GEORGE NEWS - Free hourly interactive demonstrations by woodworking experts will be held during the 'Working with Wood' show to be held from Friday 22 to Monday 25 September at the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) George Campus.
The campus will be a hive of activity when wood enthusiasts attend the demonstrations and visit the trade exhibitions, displays, and lectures.
Woodworking experts will demonstrate how to use specialist woodworking tools to create and finish a wooden item from scratch. This year the demonstrations will include clamping, routing, caring for timber and nailing.
Festool and Kreg will also have some of their cutting-edge products on show.
The Association of Woodturners of South Africa (Awsa) Symposium runs concurrently with the Working with Wood Show.
It features demonstrations on the theme "Recovering from Failure" by top international wood turners, including American Al Stirt whose career spans more than 40 years. "I consider myself a 'bowl maker' more than a wood turner because, although the turning process fascinates me, it is the resulting bowl that commands my interest. From the earliest times bowls have had meanings for people beyond the purely utilitarian.
"The bowl as vessel has a resonance deep within the human psyche.
"I use patterns, whether created by grain structure or organic fluting and carving or repeated geometric shapes, to develop harmony in each of my pieces. I find myself always looking for a new means of expression within the turned form," says Stirt.
Richard Müller, wood technology programme coordinator of the School of Natural Resource Management at NMU, has made himself available to take mountain-biking enthusiasts out to explore the mountain bike trails in the vicinity of the campus throughout the duration of the show.
"We developed many trails and we would love to share these with everyone," says Müller. Those who prefer hiking will be able to enjoy 6, 8 or 12km circular routes in the indigenous forest surrounding the campus under the guidance of expert personnel from the university who are knowledgeable about the ecosystems.
To learn more about the Working with Wood Show and Woodturners Symposiums, please visit www.workingwithwood.co.za and www.awsa.org.za.
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