2015 Survey results from 60 members

Members’ work status

• Working: 25%
• Retired: 75%

How long have members been turning?

• Fewer than 5 years: 28%
• 5 to 7 years: 17%
• 8 to 10 years: 5%
• More than 10 years: 30%

Other clubs members have joined

• AAW: 50%
• Others: 15%
  • Richmond Penturners
  • Tidewater Turners, Honolulu Woodturners
  • Tidewater Turners
  • Central Virginia Woodturners

Types of turning members enjoy

• Bowl: 60%
• Hollow form: 22%
• Plates / platters: 22%
• Spindle: 27%
• Lidded box: 23%
• Decorative / art form: 13%
• Other: 13%
  • Enjoy learning
  • Finials
  • Christmas Ornaments Pens
  • Pens
  • Segmented
  • I really don't don't know how to do anything else.
  • Segmented bowl/vessels/etc
  • Stools
  • Multi axis
  • Functional- fiber tools, etc.
  • Wine bottle stoppers Nutcrackers

Embellishments members do to their turnings

• Carving: 15%
• Coloring: 22%
• Piercing: 8%
• Pyrography / burning: 8%
• Added material: 23%
• Do not embellish: 33%
• Don't know how: 25%

Training members have had

• Members who have had training: 50%
• Training description:
  • David Ellsworth 3 days Bowls and hollow forms David Ellsworth One week Master Class
  • Ernie Conover two day bowl class, John C Campbell Folk School, spent a day each with John Jordan, David Ellsworth, Jimmy Clews, and others, numerous seminars
  • Arrowmount for 1 week
  • Symposia, Demonstrations
  • Woodcraft clases
  • Seminars with John Jordan, David Ellsworth, Jimmy Clewes
  • Bowl turning at Woodcraft One-week lathe class at John C Campbell Folk School
  • Basic classes at Norfolk Woodcraft
  • Classes at Woodcraft Class taught by Barbara Dill at Richmond Visual Arts Center
  • Classes at Woodcraft and with the clubs
  • The intro to bowl turning that Ray Deyo teaches at Woodcraft and another intro to turning class.
  • Several courses at Woodcraft Richmond
  • Sort of. I have taken the classes at Woodcraft but that is it.
  • High school
  • Club and mentorship
  • Woodcraft classes (Bowl gouge w/ Ray Deyo)
  • Numerous one classes
  • woodcraft classes, turning classes from guest speakers
  • Various classes
  • Earnie Conover, High School Shop, Woodcraft courses
  • Arrowmont x 3 in the early 90's, many symposiums and classes
  • College courses and Woodcraft courses.
  • I have learned by self-directed practice, and watching a lot of you-tube videos.
  • Three day beginner class with Allen Lacer @ Marc Adams.
  • Classes at Woodcraft
  • Classes at Woodcraft and John C Campbell school
  • Woodcraft classes, hands-on turning with visiting professionals
  • Lots of DVD's
  • 2 classes with Ray Deyo at Woodcraft
  • Classes at Woodcraft, Arrowmont
  • Two courses at J.C. Campbell school
  • Class at Woodcraft

Demos members have done

• Members who have done demos: 38%
• Demo description:
  • Virginia Woodturners Inc Classroom and mentoring formats; Richmond Woodturners
  • Club demos, store demos
  • RIC Club
  • Local club, state symposium
  • Richmond wood turners
  • Richmond woodturners, Richmond Penturners, Mid Atlantic Penturners Gathering
  • Scrolling pen blanks for the penturning group at Woodcraft
  • Pen blank casting for the Richmond Penturners
  • November turn-a-thon at Tidewater Turners, 2 years (not a formal demonstration - more a show and tell to interested parties)
  • club demos
  • Chesterfield county fair Forestry Camp
  • Various public demonstrations as part of the Tidewater Turners
  • Richmond Woodtuners,Tidewater turners, central Va. Woodtuners. Va Woodturning Symposium
  • Natural edge bowls and vessels, flat cantine-type vases
  • Richmond group, VA annual woodturners, local demos a a nearby shop, demos at a local store.
  • Richmond & Tidewater turners
  • Richmond Woodturners
  • national and state symposiums, clubs
  • Within our neighborhood - one-on- one; 3 to 15 persons
  • Christmas ornaments and braclets
  • Letter opener handles @ Richmond Woodturners (RW) Making beads and coves @ RW (more than ten years ago)
  • Carving

Members who have attended symposia

• State/regional: 32%
• National: 17%

Distance members travel to meetings

• Less than 5 miles: 5%
• 6 to 10 miles: 5%
• 11 to 20 miles: 23%
• Over 20 miles: 48%

What members want to learn or improve

• Bowls / platters: 18%
• Hollow forms: 43%
• Lidded boxes: 32%
• Finishing: 0%
• Tool control: 30%
• Coloring: 18%
• Embellishing: 17%
  • Currently color but want to develop sun burst colorations, gold/silver, leaf applications, adding foreign materials to accent turnings
  • carving
  • spiraling tools etc
  • Adding other materials like epoxies, metal, contrasting woods
  • Piercing, dyes, added materials, segments.
  • Vacuum chucking
  • chatter tools
• Other: 5%
  • Advanced techniques from nationally/internationally known turners
  • Tips chucking, reading wood for lathe turning,
  • spindle
  • Piece design/form/proportions
  • learn to use skew
  • tool sharpening,

Members’ lathe specs

• Brand:
  • Delta
  • Delta Long Bed
  • Delta midi - that is all I know
  • delta midi w/bed extension
  • Jet
  • Jet 1221
  • Jet mini & Nova
  • Jet mini and Nova 1625-44
  • John Jordan Stubby
  • Laguna
  • Nova
  • Nova 16-24/44
  • Nova 1624
  • Nova dvr
  • Nova DVR XP
  • Oliver
  • Oneway
  • Oneway 2436
  • PM 3520 and Delta 46-460
  • PM 3520B
  • Powermatic
  • Powermatic 3520
  • Powermatic 3520B
  • Record CL3
  • Rikon
  • Rockwell
  • Shopsmith
  • Shopsmith & Jet (mini)
• Swing:
  • 10
  • 10, 18
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 16
  • 18
  • 20
  • 20, 12
  • 24
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
• Distance between centers:
  • 12
  • 16
  • 24
  • 30
  • 35
  • 36
  • 40
  • 42
  • 44
  • 48
  • 54
• Headstock taper
  • Morse #3: 2%
  • Morse #2: 72%
  • Morse #1: 2%
  • None: 0%
• Spindle thread
  • 33mm: 8%
  • 1.25" x 8: 40%
  • 1" x 8: 22%
  • 3/4" x 16: 2%
  • 5/8" smooth: 2%

Members’ favorite tool

• Scraper (including Easywood tools): 7%
• Spindle gouge: 15%
• Bowl gouge: 45%
• Skew: 3%
• Hollowing tool: 0%
• Other: 2%

Do members use Easywood tools?

• Yes: 22%
• No: 78%

Members use these specialty tools

• Hollowing rig: 30%
• Coring system: 25%
• Threading system: 12%
• Steady rest: 37%
• Vacuum chuck: 18%
• Buffing system: 53%

Members want to know more about the specialty tools above

• all
• All of these
• Coring system
• Hollowing rig
• threading system
• vacuum chuck
• vacuum chuck and buffing system
• Vacuum chuck and threading system
• vacuum chuck, hollowing rig
• Vacuum chuck, steady rest, and any sort of system to turn off the tenons!

Members who are willing to participate

• Do a demo: 40%
• Collaborate on a turning: 63%
• Serve on a committee: 42%