Typical Meeting Agenda

Club meetings are normally held on the second Saturday of the month and start at 9:00am.

The present location for these meetings is the Odd Fellows Hall located at 520 Dana Street in San Luis Obispo. The room in the far back corner, near the BBQ pit, is our current location. Plenty of parking is available. Just follow the folks with wood shavings in their hair…

The very first order of business is to recognize and welcome any guests, visitors or new members. We may also welcome back any members that we have not seen in awhile or who have been absent for health reasons.

The beginning of the meeting is used to present and discuss any old or new business. This is also the time when election of officers, delegation of duties, plans for training and education and any discussion regarding the operation of the group would take place.

The next part of the meeting is used to present the work that has been done in response to the "Challenge" issued at the previous meeting. Each member who brings something is asked to stand and show and describe the work done in detail, including the species of wood used, method used to finish the piece, and any problems or breakthroughs encountered in making the item. The room is open to both questions and suggestions that may help everyone in the future. Photos are usually taken for inclusion in the next newsletter. 

Next is a quick restroom break and some friendly chatter among the attendees.

After all of the challenge replies are seen, we move on to "Show and Tell" which is done using the same format, but covering any and all new work that a member or visitor or guest would like to show to the group. This time may also be used to present problems and/or examples of failures while asking input from the group on how to solve or avoid the problem in the future. It can also be used to show special pieces that a member may have collected over the years and that they would like to share with the group.

Often, but not at every meeting, there may also be a live demonstration of a technique or a new design for a tool or of an attachment for the lathe or any other workshop tool. These are usually planned in advance and published in the newsletter. Handouts are common at these demos.

The finale of most meetings is a wood raffle. Attendees are encouraged to bring "extra" wood, (you know, when you just couldn’t resist loading all of that tree your neighbor cut down last week and there is no room left in your shop) or any other materials or tools that you may no longer have a need for or room to store. Members and guests or visitors who bring a piece to display for the challenge or the Show and Tell will qualify for a free raffle ticket in order to help encourage and reward participation in both of these worthwhile endeavors.

Here are a few photos of typical wood raffle piles over the past few years. Every meeting will be different, but the source of raw material for a bargain price (by the luck of the draw) is always exciting.

 Most meetings are finished and the attendees are homeward bound between 11:30am and noon.

Though not on a regular scheduled basis, Sawdust Sessions and the occasional "Rookie Camp" are hosted by different members. This allows us to make more chips in a working shop environment and allows members to visit other members' shops to get ideas and plant seeds for future improvements at their home shops.

We also have a club picnic in October of each year. This is a family affair, with the club providing BBQ main course and the members doing a potluck for the balance of the meal. Some sort of competition is usually involved. A  Woodturner's version ofBocce ball toss and wooden Frisbee toss have been successful very popular in the past. 

The photos below are from our 30th Anniversary Picnic in Nipomo, CA on 10-3-2021.

 A more formal Holiday Party sit-down dinner is usually held at one of the local wineries sometime in January when all of our holiday events and obligations have been satisfied.

We are a social group as well as a woodworking organization.

Membership Benefits

Membership into the Central Coast Woodturners is open to anyone with a desire to learn and share ideas about woodturning with other members. Some of the benefits of becoming a member include:

• Monthly meetings with information dissemination, Show and Tell, and Challenge Projects, and raffles. Newcomers are welcome to attend two-three meetings before joining, free. The club dues, $35 per year, cover part of the costs of our demonstrations and our meeting room.
• Low-cost live demonstrations by well-known turning artisans from around the world. Typically, members pay only $25 to attend each of the demonstrations. Non-members may also attend for $30. 

• As of October, 2022, the club is no longer maintaining a  lending library for the membership.
• Monthly newsletter and website with club information. Most members get the monthly newsletter via e-mail, but we do send a printed newsletter to those who do not have web access.
• Networking with other wood turners-you'll learn more from regularly brushing elbows with other turners than by any other means! There are hundreds of years of woodturning experience that you can take advantage of by talking with our members.