Volunteering and Mentoring

Badger Woodturners is a very active club and our activities depend on our volunteers.
Mentoring at West High is just one of many opportunities.
The Jefferson Program, teaching turning to home schooled and 4H students is also looking for volunteers.
The Wood Show in October is needing volunteers for pen turning, running our sales tables and demonstrations.
And, we are always looking for demonstrators here or individuals that would do a demo at another Wisconsin Club in our
exchange program.

Get involved, have fun
Contact Cyndi or Alex.

Badger Woodturners

Wig Stand Project

Members of the Badger Woodturners Club have decided that we would like to join other AAW clubs in supporting cancer patients by turning and decorating wig stands that can be provided to patients through various organizations that work with cancer patients. “Many of us have family or friends who have struggled with cancer and know the importance to the patient of feeling supported. This project is a small way that we can show our concern and encourage people undergoing cancer therapy.”

The wig stands are a simple construction of a base that is wide enough and heavy enough to provide stability, a top that is lighter and very smooth so that the hair of the wig does not get caught and a spindle that connects the two. The stands can be plain wood or painted and decorated, but need to be covered with a waterproof finish.

The wig stands will look better esthetically if the spindle flows into the top and the base and the diameter of the spindle matches the diameter of the top or the base where they meet. This requires some design consideration while turning the spindle.

Click Here for full instructions and notes:

Wig Stand Instructions Rev 1.pdf

In researching the turning of wig stands, several means of mounting the top and base were considered including the use of a regular tenon, a recessed tenon, a screw chuck or trapped between centers using cone centers or a jamb chuck. The simplest method that we found was to create a jam chuck that could be held in a four jaw chuck that utilizes a tenon sized to snuggly fit into the ¾ inch hole that will be drilled into the top and the base to connect the spindle. This allows multiple tops and bases to be turned using the same jam chuck. The dimensions of the jam chuck can also be sized to assist in determining the diameters of the portion of wood that will interface with the spindle. This method of mounting allows batches of tops and basses to be cut on a band saw and drilled on a drill press to be supplied to members that don’t have access to this equipment.

Turning Tutors

We want to ramp up our member-to-member exchange of skills and knowledge in the club. Turning Tutors is a fantastic way for you to grow your turning skills, make new connections and meet great people. BWT has award-winning, expert turners and intermediate level turners who, at no cost, are willing to share their expertise one-to-one with other club members.

A tutoring relationship might be as simple as getting a member’s advice in a one-time conversation, or it might include regular hands-on sessions over a lathe. The exact nature is up to you and your tutor. If you feel you could learn from a fellow club member, organize your thoughts about your needs and contact an appropriate volunteer tutor to determine if they are match and available. It may be possible to schedule a session over zoom. The members of BWT are eager to share what they know and love! So, take advantage of this great and varied wealth of knowledge!

As BWT has two ongoing mentoring programs at West High School and Jefferson we are going to use Turning Tutors for those who want to do “member to member” skills and knowledge exchange. There, no doubt, will be many members who do both types of teaching.

Open to BWT members log in for more information and to find a Tutor. TutorsPage

WIT-Women In Turning

WIT is dedicated to encouraging and assisting women in their pursuit of turning, to sharing ideas and processes to further members' skills and creativity, and to increasing participation of women in the field of woodturning. WIT itself is a committee of the American Association of Woodturners.Badger Woodturners welcomes women of all skill levels to come to the meetings, learn woodturning and have some fun.

If you want to learn more about WIT click here. WIT Home Page at AAW

Volunteering and Mentoring

Turning Tutors

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