Rob and Carolyn

January has been quiet for teaching but it has given me a chance to catch up with some making which has been a bonus and also a chance to get some well earned rest.
Today I have the first students of 2015 Rob and Carolyn.
Their experience day was a Christmas present from Carolyn's sister Alison.
They are a lovely couple and a real pleasure to work with and I have feeling they will be taking up woodturning as a hobby.
Here are a few pictures from the day and look how well they did.

A pair of Ash bowls

These bowls are 10" x 6 1/2" x 3"
The underside is painted black and limed.

My favourite wood

Free wood that is my favorite This is a load of Mulberry I have been given.
Today we loaded my sons van with over two tons and tomorrow we are going back for the rest we recon there is over five tons with today's load.
This is some of the nicest Mulberry I have ever seen
It is from a School and they just want two small turned pieces for it

Recycled Elm

This 10"  bowl is turned from an old Elm beam.

Practicing

Whenever I do a Demo I do several practice pieces before hand because if you are going to make a mistake it is better made in you workshop than on a demo with the World and its Mother watching.
It also helps you with the timing of the Demo  it has to fit in with the start ,break and finish time.
I have just turned these two in one and three quarter hours complete with coloring and polishing this means my timing will have to be spot on.
If the worst comes to the worst as long as I do most of the work on both and only do the coloring and polishing on one I will be OK.
These bowls are approx 6" diameter

One day bowl turning course

Mark Sanger and myself are holding a bowl turning one day course for four students on the 20Th feb there is one place left if anybody is interested.
This is an ideal course for the novice turner to have an introduction to bowl turning

THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL

brown Oak Bowl

This bowl is turned from a Brown Oak blank given to me at the last Yandles show by a mate of mine Tony Davis.