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Promoting the art and craft of wood turning in the greater Cincinnati area

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Recent Updates:   
 * Election results…
 * Spalting wood with Dr. Seri Robinson at the May Monthly Meeting

 * Tool Control class added in May
 * Turning 2025 Symposium registration is open and Demonstrator Schedule is posted here 
 * You can volunteer to help at the Turning 2025 Symposium - see opportunities here
 * Extend your skill sets with a Multi-Axis Platter class
 * Appalachian Festival Update - no demonstration this year….


WOODTURNING SYMPOSIUMS - REGISTER NOW

AAW 2025 Symposium
OVWG.org/2025symposium
AAW International Symposium:
 - Get the $40 Chapter Group discount - contact Jack Gormley for details.
 - Register by April 25 to get the early bird discount. (Date was extended)
 
                               AAW Symposium
OVWG Turning 2025 Symposium
 - Register by July 31, 2025 and save $25
 - Lodging fills up quick so reserve a room soon.
 - Volunteers needed - see the openings here
 - Interested Vendors - see the details here
                              Turning 2025 Symposium

May Meeting Demonstration

Dr. Seri Robinson and Spalted Wood

The May Monthly Meeting will be a day of intense spalted wood study. Seri Robinson will demonstrate how to make and turn Spalted wood, its long history in art, and modern use in science. Attendees will learn to turn even the punkiest wood while minimizing tearout and avoiding stabilizers. 


Dr. Sara (Seri) Robinson is an associate professor of wood anatomy at Oregon State University and works within the field of art science as a bio artist.


She will demonstrate alternative turning techniques and tool grinds to reduce tear ups or torn grain when turning spalted wood.


What is Spalting? What woods spalt? How long does spalting take? Can I spalt wood?

With spalting, the use of fungi and natural decay processes not only creates ornament and color (instead of dyes and stains), but challenges perceptions of functionality. Decay fungi are generally disdained, but wood is held in high regard. The meeting of both can create emotional conflict and challenges the viewer to reevaluate their position on functional wood and natural ornamentation processes.


Black lines (called ‘zone lines’) are just one tiny facet of the spalting universe. White rot, the thing you get before you get zone lines, and pigmentation (think blue pine or green oak) are also spalting.


Seri will demonstrate how to successfully induce spalting in wood while minimizing time and decay, whether you're working with green to dry timber.


View Seri’s spalting guides and book: Spalting 101 : The Ultimate Guide to Coloring Wood with Fungi

The book is a step-by-step guide to DIY spalting—harnessing fungi to create colors and lines in wood. https://www.northernspalting.com/spalting-info/publications/


Website: https://www.northernspalting.com 


Spalting FAQs: https://www.northernspalting.com/spalting-info/faqs/ 





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 Seri’s classes at the Learning Center - learn from the expert:

- Do Not Fear the Skew - May 18:  
Skew chisels have to be one of the most feared tools in woodturning, but they are also the most versatile. Spend a day rebonding with your skews on both spindle and bowl forms. Attendees will be challenged to reconsider how and when skew chisels are used, and experience not just beads and coves, but hollowing, bowl turning, and sculpting with skews. Beginners welcome!
Do Not Fear The Skew - 5/18/2025

 - Spalted Wood Workshop - May 19: 
 Seri will cover tools, grinds, stabilizers, sanding, and how to turn spalted wood safely regardless of punky level, without the need for stabilizers or sanding.  
Turning Spalted Wood - 5/19/2025

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April Monthly Meeting: Kimberly Winkle

 

International demonstrator Kimberly Winkle demonstrated a progressive journey through woodturning and surface embellishment using both spindle and face plate turning techniques. She created a series of objects and explored surface design using milk paint and textures.

 

Kimberly Winkle is a maker who creates furniture and objects using wood and paint; her work displays a balance of form, color and surface pattern.

 

She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including SOFA Chicago, Wanted Design NYC and the Architectural Digest Home Show. Her work has been included in a number of publications, including Fine Woodworking, Woodworker, and Woodworker West magazines and the books 500 Tables, and 500 Chairs.

Pro Demonstrator Profile: Kimberly Winkle 

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April Member Meeting: Elections Results

 

Congratulations to the following elected candidates who were voted on by the members present at the April monthly member meeting.

 

PRESIDENT:
 - 
Jerry Warner

VP of PROGRAMMING:
 - David Wright

AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBER:

 - Jim Campbell

 - Lydia Hirsh

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Slideshow
2025-03-15 Michael Anderson

March Member Meeting: Michael Anderson 




Captured spin top

Michael Anderson demonstrated how to make a 4-piece “captured” spin top where the spin top and spin platform are attached yet still mobile. The process included spindle turning, bowl turning, drilling on the lathe, and using calipers to precisely size turned components. Michael also discussed aspects of form, function, and appropriate finishes.

 

For Michael, wood is the ideal medium for his bowls and sculptural work.  He currently lives in Chattanooga, TN and teaches at Chattanooga State Community College. Michael has demonstrated for clubs throughout the country and is the admin for several online forums including AAW and World of Woodturners. His work was selected for the Best of Tennessee Craft Biennial Exhibition on display at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts through 2024.

