AAW Symposium - Charlotte 2000

Chapter Collaborative Challenge Entry

Woodturners of North Texas - Ft. Worth, Texas

Photo: Roger Austin

Around the World in 80 Turns
2nd Place

Photo: Roger Austin

Photo: Roger Austin

Photo: Roger Austin

Around The World in 80 Turns by Woodturners of North Texas

As gas price's sore less expensive transportation is needed. Our friends are on a trip around the world. They are on their bicycle using pedal power to turn propellers and the maintenance men are operating a lathe with old fashion muscle power. Lets all wish then luck on the journey

The club decided to participate in the year 2000 Collaborative Project in October of 1999. Although this was an early start, due to the holiday season no real work began until mid February when the club president organized a field trip to The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Texas to view a whimsical dirigible. At the February general meeting the project leader was announced and we were off with a running start.

The first team meeting had 14 members present. Several prospective projects were discussed and the final decision was to replicate the whimsical dirigible. The project leader used a CAD program to make preliminary design drawings and presented them to the members. The design was accepted and several team members were so eager to get started that some components were built using preliminary drawings. The design was enhanced several times and final design drawings were never made because changes were made as the project was in final assembly.

After preliminary drawings were completed, a project schedule was drawn up for fabrication of the parts, assembly of components and applying the finish. We were on schedule with all parts except the bicycle that was much more difficult than originally thought. However with some shifting of items and the shipment of partial assembly, allowed us to get the task finished and ready for display on time.

In retrospect, many members of our club gained a great deal of awareness of the talents of our fellow woodturners. For this project to fit inside a 2 foot cube required many small parts and this was a challenge for our turners. They met the challenge and gained new turning skills.

It should be noted that all of the project participants names appear on the lid of the control box.

So, fellow woodturners, stand by and push the "PUSH FOR ACTION" button and watch the bicycle riders power the equipment,

Happy Turning

Updated: 2000-07-13 by the AAW Webmaster