Cindy Drozda Nov 2014 Demo At Craobh Eo

It was a great privilege to welcome Cindy Drozda to our chapter for what was an eagerly awaited demo.

She chose to make her signature finial box for the evening and came well prepared with a very informative slideshow presentation that went parallel to her demo. She discussed in detail the different elements of a finial and pinpointed three contact points on the finial that should meet on a curve for it to look impressive.

 

She warmed up by showing us how to make the main cuts in her finials, vees, coves and beads. Then she moved on to making the finial part of the box and worked from the outside or top down. She stressed that there was no going back once done as sufficient bulk had to be left to support the turning at all times. The finial was also supported by the spare hand and cuts had to be undertaken with care but firm intent.

The next task was to turn and glue a laminated insert at the top of the box for the lid to fit into. It turned out really nice.

Shaping of the bottom followed with the lid in place. Some work could be done around the edge of the lid but if further shaping was required closer to the finial the lid had to be taped on with a good quality masking tape.

Shaping of the bottom was achieved by reversing the box into a jam chuck. Then the foot was glued onto the box and finished. The final task was to reverse the lid into the jam chuck, finish the inside and insert a little diamond into it.

Follow the demo in the photos below.

It was a wonderful demo. The finial was quiet small in size and the accuracy achieved was truly impressive. No chances were taken and tailstock was used or masking tape to support work throughout the demo. This is a lesson for us all.

Finally Cindy encouraged us to continue to share our skills as she has done with us so woodturning could continue to grow and prosper at an amazing rate.

This was the last stop on her Irish tour as she returned home the following day. We hope she takes many fond memories back with her and we look forward to seeing her again in the near future. Thank you Cindy.