous day. 

Bookings can be made with our Hon. Secretary, Mick Bouchier at 086 8520542 or by email to mick.bouchier@gmail.com.