[Sca-cooks] Teaching in the SCA

Stefan li Rous StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Mon Apr 28 19:15:29 PDT 2008


Christianna (aka Liz of Flower Mound) commented:

<<< I wanted to comment
that the Barony of the Steppes here in the DFW area is holding King's  
College
outside at an RV park, with teaching under pavillions, on June 14.  
2008. >>>

I will be there, teaching my two-part pewter casting class and a  
class on the Florilegium. Let's try to find each other.

<<< My husband and I are new to the SCA but he does
woodworking so he is teaching a beginning wood turning class on making
spindles.  While woodturning was period and we will have a handout  
about it,
he uses modern electric equipment as do most people as far as I know.  
 >>>

Your husband might find this site, which I just found a few days ago,  
of interest.
http://www.bloodandsawdust.com/

He shows several different types of medieval lathes he has built. I  
remember someone having a simple pole lathe at a King's College in  
the last couple of years. If he could get the loan of that, it would  
be good for his class and if he hasn't used such an item, he would  
probably enjoy working on it. I don't remember right now who had the  
lathe though.

Here are a few Florilegium files in the CRAFTS section which might be  
of use to him:
p-lathes-bib      (16K)  7/ 2/03    Bibliography on period lathes and  
turned
                                        objects by Master Magnus  
Malleus.
mkng-a-p-lathe-art (12K) 2/15/04    "An Easily Made Primitive Lathe"
                                        by Master Magnus Malleus.
tools-msg         (74K)  2/ 3/08    Period and modern tools. lathes.

<<< He
is a little nervous about teaching because he is at intermediate  
level, not
advanced, and he had shoulder surgery last year so he hasn't done a lot
of wood turning in the past year. >>>

If he can do a small, local class as a "dry run" for the King's  
College class that might help. He likely knows more about the subject  
than most of the people in his class are likely to know. The class  
doesn't have to be perfect. He should be thinking about it as an  
introductory class and as a chance for his students to learn about  
the subject, not to become master woodturners in one day. I have  
often had students in my pewter casting classes who do a better job  
at carving a three-dimensional figure in the soapstone mold as their  
first attempt than I've ever been able to do.

<<< I will look up Stefan's articles in the Florilegium.  I
don't want to make him MORE nervous, however. >>>

Maybe I need to create a class disasters file, along the lines of my  
feast disasters file. :-) One of the reasons I created that file was  
to reassure new headcooks that, see, no matter what happens, you  
won't be faced with what these folks were. And see what they managed  
to overcome? Your situation is not as bad as you are thinking it is.  
Secondarily it gives some ideas to keep in the back of your head on  
how to get out of disasters that might happen.

<<< I'll be helping with kid's
activities that day so other than doing a practice run with me at home,
I don't think I will actually be taking his class to make room for  
others.>>>

Even if there is a limit on the number of students due to time or  
supply or tool constraints, there isn't anything that would keep you  
from dropping by as an observer is there? If I read the schedule  
right, it is more of a workshop spread out over most of the day and  
not a single class, so you and the students are probably going to be  
able to come and go.

<<< Am I doing the right thing by getting him to teach even though he  
is not
advanced?  >>>

Yes. Many King's Colleges are taught in an inside, classroom  
environment. Since this one is an outside event, this is a good  
reason to aim for this one. If you are both going to a local event,  
such as Steppes Warlord, before then he might also consider doing the  
class there and using the feedback and practice to improve his King's  
College class.

<<< I figured most in our area probably did not have a lathe or
could not take a woodshop class from the fancy place in Addison, since
those cost $100 to $150 I believe, for a full day's instruction.   
This is
a way for them to see and try woodturning without all the expense. >>>

Exactly.

<<< If they have the money and time they can always go on and do the
classes, buy the equipment, etc. but it's a big investment for a
beginner, and one that I wouldn't want to make unless I had some
already demonstrated apptitude for it.>>>

And a period woodlathe looks like it could be made for a minimum cost  
using cheap woods such as pine. The hand carving tools are likely the  
most expensive items, but they are going to cost the same whether  
used with a modern, electric lathe or a medieval lathe powered by  
foot power.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****





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