Slightly Skewed Newsletter

President's Message - January 2025

Dear Fellow Woodturners,

This past month has been one of loss and hardship for many in our community.  The
recent firestorms have left several of our members without their shops, their homes,
and in some cases, everything they owned.  It is very difficult to find the right words in times like these, but what I do know is that we are more than just a guild, we are family
too.

I have always admired our group that we support each other, both in woodturning and in life.  Now, more than ever, we stand together to help those in need however we can.  If you have been directly affected, please reach out, we want to help.  And if you’re in a position to offer assistance, even in small ways, let’s come together and do what we can.

What can we do as a group, to help our members, and the community?
With everything that has happened, we canceled last month’s meeting, but we will gather again soon.  Our next meeting will be Sunday, February 16th, at 2:00 PM (note that this is the third Sunday of the month, not our usual second Sunday due to the Super Bowl).  We will meet at our regular location:
4011 La Crescenta Blvd, La Crescenta

Let’s take this time to reconnect, share stories, and continue to do what we love, creating
something meaningful out of FOG wood.

Take care of yourselves and each other,

Thomas Cassidy

President, Glendale Woodturners Guild

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE AAW

(Excerpt) AAW policy initiative on fractal burning (also known as "Lichtenberg Burning"), which advocates safety and helps to protect lives.

AAW POLICY ON FRACTAL BURNING

The AAW has always been a faithful advocate for woodturning safety.  Recently, the subject of fractal burning has been in the news because of another tragic death.  The AAW Safety Committee has studied the issue and concluded there may be a distinct influencing benefit in adopting a policy against the use of Fractal Burning and publicizing it immediately to chapters and members.  As a result, it was recommended that the AAW Board adopt a new policy against the practice, which was unanimously approved on May 17, 2017.  The new policy is as follows:

It is the policy of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) that the process known as Fractal Burning is prohibited from being used in any AAW-sponsored events, including regional and national symposia, and that AAW-chartered chapters are strongly urged to refrain from demonstrating or featuring the process in chapter events. Further, the process of Fractal Burning shall not be featured in any written or online AAW publication, except for within articles that warn against its use. AAW publications will not accept advertisements for any products or supplies directly related to the process.

Additionally, the Safety Committee recommended that an article be published in the August 2017 issue of American Woodturner to highlight the dangers of the practice and publicize the new AAW policy.

AAW Membership

•  To join AAW you can visit:  Join AAW

• Information on AAW Member Benifits can be found at:  Member Benefits