The Monthly Newsletter of Yellowstone Woodturners
Billings, Montana

July 2010                             Vol. 11, No.07

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From the Editor

With the change in the Meeting format, we are also changing when the News letter is being emailed and mailed out.  With this change all announcements to be placed in the News Letter will need to be in to Paul by the Friday following the Club meeting.  We are making this change so all member can read the minutes from the Business meeting and have a chance to make there opinions known to the club Presidency.  All members are welcome to attend the business meeting that will follow the Regular Club meeting and presentations.

Those who did not attend the business meeting and wish to know the status of the Clubs funds can contact the club Treasurer, Jane Swaby (406)248-7507.

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Dear Club Members - Our June gathering began at 7:04 PM. a slightly late start due to setting up 2 TV Monitors and 2 DVD players recently purchased by Club Pres. Martin M. what's his name?  I want to thank Derrick Reimann for his great help in finishing up the set-up.  The 2 monitors are rebuilt from a longtime local repair shop promoting high quality parts and a three month warranty.  Both are HD with 42": wide screen formats.  The consul takes two people to load but I got a mobile base thrown in free so a child can then roll it around.  It will be used where two monitors are necessary such as the symposium.  The table model can be carried by one person and will be brought to monthly meetings for presentations.  Each set was valued at $350 but I paid a package deal of $400 for both.  This was more than the $250 allotted but we can settle this out by vote after we see how we fare at the symposium.  What ever will be fine with me.  I only had one DVD so we let the table model run without sound to check it out  until "Show and Tell".  The movie with gals in swim suits kept the ole boys in the audience awake and I noticed George witting in the front row for the first time since I can remember.

Chris Simonson from Columbus was again our guest and I believe he  managed to get in some hands-on after the demo.

Cookies were provided by Marge Ferrin.  Thank you Marge!

Under Health Reports, Ed Auker felt the main reason for his hand injury was due to a dull blade and having to push too hard.  When the wood rotated to a thinner spot his finger shot into the band saw blade.  Let's all learn from this and keep our heads-up, our blades sharp and our fingers out of the path of the blade. Safety should always come first.

AAW Correspondence was from Board Member Bill Haskell's  letter on events scheduled for next years AAW 25th anniversary.  Several members noticed our Chapter listed as one of 88 applicants approved out of 134 requests for an Educational 2010 Grant, in the AAW's American  Woodturners Journal.  The grants ranged form $400 to $1,500 and all had an educational component.  We also noticed Great Falls, Turners, Great Falls, Mt. was listed as a new Local AAW chapter for 2010.  I have been trying to get in contact with them to welcome them aboard and to send some symposium forms their way.  John Wasden has sent me a letter asking for  symposium entry forms for Powell, WY as well.

During group discussion Symposium Director Stan Lambert asked Club Members to try to turn in their entry forms and fees at the July 14th Meeting or sooner.  We are still needing a "gallery / Gifts and Silent Auction Head" person.  Under other  A&E actions a Master Sign-up Sheet was passed around for volunteers for the Hobby Hall Fair Booth and had a pretty good response.  We have filled half of the 48 positions needed and need to fill mostly the first weekend and half of the last weekend, that being Aug. 14th and 15th and Aug. 20th & 21st.  August 16th still has some openings and Aug. 8th and Aug. 21st for set-up and take down are still mostly open.  So far 18 club members out of 41 have signed-up.  Club Members authorized Club Officers to transfer $150 from the General Fund to the library fund to purchase Mike Mahony's  DVD's at the symposium. This would save on the shipping and handling since members like his DVD's and the library would be purchasing them on order in the near future anyway.  I reported to the club members that I had been contacted about a large Russian Olive tree that had been felled on Howard Ave. and the owner was looking for someone who could harvest the wood.  Club members Lloyd, Derrick and Mica Reimann, Stan Lambert, George Hoffman and Myself answered the call on the 11th and we ended up with about 50 usable  blanks and limbs.  After the workers take some for their efforts the rest will be sold, Raffled, or given for door prizes at the symposium.  Mick Hogg has also contacted me about some Sumac offered from his neighbor.  Mick says it's mostly limbs size, probably for spindle turnings.  Maybe some handles if it's hard enough?  Anyway call Mick at 656-7724 if interested.  Remember to turn in finished Church Bread Bowls to Mick at club meetings or at 16 No. Crestwood (that's just North of Central Ave.  You do have more time to let them dry before finish turning though since the church remodeling has been set back two months.

Dr. Van again started off the Show and Tell with more shop pictures, this time with Mick's shop and Bob Orr's shop.  Some really nice pic's.- Doc says he only shoots uncluttered area's.  if he's framing George Hoffman's shop next month Doc might not come up with any pic's if that's the case.  However George has been working really hard.  I thought it was snowing all last week with all the wood chips blowing past my house.  Anyway what can I say but HALLELUJAH!!!!  Dave Torrence presented another box elder bowl with, according to Dave, still some tear out.  some difficult wood to work to be sure.  Maybe he would like to try this newfangled EWT carbide insert finishing tool I've procured.  I even managed to smooth transition between side and bottom of my bowls without tear-out.  (Will miracles never cease!)

We finished the General Assembly shortly after 8:00 PM. and broke for coffee and cookies before the Monthly Presentation by Dwaine Beckman with the spindle gouge.  Dwaine gave a real nice presentation with hand-outs that showed the various presentations to the wood with the gauge while making spindle cuts and the order to make them as well as the types of cuts.  the information in the hand-outs mostly came from the book "woodturning A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley and available from the Club Library.  This is a book that would pay all of us to review every so often - kind of a back to the basics and why we do what we do when making the various cuts.  Thank you very much Dwaine.

The Business meeting followed the presentation.

Submitted by - Pres. Martin Robinson

Business Meeting: started 8:43 PM

Call to Order: to include – all Officers and Assistance Officers listed on the last page of the news letter, and committee heads. – Martin, Jane, Carol, Marge, Stan present.

Items to be discussed:

Committee Reports: -Symposium- 2010 - cost $80 each by August meeting.

-Hobby Hall fair booth, sent around sign up sheet, contact Martin if you can work.

Minutes: By Paul Spencer

Treasurers report: Jane Swaby

Old Business: Sign up list – We still need programs for October, November, and December

New Business: - Martin bought two monitors for symposium, it was approved to spend $250, actually spent and additional $150, so we will decide after symposium whether or not we can afford a second monitor, Martin will own it and lend it to us if we can't afford it. Vote/ Pass unanimous

- Vote to approve/or not moving $150 funds to library fund to buy DVDs of presenters at symposium, vote/pass none opposed

- We are adding a silent auction to symposium as fundraiser, please think of items that you could bring for the auction. Talk to Martin for more information on how the auction will be conducted.

- Note from Lloyd Reimann that he liked the raffle of wood rather then sale at end of meeting, not very many people bought wood today. Stan worked very hard on getting it ready; we will use it for the symposium.

Meeting Adjournment – motion for adjournment Marge, Carol 2nd 9:01 PM

July 14th Meeting At Ron Musgrave's Shop; Program By: Doc Van, Air Brush

August 4th Meeting At Ron Musgrave's Shop: Program By: