Well done Andrew

Andrew today's student is a qualified carpenter and joiner so has experience using sharp tools and wood.
Because Andrew had considerable experience as a carpenter and joiner woodturning come to him quite easily and he was able to complete two bowls including one in Ash with an ebonised and gilded rim.The second bowl was turned from Cherry.
Both bowls were completed to a very high standard and I am sure Andrew will go on to be an accomplished woodturner 

 Removing the soft grain prior to ebonising and gilding with a bronze brush

 Two coats of ebonising lacquer wax polish in the center to stop the paint getting sucked up the end grain 

Applying the gilt cream

 Removing the spigot from the Cherry bowl

 A final polish and they are both finished.

 Very well done Andrew two very nice bowls

Finishing texturing and colouring course.

Another successful finishing texturing and colouring course carried out today with myself and Mark Raby.
Seven happy students all went away with something they had coloured and hopefully lots of ideas for the future.

After the course I loaded two lathes int my van to go to Yandle's show for Friday and Saturday.
I will not be demonstraiting and the lath's are for Mark Sanger and Mark Hancock to use.
I will be on Crown Tools stand so if you are there come up and say hello.

The Burnham on Sea lighthouse Trail.

My workshop has been taken over for more than a week while myself and helpers Ali Dell (Granddaughter) Sue Mead's, Colleen Blake and Reg Day.Most of the work was done by Ali who plugged away conscientiously for several days.
There have been 32 of these lighthouses made by local furniture maker Woodbury Bros and Haines.
A few years ago the wife of one of the companys directors sadly died from cancer and this project is to raise money for a cancer charity.
On the third of May they will all be placed around the local area and at a later date auctioned of for charity.
Ours is the one with Punch and Judy.
We had to choose a name for our lighthouse and we chose Seaside fun.



Ali working away

 Sue's bucket and spade

 Ours in my workshop just before completion

 Ali with the tropical scene she painted

 Ali with the side that Sue painted

Sue Meads

Ali and Colleen

 This side was painted by Colleen and Ali's partner Reg

 Sue painted this side

 Ali painted this side

 Ali painted this side

Brown Oak hollow form

I have recently been accused of only putting up pics of students that come to my workshop.That is probably true as I have been so busy teaching that I have not had a lot of time to produce any new work.
Today I have made a hollow form just to let you all know that I have not forgotten how to to do it
This H/F is 150 mm high by 120 mm wide turned from some brown Oak that one of my students gave me.Finished with Chestnut Acrylic satin laquar and buffed.

Two days for Neale

Neale has been here for two days tuition the first day on bowl turning and the second  between centers turning.
As Neale is an absolute beginner on the first day we went through Safety,tool choice,sharpening and tool profiling.
We then moved on to correct and safe use of tools and Neal made a very nice bowl that was sanded buffed and polished to a very high standard.
The second day we concentrated on producing coves,beads V cuts and the correct and safe use of spindle tools inc the skew chisel
To round the day off Neale made a very nice Ash flower vase.
Neale was easy to teach and quick to learn and I am sure he will go on to make a very good turner.

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John and Trina

Today John and Trina had a day learning the basics of bowl turning .They already have a lathe and tools so they are going to go away and practice and then come back for further tuition.The both took to it like ducks to water as you can see from the pictures.

To enlarge pics click on pic.