Detroit 2017 Ready to Open!
Best Advice for Newbees
This time of year it is my privilege to speak to dozens of families and individuals who are at the very beginning of their wood turning journey. I can only visit with these precious folks very briefly while we are together at another woodworking show. I happily answer as many questions as possible in the short time we have together, but it is never enough.
My best advice doesn’t have anything to do with tools, chucks, wood, or finishing. My best advice for all turners both new and seasoned is to find a wood turning club in their area and make the effort to attend the monthly meetings faithfully. The members have faced all of the issues you will eventually face from which lathe to acquire, to proper tool selection and sharpening to sanding and finishing. They have traveled these roads before you and are eager to selfishly share their solutions. You have dozens of built in mentors usually free for the asking.
I have a church building background. There are so many parallels to building and running a church organization that I use the church as my model for woodworking related clubs since they are all volunteer organizations. I founded a very successful general interest woodworking club in 1998 based on the church model. I have made this manual available for free and listed it in the “Free Downloads” section on www.ronbrownsbest.com. Starting a Club. The SIG’s (special interest groups) are structured like Sunday School classes with leaders who are responsible back to the board of directors. This is how we handle the Turner’s SIG, the Scroll Saw SIG, the Computers Users SIG, etc. Each SIG even has its own budget for the year.
The show-and-tell portion of each club meeting is a mini gallery which provides inspiration, encouragement and learning opportunities for everyone. Guest presenters bring fresh new ideas and methods. I can always tell when certain folks have visited a local club by the type of turnings I see. Nick Agar will do textured colored material; Michael Gibson will do very thin pierced and carved turnings with a tea pot thrown in somewhere. Kirk Deheer will do hand chased threads and John Jordan will do hollow forms with ribbed carving on pieces resembling large seeds. Stewart Mortimer will certainly inspire open twisted ribbed hollow forms. Cynthia Gibson will leave her audience rushing to purchase pyrography equipment and Jimmy Clews’ fingerprint will be on winged bowls with colored dyes.
Clubs are an opportunity to get fired up and turned on to new ideas. They are a chance to refresh and expand the possibilities before us. They help us unlock the mysteries behind the special techniques and often just get us started down new roads we never knew were possible, because wherever you go, there you are.
Here is my inspiration for this week’s message:
Hebrews 10:25 KJV Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Isaiah 1:26 MSG I'll set honest judges and wise counselors among you just like it was back in the beginning. Then you'll be renamed City-That-Treats-People-Right, the True-Blue City." Exodus 35:35 BBE To them he has given knowledge of all the arts of the handworker, of the designer, and the expert workman; of the maker of needlework in blue and purple and red and the best linen, and of the maker of cloth; in all the arts of the designer and the trained workman they are expert.
I have prepared a very short video showing a typical texturing demonstration which I do for audiences at The Woodworking Shows each weekend this time of year. Although I’ve done many thousands of these, they never get old. I hope you enjoy this three and a half minute video.
Short Texturing Video (3-1/2 min)
Here is a quick tour of our Woodworking Show Booth for 2017. Hope you will come see us when we come to a city near you. https://youtu.be/2Owz3p3axzY
February Sweepstakes Winners
From The Woodworking Shows
1st Prize $250 Gift Certificate - Jim Apsley
2nd Prize $100 Gift Certificate - Matt Coon
3rd Prize $50 Gift Certificate - Tammy Hall
Folks, you have 30 days to redeem your prizes for anything, including sale items, on our website at www.ronbrownsbest.com. Contact us for details.
This Week's Sale
Extended by popular demand
Your Choice - Everything 15% off
Use Code "woodturns" at checkout
at www.ronbrownsbest.com
Note: If you don't use the discount code at checkout, you will not get the discount.
The 2017 Woodworking Show season is in full swing. See you in Tampa March 17th - 19th, 2017. Only 3 shows left: Tampa, Chantilly, Atlanta.
For dates and venue locations, Click HERE
Janice and I are scheduled to be at all of these shows. We look forward to seeing you again and we have lots of new items this year. Please understand that during the show season, phone calls can only be returned when we are in the office (Mon-Wed). Orders will follow the same schedule. I am able to answer eamils from the hotel, usually, in the evening.
Available again May 2017
I continue to receive many questions about when this family of items will be available for purchase. The answer is after the show season is over and I can focus on manufacturing it. We are currently accepting First-Come, First Served reservations at www.ronbrownsbest.com. No money is due until your reservation is confirmed some time in April 2017. After I get a handle on those first, I'll list it on the web site for general purchase.
We appreciate your interest and will notify you via the newsletter and the web site when you may place your order. Thanks again.
Ron and Janice Brown
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