Enough about tools! So, which AAW demo rotation did you like best???

[John Keeton]

We have all gloated about the money we dropped at the symposium - much to the chagrin of those non-attendees (had to stick that it!:cool:), but now we need to hear about the demos!!! What did you attend, and what did you like best?

I will go ahead and confess - Steve and I spent most of our time in the vendor area (for some reason, an unusual amount of it at the Robust booth!;):cool:) and that put us in close proximity to Dave Schweitzer (D-Way Tools) who was demoing on the Robust. I had communicated with Dave before, and had seen his work, so I was drawn to his demos.

I attended Dave's Hollow Forms and Finials session (with Steve) and I took in part of the off axis demo - had to stand in the hall and look in - not easy for a short guy! I was phenomenally impressed!! Dave took a piece of wood to a hollow form, with a finial lid, in 1.5 hours. And, the interior was as smooth as the outside, which was easily 150 grit smooth. I missed his fluting session, but wish I had done that one, too.

I also attended David Nittman's airbrush session. He did two, and I missed the first phase - wish I had attended that one, as well. The one I attended was excellent.

Also, saw the threading session (Duane Hill), and it was fair, as well as spending a few minutes in many others, including Ellsworth. Overall, I thought the sessions were of high quality, though many of them were not of interest to me.

I guess the one thing I appreciated is that both Dave and David Nittman had booths in the vendor area, as did many of the other artists that were in rotation. Folks, that is work!!! Fortunately, most of them had help, but still....a lot of work, considering most of them are doing their demo stuff in the vendor area when they are not in rotation.

So, what did you like best, and why??

[Doug W Swanson]

I went to quite a few of the demo's but the two I liked best were by David Ellsworth and Trent Bosch. The Ellsworth demo was about turning a hollow form from a log and the Bosch demo was a starburst bowl. Both instructors were very informative and gave some simple tips that would work on just about any type of turning. Granted they have been turning for a long time but they were pretty helpful to a relative newby like me.

A couple other good ones were by Malcolm Tibbetts on segmenting and Nick Cook on peppermills and salt shakers. Again, I picked up a few tips from them as well.

JMO

[Scott Hackler]

I had intended to attend about 7 demos. I had the schedule highlighted and circled so I wouldn't miss them. Well the only one I made it to was Trent Bosch's vessels of illusions! ooooops! Trent is a very good demonstrator and although I didn't have much to compare him to, I thought he did a good job. His demo also cost me $150, because I promptly went to his booth and bought is chuck holder for caving! Great guy to talk to as well.

I did watch and visit with one of my turning idols, Molly Winton. I don't know exactly what it is about her pieces but I am EXTREMELY drawn to her work. If fact I was very close to doing something unthinkable....buying a turning! I held off the urge but someday I will likey own a piece from her. She was also very friendly and helpful in discussing wood bruners. That conversation cost me $185 for a new wood burner. But I was looking for one anyway so it was nice to hear the opinion of a master.

Most of the time I was in the instant gallery gawking around or in the vendor room gawking and buying OR running into my friends from home and from here and got too busy caught up in conversation!

There were several demos that I really wish I would have remembered to attend but I dont regret the activities that I did instead.

It did seem that some of the demos were standing room only and I would have been slightly disappoints to attend one only to be seated or standing in the back of the room. I like to see things up close and NOT off a camera!

[charlie knighton]

my highlights for the first day were Todd Hoyer's Turning Crotches. he definetly looks and sees wood in a deferent way and has developed a jig for turning these highly figured pieces from small ( 4 inches ) to large ( 3 or 4 feet ). Also i attended Rob Wallace's wood id rotation. this was highly informative and a place to start a collection of wood samples and what to look for. Rob will take the years off of you, you are transformed back to the days of a classroom, very polished.

the second day i attended a panel discussion with Jerry Kermode, James Santhon, and Mark Supik titled Unknown Woodturner - Furn and Arch. it was eyeopening. if you ever get to baltimore and i am trying to find excuse to go, see Mark Supik operation. Also i attended Chris Stott's Inlaid Box rotation. very good and he made it look effortlessly.

Sunday, John Jordan's Aesthetics & Properties of Wood rotation was the one rotation that i picked up more everyday useful information. His work has always been one of my favorites.

one piece in the instant gallery i liked was a burl with a limb of about 3 feet sticking out of it (i believe it was by David Nittman).

[kenneth walker]

So steve is getting a Robust lathe?

[John Keeton]

So steve is getting a Robust lathe?Kenneth, check out this thread!! http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?168319-Steve-Schlumpf-We-want-to-know-the-truth!!