 

 

Pro Demonstrator Profile:  Michael Anderson

 

Instagram Gallery:  https://www.instagram.com/ulmus.woodturning/

 

Profile: https://newsouthfinds.com/michael-anderson/

 

Examples of his work:


Slideshow
2025-02-15 Todd Carris Demonstration

February Member Meeting: Todd Carris performs Basket Illusions



Todd Carris
not only demonstrated the process of how to do basket illusion but took it a step further with the use of a software program to design patterns and introduced the use of a special jig to assist in the bead burning process.

 

Todd is a member of our Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild and is from Cincinnati but has called Northern Kentucky home for the last 32 years. He is currently serving on our board as the Secretary and is actively involved in the Guild monitoring the Tuesday morning Open Shops, assisting teaching the Intro to Woodturning class, acting as a mentor and generally helping wherever there is a need.



Todd Carris

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January 2025 Member Meeting: Roberto Ferrer

The January 2025 monthly meeting featured demonstrations by national demonstrator
Roberto Ferrer. Roberto is a wood artist, sculptor, wood turner, instructor, and demonstrator based in Chicago, specializing in creating unique, handmade wood art pieces and lathe-based sculptures. He is a person who is passionate about art and wants to share this passion through his work. Featured in several AAW journals, he demonstrates at local woodturning clubs and teaches in woodworking schools.

Roberto Ferrer

Show & Tell Photos

February Show & Tell

March Show & Tell
Slideshow
2025-02-15 Show & Tell
Slideshow
2025-03-15 Show & Tell

Annual December Contest - Turn a Bowl Winners

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New to turning or undecided about which lathe to get?  Sign up for an “Introduction to Turning” session held each month, attend skill-building sessions, or join in on one or several of the many Open Shops each week at the Learning Center.  See the Calendar for events or view the new member sign up information here.

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KC Kendall elected President of the American Association of Woodturners


Congratulations to OVWG member KC Kendall who will be the new president of the international American Association of Woodturners (AAW) organization (woodturner.org). With more than 13,000 members and over 365 local chapters globally, AAW members include amateurs, hobbyists, professionals, gallery owners, collectors, tool and equipment suppliers, and others.


KC was a two-term past president of the Guild and is an Honorary Lifetime Member. He championed the development of the Learning Center and has co-chaired several symposiums.


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AAW Turning of the Week: Gabriel Hoff

American Association of Woodturners selected member Gabriel Hoff’s lidded box as the AAW Turning of the Week. Please give it a “like”, share with your friends, and follow AAW on Facebook.


From AAW: “Gabriel Hoff's boxes are elegant, pure and displays a classic design. Regardless the wood species, he manages to create a beautifully turned box.”


According to Gabriel: “This box is really a stunner from all aspects, grain, spalting, and design! Turned from a blank of American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) gifted to me from my woodturning teacher, this box has a lot going on with the grain. The spalting is really intense, and the color variation and grain flecking is really pronouced. Style features include a true round bottom, chamfered rim, and domed lid. Turned, hollowed and finished with only wax. This box really turned out well, the wood was not too punky, and it took sanding and finishing very nicely!”


Supreme Bowl Competition


Congratulations to Lynn Trump for winning the Turning Category of the Woodcraft of Cincinnati  Supreme Bowl Competition

                 

Join OVWG

Become a member and join in the fun.  You can sign up any time of the year.  Click here for more info…   

SAVE THE DATES


We have a great lineup of demonstrations for the monthly meetings - save the dates and register early for the upcoming events and classes:


May 10-11, 2025:  
The Appalachian Festival has a new home in the Village of New Richmond, OH.  However, OVWG will NOT have a demonstration booth this year due to new venue challenges, but hopes to participate next year.  View details for the event at https://www.appalachianfestival.org/

June 12-15, 2025
:  Register before April 11 for the Early Bird discount and contact Jack Gormley for the OVWG member discount for the AAW International Woodturning Symposium.  Details at AAW Symposium
                       
September 13, 2025: Gathering of the Guilds - OVWG will join 9 other guilds in 
showcasing the wide variety of opportunities in craft education available in the Cincinnati area.  Details at https://www.gotgcincy.org/

October 9 - 12, 2025: Turning 2025 Symposium - Join us for the Turning 2025 Symposium, our 13th biennial symposium hosted by OVWG. Over the 4-day event, you'll have access to national & regional professional woodturners, simultaneous demonstrations, vendors, turning gallery, auction and more. Take a deep dive into the world of woodturning, be inspired and hone your skills.  

Monthly Demonstration Highlights: see the list of past professional demonstrators and examples of their turning expertise at Pro Demonstrators

Upcoming Events
Skill Building Sessions
Upcoming Events
Classes and Meetings

Class Photos
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Basic Platters


Bob Henrickson demonstrated the basics of platter turning. Methods of mounting on the lathe for turning the face and finishing the base were reviewed for members to apply on their work piece. Design options were discussed to provide opportunities for various types of later embellishment.

