 Dave Atkinson |  |
March2025 Meeting report:
At our meeting on Thursday, 28th March, we were pleased to report that we were supported by 32 members and welcomed 2 new members, who were introduced by our new Chairman, Mark Woodward. Unfortunately, our Treasurer was unable to attend due to health reasons.
It was pleasing to see the number of entries into the monthly competition. Paul, who sorts out the entries, was delighted as it was the most we have had for some time (see the results page).
Our demonstrator for the evening was Dave Atkinson, an old friend who had visited a few times in past years. Dave has a unique demonstration style that keeps our interest from start to finish. He presented four different pieces, which you can see in the photographs.
First, he started with a spindle turning using a piece of ash about 3 inches square. He used a storyboard to get the shape and explained the tools he used, including a roughing gouge with a full round bar. Despite loads of guesses, no one knew what he was turning even when he finished. Next, he turned what looked like a bowl blank with an offcut stuck on the back, using two steb centres. Still, no one could guess the finished piece.
 Spindle turning |  Bowl base |
Dave then returned to the first piece and split it down the middle, which was originally stuck together with PVA and newspaper. With the second piece, he removed the offcut from the back, leaving a perfectly flat back, and then split it into two half-rounds to create two wall corbels.
 Splitting the spindle |  Splitting the base |
 A pair or corbels |
After tea and biscuits, Dave proceeded to make an off-centre goblet, explaining how to use the chuck and mark it to make the five off-centre turns, as seen in the photographs.
 Off centre turning |
Time was passing quickly, and Mark was concerned we would not finish in time. Dave decided to conclude his evening with us by turning a thin barley twist goblet in a remarkable 12 minutes. He turned the bowl first, then the thin stem and base, and demonstrated the first part of the twist with a small round file , then opened it up with a slightly larger file.
 Creating the spiral |  The finished spiral |
Dave received our thanks for a brilliant and enjoyable evening, showcasing his skill and enabling us to try different techniques.
Mike Wilson
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