Bucks Woodturners Novemeber 2024 Presenter - Dan Zobel

December 15, 2024 Ward Stevens

Demonstration Recap: Dan Zobel’s Signature "Holey Bowley"
Monday, November 18th

We had the pleasure of welcoming Dan Zobel, who demonstrated the creation of one of his signature pieces, the "Holey Bowley."

Step 1: Preparing the Bowl Blank
Dan began by mounting the bowl blank onto a screw chuck using a Oneway Stronghold chuck. He recommended using side-grain wood for easier handling. If working with end-grain wood, it’s crucial to turn away the pith to prevent checking.
He established the bowl’s shape and foot before hollowing out the interior.

Step 2: Carving the Interior
With the bowl shape complete, Dan moved to the carving phase. He used an Arbortech mini grinder equipped with a coarse-grit donut wheel.

Technique: Carve radially from the center outward toward the rim in small, random cuts. This method helps maintain wood stability and minimizes vibration along the rim.
Maintenance: Periodically clean the donut wheel to remove fine buildup.
Caution: Avoid cutting into the rim to preserve its integrity.

Once carving was complete, he sanded the interior with approximately 150-grit sandpaper. Dan emphasized a gentle touch to maintain the carved pattern.

Step 3: Turning and Carving the Exterior
Dan reversed the bowl and secured it with cole jaws on the chuck. He carefully turned the foot to the desired shape, ensuring the bowl’s exterior was smooth and that the wall thickness was consistent throughout.
Using the same radial carving technique as the interior, Dan carved the exterior, working up to the bumpers of the cole jaws. This process revealed the distinctive holes that define the "Holey Bowley" design. Once the carving was complete, he removed the bowl from the chuck and finished carving the walls up to the rim, carving from the bottom upward to prevent catches.

Step 4: Fire Sanding
To add texture and color, Dan introduced fire sanding:

Tool: A propane torch (preferred over MAP gas for its lower heat, which creates a deeper, more controlled burn).
Technique: Carefully burn the bowl’s exterior, paying attention to avoid letting it catch fire, especially through the holes. Burn until the surface blackens slightly, then brush it with a fine steel brush. Repeat this process as desired.

Step 5: Painting
Once the fire sanding was complete, Dan proceeded to paint the bowl, adding the finishing touches to his stunning "Holey Bowley" creation.

Bucks Woodturners Community Project for 2024 - Pearl Buck House Christmas Tree Ornaments

November 14, 2024 Ward Stevens

The Bucks Woodturners proudly participated in the Pearl S. Buck International 2024 Festival of Trees this year, embracing the event as our charity project. The dedicated members of Bucks Woodturners generously donated beautifully crafted wood turned ornaments, as well as intricately folded German paper stars, to adorn a festive Holiday Tree for this special occasion. The Festival of Trees is open to the public from November 16th through January 9th at the historic Pearl Buck House, which is located near Dublin. Once the show has concluded, these delightful ornaments will be either donated to be sold in their Gift Shop or sold by the club at a future show, with the funds raised being donated to support the mission of the Pearl Buck International Foundation.

A huge Thank You to Nancy Rourke for reaching out to the Pearl S Buck foundation and coordinating the collection of ornaments and getting the tree decorated.

Nancy Rourke, Bil Sticker, Brian Maguire and Diane Hurley after decorating the tree.

A visit from Mark Sfirri - October 2024

November 8, 2024 Ward Stevens

For our October 2024 meeting, Mark Sfirri presented a slideshow of how he began his journey in working with wood.

During the meeting, Mark shared his journey, starting as an architecture student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where an encounter with the woodshop revealed his true calling. Under the guidance of renowned mentor Tage Frid, Mark delved into the artistic realms of woodturning, carving, and furniture design, pushing the boundaries of creativity and craftsmanship. Over the years, his work has been enriched by collaborations with talented artists, including Robert Dodge and Michael Hosaluk, among others. Mark's exploration of multiaxis spindle turning began in 1992, marking a significant milestone in his evolving artistic practice.

The main focus of Mark's presentation was explaining his design process for his 2 upcoming solo exhibitions, La Famiglia (The Family), will be held at the Museum of Art in Wood from November 1, 2024 to February 16, 2025 and The Flower Show, will be showcased at the James A. Michener Art Museum from December 14, 2024 to May 5, 2025.

