Monday (3:30 sign in) 4PM to 6:30PM- June 8, 2020 Enchanted Woodturners Meeting
We will have a ZOOM meeting and presentation on your own computer. See below for refresher classes this Friday and again on Monday. . . .
If you already have the Zoom software installed, then you can join the meeting by going to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84401477894?pwd=Z2Z3R1BRVGJSOFAxWUJ0RENLazM5QT09
The meeting will open up at 3:30 pm for social time and trouble shooting. The demonstration will start at 4 pm and end at 6:30 pm
Subject: All about the Hawaiian Calabash Presenter: Emiliano Achaval
Miliano will tell us about the history of the calabash, different types, types of wood used and much more. He will then turn a round bottom, traditional “Palewa” Hawaiian Calabash.
Don’t know Emiliano?
In his own words:
I grew up in Argentina, spending my summers at my father’s ranch. We had no TV in those long summer days, so I spent long hours using my imagination, building wooden toys, hunting jackrabbits with my greyhound dogs, and fishing for catfish in the pond by the back. After a short stint in the Army during the height of the “dirty war,” Argentina’s fight against communism, I came to the United States in a Flying Tigers cargo jet, in charge of 17 polo horses. I landed in NY, and after the horses quarantined, I drove with them in a big rig across the country to the Pacific Ocean’s shores, Santa Barbara Polo Club. I worked the polo circuit around California for two years, as a groom for a professional polo player.
I met my wife, from a 5th generation family in Hawaii, at the 1987 US Polo Championship. I was invited to play in the 1987 Maui Open Polo Tournament and never went back to the mainland. I have been married for 32 years to my wife, Katie. I have full access to her family’s cattle ranch, 32000 acres of freedom, paradise, and unlimited Acacia Koa wood, old-growth and commercial plantations.
I have been playing polo here for 33 years; I was the President of the polo club for 12 years. I raise and train polo thoroughbred horses. I love to hunt Axis deer, they are considered a vermin here, sadly, and we can hunt all year round. When pheasant hunting season comes, you can find me with my English Setter dog, Kolea, on the slopes of the volcano Haleakala. I have won the Handicap resident trophy at the State of Hawaii trapshooting championship. I was also the runner up in my division at the American Association of Trapshooting world championships in Sparta, Illinois. To quench my thirst for riding horses when we are not playing polo, I started team roping. I enjoyed the road trips around Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona team roping with friends and my son Nic. At home, I rope at my arena that I also use to train the horses.
When I need a break, I love to go deep-sea fishing on the Big Island, I own the fishing charter boat the “Waiopai.” I have my Captain’s license and taking the boat out with my son, just the 2 of us is one of the most exceptional experiences in life. Woodturning is my first love. I have been turning for about 24 years now. I turn every day.
Because of my work with Woodturning magazine, I have gotten into photography. I have a Nikon D850 with all the lenses needed to be a successful photographer.
For about ten years, I owned a Texas Longhorn riding steer, Mufasa. He had the widest span from tip to tip in his horns than any steer in the world. In the picture, I’m riding Mufasa on the 4th of July Makawao parade, where I won the Governor’s Trophy for best overall!
Another activity that I love to do is go after the guitar companies take their pick of the Koa harvest. Whatever is left on the ground, I can take. The work is hard, grueling, steep, muddy wet, cold, and hot, all in one day’s work. But seeing the Koa in the back of the trucks makes it all worth it.
My studio is located near the town of Makawao, in the heart of Upcountry Maui, The Valley Isle. The windfall Koa wood that I use comes from the slopes of the extinct volcano Haleakala, “The House of the Sun.”
I create Koa Calabashes, salad bowls, lidded hand chased threaded boxes, hollow forms, urns, custom orders.
I sign all my pieces with a wood engraver with KEA, Katie & Emiliano Achaval. My wife Katie is my biggest supporter and critic, my work is a group effort, I would not be here writing this if it wasn’t for her.
I started turning about 24 years ago. A huge Big Island Koa tree fell in my yard. A friend of mine stopped by to see if I wanted to sell the wood… I hesitated, and he offered to teach me something to be able to use the beautiful wood all over my yard. I ordered an entry level Sears Craftsman lathe and some soft carbon steel turning tools… I’m a self-taught turner, never had a lesson, but I did buy lots of books and old VHS tapes about woodturning. My good friend Cole Warren allowed me to go watch him turn at his old gallery in Makawao, his help was invaluable. I doubt I would be where I’m now if it wasn’t for Cole’s help. I’ll always be grateful for his support, teachings, and advice. Cole’s willingness to share what he knew always stayed with me. Another one of my very first mentors, was my wife’s cousin, Johnny Baldwin. He gave me lots of advice, and share his wood pile with me. One of the palm tree pieces he gave me, he said that if I found a bullet in it, he wanted it. General Patton had shot at it, while doing a handstand and drinking whiskey, on a dare, in a party at his house, during World War II… Johnny brought many world-class turners to Maui, letting everyone come for the learning experience.
It was the foundation of my learning experience, sharing the knowledge with fellow turners that led me to be one of the founding members and first President of the Maui Woodturners Association a chapter club of the American Association of Woodturners. Ten years ago I purchased an Australian made lathe: a Stubby S750, in my opinion, one of the more solidly built and most versatile lathes available anywhere in the world today. It weighs around 800 lbs. with the added sand; needless to say, there is no vibration at all, even with big unbalanced pieces.
I turn almost exclusively Koa wood, with the occasional fruit tree like Lychee, avocado, and mango. Also the occasional hard to find Milo wood, Pheasant wood, and some other rare native trees… If it’s wood, and it’s nice, I will turn it.
I was a demonstrator at the Honolulu Symposium in 2018 and demonstrated at the 2019 AAW Symposium in Raleigh.
I’m now a contributing writer for (what I think is) the best woodturning magazine in the world, Woodturning UK.
I have been doing Interactive remote demos for the last 4 years.
I wrote an article for Woodturning magazine about the history of the calabash bowl. (In the attachments above)
Anyone interested in the a Zoom training meeting with Kathy Knorr is welcome to click the https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82369611505 just before or at 9AM on either day Friday June 5 or Monday June 8 @ 9AM.
The agenda will be the same both days. Kathy will be in the meeting to show you Zoom. The goal is to enhance your enjoyment of the demos by knowing how to use the Zoom application.
Replies to Kathy are not required, the meeting will be open for any club member with the link. You are welcome to email Kathy KathyKnorrSF@gmail.com or our club email at SFTurners@gmail.com with questions, special help or comments!
To create a free Zoom account, please go zoom.us and get started with your own free account.
Video shows the process: www.zoom.us/signuphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsy2Ph6kSf8
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