SFHS for 2016-17
TEW members:
There is a need for turners and woodworkers to Volunteer at the High School wood shop, which has been totally reorganized, lathes at one end power tools the other; re-electrified with drops to each machine, dust droops to each needed machine, etc.
There is now the “Early College Opportunity Magnate School” that is 4r years of high school and later two years of junior college with a JC Degree, paid for by the Santa Fe School District for these kids.
Also we are reorganizing the class “procedures”, see below.
Following today’s class, September 2, Bob, Troy, Don, and I had a meeting with Bryan and Eric to discuss woodshop practices. According to Eric, Bryan is in charge of the woodshop. Eric’s group will spend time there but Bryan is in charge. We all agreed that the current free form style of instruction is not the best nor is it in the best interest of the students. After some discussion, we agreed to try to introduce a qualification program into the curriculum as we had discussed prior to the school year. I agreed to work on the woodturning portion and Mark will head up the woodworking portion.
For the woodturners, we will follow the “Teaching Woodturning Basics” 2009 from AAW. I recommend each of you take a look at this publication and/or download it to have as a ready reference. It is quite comprehensive and offers an easy to follow road to qualification. Here is how I propose we proceed (All three school sections will start from step 1. Bryan’s group has had three sessions already but he will explain to them that we are starting over.)
1.Overview of how the program will proceed, general safety, introduction to the lathe and the tools we will be using, spindle roughing gouge, parting tool, spindle gouge.
2.Mounting stock between centers and roughing out using spindle roughing gouge.
3.Using piece completed in step 2, lay out piece using parting tool.
4.Cut beads using spindle gouge.
5.Cut coves using spindle gouge.
The product at the end of this time will be an ACCEPTABLE Bead and Cove stick. Each step should be proceeded by a demonstration from one of the club members showing how to do each step, what to look for and what unique safety precautions are necessary. (Remember ABC and the exception for cutting coves.) Since our goal is to insure that the students use each tool correctly and are comfortable using the tool, some judgment of the student’s efforts will be necessary. No student should be allowed to proceed to the project phase of the program until they can demonstrate an ACCEPTABLE Bead and Cove Stick one in a safe manner. This is no different than Vic Meyer’s Basic Class direction at the CC. Some have been trying for years to get an Acceptable Bead and Cove stick. With our close monitoring, hopefully we can significantly shorten that experience.
Project Phase
6.Make a stick pen
7.Make several eggs (start to impress upon the student the importance of form).
8.Make a honey dipper
At this point the student should be proficient to use the tools we have introduced and they then can select other project from “Turning to the Future Teachers Resource and Project Guide” from AAW. Project plans are all included in that publication.
Upon completion of some of these projects, we can then make a determination if the student is fully qualified to select projects on his own. The goal being that such a determination will result in our providing guidance and assistance on an as needed basis (ala Gabe) and not requiring our continuous presence to see a project completed.
As to the mechanics of the qualification process, each step noted above will require a sign off from both the mentor (us) and the shop instructor (Bryan). The current plan is to have all student’s names on the large whiteboard at the head of the shop with their qualification progress noted. That way any mentor can see the student’s progress and understand what it is that they have to accomplish that day. This alleviates the problems of the schedule from both the student and mentor’s perspective.
Please provide any comments/concerns to me as we will try to implement this program commencing with the WED class next week. (Monday is a holiday and Wed is the first class session in the woodshop.)
Alan Becker
SFTurners.org 