Author Topic: Clubs restarting?  (Read 16558 times)

Offline Peter Einig

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #30 on: July 03, 2020, 04:15:52 PM »
IRD's and Zoom are essential tools that we are now better acquainted with. Making best use of them together with available content is important. Not only does it add a new income stream for those who demonstrate, it provides the opportunity for turners to see IRD's from someone we are unlikely to see in person. We cannot replace the interaction that occurs at meetings but we can add to our knowledge and enjoyment of woodturning. Something similar has been available for years in education and made a huge difference in teaching terms. Lets hope we continue to learn by using this technology.

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #31 on: July 03, 2020, 09:29:04 PM »
There is something else that has not been mentioned yet. We could go back to the church halls and have a live demo and that live demo could be broadcast to club members that are perhaps to infirm to attend a club night. We have a couple in our club who just cannot make it to the hall for meetings (this was before Covid-19) and to live stream a demo that the other members are taking part in would undoubtedly enhance some of the member's lives.
 I have done a few live stream demos now, each one gets better but throws up other possible improvements that could be made and so bit by bit my equipment is improving. I did one last night to my local guinea pigsclub ( sorry chaps)  ;D  and I finished at about 20:40
but I had packed all of the equipment away by 21:30 and was sat having a coffee shortly after, and that is so much more enjoyable than having to get in my car and drive for 3 hours in the dark, having to make detours because of late night roadworks etc.  I think there will be clubs that will never accept this but I seriously feel that this is the way forward.

Offline BrianH

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #32 on: July 04, 2020, 08:56:38 AM »
I'm sorry to be the cat among the pigeons again but I'm convinced this thread is leading us up the garden path. It is surely obvious that anyone reading this is a computer user and happy to be so. Therefore the majority are likely to see the benefits of digital woodturning and be willing and happy to share their enthusiasm.
Unfortunately they are overlooking... I suspect... the fact that the VAST majority of AWGB members are not on here so are likely not to feel the same way about the subject.
Of course choice is the operative word and the more choice the better BUT as soon as a club appears... to new members especially... to be talking about embracing internet screens and the like how many will vote with their feet and seek a more hands-on way of life, leaving the tech savvy folks in a somewhat emptier church hall.
After all, those disappearing members can stay at home and stare at a screen without the clubs help.
Brian
« Last Edit: July 04, 2020, 08:58:11 AM by BrianH »

Offline Peter Einig

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #33 on: July 04, 2020, 10:26:59 AM »
IRD’s will not replace the interaction we see at Club meetings. Ours is a Very practical subject with some other stuff thrown in. I for one as a post 16 tutor do not understand how you can do remote teaching for a practical subject. Unfortunately there is no AWGB club in my area and I did not take to my local turning club, so IRD’s are good for me and I have enjoyed seeing turners who I would not see at a club meeting.

You all make very valid observations but it is making best use of technology to enhance our experience/enjoyment/knowledge of woodturning. Now that visiting others at home is easier, it would be nice to help those who are not computer savvy and willing to give it a go.

Offline willstewart

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #34 on: July 07, 2020, 09:27:40 AM »
Just FTR we phoned round all our members and >2/3 were happy to try a Zoom demo - more of us are online than people realise!.  We are thus trying this (as you say the demonstrators are getting more comfortable with it) and will report back.  The main concern is questions.  Clearly this does not replace meetings, nor does putting pieces on the website, but it is something!

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #35 on: July 09, 2020, 10:15:30 PM »
Willstewart I am set up to do remote live demonstrations, and have done a few now. Asking questions is not really a problem.In my workshop I have a pair of speakers set up sothat I can hear someone hollerin' but I am also going to get a headset that will allow me to hear them more clearly.I have a boom mic close to my mouth and that cuts out any noise from the lathe so participants can hear my replies quite well too. When all this was first muted about 5 years ago I was a bit sceptical about it,but having to do something for my business because of the pandemic meant that I have worked harder to get it right in a shorter time. Each one I do gets better (that is of course just my opinion) but I have to admit that talking to the camera still feels odd but I do think that although it will never(possibly) replace a live demonstration in a church hall it will be adpoted to run alongside. And with the ever present danger of a second peak hanging over us many may come to realise that if they want to interact with other turners this may have to be the way for some time to come.

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #36 on: July 10, 2020, 12:37:41 AM »
Have to say I am struggling with Zoom,  it doesn't fit my house layout well. My main computer is in the bar which is a small room that connects the house to the kitchen, if I have Zoom on my wife doesn't like to walk through to make a cup of tea or even come downstairs as she doesn't like to make noise when I am on it, which makes it hard to use in a relaxed manner.

