Once again, we had the services of Pat Walsh as our guest demonstrator at our February meeting and Pat never ceases to surprise me with his turning skill and his innovative ideas. This time Pat came up with a decorated bowl and when I saw the sample bowl which he passed around at the beginning, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how it was done. Now perhaps some of you have seen Pat do this before, I certainly hadn’t and I couldn’t wait to find out how he achieved this result as he went through the stages. First a blank of beech around 200mmx75mm was mounted on a screw chuck and Pat started to cut the outside shape, explaining as he worked the shape he wanted to reach. As the shape developed, he showed his use of negative edged scrapers to get a fine finish, at the same time telling us the use of sandpaper from 80 grit up was not the mortal sin preached by some turners. This bowl was to be painted so Pat spent o lot of time on the finish explaining how the tiniest flaw in the grain would show up, he then gave it a couple coats of sanding sealer. The next step was to reverse the bowl on the lathe and hollow it out, first a bowl gouge then finishing with a negative edged scraper and sanding. Pat had kept it heavy walled as he intended to let the paint come up half way over the edge and the inside, he finished this with a clear gloss lacquer. The top of the bowl was blanked off, then a demarcation line etched about halfway on the edge then Pat sprayed the outside of the bowl with a black acrylic lacquer saying as he worked his preference for a satin finish on pieces like this. When dry, the bowl was marked out in four segments, two of these, opposite to each other were blanked off with masking tape, then came the part I was waiting for. From a box Pat produced a number of ladies’ fishnet stockings in various patterns, then selecting the one he wanted, stretched this evenly across the bowl tying it on the chuck and the bowl top. With a white acrylic lacquer Pat sprayed in the two uncovered segments and when dry, removed the net stocking and then the masking tape to reveal a beautiful decorated bowl, the photos I am including testify to this. Thank you Pat for sharing your concepts with us, opening up a range of ways to enhance our turnings, always a pleasure to attend your demonstrations.
Pat Gannon.
The monthly competition results are as follows. Advanced 1st Cecil Barron, 2nd Chris Hayes
Novice section 1st Shay Clarke, 2nd Cathal Ryan.
That’s it for this month, check the website for any announcements through the month, until the next meeting work safe.
