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Sticking around...

24/9/2017

If you've been a fan of some of the woodturning channels on YouTube, you'll have seen the craze for sending stickers to promote your own site/channel/business. I decided it was time for me to join the club after I went to Yandles for their September show and I bumped into Jim from Jimson's stuff and Nick from NZWoodturning. It was great to meet some YouTubers in the flesh and both of them had stickers to give out. I mentioned them in my Orange Splodge and Splatter video.

There are so many logos and designs already out there, that it took me a while to come up with a design that showed that I make things that are round, that are made from wood, and that are sometimes coloured and textured, and which, to my knowledge, was different from any other designs. My final design captured most of these qualities, apart from the texturing.

As I was designing the sticker, it soon became clear that this would actually end up being a logo too - so I went all old-school and designed some letterhead as well. Let me know if you'd like some snail-mail ever! I resisted the temptation to get a t-shirt and a baseball cap printed up, though I did go so far as to put a printed mug in my basket on one of the online printing sites - I resisted the impulse to click the final 'Buy now' button. But a nice banner, now that would be something to think seriously about...

Stickers!

...one for the 'turn off and start again' pile...

Turning has been a bit thin on the ground the last few weeks, but I have been able to finish off the two pieces I ended my demo with at West Sussex Woodturners at the start of the month - a centrifuge piece and my first completely coloured platter. It's great to have them finished and to see how the lacquer really completes the look. I'll definitely be doing more full colour platters. It's made me wonder whether I really want to be a potter or work with glass, but I'm sure I don't have the patience to pursue either discipline. What I like about woodturning is how quick the process is compared not only to working with clay but other types of woodwork too. This isn't to say that I get every bowl or platter finished in an hour or two - but turning gives pretty quick results against cabinet-making or box making. I love taking a rough lump of wood, putting it on the lathe and having a completely finished bowl (barring oiling or lacquering for a few days) come off the lathe on the same day - beats waiting twenty-four hours for a glue up to dry!

And doing coloured or textured work can be quite quick too, with the added bonus that if I hate it or it goes completely wrong, I can turn it all off and start again. That's the fate that's waiting for my most recent experiment with adding multi-coloured texture...there's potential, but this effort is far too messy for me! I'm looking forward to getting it back to bare wood and trying some new ideas out!

Loving the shine!

Head spin...

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Blimey...where did August go??

3/9/2017

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It's September...school is back in session....the summer is over....and I managed about half a day in the shed the whole summer holiday! Still, today made up for this lack of turning time as I was asked to do a colouring and texturing demo at West Sussex Woodturners. So, today I probably spent as much time in front of a lathe as I did for the whole six week summer break.

The lack of activity also means that there is no new video to post - I hope to sort that out soon, but I might be tempted into the three hour drive to Yandles next Saturday for their autumn show...

I have also been asked to do a demo next summer - woodturning events secretaries have to plan ahead. No doubt I'll blog about this nearer the time.

Today's demo covered a range of different colouring techniques - I'll let the pictures talk for themselves - and the second part of the demo covered some texturing techniques with the Proxxon mini angle-grinder. I finished by colouring two rims completely which I'll finish at home and take to the next club meeting.

It was a really enjoyable morning, and has certainly whetted my appetite for doing more demonstrations. So if you are an events secretary for a club, please keep me in mind!

I finished off one of the partially completed pieces from my last demo in July at South Downs Woodturners. It's had a car lacquer applied over the spirit stains and acrylic paint. One of the members of South Downs has organised some gallery space in a Shoreham gallery for club members to display work for sale. I'll be putting this piece in, along with a couple of others, in the hope that someone will like them enough to buy them.

I've got some ideas for the next video, another texturing and colouring one. Terry, if you're reading this, it might well feature the pink I mixed up today...watch out on my channel.

Have fun turning!

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Sticking around...

Blimey...where did August go??

Stewart is...

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