Grahamstown Woodworkers

September 2018

Coastal woodworkers and woodturners had the privilege of attending an afternoon's workshop in various wood turning and enhancing techniques, conducted by Chris Pouncy from Somerset in the UK. The workshop was attended by eight of Grahamstown's woodworkers. The workshop was hosted by Rob Moss at this workshop in Bushmansrivermouth, and was sponsored by Stand Hardware in Port Elizabeth and Robert Sorby of Sheffield, England. Chris took the assembled woodworkers on a tour de force of basic turning skills, the importance of sharp tools and sharpening them, and various enhancing techniques, such as 'basketwork'. He demonstrated the new ProEdge sharpening system, now manufactured by Robert Sorby, and on sale at Strand. The system has a number of 'jigs' for sharpening turning chisels consistently at the correct angles. Chris' 'mantra' is "There are no blunt tools, only tools that are not sharp enough."