Here's wood carving with a twist. Or actually a spin.
Members of the Southern Arizona Woodturners Association put wood on lathes, then spin them and cut away pieces to shape them into household items such as table legs, lamp bases, candlestick holders, bowls, platters, fan pulls, bottle stoppers and sculptures.
About 60 members belong to the two-year-old organization. Ranging from beginners to professionals, they share their expertise and ideas.
Details: Membership costs $25 a year. New members also pay a one-time $10 fee. The group meets on the second Saturday of each month except July and September, when it meets on the third Saturday. Meetings start at 9 a.m. at Raytheon Missile Systems, 1151 E. Hermans Road, east of Nogales Highway.
Sample meeting topics: Members and guest speakers demonstrate different projects on the club's lathe, which is at every meeting. Some speakers provide a slide show of their pieces. Members bring their mini-lathes to get some work done.
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Year's biggest events: A Christmas party that includes an exchange of gifts that the members created.
Other fun stuff: Attending the annual wood-turning seminar in Phoenix, and making wooden pens for U.S. troops.
Latest buzz: Wood-turning "is getting to be more sophisticated and more creative," club Vice President George Lewis says. "Some of this stuff is modern art." In particular, segmented turning, in which several pieces of differently colored wood are used to create a sculpture or other item, has become a popular aspect of the craft, he says.
More information: 883-7732 or online at www.sazwa.org.