We had a great chapter seminar at Garryduff Sports Centre, Rochestown, on Saturday, 12th April. Our guest turner was the Guild Chairman, Joe Laird and Joe did us proud.  He undertook three projects that essentially took in most of the skills associated with faceplate/headstock work and even in making a hole-boriong jig did a little spindle turning too.
Hearty congratulations to Jim O'Donovan who won the overall prize.  Everybody present was absolutely delighted for Jim who won his first major award.  We look forward to greater success for Jim, who is turning for only a few years , in future competitions.  We'll be expecting a few demos now, Jim.
The venue was an excellent one and being just off the main road into Cork, coming from The Jack Lynch Tunnel, was easy to find.  It is very likely that we will use it again.  Brian McAdoo was the main organiser and the usual volunteer members, under Chairman John Ahern, all contributed to making it a flawless event.
"The Hut" volunteered at the last minute to set up shop for the event and that contributed in no small way to lending a great sense importance and enjoyment to the event - though it lightened our pockets too.  Everything we bought, however, we definitely NEEDED.  Thanks Des, and your lovely assistant, for coming and for donating the winner's prize.
Somebody asked me recently if I was still woodturning and I replied: "Well, I am still collecting the tools anyway."
We are especially grateful to our Kerry brother and sister turners for travelling to be with us and for their participation.
Our next chapter meeting is the 17th May at our usual Togher venue and remember it is "Bring & Buy Day".

Some of "the crowd".

Competition entries (1)

Competition entries (2)

Competition entries (3)

Com,petition entries (4)

Joe, with his first completed project, a square bowl.

The square bowl in detail - and Stephen's hand, of course.

Project number 2, a three sided bowl.

Jim O'Donovan, receiving his prize from Chairman, John Ahern, with Joe in the middle.

The third project, Joe's now famous Celtic bowl.

We had an excellent workshop at our usual venue in Togher today with several new faces who we hope will become members of our chapter and become  regular attenders.  Our chairman, John Ahern, gave an excellent demonstration with great skill and expertise.  He first-of-all made a couple of "fruit" pieces - an apple and a lemon -  from yew and finished them with great attention to detail.  I thought using a real clove to finish the side opposite the stem of the apple was quite ingenious and very real looking.

For the second part of his demonstration John concentrated on finishing and gave some excellent pointers.  He had several different finishing products and gave us the pros and cons for each.  He also concentrated on the most important part of woodturning and that is keeping an edge on the tools.  John brought in a Sorby Pro-Edge and gave a short demonstration on its use.

There was something learned by everybody today, including by John himself who graciously took some excellent advice from one of the members, John Hourihan, and was glad to do so.

The competition this month was a baby's rattler.  The entry was disappointingly small with only ten items across the three categories.

 Just look at the concentration on that man's face.

 Some of the attendance.

 Very realistic fruit pieces made by John Ahern.

 The competition entries.  "Beginners" at the bottom, "Intermediate" above that and "Advanced" at the top.

 Winners of the "Advanced" section; Peter Manning, John Ahern (1st place) and Paddy O'Rourke.

 Winners of the "Intermediate" section; Jim O'Donovan, P.J. O'Brien (1st place) and Michael Pattwell

Joe Kennedy, Winner of the "Beginners" section with a piece that could have taken its place in either of the other sections.

March Meeting - Beware of Rattlers

The March meeting of the Cork Chapter is on tomorrow, Saturday 22nd, at 13.30 at a the usual venue in Togher.  We hope to see a good number of members there for John Ahern's demonstration.  I know he has been practising all week so he should have a treat in store for us.  Non-members who might be interested in eventually joining us are very welcome also.
Those attending are well advised to tuck their trouser legs into their socks as I am reliably informed that there will be several rattlers about the place tomorrow.  It could be tragic if a rattler went where a rattler was never intended to go.  Whether, of course, we may need a snake-catcher may be in doubt.

SALE OF UNWANTED TOOLS/EQUIPMENT/WOOD

All members are invited to bring any unwanted items of equipment, tools, wood or anything connected with woodturning that they want to sell, swop or barter, whether new or used, to the May workshop at the usual venue at Togher Old School; that is Saturday, 17th May, commencing at 12.00 noon.  (The workshop starts at 1.30, as you know.)
Have a good look around your workshops and turn your unwanted stuff into cash - or maybe then spend it by buying something you always wanted from another Chapter member.

FOR  SALE

Tormek SuperGrind 2000 Wet Grinder,  little used. 

Includes: Grinder,

New spare wheel SG-250,  

Tool setter TTS- 100 also WM 200,

Profiled honing wheel SVD-110,  

Tool rest,  

Fingernail gouge jig SVD 180,  

Stone grader SP 650,  

Grinding jig for knives SVM-110,

Grinding jig for gouges- carving chisels SVS-40,

Jig for truing wheels AVD-50D,

Unopened tube of honing compound.

Price, €525.

Contact John at 087 8158159

All members should please note that because the next scheduled meeting of the Chapter falls on St. Patrick's Weekend the meeting has been deferred to the following Saturday, 22nd March at the usual time of 13.30.  The venue is the usual one at Togher.

Congratulations to our youngest member, Eannai O'Sullivan, who won the "Beginners" section at the February competition.

Ger, with his hands full of rattles.  Our subject for the March competition.

If I were you, John, I'd keep my mouth shut when trying that.

Some of the Cork Chapter contingent at the Gorey Seminar on 1st March, 2014.