For La Famiglia, Mark shared his inspiration for Ellis Islanders, a series influenced by the images of older immigrants arriving in the United States at the turn of the century. One striking detail from historical photographs was the prevalence of hats, a feature Mark incorporated into his figures to evoke the era's authenticity. For the collaborative project Immigrants, Mark invited 45 artists to contribute a 4x4.5 inch painting or drawing of their personal immigrant. Mark organized these works into five groups of nine, creating a total of five framed collections that celebrate diverse stories of migration and identity.

For The Flower Show, Mark shared the origins of the project, which began with a deeply personal endeavor—creating wooden flowers for his son's wedding at the Museum for Art in Wood. Since fresh flowers were prohibited inside the museum, Mark meticulously turned and carved each bouquet and arrangement by hand. During the discussion, he detailed his process of designing a variety of flowers, blending artistic vision with technical skill, and how these creations became the foundation for his later exhibition.

After hours at the 2023 MidAtlantic Woodturners Symposium

February 3, 2024 Ward Stevens

In September 2023, the MidAtlantic Woodturners Symposium was held in Lancaster PA. It was a marvelous symposium with excellent international demonstrators (Eric Lofstrom, Neil Turner, Kristen Levier, Simon Begg, Roberto Ferrer and Jason Breach). One of the benefits to a Symposium of this size is the ability to meet, talk and interact with the demonstrators. At night, the demonstrators and some of the attendees went out to a local pub for a fun dinner and social activities. Thanks to Bil Sticker for supplying the pictures for this part of the event.

Tools from Mike Holcomb for sale

January 2, 2024 Ward Stevens

Bud Hohlfeld has provided a list of tools available from Mike Holcomb’s shop. This is just a list, with out prices. If you are interested in any of the items, we can put you in contact with someone to get a price. Please send a message to smhillerman65@gmail.com and I will forward the request for information and pricing. The list is:

Michael Holcomb Woodworking Tools

Dust collection system with ductwork

Shop Vac small

Mini Max MM16 16” Bandsaw

Jet Floor model Drill Press

Jet Belt & Disc Sander – JSG-96

2nd dust collector

Dewalt Battery Chain Saw

Triton Super Jaws Vice system

Jet Oscillating Spindle Sander – JBOS - 5

Motor w/ strop wheel

Dewalt Scroll Saw

PSI Air cleaner System

Saw Stop 10”, 1.75HP Table Saw

Jet Mini Lathe w/ stand (variable speed)

Powermatic 8” Jointer – 6’ bed

Miscellaneous hand tools.

Off feed Roller Support

Dovetail Router jigs

Duo Sharp Honing Plates

Glass Plate Sharpening System

Set of Carbide Tipped Lathe Scrapers

Henry Taylor Mini Lathe tool Set

Router Table w/ Makita Router M3612 BR

Assorted Hand Saws

Assorted Bar Clamps

Bosch – 1617EVS Router – Plunge Router

Wood River Vise w/ Angle Adjustment

PSI Self Centering Drill Vise Set

Stihl 20“ Chain Saw CS MS290

Arbor Tech

Angle Grinders (3)

PSI pen Press Assembly

Festool PS 300 Jig saw

Freud 10” 40 tooth CS blade

Box of Pen Making supplies

Dewalt Table top Surfacer Planer

Assorted Hamlet & Sorby Lathe Tools

“Z” – Vise

NOBEX 180 Miter Saw

Large Metal Bench Vise

Festool Disc Sander

Assorted Sandpaper 7 Sanding Discs

Various boards & turning stock

Assorted Japan style hand saws

Spoke Shaves – 3 sets in tool rolls

Carbide Router Bits – 2 sets in boxes – new

Thread I.D. Set

Carving Gouges – box set – Swiss Made

Spill Plane – new – (tiger maple)

