Club Classes

[coachlou]

Our club (Quad Cities Woodturners) is interested in conducting a beginners level class for interested members. I would like to know what you think should be included in such an undertaking. Safety is obviously the first consideration, but I am interested in what skills must be mastered in order for a participant to ascend to an intermediate level.
Perhaps some of you might know of existing course outlines which might be shared with our club.
Any thoughts you might have on this subject would be appreciated.


Thanks,

Coachlou

 

[rbabbittjr]

Description of lathes, tools, accessories, sharpening, basic tool useage (spindle and faceplate). Depending on how detailed you want to get you could spend a full day on each topic.

 

[Jake Debski]

Coachlou,

Our chapter runs a beginners class almost every year.

We start generally with basic tool selection. Spindle roughing gouge, parting tool, detail gouge, bowl gouge, skew and roundnose scraper.

Next it is sharpening time(sometimes a whole separate class hands on.)

Safety, everything you can think of and then some.

Introduction to tool useage, one tool demo, then hands on, next tool, on down the line.

Practice session, square to round, smoothing with skew or roughing gouge, lay-out, parting tool cuts followed by coves and beads.

Not very exciting but, basics are covered and explained. Now the student has to take charge and either put in the lathe time at home or not his/her choice.

We also have a tune up class from time to time for those that want to ditch any bad habits thay may have picked up.

 

[DeanGThomas]

Based on John Hill's great explanation of AAW's insurance policy, I'd say that it would be really good to seek liability insurance for your beginners!

How much time are you planning to spend in this class? How much tool time are these folks going to get? Are y'all charging anything? Even just a materials fee? Just curious.

Some of the stuff that Bonnie Klein used to teach a room full of newbie kids can work for newbie adults, too. Simple projects that go quickly but are fun. Tops and some sort of pen. We did a baseball bat pen with her when she was in Kansas City last year.

The projects that Alan Lacer does on his Son of Skew video would also be good, e.g., honey dipper & bottle stopper. Naturally Alan does both totally with the skew, but you could probably use a couple of two or three tools to accomplish them.

These are projects that an experienced turner can knock out in minutes, but a newbie turner has lots to learn before that can happen. Kids could turn out a top or a pen in a one hour period after watching someone demo it and having hands on help. So, 8 hour class? 4 projects that'll take 'em at least an hour each? Add some squares of SPF to practice roughing, skewing, and the turning of beads and coves on really cheap "who-cares" wood, and you'd have a very full day, methinks.

(I have some projects lined up for the next phase of their learning, too; if you're interested, contact me off list!)

You've got to throw some safety stuff in there, too. Maybe not anything on sharpening other than telling that it's really important but that y'all are just going to handle it for them today, that'll be another class.

Hope it helps. Keep us all up to date on what you're doing. Those of us who teach this stuff love to hear ideas. I'm teaching some kids that are 10-ish right now. It's fun. Challenging, even when I 've got really good kids who respect the tools and the teachers. I've got a one adult to one kid ratio right now. It's a wonderful thing. The other adult has turned, but not for 15 years. He mostly watches and learns, too, but helps the kids stay out of trouble.

Again, keep us posted! Best of luck.

 

[hockenbery]

first for a club sponsored event the AAW insurance should be sufficient.
Be sure to post the class in a newsletter.

attached is an ouline I used in the Basic woodturning at Maryland Hall.
this is a 27 hour class usually offered in nine 3 hour classes.
I have also taught it in 3 full day sessions.

This is bowl oriented class but begins with a bit of spindlework.
Most of the first class is spent on safety, the lathe parts, diferrent types of tools and just using a roughing gouge to turn a cylinder.

The second session is turing a carving mallet which is a great first project. It is success oriented and even an ugly mallet will whack a chisel just fine.

Happy Turning,
Al

 

[coachlou]

Thanks to all

Sorry to be tardy in my attempt to say, "thank you," to those who responded to my request for ideas for our club's upcoming beginners class. My computer went down and my son-in-law just rescued me from cyber-frustration.
Dean, we plan to start with a one day (9am-4pm) session for club members only. There seems to be plenty of interest so we may well extend as the need presents itself. We do not plan to charge anything, and we are blessed with ample wood to use for free. I realize that the more "hands-on" the higher the interest level.
Thanks, too, to Hock for the PDF file with the suggested projects/skills/objectives. The list looks like just the ticket to get us on our way. We hope to be underway in late October. I'll try to keep all of you posted on our progress.