The aim of our group is to bring together people who are interested in woodturning and to assist new members to participate in the craft of woodturning. At the same time we aim to socialise and have fun.
We are active in supporting local community groups and charities. We make cash donations as well as donations of toys and equipment made by our members. As a result significant amounts of money have been raised for organisations such as hospitals, schools and bush fire brigades. Christmas toy appeals, from groups such as the Salvation Army, guarantee that woodchips will be flying all over Sydney through the associated Wood Turners groups!
Winner of raffled bowl for Mona Vale Hospital Fair: Jubilee Celebrations
Woodturning is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects on a lathe. Woodturning differs from most other forms of woodworking in that the wood is moving while a stationary tool is used to cut and shape it. Many intricate shapes and designs can be made by turning wood.
The origin of woodturning dates to around 1300 BC when the Egyptians first developed a two-person lathe. One person would turn the wood with a rope while the other used a sharp tool to cut shapes in the wood. The Romans improved the Egyptian design with the addition of a turning bow. Early bow lathes were also developed and used in Germany, France and Britain. Sometime after the turning bow was developed, a lathe was created that spun when a lever was pumped by hand. Early lathe workers would sometimes use their bare feet to hold cutting tools in place while using their hand to power the lathe. In the Middle Ages a pedal replaced hand-operated turning, freeing both the craftsman's hands to hold the woodturning tools.
There are two distinct methods of turning wood: spindle turning and bowl or faceplate turning. Their key difference is in the orientation of the wood grain, relative to the axis of the lathe. This variation in orientation changes the tools and techniques used. In spindle turning, the grain runs lengthways along the lathe bed, as if a log was mounted in the lathe. Grain is thus always perpendicular to the direction of rotation under the tool. In bowl turning, the grain runs at right angles to the axis, as if a plank were mounted across the chuck. When a bowl blank rotates, the angle that the grain makes with the cutting tool continually changes between the easy cuts of lengthways and downwards across the grain to two places per rotation where the tool is cutting across the grain and even upwards across it. This varying grain angle limits some of the tools that may be used and requires additional skill in order to cope with it.
This is where being part of a woodturning group can benefit those who wish to take up this wonderful hobby. The Sydney Northern Beaches Woodturners has Monthly Meetings, Demonstrations and Challenges, as well as a library of Australian Woodworker Magazines and friendly members who are 1st class turners.
Workshop
Open every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday between 9 am and 12 noon
Nareen Parade North Narrabeen
We have a fully equipped workshop which is available for use by all members.
There are always experienced members on hand to assist new members in the safe use of the machinery and with their own woodturning projects.
Our Tuesday meetings at the workshop are well attended and provide a great opportunity for members to socialise and discuss woodturning projects.
The equipment at the workshop includes:
Six lathes
Chisels, faceplates and chucks for each lathe
Grinders for sharpening tools
Several bandsaws
Drill press
Table saw
Mitre saw
Router and router table
Demonstrations
We have Monthly meetings and woodturning demonstrations on the third Sunday of every month from 9 am to 2 pm (closed December and January)
SNBW members are among the privileged. Over the years we have been fortunate to have had the cream of woodturners demonstrate at our club.
By seeing the best, we then become inspired to turn Bowls and Vases and Candle Stick Holders and Salt and Pepper grinders and so on and so on, well before having mastered the art of basic turning (Beads, coves, using correctly all the tools associated with woodturning).
Members also give demonstrations in everything from turning a pendent or broach, turning a thin stemmed candle holder, or traditional basics which celebrate this ancient Art and the skills, such as turning a pillarette. This formed part of a Back to Basics 2016 Demonstration where members are able to put themselves through a refresher/beginners starting course.
It only takes 30min to an hour to complete one of the practice exercises and if stuck at will help us to become better turners. As the Demonstrator said, once you are using the correct tools and are using them the correct way, it is then only practice practice practice.
Demonstrating a sanding technique
Show and Tell
These are Show and Tell where members share and include anything that they have to show as well as the challenge subject.
S & T plays a major role in our monthly meeting agenda. Everyone is always interested in the work that is shown on the day and it often gives us ideas to have a go at something that maybe we had not thought of.
Challenges
These are great fun and stem from S & T as well as Demonstrations.
An example from earlier in 2016 is the challenge was to turn :- A TRINKET BOX AND OR AN EGG AND EGGCUP
One member during Greek Easter joined this challenge by producing a hard boiled egg (dyed red with food dye). Another made an egg cup and a small trinket box made from Kodo Timber.
Trinket boxes were the challenge taken up by other members: Two screw top trinket boxes were made by one SNBW; a cedar box, a jacaranda box as well as a Huon Pine lidded box, a circular jewellry box and the coup-de-gras a tetrahedron trinket box. A lidded box turned from a branch off next door’s gum tree, two trinket boxes one from Rosewood and one from a Burl with a Huon Pine top, a lidded box from Jacaranda and from a Red Malley Burl, two very nice handles for a cheese grater and a jam spoon, a trinket box from New Guinea Rosewood, a lattice trinket box from contoniasta with pendants thrown in for good luck!
Newsletters
The Sydney Northern Beaches Woodturners has regular Newsletters where members may share recent Demonstrations, Tips and Tricks or let others know about Events, Fairs Symposiums or Tools and equipment available.
The Sydney Northern Beaches Woodturners are part of the The Sydney Woodturners Guild, which was founded in 1983 by students, teachers and ex-students of the woodturning course at Sydney Technical College.
The aim of the Guild is to bring together people who are interested in learning from, and assisting others in, the craft of hand woodturning through membership in one of its Affiliated Associations. Their motto is "By Hand & Eye".
An important feature of the Guild is to encourage beginners to gain confidence with equipment and materials and to provide experienced advice about prospective purchases of expensive tools or machinery. Many Guild members are, or have been, associated with the timber industry in some form during their working lives and can provide a wealth of experience to newcomers to the craft. It is interesting to note that these newcomers range in age from high school graduates to retired people desiring to remain active.
The current membership includes both professional turners and amateur/hobby turners, including a rapidly expanding number of lady turners. The current membership stands at well over 500, drawn from both the Greater Sydney and country areas. The Affiliated Associations hold their meetings in suburban schools, homes and, due to the rapid expansion of the Guild, their own Guild Halls.
Group visits and "week-end away" trips are regularly organised to visit other venues such as craft shows that are held out of Sydney, Open Days held by other woodturning groups or "social" long week-ends to country areas where, somehow, there is always a timber yard en route.
Visitors and New Members Welcome
See a woodturning demonstration by one of our members or a visitor from other clubs
Visitors and new members are welcome
Cost is $5 for morning tea and lunch
Contact us for more information
President: Jack Butler Phone: 02 9999 4290 Email: johnbutler1@optusnet.com.au
Website: hwww.snbwoodturners.com
