Next Meeting on Dec 8th: at Los Altos site.
President's Message for December 2009 
with
Christmas Party info:
Our next meeting will be the holiday pot-luck party. It will be at the Los Altos Youth Center. We (Ken Clifford) will open the doors at about 5:30 p.m., so we can set up and prepare to eat around our usual starting time of 7:00 p.m.. If you've signed up to bring an appetizer, try to arrive around 6:00 p.m. or so. We will try to start dinner around 7:30 p.m. to allow folks time to drift in, appetizer, et cetera. We do have an alcohol permit, so you may bring wine or beer if you care to.
Welcome to our two new members, Jim and Ty, who will be joining us at the party!
I have transcribed the sign-up sheets that were passed around at the last meeting to a database on the Yahoo! site. Members of the wbaw Yahoo! group can add your name, or correct the number attending or dish. It is the "Holiday Party Sign Up 2009" table at this link.
As usual, you will have to sign in using your Yahoo! username and password to access this.
If you would like to volunteer for various pre-party tasks, please contact me, Edgar Whipple (edgar_whipple@yahoo.com), as I am this year's coordinator. Larry Maggi has already agreed to order and bring the turkey from the Hofbrau, and Mary King has expressed her willingness to do something. (I'll suggest something to her shortly...) David Vannier will bring all the accumulated paraphernalia (plates, cups, flatware, etc) from storage at Laflin's. The preparations list is available at this link, so take a look, and if there's something that you can do (e.g. pick up the ice or the dessert), then please let me know.
The President's challenge for December was to make either a table decoration (I will finish my tree scape) or a turned holder for plastic tableware (fork, knife, spoon). Table decorations can take any suitably holiday form ... pillar candle sticks, bells, trees, ornaments.
Beyond the pot luck, there are two major activities at this holiday meeting -- the ornament raffle and the gift exchange. The ornament raffle is pretty simple. Make an ornament that you can donate to the club, bring it in, and hang it on the small tree, which we will have set up. Someone (we need a volunteer here!) will sell raffle tickets (one dollar each, or six for five dollars). We draw tickets until all the ornaments are gone. The funds raised go to the general club treasury.
On the gift exchange, I shall quote David Vannier, who has covered everything eloquently: "I like to think of this as an opportunity to add a fellow member's turning to my collection. Cheaper method than Edgar's way! In any case, the guidelines are very simple. The gift must be a turning that you have made. It should be the best of your ability, not some piece of junk that you want to get rid of. You should be proud of what you are giving.
Now with that said, this should not discourage new turners from joining in. Add that is asked is that you do your best. If you need help, contact one of the advanced turners and ask for help, you will be able to find someone that will help. If your guest/significant other/... comes, you can also turn and bring a gift for them to participate. Please wrap/bag/... your gift and get a raffle ticket for each gift when you come in. Someone will be handling this. After dinner, someone will be selected to start the exchange. If your ticket is drawn, please pick up your gift and draw a raffle ticket for the participant that will receive your gift. After it has been opened, our photographer will take a picture of the two of you with your gift. Then, that person will continue the exchange. So if you start the exchange, you will end the exchange.
Our gift exchange has gotten better and better each year. This is a meeting that I hate to miss. Unfortunately I was not able to participate in the gift exchange a few years ago, but still enjoyed seeing all the turnings. So, even if you can't or don't participate in the exchange, please come to the meeting."
Again, we need a volunteer to coordinate the gift exchange; that is, make sure that everyone who brings a gift takes a ticket.
In the new year, we will be looking forward to our annual competition. The Santa Clara Carvers have not decided whether they are going to sponsor a public event again, as there are issues of venue and who will take the reins, so the situation is still up in the air. Should there be no shared event, we can revert to having our own private competition as was done before we coordinated with the carvers. If so, we will have greater flexibility as to the timing. Nonetheless, we will definitely have a competition, as we are committed to the notion that it provides an opportunity for critique and feedback as a learning opportunity. So keep turning and have the competition in mind as you execute your best -- even if you are a beginner.
Dec Report for the Nov Meeting: Curtis Vose
Meeting Notes: President Edgar Whipple called the November 10th meeting to order at 7:18 PM, with a call for introduction of new members and guests.
New Members: Two new guests, that later became members (you will be sorry), introduced themselves and their wives. New members are Tyrone Head of Los Altos, with his wife Karen and Jim Dunaway of Cupertino with his wife Louise. One of these new members makes flutes, so members please ask how this is done and maybe we can get a demonstration at one of our club events.
Officers Report:
Edgar pass around food signup sheets for the Christmas dinner. Due to a lack of a volunteer, Edgar is organizing this event. The club will supply the Turkey, but members are encouraged to volunteer to bring a dish, but check with Edgar first to make sure we don’t have that food category filled. It is ok to bring sparkling apple cider or Wine if you want to drink something festive. Those who are bringing appetizers should be at the meeting when the doors open at 6:30 PM. Dinner starts at 7:00 PM.
Edgar asked for the Presidents challenge to make something Christmas/Holiday themed. See presidents challenge below.
Vice President: Bill Johnson announced that he has CA glue for sale for those that need to fix their broken parts.
