MSWG August Demo, 8/21/2021
Jeff Brocket, member TAW, Nashville, TN and MSWG
By: Joseph Voda
If you missed the August demo last weekend, we know who you are - there were only 24 members on the ZOOM Interactive Remote Demonstration.
Unfortunately, such IRD meetings are currently unavoidable. As a group, our collective health is a priority and city and county health-distancing requirements cannot be achieved with us all in the facility’s room. This monthly meeting demonstration was broadcast over ZOOM by the technical crew of MSWG, via a well-developed and very professionally presented IRD.
That said, the Board is intent in helping you join ZOOM sessions as they are presented. So, please contact a BoD member for help with a training session.
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Jeff Brocket is known to most of us, either from past demonstrations at MSWG, his involvement in the TAW Symposiums in Franklin, or his past terms as Board Director with AAW. Read more about Jeff Brocket HERE
Of note in his presentation, Jeff pointed out his own personally developed techniques to the process of platters with Beaded Illusion (basket-weave). In a short slide show, Mr. Brockett provided examples of his work, referencing his artistic maturity through chronological references.
Jeff’s first statement was that he prefers to work with hard maple, ash and other woods having fine grain, which improves the crisp lines of the basket illusion. Breaking from the usual tenon and screw-center mounting arrangement, Jeff placed an 8/4 circular blank between a Steb drive center and the tailstock. He turns a recess for tower jaws on his Nova chuck, to hold the platter in expansion mode once the exterior detailing is completed.
Of particular interest to me, is his use of a gentle curve as the preferred shape.
One last item that caught a bit of attention, was “why the red piece of tape on your gouge?” Jeff explained that ALL his tools are color-coded to match specific sharpening jigs with desired angles.
As this is a blog post and not a detailed, wordy recap, and with enlightened guidance from the late Messrs. Fred R. Barnard and Paul Harvey, if “a look is worth a thousand words,” then the accompanying photos will tell “the rest of the story!”
Click on photo to enlarge (not in any special order).
