Stuart Batty
Dennis Belcher
Clifton Chisum
Graeme Priddle & Melissa Engler
Dennis Fuge
Mark Gardner
Cliff Guard
Rudolph Lopez
John C Lucas
Annie Ogg
Scarlette Rouse
Stuart Batty
Bowl TURNING Fundamentals
This demonstration is focused on turners becoming very efficient at turning bowls using Stuart’s 40/40 and bottom bowl gouge grinds. It also includes understanding when and where to use his negative rake scraping technique.
Attendees will learn to create and control the 40/40 grind, which is exceptional at finishing the bowl’s end grain surfaces without tearing grain while taking volume cuts. Stuart also covers his seven fundamental set-up rules to eliminate unnecessary variables.
Attendees will learn the process for leaving bowls thicker to dry and complete them at another time or turn them thin and let them be. Attendees learn to create and control the bottom bowl gouge to finish the side grain surfaces at the rim and inner bottom bowl surfaces.
Stuart will demonstrate a variety of bowls. Repeating the two stages required to make bowls reinforces what attendees have learned and ensures they leave with the skills and knowledge to continue turning at a higher level.
Other essential processes are covered: jam chucking, returning rough-turned bowls, sanding techniques, and workpiece form & function.
Spindle Turning Fundamentals
This demonstration focuses solely on tool control and techniques for spindle turning. However, this demonstration will benefit even those who primarily only want to bowl turn. The skills and knowledge obtained from this demonstration elevate a woodturner’s understanding and motor skills for all forms of woodturning.
Attendees will learn to create correct spindle roughing, spindle, and 40/40 bowl gouge grinds on a platform. Stuart will then use these tools to demonstrate the six fundamental cuts that make all the shapes in spindle turning and broken surface pommel cuts.
He will introduce when and where to use skew chisels, beading & parting tools, and the vortex tool to complement gouges. Using gouges and chisels together for spindle turning
Volcano Bowl Demonstration
In this demonstration, Stuart will make a Volcano shaped bowl from a rectangular wood block. Stuart has specialized in making various winged bowls since he was a teenager and originally developed his Negative Rake Scraping technique specifically for finishing the wings of these types of bowls.
Stuart will use a combination of his 40/40 and bottom bowl grinds to shape the bowl, followed by Negative Rake Scraping technique create a finished surface on the wings of the bowl.
Stuart also developed the Vortex Tool specifically for Volcano bowls to create the lowest cut angle possible (Only 20 Degrees) for where the base of the bowl meets the wings.
This is an advanced project and Stuart will cover safety while turning bowls with wings and broken surface intermittent cutting.
Stuart will also show how to jam chuck the bowl to remove the tenon and finish off the base
Dennis Belcher
When Good Wood Cracks
It’s a curse and an opportunity when wood cracks. The demonstration presents a series of techniques that take the curse of a crack and turn it into an artistic opportunity. This demonstration appeals to woodturners of all skill levels. There are two key themes in the demonstration. The first theme is to demonstrate a safe way to use each technique. The second is unleashing the creativity of each turner to resolve cracks in their own unique way. Members are encouraged to bring in their own cracked blank for discussion.
Techniques will be from the following list:
Splines – This is a repair technique suitable for wider flaws than the Dutchman technique. The creation of a custom spline and matching slot across the flaw will be shown.
Lacing – It sounds simple, but it is not. I will discuss the technical issues and how to solve walking drill bits, misaligned holes and other problems. The key decisions in lacing will be illustrated with a sample board that shows a variety of lacing materials and patterns.
Staples – An alternative to lacing is the use of staples. A staple is created and inserted into the wood so that it is secure. A hand forged staple will also be created and used to “fasten” a crack. This a through the wood repair. Staples can also where you do not have access to the inside of a form.
Cut it Out – This is the third choice for flaws. We can leave it, highlight it, or cut it out. I will show how to create a mountain range rim, a wave rim and the wrapped vase. The idea of using common items, such as a zipper, as an insert will be demonstrated.
