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I was lucky to be selected to teach two rotations at the AAW symposium in Raleigh, NC in 2019. The topic selected was deep hollow vessels from the bottom-up. One of the best ways to create a hollow bottle shape that has a very same hole at the top and a big bulb at the bottom is to hollow it from the bottom, then disguise the entry hole by putting a plug in the bottom and then using three decorative rings.

Below are the pages from the demonstration handbook which explains the process.

Below are three of the items turned via the bottom-up technique that were sold in the silent auction.

The use of pewter can add a great deal to woodturnings and is a very versatile material when one knows how to use it. It melts at between 260 and 310 degrees C or 500 to 599 degrees Fahrenheit. Interesting to note that pewter is mainly tin (about 90%), antimony (about 8%) and copper (about 2%). It is a very useful metal as its melting point is so low; it shines up very well and can be used for decoration and food consumption. Continue reading →

Instead of discussing a project, I would like to talk about my wonderful experiences at the Arrowmont School of Art in Tennessee. It was my first formal woodturning course in the USA and the course leader was Jack Slentz who is best known for his interesting texturing of turned pieces. Some of his work is shown below. The course was titled “Using the Lathe to make Sculpture” Continue reading →

A friend of mine Davey Willans did me a big favor last week and took me round to the Craftsman Farms on Route 10 where the recent storm had blown down a number of spectacular trees. There were some large Black Locust trees and also one very large White Ash tree.

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A friend of mine Chuck Blewett was kind enough to bring me a few rather impressive Black Walnut logs, which I cut into sections and then marked up to get the best cuts. Continue reading →