Help! Need ideas for a pen turning group session

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thewishman

thewishman

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Last month I sent an email to my wood turning club leadership committee asking for an area (or a table) for pen turners to gather and talk as a part of our monthly club meeting. TODAY I got an email announcing the topics for our March meeting - for March 13. Here is a quote from the email sent to all 200+ club members:

We will also offer the first (of many) sessions of the "Pen Turners Corner". The new special interest group will be coordinated by Chris Cannon.

GULP! This is the first I heard of it!

Does anyone have a suggestion or two for starting out on this? Bear in mind that the meeting is 4 days away and there is no $ in the budget.

Chris
 
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Since your so short on time just go with the basics. Take all the basics to the meeting and show what they would need to buy to get started turnings pens. Since it's a turning club show them stuff they may not already own. Take a list of companies we buy our kits/stuff from and explain the differnt items they sell and what the difference are between the companies. Doing it this way will take the budget out of the question because this shouldn't cost anything. The next meeting might be a different question though.
 
Sounds like someone read more into your email than you intended[:0] Les has good suggestions. When you get close to finishing the the first meeting, ask if THEY have any suggestions or something they want to do for the next meeting. Discuss it and then it takes some of the pressure off you to come up with something.
 
I feel your pain Chris,
I spoke with the art teacher at our school last summer. He had seen my pens at an art show and wanted to do this with his students. Our schedules never lined up so I was never able to demonstrate pen turning before school started and the weather got cold. Before I knew it, my name was thrown out in the school newsletter.
Information is one of the best things you can impart.
Favorite sites for wood/pen parts
Information sites (IAP of course)
Pen vises
Barrell trimming
Sanding/materials
Finishes
Assembly
Those are all things beginning penturners will value. (It would have saved me a lot of money on stuff that I don't really need.)
Just make sure you get their significant others to sign the release form. (You know, the one that releases you from any responsibility for their partners long and sustained absences in the shop.) [:D][;)]
 
Have everyone coming to the next meeting bring blanks to trade and swap, at least it will lead to interesting conversation AND you will get some new woods to work with. Also has no real cost involved.
 
Just make it the starting point for future discussions, a get to know you what are you interested in session.

Drew

Originally posted by thewishman
<br />Last month I sent an email to my wood turning club leadership committee asking for an area (or a table) for pen turners to gather and talk as a part of our monthly club meeting. TODAY I got an email announcing the topics for our March meeting - for March 13. Here is a quote from the email sent to all 200+ club members:

We will also offer the first (of many) sessions of the "Pen Turners Corner". The new special interest group will be coordinated by Chris Cannon.

GULP! This is the first I heard of it!

Does anyone have a suggestion or two for starting out on this? Bear in mind that the meeting is 4 days away and there is no $ in the budget.

Chris
Click to expand...
 
The meeting went well. I shared my favorite websites on a handout and several people stopped by to talk. Thank you for the suggestions.

Next month a turner will demonstrate casting acrylics and in May another member will demo making polymer clay pens. It was a nice low-key start.

Chris
 
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