Steve Promo Turning Project

Steve Promo recently was asked to make thirty (30) railing posts for a hotel on Mackinac Island.  All 30 are now done.  Steve says it took him 22 minutes per post when he started but with the proper setup to duplicate the posts and his skill he got it down to 10 minutes a post.   Posts are made from local soft yellow cedar.  Here are some pictures of his project.

 

This is Steve's setup for duplicating the posts.   The old post is mounted behind the soon to be new post and marks are transferred from the old post to Steve's long tool rest and then to the blank to speed up duplication.  New posts are turned between centers and sanded.  

 

This is a finished post ready for painting.

 

Here are many of the finished posts with many more blanks to go stacked behind them.  

All the posts are hand turned as opposed to being cut by a computer run machine.  Steve's skills make it look easy and they all look the same.  Thanks for sharing Steve.  Well done.

8 November 2025 Club Meeting

The meeting was held at Steve Promo's shop where he demonstrated turning a candle stick with a thin center out of curly maple.  At the meeting were some bring backs to be auctioned off and many show and tell items.  Here are some pictures.

Wood in a resin.  Thin wall allows the light to come thru the resin.

A box with a rock on top.  The rock has not yet been attached.

Another wood and resin figurine with a light inside.

Box with a metal lid.

Bowl with a polished rock inside.

Bowl of ash and two other kinds of wood

A developmental piece to for 1/3 - 2/3 shape and length 1.6:1 of diameter.

This is the Show & Tell table.

A box with carved tree leaves.

A box with two carved feathers on the lid.

Another Jim Rutledge master piece with antler on lid.

Two of Jim Rutledge's carved feathers auctioned off.

A natural exterior bowl.

A bowl with natural inclusions.  

 After the discussions of the show and tell items and the bring back auction Steve Promo did a fantastic demonstration on turning long candle holders with a thin center section.  Each candle stick meets the 1/3 - 2/4 proportion rule.  Here is his presentation.

 Youtube link: https://youtu.be/JTctVLcaeLA