Antique wood planes – assortment – large to small @10

Rabbet Plane

Shooting Plane

Shooting board

Dado Plane Set w/ box

Ramset

Assorted VERITAS hand planes NEW @10

Paolini Lumber Rule

Numerous Band Saw Blades

Japanese style planes – 4

VERITAS Flushing chisels – set of 4 – New

Bag of Dated Iron Nails – 1914 – 1951

Assorted Black Steel Diamond Head Nails – Kit

Dado Table saw insert – Zero Clearance for 8” Dado Set

Parallel Tip Screwdrivers – set of 5 – New

Assorted Chinese scissors

Doweling Jig – self centering

VERITAS Variable Burnisher

VERITAS Card scraper Burnisher

VERITAS Sanding Block

Socket Chisels – set of 7 in a tool roll

Master Carver Pro-Flex Shaft – Set

Festool Compact cleaning set

Festool Sys -1-Box

VERITAS 4-way speed frame clamp

Assorted Backsaws

Assorted Mallets – Many

Flexible File – 12”

Fein Multi-Master Tool – Kit

Arbortech – w/ chisel head

Shop Loss Bags

10” Table saw blades – 40 teeth – Freud – New

Dado Set – Carbide Teeth – New

Many More Miscellaneous Hand Tools

June 2023 Show and Tell Meeting

December 6, 2023 Ward Stevens

On Monday June 19, we held a member show and tell showcasing some recent work or addition to collections.

Matt Overton showing a Keith Holt face in a sphere

Frank Huttenlock - Maple Burl bowl

Steve Hillerman - White Oak bowl with rim embellishment

Dave Scheid

Jim Rucco

Bud Hohlfeld

Ed Ryan

Joe Seltzer - additions to his collection

Brian Maguire

Andy DiPietro

Phil Hauser

Fred Silfer

Diane Hurley

Bil Sticker

March 2023 Demonstration by Hans Weissflog

May 16, 2023 Ward Stevens

On March 27th, Bucks Woodturners were honored to host Hans Weissflog. Hans did a demonstration of one of his signature boxes.

Starting with the lid, Hans turned it on center to make a depth marking on the rim, using half the rim thickness as a depth gauge. For this exercise, the measurement was 1.5 mm with the full thickness of the finished lid at 3 mm. After remounting the lid to be off center, Hans starts the initial point and checks the depth with a dull drill bit. He then moves to a thin parting tool to begin making the rings. Each rings is then checked for proper depth. An important point, if your parting tool is sharp, the cut will be even on both sides of the cut. If the tool is not as sharp, the depth will be uneven through the cut.

Once the rings run off the lid across the rim, it is easier to check the depth of the cut by matching it to to the rim.

Hans commented that the precision of this work was due to the finger control he uses on the parting tool for each ring. Taking the time to slowly work the parting tool into the lid with gentle but firm pressure.

After the rings were completed, Hans uses a skew to round over the sharp edges for each ring. After a light sanding, the lid is turned over and placed in a jamchuck and Hans repeats the process, only starting in the center of the lid at this time. When both sides are completed and lightly sanded, Hans uses a toothbrush to brush out and stray fibers between the open spaces, and other implements to achieve a clean piece.

Hans then began to work on the body of the box, turning the inside dimension first and sanding to 1000 grit. When the inside was sanded, the edge was turned down to fit the lid, and the lid remounted onto the body of the box. The box was turned so the outside body of the box matched the diameter of the lid.

The box body was then remounted in a jam check to finish the bottom and complete the piece.

Just as a sidenote, Hans was joined at the meeting with his son Jakob Weissflog and they displayed some of their work. Both Hans and Jakob are amazing artists and I hope you enjoy the small boxes and other pieces they displayed. Thank you Hans, for giving us a wonderful demonstration!

February 2023 Show and Tell

March 19, 2023 Ward Stevens

Bucks Woodturners first Show and Tell of 2023 showcased a large number of entries. In all over 60 pieces were shown.

First up is Andy DiPietro, showing us his Ambrosia Maple Sunburst and also his Linenfold wall sculptures

Dennis Fuge showed us his work on making lampshades from Aspen and how thin the walls need to be for light to shine through them.

Bil Sticker has been busy making a series of boxes. The boxes were made from Maple/Rosewood, Australian lacewood, Cherry/Paduak and cedar with a lid from a beer can.

Phil Hauser showed us a “see-thru” box of maple, a sphere of beautiful koa wood and a live edge cherry bowl.

Ed Ryan presented his Chicken platter with stand

Randal Henderson presented His 3 legged bowl with the legs in 2 separate segments, a walnut and yellowheart segmented bowl and box elder cored bowls

Ryan Lazaar didn’t want to do anything small. His big gnome, hedgehog and surprise mouse “box” with all the baby mice inside.