Brass Plating – Demonstration will include making the template, cutting the plate, and forming the plate to the curved surface, and creating hand formed rivets.
Rope it Up – This technique uses actual rope to bind the crack in a unique way.
Cable it Together – Holding things together with steel cable and springs.
Art Theory. – How you can use a repair to make your pieces look more appealing. The point of turning a flaw into a design element is illustrated with actual examples.
Dutchman and Butterflies – How to safely create a butterfly patch in a bowl. Stabilizing the wall with the repair, and the use of contrasting colors are discussed.
Before the Wood Spins
Turning is about more than just cutting wood from a whirling blank, but demonstrations are never long enough to teach turners how to maintain their lathe, sharpen their tools, and safe drilling techniques.
The goal is to provide core knowledge on these topics.
Each of these three core topics need to be mastered to achieve the greatest joy in woodturning. Each topic is supported with detailed videos, published articles, and verbal explanation of each topic coming together in a multidimensional demonstration. The intent is to provide a go-to resource for topics that are critical, but frequently omitted in demonstrations.
Tuning your Lathe Module
The module will address:
- Which parts of the ways should not be lubricated?
- What is a dry lubricant and where should it be used?
- Slipping tailstock
- Caring for your quill.
- What is galling and why do we care.
- What you should do if your drill chuck slips in the tailstock
- How to have your banjo strum musically (just joking really it is the proper care of a banjo).
- Why is the locking plate so important.
- Sources of vibration and wobble and their cure.
- How to have your banjo strum musically (just joking really it is the proper care of a banjo). Why is the locking plate so important.
Clifton Chisum
Thin-Stemmed Goblet with Captured Ring
This demonstration will walk through the creation of a thin-stemmed goblet featuring a captured ring turned from the same piece of wood. This project emphasizes fine tool control, careful planning, and aesthetic balance — and offers a bit of showmanship for audiences. The end result is a light, elegant form that pushes your turning finesse.
Off centre/eccentric Figurine
A woodturned off-centre (or eccentric) figurine is a decorative or artistic sculpture created using a wood lathe, where the axis of rotation is deliberately shifted during the turning process. This technique allows the turner to carve asymmetrical or multi-axis features, resulting in a more dynamic, whimsical, or abstract appearance than traditional symmetrical woodturning.
Sphere Box with Ring Stand
In this demonstration, we’ll create a wooden sphere box — a hollow sphere that opens to reveal an internal compartment — paired with a matching ring base designed to cradle and display the sphere. This project is a blend of precise turning, hollowing techniques, and elegant form, showcasing both functional craftsmanship and sculptural aesthetics.
Graeme Priddle & Melissa Engler
‘Surface, surface! – Part 1’
Presents a myriad of embellishment possibilities with rotary carvers and other carving tools.
Covers design and influences, personalizing your work.
Tool selection, sharpening and safety. Wood selection. Rotary/hand carving and texturing techniques. Colouring and finishing.
‘Surface, surface! – Part 2’
Presents a myriad of surface treatments and embellishment possibilities with woodburners.
Covers design and influences, personalizing your work.
Equipment selection, use and safety. Wood selection. Designing and making your own burner tips/brands. Woodburning techniques/surface branding. Colouring and finishing.
‘Ammonite Bowl’
This demonstration will cover the design and influences behind these bowls. We will discuss wood selection, preparation and drying. Then go on to basic bowl turning techniques, tool selection, sharpening and safety.
Then we will cover low relief carving and surface embellishment with rotary tools and wood burners, and coloring with acrylic paint, milk paint and paste wax application.
Time permitting, we will talk about other designs and surface techniques and show how we execute them.
Dennis Fuge
From Tree to Lathe with a Focus on Deep Hollow Vessels from the Bottom-up
This covers the technique for making vessels that have a small neck and the cuts to use to hollow out the vessel and disguise the entry hole. Dennis will share his 50 years of turning experience with a focus on how to bring out the beauty in any piece of wood.