[Jeff Nicol]

Well I had good intentions to see more demos also, but a couple I went to were plain boring and more for a novice turner and I did not stay those. Can't even remember who they were, but I did see Trent Bosch, who was awesome, Michael Houslak who was funny, gracious and a bit frazzled at the time of the demo. He had just gotten all of his stuff in the room and was barely ready for the demo, due to the NHL draft was in the same venue the night before. It really created some issues for the demonstrators. I went to the one on Rose engines the presenter was Bill Ooms it was full of information on how to lay things out on the rose engine and on his websie he has free programs that will help you to understand what to do and when to do it. My Dad built one that the plans are online for free called the MDF Rose engine, but of course some day, in a solar system far far away I want to build one, more dreams! I also saw Nick Cook do a pepper mill and a salt shaker that was very cool, good info and a fast turner, but answered questions on the fly and kept us all interested from start to finish. The one other I went to was Claude Lethiecq, he does the incredible "Chinese" ball sculptures, he was very interesting, but it was basically just a lecture with slides and diagrams on how to make the tools and how to begin and end. I think there were a lot of people who went to it that thought it was going to be a simple thing, but the fact is they take a long time to do and you must be very meticulous in your tool making and presentation to the wood. So there was a lot of questions asked that were not to the level of the information Claude was giving us, not for new turners I guess is what I mean. So it bogged him down and he was a bit hard of hearing, and after about 3 times of telling people to speak up and they still kept asking questions like meek little mice!! Others would just yell out the questions so he could hear, it was way over some of their heads for sure! Just my opinion, I need to learn a lot more myself to even get to his skill level and patience!

So now that I have rambled on like a dime store novelist......thats all folks,

Jeff

[Greg Just]

I really enjoyed Al Stirt and Malcolm Tibbetts. Jim Sannerud made Scandinavian shrink boxes which was an interesting method of using green wood. Probably my favorite 2 sessions were working in the Youth Room. Now I might be a little biased as my son was there, but I was impressed seeing the young turners come up with some interesting designs. With the Minnesota Woodturners Association as the host club this year, members were asked to volunteer to assist and I chose the Youth room. It was a rewarding 3 hours.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

My top 3 were Graeme Priddle, J.Paul Fernnell, & David Nittman. Nittmans was a non turning class room type lecture on color. It was delivered in a highly energetic way that keep moving at a good pace. Very good information if your interested in color, as many of you here know that I am. If you have no interest in color you would have been bored out of your head.
As for Priddle & Fennell all I can say is WOW what Masters!! I'd go to both again in a heart beat.

[George Morris]

John Jorden was a great demo saw both of his.

[Jeff Fagen]

I watched the entire demo by J.Paul Fennell,embellishing hollow forms,taking it to the next level.
And boy did he,he showed how to make basket weave patterns and many other intricate patterns in a form using a dental power tool.
I watched Ashley Harwood turn a green bowl.....or something.....aahhh I remember curlys flying through the air.
It wasn't so much what she turned....it was kind of....aaaa...the way she turned it ....I think. ;)

[John Keeton]

I watched Ashley Harwood turn a green bowl.....or something.....aahhh I remember curlys flying through the air.
It wasn't so much what she turned....it was kind of....aaaa...the way she turned it ....I think. ;)Jeff, I also recall watching Ashley turn something, but for the life of me, I don't recall what it was.;) Actually, I think I watched her turn the same thing twice - not sure about that either!:D

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Most would be glad to see Ashley turn, with out even having a lathe.:p

[Marc Himes]

I had a great time at the symposium. The instant gallery was the highlight for me, but the trade show, meeting other turners and fellow Creekers was great too. I attended demos by John Jordan on hollow forms and fluting which were very informative but as others have noted lead to the purchase of some of his tools. I aslo went to Dave Schweitzer's demo on spiral fluting which I think was my favorite dome. I like the way he marked out the design on his piece using his indexing system and a compass. I also like his use of abrasives in the creation of the flutes. Several of the members of our local chapter were there and sharing the experience with them enriched my own.

Marc Himes

[charlie knighton]

Sturart Batty's whole setup was...... i am searching for a word. the multiply tv cameras, lighting, $1800 belt sharpener......maybe amazing is the word i am looking for......but add in Ashley and even Sturart gets lost in the shuffle.......i guess it just goes to show that there is no one way to turn or have a rotation. break a leg.....no thats show business not turning

[John Keeton]

Charlie - you are right about the setup - first class all the way. I was impressed and wonder how much he had invested in the equipment. I don't recall counting the various flatscreen monitors, each with a different camera angle, but I suspect it was 5 or more. And, the whole booth was hi-tech - great sound system - the works. And, he consistently drew a crowd - moreso, when Ashley was turning!