Brian Maguire has been busy making a bowl demonstration piece to show the different wats a bowl can be made from a piece of wood. He also presented a spalted maple and cherry bowls with a textured rim, a dogwood bowl and endgrain walnut bowl.

Doug James displayed his spalted maple vessel with bloodwood finial, oak and epoxy bowl and big leaf maple bowl.

Andy Postlewaite showed us a beautiful bowl

Dave Nowicki presented a spalted apple bowl, a maple hollow form, natural edge vessel/bowl, flame maple bowl and mulberry bowl

Bob Collins showed us a maple bowl and mallet made from yew

Al McCarty displayed a pair of gnomes

Dave Schied showed us maple and walnut segmented bowls and a segmented pen

Gary Hoffman presented a walnut top and maple bowl bowl

Sebastian Montagano displayed several pieces. A mulberry bowl, a beautiful redwood burl bowl, a maple hollow form and Norfolk pine bowl.

Les McLaughlin showed us his Maple/Walnut segmented bowl and also a tangential platter

Peter Jacobson displayed with natural edge maple bowl/vase

Ron Durr brought us a holly/walnut/osage orange/mahogany segmented vessel, a walnut urn, yew vase and an oak hummingbird nesting house.

George Blalock brought along some ornaments

Bud Hohlfeld displayed his “feather collection”. First, a sphere with blue feathers carved onto it, a feather textured bowl and a design opportunity…feathers cut out of a very thin bowl.

Fred Silfer showed up an ash bowl he was working on and a series of jewelry boxes.

And finally, Steve Hillerman displayed a black limba woodpecker on a limb and 2 maple and walnut tangential vases.

January 2023 meeting - Janine Wang Demo

March 6, 2023 Ward Stevens

For our January 2023 meeting, we hosted Janine Wang to do a demonstration. Janine is a faculty member in the Fine Woodworking Department at Bucks County Community College and heads the woodturning program. A link to Janine’s website is given here. Janine demonstrated combination of woodturning and basket weaving

Janine showed us her custom design for holding the different rattan and reed bundles needed for her design. Each rattan and reed bundle can come in different thickness and shape, each bringing a distinctive pattern for weaving. She then demonstrated on a test piece how she works with the weaving material to determine the distances needed to fit the reed without breaking as you make the pattern (In the picture above).

For her demonstration piece, Janine started with a simple platter and laid out an area for where she would incorporate the reed into the rim of the platter. Janine showed us the process of measuring the spaces needed for the pattern she had chosen, drilling the holes and inserting the reeds. The reeds were softened in water before inserting into the drilled holes, making them expand and creating a very tight fit!

After all the reeds were inserted, Janine demonstrated the weaving pattern she had chosen for this platter. She did the initial weaving, then had the audience get a hands on experience of doing some weaving to finish the platter.

Janine brought in a number of examples of pieces that showed some of the possibilities of merging basket weaving and woodturning.

Janine also demonstrated starting a weave on a top of a bowl, bringing up the sides of the bowl and the aesthetics of the curve of the weaved basket portion to match the curve of the wood bowl beneath it. The merging of the basket weaving and woodturning techniques show that the possibilities are endless when combining these two art forms.

December 2022 Pollyanna

February 19, 2023 Ward Stevens

This past December, Bucks Woodturners had our annual Pollyanna. The theme of this years Pollyanna was Platters with a little flair. Members could make a platter of any size and embellish it in any way. Due to the recent loss of one of our officers, the pictures of makers and those that “won” their platter are not available. However, we do have pictures of many of the platters to show what an amazing display of artistic talent we have in our club.

May 2022 Show and Tell

June 12, 2022 Ward Stevens

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Joe's Nestlerode's Vacuum Chucking Setup

February 1, 2022 Ward Stevens

Joe Nestlerode presented his take on a vacuum chucking system at our January meeting. Here’s his presentation and some ideas from Jim Ruocco.

2022's First Show and Tell

January 24, 2022 Ward Stevens

Once again our members surprised us with their creativity and craft! Check out what we’ve been up to!

2021 Pollyanna Exchange

January 3, 2022 Ward Stevens

One of the highlights of our Holiday Meetings is the Pollyanna Exchange. Members make a piece and exchange their work with another member chosen at random. But to get one, you have to make one! Here are the pieces from our December 13th meeting.