Participants will learn:
- Unique ideas for vessels to make with a technique call bottom-up deep hollow turning and multi-level hollow turning. How to take a piece of green wood, design a shape, put tenon’s on both ends, cut a plug out of the piece, hollow it, re-plug it, finish the shape and disguise the entry hole.
- Once the vessel is created they will learn how to turn it into a “candle in the wind” or on old fashioned oil bottle or a pewter spouted vessel.
From Tree to the “Perfect Heirloom Bowl”
This workshop covers the technique learn to turn the “Perfect Bowl”. The demo will also include using pewter, aluminum and copper achieve the golden mean proportions and transform your bowl into a “family heirloom”.
Participants will learn:
How to use the golden mean and catenary curves to achieve the perfect proportions and shape.
- How to use metals like pewter, aluminum and copper to accentuate your bowls.
Mark Gardner
Turn hollow forms without the hollowing. Cut it in half.
Hollow forms turned through a small opening were always a challenge for me to turn. In this demo. I’ll show how I make hollow forms, using green wood, much like you make lidded boxes only I’ll glue the lid back on. Not only is there less risk of turning through the side of your vessel but it is also easier to gauge the wall thickness as well as remove the shavings from the inside. I will focus on techniques for making a precise joint to help ensure that the piece stays together as it dries. Time will be spent demonstrating various ways to then hide the seam in your vessel. This vessel will also have handles.
Surface Embellishment for your Turnings
I will demonstrate all the various techniques and methods I use for embellishing my work. I’ll start by showing how I layout geometric patterns on my turned vessels. Some of the techniques I will cover include, carving with hand and power tools, engraving, and even some textures done on the lathe. I’ll show how I use milk paints and dyes to enhance the carved patterns and lastly how I sharpen my carving tools using a simple homemade MDF strop.
Turn a Shrink Box
A shrink box is a container that is made from green wood with a bottom that is a dry disk of wood that is fit into a groove in the base of the box. The green wood box shrinks as it dries, locking the bottom in place. Traditionally these were hand carved. I’ll demonstrate how to turn the box, cut the groove and carve and shape the bottom to achieve a good tight fit. Typically turned wood boxes are made from dry wood, I like this technique as it is a way to make lidded containers but still use green wood. How to predict the wood’s movement as it dries will also be covered.
Cliff Guard
Turning Elegant Finials
To me, topping a good turning with an elegant finial is like adding a delicious icing to a basic cupcake. Simply put, it just makes it better. Like many projects, turning a finial is a two-part project. First, you need have a design. This involves choosing the right elements, and their arrangement, for your finial to provide a pleasing appearance that blends with and compliments the overall finished product. Next you need to implement your design. To do this final step of the two-step process you need to develop the skills and touch to turn very small items. In this demo you will learn the necessary rules and tips to make this happen. Once you learn what to do, how to do it, and practice, you will be on your way to “icing your own cupcakes”.
Turning Small Hollow Vessels
Why turn small hollow vessels? First, turning small hollow vessels is a great way to practice form and design development whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or experienced turner. Often before I take on a new idea, I will try it out on a smaller scale to see if it works before I waste time and an expensive piece of wood. Second, we all are wood hoarders whether we want to admit it or not. We have small pieces of exotic woods left over from larger projects that are just too good to throw away. A well planned and well executed hollow form turning can become a beautiful, and affordable, treasure for someone. Not everyone can afford your most expensive pieces, so it is always a good idea to have options for your customers. Also, when your spouse asks, “What were you doing all day, Dear?”, you have a really good answer. You were out in the shop cleaning up by getting rid of “old scraps”. You always get extra credit when you say you are just cleaning up. Third, because we are talking about small turning, they become quick and fun turnings. Sometimes you need to play. Fourth, for those just getting into turning or on a limited budget, you don’t need to invest in an expensive fancy hollowing system. And the final reason why you turn small hollow vessels is……… Why not? And in this demo you will pick up some quick tips and ideas to make it happen for you.