Treasurer and Membership: Ken Clifford reported that the club has about $4000.00 in the bank, with the rent at the Youth Center paid for the remainder of 2009. He also announced that membership dues are still $25.00 for 2010 (what a bargain) and he is collecting dues starting November. Membership dues are the same as last year even though we have incurred the additional expense of the new meeting room space. Ken stated that the new folks could come to the meetings till either they can’t stand us or they join us. Membership will continue till February and then late fees will be assessed. Dead beats beware.
Library and Club Merchandise: Patty and Tony Dowden, Announced that the lending library will not be available in December due to the Christmas party. So if you want a real bargain (all the more reason to join the club) members can check out books and DVD’s for two months for the price of one month; $1.00.Claude Godcharles sold a copy of “Wood Turning – The Purpose of the Object by Stephen Hogbin” to the club library at a bargain price. Thank you Claude.
Tony also spoke of the “turn a pen for the troops” program that Erick at WoodCraft is helping to sponsor. Richard Winslow has 5 pen kits for anyone who would like to turn a pen for a member of the services, who is serving over seas.
Ways and Means: Laura and Barry Uden: Pulled together another blockbuster wood raffle that had over 13 different types of wood with a total of about 80 pieces. The raffle tickets were priced at 1 for a buck or 6 for 5 bucks. These raffles are a major fundraiser for the club and members who find suitable turning wood should contact Barry, bring it to a meeting so it can be stored, and then later it can be auctioned off. So get out there you tree finders and locate those surplus trees.
The wood raffle was the major event after the coffee break, with everyone taking home at least one or two pieces. Even our guests, Tyrone and Jim got into the action and started their own wood collection. (Hint guys, you may need a bigger garage.) The wood raffle produced some fantastic deals and once again we thank Laura and Barry for their stalwart leadership in pulling these events together.
Demonstrator Program Coordinator: David Vannier informed the group that Steven Hatcher will be available for March to do a demonstration, now that his wife is out of the hospital. David is also working on getting Malcolm Tibbetts in August for a demonstration. Also Chris Pytlik is a possible presenter later in the year.
It was also announced that Grant Allison has for sale a Joiner, Jet 10” table saw and other shop equipment are very good prices. See David Vannier for details.
No-Name Badge Monitor: John Ross was not present nor was his name Badge. I guess he owes a buck the “no-name-tag, pay-a-buck” bowl.
Coordinator of Club Orders: Richard Winslow, Was delivering the latest Craft Supply club order to members who are present. As a reminder members receive about a 13% discount plus no shipping fees by ordering supplies through Richard. He will be submitting the next order once it reaches $1,000. Look for emails that announce the cut off for the next order.
Jim Laflin, Mr. Anchor Seal, did not announce his best deal in town for Anchor Seal, but members are encouraged to see Jim when their supply runs low.
Presidents Challenge for next month is to make something Christmas.
Edgar asked that three tall cups be turned to hold the plastic spoons. Forks and knifes. Also turn some kind of table decoration, like a winter scene, or a turned tree, etc.
Members are reminded that they can turn an ornament to be raffled off at the Christmas event. See http://www.woodturningonline.com/ for ideas on to make ornaments. Also the gift exchange will be held this year, so if members want to participate, they need to bring a wrapped wooden gift that they made. This is always a fun portion of the party, whether our not you participate in the exchange.
Show and Tell:
Jim Laflin, showed 2 goblets turned from Holy Land Olive that are two slightly different colors because one has sanding sealer on it and the other does not. He duplicated the two objects by eyeball. Jim also had a Christmas ornament made from Sea Urchin shells.
Claude G, turned a candleholder made from African Blackwood. He found it hard to finish by hand, because of the sanding marks. Later he used a Grex power sander to remove the sanding scratches. He also had an exploded bowl that was turned rough to 1” and then returned till it came apart.
Tom Haines displayed a quilted maple candy dish with turned open legs that was inspired by Edgar’s grandfather’s collection. The strangest object of the night was the black and misshapen hunk of Olive that Tom forgot to take out of his seam box. He is lucky he didn’t burn the house down. However despite the technical mishap, the object did have a rather artistic feel to it.
Barbara Jones made 3 captive rings out of Corian, very delicate and well crafted.
Ed Howes showed his version of the lipped bowl from last months presidents challenge. He used a belt sander on the unknown wood to create the lipped shape.
Bud Trapp was next with a tall Curley Maple hollow form that was decorated with Trans Tip dyes injected inside and bled through in interesting patterns. He used Spray Deft and the 3 diluted dyes to finish the object.
Bob Bennett had five bowls to show. A Cedar natural edge bowl, finished with friction polish, a spalted maple bowl finished in MinWax polyurethane and Beall friction polish and a apricot bowl and two pieces that were glued together and turned, were shown. All of Bob’s work was very handsome.
Jack Mizoguchi turned a large, well-executed, Walnut bowl that was a throw-a-way blank from Mike Mahoney. It was finished in Deft sealer, Tung oil and water lox.
Cecil Dobbs made four very nice Pens, one of which was done in his schools colors. He used only a gouge to shape the pens.
Curtis Vose was up with his first two pens that he turned at home.
Richard Winslow showed his earring holder in the shape of a lady, with a hat made from hard maple. This was a very clever and well-made object.
Dan Schkolnik turned a pen blank that was picked out by this kid. It was a combination of Olive and purple heart, in a spiral.
Next meeting location: The Christmas/Holiday dinner at the Youth Center, 1 North San Antonio Rd, Los Altos, CA