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Peppermills


KC Kendall demonstrated how to make a peppermill from layout, shaping, drilling and assembly.

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Cross Drill Ornaments with Inlays


As an intermediate class, we learned how to make a Christmas ornament using a cross-drill technique and advanced spindle turning skills. After cross-drilling a hardwood cube, the cube was turned to created a globe. Laminates (snowflakes and dog paws) were then inlayed into the cube. A cap and finial were turned to complete the ornament.

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Bird House Ornaments


As the holiday season approaches, we found ourselves looking for special gifts for special people. For woodturners, small gifts that will have special meaning for others are well within reach. With a little imagination and the use of wood scraps, the class made birdhouse ornaments that relatives and friends will treasure for years to come.

Demonstrator Class: Winged Bowls


Following his demonstration at the October monthly meeting, national woodturner Jamie Donaldson guided class participants through the process of making their own Winged Square Turning and Winged Bowl. He covered the process of sharpening the tools as well.



Wood Processing and Cutting Classes


You might say we were a “cut above the rest” at the wood processing sessions.  
John Westrup and his Wood team had several workstations set up to allow members to try their skills at using a chainsaw to create wood blanks from the various logs outside of the Learning Center. John provided an overview of how to cut logs to remove the pith and then section the cut for bowl blanks and spindle blanks. Bowl blanks and spindle blanks were then cut with the bandsaw for members to take home and turn or serve as projects for an Open Shop visit.

As a reference, you can review the “Bowl Roughing Process” poster in the Learning Center that displays how to cut a log for bowl blanks.  See the upcoming newsletter for tips on wood processing.  Logs can be a source of inspiration for designs that utilize features of the timber, such as natural edge for bowls or grain patterns.

Slideshow
2025-08 Wood Processing Event
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Segmented Vessel Week


It was segmented vessel week at OVWG in August.  Jess Parrett led a two-part hands-on class that provided techniques for creating segments using a table saw sled, gluing segments into rings, and gluing rings on the lathe to create a rough vessel blank to finish at home.  Dan Gingerich, John Peters, and Terry Elfers provided instructional support and shared various techniques in making segmented pieces.

Offset Plate:

Bob Henrickson led the group in turning a different sort of plate by creating a plate using both offsets and tilts to produce a striking effect. The domed center provided a focal point for embellishment. Using a jam chuck, the back side of the platter was shaped into an ‘ogee’ curve. 

Cheese Platter:

KC Kendall provided the ingredients to create a cheese platter with a marble insert.  A tasty tip to share - repurpose a mortise.  A mortise on the top side is used to finish the bottom side of the platter.  If the marble insert in the center is set up to be removable, the mortise can also be used to hold a similar sized bowl for chip dip.

Skill Building Session Photos
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Introduction to Woodturning and the OVWG Learning Center

The latest group of new members attended the free monthly orientation to the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild and our Learning Center. They were acquainted with a brief history of the OVWG that started back in 1988 and how we've grown as a friendly group of people who love to turn wood. The operation of the Learning Center was reviewed and how this great resource can help the journey of learning to turn wood and finding out what kinds of things you can make. 


Safety is a high priority for the OVWG in all of our activities. The parts of the lathe were reviewed and how to be safe when working on the lathe, as well as use of other tools in the workshop. An introduction to sharpening was provided as well.


Attendees used the lathes for spindle turning as a hands on introduction to woodturning by making a bead & cove stick, since beads and coves are the key design elements of many things around us every day. 

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Embellishment Tools & Techniques

As an intermediate class, attendees observed the use of a variety of embellishment tools and the associated turning techniques for each, and was then able to try each out on the lathe. Demonstrated tools included the following:

  • Point Tool
  • Knurling Tool
  • Chatter Tool
  • Spiraling Tool
  • Beading Tool
  • Teardrop Tool
  • Elf Tool
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Intermediate Skills: Jam Chucks

In the July Intermediate Skill Building session, techniques using jam chucks to turn and shape round objects were demonstrated. Attendees created a jam chuck to hold a round work piece in place for turning and repositioning as needed to create a desired shape.

Intermediate Skills: Ball-and-Cup

It was time to have fun making a Ball-and-Cup toy in Bev Connelly’s Skill Building Session for Intermediate members.  In a round about way, the session started with making a sphere and then designing a cup to fit the sphere - all from the same workpiece blank.  Techniques included sphere making, hollowing with a Forster bit, caliper measure, and creating pieces that fit inside another. With Bev and Mark’s expert guidance in efficiently turning the workpieces, the biggest challenge was catching the ball in the cup. 




OVWG Learning Center is located at Kennedy Heights Cultural Campus
6620 Montgomery Road, Kennedy Heights, OH45213


The entrance to the Learning Center is on the South side of the building along Kennedy Ave., beside the loading dock.

Click here for map ---> Click here for a picture of the entry door to Learning Center--->

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OVWG is proud to be one of 350+ worldwide chapters of the American Association of Woodturners

We encourage you to join this fine organization.
The American Association of Woodturners(AAW) is an international, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
AAW's mission is to provide education, information, and organization to those interested in turning wood.