September 12th 2020:
Prescott Area Woodturners met at the YEI building, 6708 Corsair in the Prescott Airpark on Saturday August 12, 2020. 28 folks attended, all of us glad to be able to get back to what passes for normal these days.
President Barry Walter called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. He welcomed everyone and asked our three visitors to stand and be recognized.
Treasurer Dennis Egan announced that Bruce Potter was the first member to pay his dues for next year. Dennis also said that we have $3,871 in the bank.
Sales Director Dan Hall said, “I’ve got nothin’.” The latest event to be canceled was the November sale at the Old Armory with the Spinners and Weavers. He was asked to inquire about the Farmer’s Market, and reported that their fee is 10% of sales.
Program Director Doug Rowe asked for volunteers to do short demos at the Mini-Symposium scheduled for the October meeting. Please contact Doug at dougthewoodturner@gmail.com or 602-501-2878 if you would be willing to share and idea.
Bruce Potter was in charge of collecting donated bowls for the 2020 Empty Bowls Event. The event is on line this year, and they are doing well. Apparently our bowls are selling out! Bruce will continue to collect Empty Bowls donations throughout the year. He will pick up bowls at any regular meeting and/or at Tuesday Breakfast. Bruce has even offered to meet you wherever you say in order to collect more bowls.
Safety Coordinator Dean Humphrey talked about his club publication of Safety’s Turn. The next issue will be about lighting, and Dean would like to receive tips from you.
Vice President Ken Allen announced that a box of wood has been donated. He suggested that, if you take two pieces, one of those should come back as a donation to Empty Bowls. One particular piece of alder wood intrigued Bill Kram so much that he wants to see the resulting piece created from it.
Barry Walter then introduced Chad Schimmel from Turner’s Warehouse in Gilbert, AZ.
Chad’s demonstration today was all about working with resins. His first words were about safety. He stressed that there can be a reaction when working with these components, and a respirator should be worn. Work should also be done in a well ventilated area and it is good to wear gloves.
Chad said that working with resins can be expensive to get started. His store sells all the supplies needed. Because of the expense, it is important to decide what you want to make and the size, so that you don’t buy more material than you are going to use.
Working with resin creates air pockets. The Pressure Pot forces the air out. It is possible to create pieces with resin without using a pressure pot, but it is always recommended.On this day Chad used Alumalite, which costs about $80.00 per gallon and does require a pressure pot. Apoxy is a thermo cure product, but about as expensive as Amumalite. Polyester Resin is reminiscent of the coating used on boats. It is less expensive, smells awful, and it not worth the trouble.
Chad passed samples of the mica used to color resin. He then mixed a batch of resin in order to demonstrate a Color Drop. Using gloves, he poured a small amount of the mixed resin into paper cups, then added color. The rest of the batch went into a flat mold. He poured the colors over the mold just before he took a break.
After the break, Chad talked about differences and qualities of pressure pots. He pointed out that paint pots can be used but they have a curved bottom that requires an insert to place the molds flat inside whereas casting pressure pots have a flat bottom that makes it easier to get the molds level.
He did one more pour demonstration into a square mold that will make 4 or 5 pen blanks after solidifying and cutting apart. He mixed the Alumalite and then poured part of it into 3 mixing containers with red, white and blue dyes. He poured the clear solution into the mold then drizzled the 3 colors across the top in lines, several times for each color. Using a popsicle stick, he marbled the dyes before putting it in the pressure pot.
Chad noticed that the resin got hot faster and thickened faster than at his shop in Gilbert, which prompted a discussion about the impact of temperature and elevation on the process. He concluded that the Prescott area elevation may shorten the working time for our local resin users. He showed the final product after it was processed.
The meeting ended with Chad thanking us for the opportunity to demonstrate for the club and members thanking him for sharing his expertise.
The meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Marge Hunt, Secretary