I have a screen in the workshop, but that is just a small 10" screen which is great for browsing a sketch-up drawing, or running through the detail on a YouTube demo pausing it to copy the steps but not so good for sitting and watching, can get it on the main TV but no camera or mic there, can type on a tablet (badly) but that doesn't feel inclusive.

If this goes on it will be worth spending a few £ to have a social contact point with other turners that doesn't imprison my wife, but when and how is the big question...
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline Valkrider

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #37 on: July 10, 2020, 07:45:16 AM »
I have a screen in the workshop, but that is just a small 10" screen which is great for browsing a sketch-up drawing, or running through the detail on a YouTube demo pausing it to copy the steps but not so good for sitting and watching, can get it on the main TV but no camera or mic there, can type on a tablet (badly) but that doesn't feel inclusive.

If this goes on it will be worth spending a few £ to have a social contact point with other turners that doesn't imprison my wife, but when and how is the big question...
How about getting a bluetooth keyboard for your tablet to improve your typing. A lot of tablets can be plugged into an external screen that has HDMI input so a modern computer monitor or small TV could serve the larger screen purpose. Alternatively a laptop in your workshop would be another solution.

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #38 on: July 10, 2020, 03:46:41 PM »
How about getting a bluetooth keyboard for your tablet to improve your typing. A lot of tablets can be plugged into an external screen that has HDMI input so a modern computer monitor or small TV could serve the larger screen purpose. Alternatively a laptop in your workshop would be another solution.

Now that I am over 60 I find demonstrators under 24" are just too small to see  :) so laptop is not an answer, bigger screen is, but it is in the workshop so it will have to be wall mounted and will cost around £100 mark so a commitment of both space and cash I have to decide I want to make. I have considered a mini projector I could project onto a screen takes less space than a monitor and folds up when not in use.

Referring to Brian being the cat amongst the pidgins, he is quite right those of us on the forum are computer users, IF non-physical meetings are the future of woodturning clubs, it needs the enthusiastic to review the options probably waste some money on ideas that don't work out, figure out the protocol of meeting online instead of in the church hall, and put solutions that work into paper media so that the non technical turners in the club can benefit from ready made solution ideas.

We are all engineers in as much as we run machinery and construct things from wood, the mental process of digital engineering is the same, you just need the willing to go out, prototype ideas and create cut lists to follow.

As I have said before deciding on if this is a worthwhile venture does depend on how long we are prevented from going back to any old form of gathering, but while learning that we may possibly gain knowledge that can be merged with the old method that can save demonstrators driving around the country until the early hours of the morning.

Don't know how this Covid-19 will play out, but I do suspect it will change the world we knew in several ways for the medium to long term probably for the remainder of our lives for a lot of the current club members. So doing anything is better than doing nothing and waiting for things to go back where they probably won't go.
     
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline Valkrider

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #39 on: July 11, 2020, 11:55:11 AM »
You may find a cheap s/h monitor on FB or Freecycle in your area my son picked up one for my grandson that way for nothing from someone upgrading.

Offline Bill21

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #40 on: July 11, 2020, 12:56:17 PM »
This may be of interest to some of you. I know some other organisations that use these types of facilities have been busy writing risk assessments in preparation for restarting in September/October time.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities

Offline Peter Einig

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #41 on: July 12, 2020, 05:14:00 PM »
Any risk assessment you do for your Club needs to take into account what the facilities management/owner expects too.

Offline Paul Hannaby

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #42 on: July 13, 2020, 02:08:08 PM »
Not really, the facilities management / building owners have to do their own risk assessments for the areas they are responsible for.

Offline Bill21

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #43 on: July 13, 2020, 03:07:28 PM »
Our local hall has asked all hirers to prepare their own risk assessments. When they have received them they will also prepare their own assessment which will be sent to their insurers.

The local WI risk assessment runs to three pages.
« Last Edit: July 13, 2020, 03:13:00 PM by Bill21 »

Offline David Buskell

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Re: Clubs restarting?
« Reply #44 on: September 10, 2020, 05:41:41 PM »
Update on re-starting:

All started off well, our Membership Secretary sent out invites to all members asking those who wish to attend on the 16th, RSVP so they could be put on a  list. First 30 names got through the doors.

That was until last night. Meeting now cancelled so members miss two demonstrations and access to the club shop.
David
At The Cutting Edge