DIXFIELD – Members of the Western Mountain Woodturners Association celebrated their fifth anniversary Wednesday night in the Dirigo High School wood shop classroom.

Not only did the club, which has members from Millinockett to Bethel, boost its membership from 15 to 17 that night, but they conducted a show-and-tell program featuring their own wood-turning work.

In the midst of a membership drive, they are offering to teach newcomers the craft that originated in Egypt during the Roman empire era, members Mike Chase of Farmington and Kim Dailey of Carthage said.

“Wood-turning is the only woodworking operation you can do where the wood is actually moving and you apply tools to it,” to shape it, Dailey said.

Chase said the group meets in the high school wood shop classroom on the second Wednesday of every month, except in July and August when they don’t get together to talk shop and conduct business.

“Anyone who is interested in wood-turning or wants to see what it is that we’re doing, is welcome to attend,” Chase said.

“We are also opening membership up to any students in school for free and, for people who just want to come and visit to see if they’re interested,” he added.

The club also offers to make arrangements to give new members free lessons to get them started, Chase said.

They’ve also turned out a philanthropic bent. Four years ago, the group raised enough money to buy Dirigo High School a modern Powermatic 3520A lathe.

“Before, the school had two lathes that are ancient,” Dailey said. “When I was a student here in 1983, those lathes were here then.”

Member Hal Lathon of Bethel said the old lathes are problematic in that they are prone to slipping out of gear.

Since getting the new lathe, Dailey said high school students have shown a greater interest in taking the wood shop course.

“It’s been well received,” he said. “They’ve been turning some baseball bats and bowls. They’ve come a long way since we got it for them.”

For more information about the club, contact Chase at 778-5111 or visit www.wmwoodturners.org.