Woodturners Newsletter, May 2026

West Bay Woodturners Newsletter is a monthly update on the club activities. This free resource is available to beginner and professional woodturners.

Next Meeting

Program

• Introductions of guests and new members
• Program: Dean Caudle on removing the foot and finishing the bottom
• Break
• Reminders and updates
• Review of “President’s Challenge” items
• Show & Tell

President’s Challenge

Upcoming Programs

These are tentative, and yet to be committed to a date.

• Hand thread chasing
• Escoulen class and chuck review
• Ask me anything round table

President’s Message

This article was written before the change of program.

The April 2026 issue of American Woodturner, the journal of the American Association of Woodturners, features Jean‑François Escoulen on its cover. This prompted one of our members to volunteer to share his experience attending a class with Monsieur Escoulen. This will be the main program at our general meeting on 20 May 2026. In addition, another member will present his early impressions of the Escoulen Chuck (Version 3). We look forward to this program, and thank our volunteer presenters in advance.

Among the many benefits of membership in a local AAW chapter is access to discounted group purchases. Most recently, we coordinated a substantial order from Craft Supplies USA, with additional group buys from Vicmarc and Timber Wolf. These efforts require coordination and initiative; we extend our thanks to the members who organized them, as well as to the participating vendors.

Our club continues to contribute to a range of charitable initiatives, including Turn for Troops (pens), Beads of Courage (bead boxes), and Cancer CAREpoint (wig stands). Recently, a member hosted and led a “Sawdust Session” on hand thread chasing; due to strong interest, this topic will return as the program for a future general meeting.

I recently viewed a YouTube video in which Richard Raffan demonstrated the creation of a lidded box using threaded inserts. The form suggested a small urn, which brought to mind a message from one of our members regarding Kaden’s Cause. This organization supports families who have lost a child aged five or younger, and has an ongoing need for small, handcrafted wooden urns. This represents another meaningful opportunity for our members to apply their skills in service to the community.

– Edgar Whipple, President

Woodturning Book Library

Last Meeting Review

Wednesday April 15, 2026

Woodturners newsletter notes by Laura Rhodes; pictures by Roman Chernikov and Angela Gunn.

Announcements

• Guests:
  • Jan Petri – guest – took beginner classes with Tina & Vic
• • Carole Gilbert from San Francisco – new member
• In preparation for the next workshops at the Palo Alto Adult school, Jim Koren solicited topic ideas from the membership. The following topics were recommended:
  • CoringSkew workFinishing and finishesChainsaw workSegmented formsSharpeningChess piecesMulti access workEmbellishingFinials
• During the break people voted for their top topics. The consensus was “Skew Work”. Jim Koren will be making arrangements and providing details soon.
• Roman Chernikov announced that the Santa Clara Valley Carvers will be at the Blossom Festival in Saratoga on June 13^th. Read about their last year’s participation: Woodcarving at Saratoga Blossom Festival 2025. Would you volunteer to demonstrate woodturning at the event?
• Laura Rhodes reminded people that the Bay Area Woodworkers Association is putting on a fine woodworking show the first weekend in May at Woodcraft in San Carlos.

Demonstration – Pen Turning by Tina

Tina indicated that pen turning is 70% preparation, 10% turning, and 20% finishing. She presented a long list of items that are either necessary or desirable for pen turning. These items include the pen blank, pen kit(s), saw, pen chuck, appropriately sized drill bits to match the brass tubes, barrel trimmer, extra brass tubes, pen mandrel, appropriately sized bushings, pen press, a disassembly kit and sandpaper (Abranet recommended).

Pen turning is a variation on spindle turning. The pen blank just cut from the longitudinal section of the tree. Typically, you need a three-quarter inch by 5 inch long length for turning a pen. You can use small pieces of wood.

There are many different varieties of pen kits styles, including: slimline (least expensive), single barrel, cigarillo; and roller ball. Pen kits and pen turning supplies can be purchased at many places, including Penn State Industries, Woodcraft, and Craft Supply.

After putting your pen blanks approximately to the length, the next step is to drill a hole for the tubes. You can drill on the lathe using pen jaws to hold the blank. Tina suggests beginning your drilling from the center so that any tear out happens at the end which will be cut off. Different kits require different sized holes. Some even have different size holes in different sections of the pen.  Once the holes are drilled, the brass tubes are glued into place and flush trimmed with a barrel trimmer. The prepared blanks are mounted onto a pen mandrel with bushings separating the blank pieces. There are different kinds of bushings depending on the pen kit. The mandrel is mounted on the lathe and the pen is turned with either a spindle roughing gouge or a skew chisel to match the bushing diameters at the ends. To finish the pen many makers use three coats of thin Glue Boost CA glue followed by two coats of ultra-thin CA glue. A quicker finish is to use Myland’s Friction Polish.

President’s Challenge – Turn an Egg or Use the Back-Hollowing Technique

Dean Caudle made a black walnut box with a threaded lid.

Kelly Smith made an camphor egg and an ash cup (using the back hollowing technique).

Kevin Lee made a black acacia (?)  box with lid. He had issues with the back hollowing technique.

Tom Gaston made a goblet out of lemon wood.

Vic Mitnick made two end grain cups out of walnut and ash. He used the skew chisel for their outsides but had problems trying to use the back-hollowing technique on the insides.

Show & Tell

Jon Sauer showed some pens that he turned quite a while ago when no kits were available. He showed one of Honduras rosewood with an accompanying letter opener and a couple of different pen sets.

Dean Caudle made a madrone pot with lid which included a 7-axis turned handle.

Al Holstein made two Spaghetti oak burl bowls.

Kirsten Mouradian turned a green cherry bowl.

Vic Mitnick rough-turned and then finish-turned a piece of maple in a flying saucer shape with bark on the outside.

Tom Gaston made a pair of birch end-turned flowerpots – both with dyed bottoms, one with a cylindrical top, the other with flower petals cut using a fret saw.

Angela gave Kelly Smith some Chinese Jupiter juniper he got 4 pieces out of it. The always prolific Kelly also made a Christmas tree out of Hollywood juniper, a mahogany vase, a chalice from camphor, a Norfolk Island Pine vase, and a two-piece cedar mushroom.

Harvey Klein made a plate out of ash, and, for the President’s Challenge, he made some Sycamore eggs.

Daniel Saal made a walnut bowl.  He stabilized cracks with cherry butterflies and finished it with wipe on Poly. He made a walnut bowl finished with walnut oil and carnauba wax. Out of a piece of She-oak (a prize from last month’s meeting), he made a box and lid. Daniel also made a walnut box with a lid.

Participation Prizes

Thanks to all for your donations. Special thanks to Edgar for donating high-quality woodturning blanks, which he also woodburned with wood species names, making the names clear and readable.

“As the Wood Turns”

David Vannier, who has been contributing this article for some time is on “retreat” as it were. We will miss his presence at our meetings, and his insights and experience offered here. In his absence we seek a new contributor or contributors.

Woodturners Newsletter Editing Notes

WBW members, please let the newsletter editors know if you have a personal website, and would like it included in the President’s Challenge and Show & Tell sections of our Woodturning Newsletter. Email us at info@westbaywoodturners.com.

Board Members and Committee Chairs