[Dave Schweitzer]

We have all gloated about the money we dropped at the symposium - much to the chagrin of those non-attendees (had to stick that it!:cool:), but now we need to hear about the demos!!! What did you attend, and what did you like best?

I will go ahead and confess - Steve and I spent most of our time in the vendor area (for some reason, an unusual amount of it at the Robust booth!;):cool:) and that put us in close proximity to Dave Schweitzer (D-Way Tools) who was demoing on the Robust. I had communicated with Dave before, and had seen his work, so I was drawn to his demos.

I attended Dave's Hollow Forms and Finials session (with Steve) and I took in part of the off axis demo - had to stand in the hall and look in - not easy for a short guy! I was phenomenally impressed!! Dave took a piece of wood to a hollow form, with a finial lid, in 1.5 hours. And, the interior was as smooth as the outside, which was easily 150 grit smooth. I missed his fluting session, but wish I had done that one, too.

I also attended David Nittman's airbrush session. He did two, and I missed the first phase - wish I had attended that one, as well. The one I attended was excellent.

Also, saw the threading session (Duane Hill), and it was fair, as well as spending a few minutes in many others, including Ellsworth. Overall, I thought the sessions were of high quality, though many of them were not of interest to me.

I guess the one thing I appreciated is that both Dave and David Nittman had booths in the vendor area, as did many of the other artists that were in rotation. Folks, that is work!!! Fortunately, most of them had help, but still....a lot of work, considering most of them are doing their demo stuff in the vendor area when they are not in rotation.

So, what did you like best, and why??
Thanks, John I know about that short thing you are talking about I am vertically challenged also. About all I seen was my demo room and booth and a whole lot of wonderful PEOPLE. So for me the highlight was the people. Sorry about the full room I ask for more chairs at one time but no luck. Thanks to all that attended my rotations. I had a blast.
Dave.

[Jim Heikes]

I saw quite a few of the demos but it would be impossible to say which was the best. I saw Ellsworth, Jordan. Bosch, Houslak, Stirt. Cook, Fennell, and Harwood among others plus Clewes in the vendor area. If I was forced to vote I would say Ellsworth and Jordan plus Jimmy in the Choice Woods vendor booth.

With that all said I still smoked my CC beyond repair. Unfortunately I only had a carry on for the flight soooo I'm waiting impatiently for USPS, UPS and FEDEX to deliver my goodies from CSUSA, John Jordan, Doug Thompson, Choice Woods, Mike Smith, EWT, and Carter. :):):):eek::eek::eek::D:D:D

[John Keeton]

Wow, Jim! You may get the prize for the number of different vendors patronized! Hope it all gets there soon.

JK

[Bob Bergstrom]

I did the video for 7 demos. I was only suppose to do 5, but between the poor cameras and the bad lighting in the ballrooms, I kept volunteering to switch out the camera for my own. It is a Canon Gl 2 and gave the viewers a much better picture. It also gave me the best seat in the room. I did two of Al Stirts, two of Chris Stott, one of Trent Boesch, one for J. Paul Fennell. StirT, and Stott were masters with a gouge. Stirt put a dozon beads on the bottom of a platter in less than two minutes. All Look exactly the same. Stott made a complete box with a lid in less than a minute. His record is 29 seconds. Boesch and Fennell were best at Carving the turning.

[John Keeton]

I forgot about you having a prime seat for many of the demos, Bob!! Great experience - even if you did have to work through it.

[Justin Stephen]

Let's see, I went to see demos from Malcolm Tibbets, J. Paul Fennell, Al Stirt, John Jordan, Hayley Smith, David Schweitzer, Michael Hosaluk and Ray Key, in some cases more than one for a couple of them. Almost without exception, they were all very good and I took a lot of notes. There was one that I found to be a bit of a waste of my time, but I shall decline to name the instructor. I have seen Ellsworth in person before and had the pleasure of spending three days at a workshop with Trent Bosch earlier this year at his shop in Colorado so I skipped those two. I also got to be the laptop/slide guy for Hosaluk since I was already in the front row and admitted knowing how to use a Mac when the remote could not be found.

My personal favorite demo was the one I went to done by Fennell.

[Alan Trout]

I did a lot of the panel discussions which I liked and learned a lot. Not a particular favorite but all were good.

Alan