Wood turning magazine

I am a member of the Bedford saw and tool company wood turning club, probably the most non PC club around. We have a chairman, Roy boulton, we are not sure who the secretary is supposed to be but the shop owners wife sorts out the subs otherwise it wouldn't get done and the demo turners are sorted out by the shop owner Tony. The club constitution comprises, should it ever have been committed to paper, that, this club shall not join the AWGB!

Anyway, the demo turners schedule for the year has just been published and Mark Baker returns to the club on February 8. He's a good demo turner and, following recent posts about paste wax sanders, is an advocate of sanding with rhino grip and a mix of lemon oil and finishing oil. I might take the opportunity to bring up the subject of the magazine!

Sounds like a good club Neil, the one I joined is a bit archaic but I'm trying to bring it into the 21st century and am currently building them a web site www.weston-woodturning-cirlce.co.uk.

It would be good to hear his thoughts on the magazine.

I just had a look at Bedford Tool & Saw - Tools, Saw Accessories, Woodworking Neil. You are lucky to have a good supplier and a club in one. Also I've been wondering where to get my blade sharpened so I'll be giving them a call tomorrow.

Had someone ask - Mark Baker is the editor

Neil said:

The club constitution comprises, should it ever have been committed to paper, that, this club shall not join the AWGB!

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[rant]When I first started turning I joined the AWGB. Now and again they sent me a "magazine" printed on toilet paper that consisted almost entirely of obituaries and pompous b*££*cks about competitions I had no intention of entering. I could perceive no other benefits so I never renewed my subscription. As for the RPT, it is patently obvious that my cat could get membership if he knew whose ar$e to lick and their eligibilty criteria clearly indicate that they have no perception of what "professional" actually means, so in my opinion there is no credible professional body for woodturners in the UK.[/rant]

Just for the record I have no axe to grind having never wished to join either organisation. I just think it is a pity there is not some form of professional organisation or qualification for wood turners that requires some rather more rigorous measure of their competence as turners and their integrity as business people. I would not employ a plumber whose qualifications derived from the fact that he earned a lot of money from plumbing and his mates thought he was quite good at it so why should I consider those to be reasonable criteria to warrant the appelation "professional" when applied to woodturning.

Just my opinion.

I agree with you Walter regarding the AWGB. I have been a member for this last year and have decided not to renew my membership.
As you say you get a magazine every quarter filled with drivel and apart from that I honestly think there are no benefits whatsoever !!!!!

I've been considering forming the Guild of Unprofessional Wood Scrapers but I'm not sure what the membership criteria and grades should be

Terry said:

I agree with you Walter regarding the AWGB. I have been a member for this last year and have decided not to renew my membership.
As you say you get a magazine every quarter filled with drivel and apart from that I honestly think there are no benefits whatsoever !!!!!

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I only do it because I get it free till I an 19

Never have never will generally these things are full of a load of crap by a load constipated self proclaimed wa**ers who don't know there armhole from there elbow so there thats me done by

Terry said:

I honestly think there are no benefits whatsoever !!!!!

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As a member I believe you can get discounts from turning suppliers who are corporate members of the AWGB, not sure how it works but I have seen reference to this on their site.
Also you can sign up for one of their free training courses which are held around the country.

I appreciate that the above isn't that massive a bonus but they are a small charity who are trying to bring woodturning to more of the population through hands on events & stalls at shows etc, raising the profile of woodturning is of benefit to everyone who turns, so I'm happy to support them with my membership subscription.

I'm certainly not saying it is a perfect set up, but it's run by volunteers who are at least trying to give something back to turning.

As for professional bodies, maybe years ago they may have meant something to some people and maybe in the days of apprenticeship etc they might have been worthwhile.
These days its hard to know what is a professional body (a company can and does give themselves a professional body sounding name, Ie: Guild, Association, board etc) and just be after your money.
I have been a so called member of such places all I ever got was a fancy badge to stick on my van and they took my money fro the privilege of displaying it.

I took a pat course before making myself unemployed, this course cost me £350 to tell me what I already knew and give me a piece of paper to confirm that I knew it.
Having passed and achieved a certificate I now have to pay to join the organisation as I cannot practice without their consent this is another £800 for the consent to work.
Now do I want a badge for my van and some invoice paper and the logo on my website etc that'll be another £1,400 please.
Now i can confidently go and find some work in the firm knowledge that I have paid and purchased the backup of a proper recognised government body.
No all I have done is given my money for a 1 year license to use someone else's product's (badge, logo etc)
They are no more official than Donald Ducks fan club, I am out there on my own when it comes to finding the work and getting it done.

So you want to start an official body of uk penturners? Does this sound familiar?
Do it somewhere else, this is my hobby and I will defend my right to do what I bloody well want to do in my shed, don't start legislating me at home.

Doug said:

As a member I believe you can get discounts from turning suppliers who are corporate members of the AWGB, not sure how it works but I have seen reference to this on their site.
Also you can sign up for one of their free training courses which are held around the country.

I appreciate that the above isn't that massive a bonus but they are a small charity who are trying to bring woodturning to more of the population through hands on events & stalls at shows etc, raising the profile of woodturning is of benefit to everyone who turns, so I'm happy to support them with my membership subscription.

I'm certainly not saying it is a perfect set up, but it's run by volunteers who are at least trying to give something back to turning.