Rudolph (Rudy) Lopez
Square to Round Bowls, Vases and Hollow Forms
Learn the process I use to create a bowl or vase, which is square on top and tapers to round at the bottom. Starting with a square or rectangular blank that has been prepared on a bandsaw to taper the sides, the remaining exterior corners will be turned leaving the four tapered sides previously cut on the band saw. Finally, the interior of the bowl or vase will be turned into the square top.
Natural Edge Wing Bowl from a Half Log or Crotch Section
I will demonstrate how I turn one of my thin natural edge wing bowl from a green log or crotch section. Design and layout considerations regarding limb orientation, crotch figure, keeping or eliminating features or flaws in the wood will be covered. The basics of bevel-supported cuts along with two of the most important fundamentals of turning–sharp tools and good tool control–will be emphasized. Turning thin allows the wood to warp and move, which influences the final piece and helps avoid cracking.
Natural Edge End-Grain Vase
I will be turning a natural edge end grain vase from a green log using a side ground bowl gouge and the Rolly Munro Hollower. You will learn limb selection, pith orientation, drying, and finishing to help avoid cracking. I will cover the differences of cutting end-grain verses side-grain and discuss different end-grain hollowing methods.
Twice Turned Vase or Bowl with Decorated Rim Detail from a Log
This is a challenging project which requires everything from basic spindle work to good tool control on interrupted cuts. We will turn a vase from a log which is first turned long grain (spindle orientation) to put beads or cove decoration around the log. The log will then be repositioned to side grain orientation to shape the vase or bowl form. The bead/cove decoration now becomes a rim detail around the rim of the vase or bowl
John C Lucas
The Router on the Lathe
This is one of my most popular demos. I will show how I build a carriage for the router and how to use it to create texture, flutes, and Inlays to your turnings. I will discuss how Indexing works and the various jigs available. I will also show a handmade simple drill guide to use with the index wheels to drill holes and add inlays to the turnings
Adding texture to your turnings
This demo will show lots of different ways to add texture to your turnings. I will show a wide variety of ways to add texture, from commonly sold tools such as the Sorby Texturing tool,the Elf, as well as Pyrography, carving and texturing with rotary tools, and chatter tools. I will discuss making your own chatter tools and modifying other tools to create texture.
Adding Iridescent paints to your turnings
I will show how to play with and alter the paints using techniques similar to the cloud painting. Then I will show how I use sponge painting techniques to create faux Abalone inlay as well as sponge painted bowl rims
Annie Ogg
The Antique Tobacco Jar in Miniature
This demonstration begins with a very brief history (2 minutes tops!) on tobacco in colonial Virginia and the ways in which the dried plant was stored. I will then turn a tobacco jar in miniature. The demo focuses on the methods used to create lidded jars and other colonial wooden objects known as Treen.
Three-part Ornament
The hollow globe with a finial at the top and a graceful icicle is an iconic holiday gift. This demonstration shows how to create a three part holiday ornament using a piece 2 x 4 southern pine and scraps found around your shop. The globe is finished with a surprise spray paint found at an auto parts store!
Egg Shell Embellished Bowl
Using egg shells, this demonstration begins by turning a 4″ diameter bowl with a wide rim. Egg shells are then glued onto the rim and embellished with paint. The finished look resembles stain glass! Great for beginners!
Scarlette Rouse
Chinese Hat Box
Turning a Chinese hat box and teaching ways to hold the work, making a jam chuck and many tips and tricks. I did not design the Chinese Hat Box. I got the idea from a book by Chris Stott.
However, through trial and error, I have developed some tips and tricks to make these boxes, and you can apply these tips and tricks to help you create any box you desire.
Heart-Shaped Bowl
This will be a wide-rimmed bowl turned from a piece of wood shaped like a heart. I’ll demonstrate how to center the bowl and turn it. I’ll show some tips and tricks.
Laying Out Patterns
I’ll show how to lay out patterns on your turnings using indexing and a homemade device. I’ll also how to use a piece of elastic to lay out lines. I’ll demonstrate how to use carbon paper, cutouts, stencils and many other ways to get designs on your work.
Where to get Inspiration for your Designs