Seventeen members of the Cork Chapter of
the Guild travelled to Glenn Lucas’s Woodturning
Study Centre in Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow recently for a day of
demonstrations.
To use the old phrase that was usually used
in reports of events in the provincial papers many years ago, “a good time was
had by all”.
From the outset Glenn spared nothing and
his top-class teaching method, his willingness to share his knowledge and
experience and his humorous asides quickly put us all at our ease.
For the morning session Glenn started with
some spindle turning and the boring of a lamp.
This was followed fairly closely by the subject of his 4th
D.V.D., ‘Traditional Irish Platter’
from his ‘Mastering Woodturning’
series but with the added advantage that we, his audience, could ask questions
and even have a sequence of the procedure repeated.
Immediately after a delicious lunch
prepared by Glenn’s wife, Cornelia, ably assisted by his children Isabelle and
Matthew, Glenn gave a demonstration of cutting up a tree with the chainsaw.
Back inside the workshop our host then went
through the turning of a bowl.
Throughout all of the topics covered the choice of the tools being used,
the best way to hold them and use them, the sharpening of them and the care of
them was dealt with in detail.
I am certain that nobody, even the most
experienced turner among us, left that workshop on the day without having
learned something. One of the senior
members of the Chapter was heard to say that in all the years he has been
attending workshops that day was the best he had ever experienced.
Thank you Glenn, Cornelia and family for
your wonderful hospitality - I must mention the fresh scones and tea/coffee on
arrival – your generosity in imparting the great knowledge you have acquired
and your friendship.
Thank you too to the 37th Cork
Scout Group (Togher) for the use of the mini-bus. It added greatly to the day and the banter
and fun between all of us made the journey seem quite short and certainly
enjoyable. Thanks too to our Hon.
Secretary, Mick Bouchier, who did all the organising.
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| The entire group from Cork, with Glenn Lucas. |