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Most of the suppliers don't give discounts Doug. Axminster will give discounts but for instance if you wanted to buy a lathe then you would have to get your local woodturning club to buy it and then you would have tp pay the woodturning club. Too much hassle. Regarding being a charity this has onlly happened within the last 4 months or so.!!!!

I agree with Walter but the problem is how do you categorise someone as a professional as opposed to someone who does it for a living? Are there any woodturning qualifications? mandatory courses that should be passed? Until these exist a professional is simply someone who says they're professional. It also needs a professional body that certifies its members and not simply by buying a qualification.

At the end of the day there isn't any legislation so it'll probably never happen but it would be good to have a standard that someone aspires to reach who could then show their badge with honour. Walter, I guess you and several others on this site would be well suited to doing something like this. Courses for a set amount which could be accumulated to get the full amount to get professional status or do a weeks course...

Just a thought.

MikeD said:

I've been considering forming the Guild of Unprofessional Wood Scrapers but I'm not sure what the membership criteria and grades should be

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I think I may have all the qualifications for a successful bid for entry, Mike.

Grump said:

So you want to start an official body of uk penturners?

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I don't think anyone said that Brian, I certainly didn't.

My point is that if people are going to go about calling themselves professionals then they should at the very least have an independent and rigorous process for the assessment of competence as well as of the individuals integrity. Anything else has no more value than the Donald Duck fan club as you rightly say.

In my previous life I was a professional accountant. It required years of study, the passing of examinations, certified experience in various aspects of the profession and character references from other qualified professionals holding senior positions in the profession followed up by the need to demonstrate continued professional development to maintain that competence. Perhaps that might be over the top for a woodturning qualification but in my opinion it certainly requires a great deal more than peer assessment to give oneself the title professional.

paulm said:

Walter, I guess you and several others on this site would be well suited to doing something like this. Courses for a set amount which could be accumulated to get the full amount to get professional status or do a weeks course...

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I would not consider myself competent to set up such a system Paul. I think to do so would require the commitment of the existing bodies to accept the need for a professional qualification and the commitment of individuals to engage in a process of study and assessment leading to certification along the lines of an NVQ or apprenticeship. It would need the backing of a credible awarding body such as City and Guilds or NCFE to give it credence.

I think you're right Walter and it would probably never work anyway. Whilst there are people like me and Brian who would only ever do it as a hobby and sell the occasional pens with no outlay for professional qualification it would be virtually impossible to get going.

I would like to do it with falconry to stop the tw4ts from going and buying eagles and the like after doing a 1,2, 5 for sometimes no course to find that they haven't got a clue and the bird suffers for it. But it just won't happen without Government Legislation.

Over here the term Professional is used for those who make a living from Woodworking there are University Qualifying courses with titles. My Woodturning Guild is not affiliated as such the name originally chosen by a committee much like the Camel theory, it has pretentious overtones but with two hundred and fifty plus members some standing as clubs go. All the Guilds etc in the states were formed with Grandfather clauses admitting the initial office bearers without whom they could not function.

So I call a woodworking person working full time in the business a pro some do have degrees to substantiate. IMHO the honour of being called a Craftsman can surpass many titles and is usually applied to those who are by deed.

Far be it for me to make any judgement or real observation re UK Guilds etc but with pen turning it appears to me a way of satisfying a persons desire to make pens I know of many who are craftsman in this endeavor. The crossover from hobby, profession, craft worker will in my experience be difficult the water is muddied in definitions since true Professional Courses in Woodwork almost ceased in this country draw your own conclusions.

Belonging to XYZ group qualification is commercially influenced as has been said members have to pay the piper. The subject does need airing and a line in the sand drawn but not by commerce or truly unqualified people. As a member of many bodies with titles over the years the most satisfying ones are husband, father and friend.

Kind regards Peter.

paulm said:

I think you're right Walter and it would probably never work anyway. Whilst there are people like me and Brian who would only ever do it as a hobby and sell the occasional pens with no outlay for professional qualification it would be virtually impossible to get going.

I would like to do it with falconry to stop the tw4ts from going and buying eagles and the like after doing a 1,2, 5 for sometimes no course to find that they haven't got a clue and the bird suffers for it. But it just won't happen without Government Legislation.

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Exactly Paul. I don't want to stop anyone from making and selling pens or any other kind of woodturnings either as an amateur or for a living. All I object to is organisations passing themselves off as professional associations when they are nothing of the kind.

With falconry I agree it is high time there was some legislation although my only qualification for saying so is membership of the RSPB and a sense of responsibility for the other creatures that share our planet.

Terry said:

Most of the suppliers don't give discounts Doug. Axminster will give discounts but for instance if you wanted to buy a lathe then you would have to get your local woodturning club to buy it and then you would have tp pay the woodturning club. Too much hassle.

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As I say I wasn't sure how it works though that does sound like a PITA

Terry said:

Regarding being a charity this has onlly happened within the last 4 months or so.!!!!

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I appreciate the charity status is new but it was a long while in the offing, it was mentioned when I joined 2 years ago,but these things do take time.
I'd also mention that the AWGB are undertaking demonstrator courses, one of the members of my local club has attended, bringing up the standard of demonstrators I think is an excellent idea, particularly after the last 2 demo's I've seen.