AAW forum names Larry Copas's Magnetic Yarn Spinner turning of week

The American Association of Woodturners community page highlighted Larry Copas's work by naming his piece 'Magnetic Yarn Spinner' as the forum's turning of the week for the week of January 12, 2026. The short announcement sat alongside reminders about the AAW January turning challenge and other community events, underscoring the forum's role in weekly recognition and member engagement.

The forum's short notices serve as quick, visible wins for members. For Copas, the acknowledgement places his work in front of a national audience of turners who check the AAW galleries and threads for inspiration and techniques. For other members, the turning of the week posts point to what peers are experimenting with, and they act as prompts to visit the gallery, join a thread, or enter a challenge.

This pattern of weekly nods and challenge promotion matters because it keeps momentum on the forums between in-person events and regional meetings. The January turning challenge remains active on the site, and the forum posts tie that calendar activity to concrete examples of recent work. That continuity helps sustain conversation about form, finish, chucking methods, and tool choices, and it channels traffic toward galleries where images and short build notes live.

Practical value for active turners is immediate. Recognition through the forum can increase visibility for a maker's process shots and build tips, drawing questions that turn into technique exchanges. Seeing a featured piece like 'Magnetic Yarn Spinner' invites others to try similar motifs, adapt finishes, or start conversation threads about mechanical embellishments and functional art. For newer members the forum notices are a low-friction way to see what a weekly highlight looks like and to learn how to format posts for maximum feedback.

Community leaders and moderators use these posts to maintain momentum in the online calendar. The combined effect of weekly features and recurring challenges is steady traffic to the AAW site, more gallery uploads, and livelier discussion in specialized threads. That activity helps keep regional meetups and mentorship programs fed with fresh ideas and potential demonstrators.

Expect more weekly turnings to appear as the January challenge runs its course. If you want to take part, post clear images and process notes in the challenge thread and gallery; the forum’s short recognitions are where your work can get noticed and spark the next round of conversation and collaboration.