In my capacity as secretary of the East Yorkshire Woodturners Society, one of the sad tasks that sometimes comes my way is that of advising bereaved relatives on disposing of the contents of the workshop of a loved one who has passed away. Like most hobbies, the average age of woodturners is skewed towards the over 60s - a generation of hoarders who won't throw anything away "just in case one day - who knows when? - it might come in handy". Sound familar? Those left behind to clear out the workshop have generally no idea whether the stuff is mostly rubbish, or of value. It isn't that they want to maximise what the contents might fetch - they just feel unable to chuck it in a skip when it might have use to someone.
Last Sunday I visited a lady whose father had just passed away. He'd lost interest in his workshop and life in general after his wife had passed away, and the workshop was just a shambles. There was little of value, but there were about 30 pieces of teak and iroko timber offcuts, which looked like the ends of planks used for making heavy doors or window frames. I offered to dispose of them at our monthly Club meeting, which was two nights later. I cut the wood into blanks suitable for turning bowls, but rough-sawn blanks of neither teak nor iroko are very inspiring, so to illustrate what the wood looked like when turned, sanded and and finished, so as to encourage Club members to see its potential, I quickly turned two little bowls, and put them with the twenty or so blanks that I'd cut, asking that members who bought any, could put their money in the bowls. Turning the bowls seemd to do the trick - every blank sold, and the bowls were soon full of coinage, raising £35.00 in total.
The daughter of he woodturner who passed away lamented to me that either she nor her sister had anything that their father had turned so they had nothing from his workshop by which to remember him, and happier times. It occurred to me that they might like them as a small memento of his many hours spent in his woorshop. Not his handiwork, true - but his wood, neverthless.
I've attached a few pics, which I hope might be of interest. One shows some rough blanks - one a square - the other cut circular on a bandaw ready to turn, alongside the two bowls that I turned. Then there's a close-up pic of one of the bowls from above, and another from below.
The bowls were given a coat of sanding sealer, then as teak and iroko are open grained timbers, to get a smooth finish, they were progressively sanded from 180 grit to 1,000 grit, then polished on the lathe with friction polish, and finally, with beeswax polish.
I hope that the daughters will be pleased with them hen I take them along with the proceeds tomorrow, and I hope you like them too!
David.
Last Sunday I visited a lady whose father had just passed away. He'd lost interest in his workshop and life in general after his wife had passed away, and the workshop was just a shambles. There was little of value, but there were about 30 pieces of teak and iroko timber offcuts, which looked like the ends of planks used for making heavy doors or window frames. I offered to dispose of them at our monthly Club meeting, which was two nights later. I cut the wood into blanks suitable for turning bowls, but rough-sawn blanks of neither teak nor iroko are very inspiring, so to illustrate what the wood looked like when turned, sanded and and finished, so as to encourage Club members to see its potential, I quickly turned two little bowls, and put them with the twenty or so blanks that I'd cut, asking that members who bought any, could put their money in the bowls. Turning the bowls seemd to do the trick - every blank sold, and the bowls were soon full of coinage, raising £35.00 in total.
The daughter of he woodturner who passed away lamented to me that either she nor her sister had anything that their father had turned so they had nothing from his workshop by which to remember him, and happier times. It occurred to me that they might like them as a small memento of his many hours spent in his woorshop. Not his handiwork, true - but his wood, neverthless.
I've attached a few pics, which I hope might be of interest. One shows some rough blanks - one a square - the other cut circular on a bandaw ready to turn, alongside the two bowls that I turned. Then there's a close-up pic of one of the bowls from above, and another from below.
The bowls were given a coat of sanding sealer, then as teak and iroko are open grained timbers, to get a smooth finish, they were progressively sanded from 180 grit to 1,000 grit, then polished on the lathe with friction polish, and finally, with beeswax polish.
I hope that the daughters will be pleased with them hen I take them along with the proceeds tomorrow, and I hope you like them too!
David.
