American Woodturner 06 2024 Freemagazines Top

AS THE (SUSTAINABLE!) CORK TURNS • USING A PROFILE GAUGE • HERE’S THE SCOOP!
AMERICAN
WOODTURNER Journal of the American Association of Woodturners
June 2024 vol 39, no 3 • woodturner.org
VISCERAL SIMPLICITY: THE BOLD WORK OF

RUBEN VAN DER SCHEER
MARIA VAN KESTEREN:
VARIATIONS ON A THEME
THE LIFE-INSPIRED
CREATIONS OF RON GERTON
GLorinBrückin
GALLERY
Conques-sur-Orbiel, France
When I discovered woodturning as a way of creating and conveying
stories, it immediately became apparent to me to include different
materials along with wood. I wanted to study the narrative poten-
tial that could arise from such combinations—especially because I
don’t like leaving the wood alone. Materials such as copper, zinc, or
stone—already part of my daily life as a plumber—have gradually
found their way into my work.
Initially, my creations were in the realm of everyday objects such
as boxes, trays, and candlesticks. But then my work evolved to
include sculptures, often spherical shapes with natural or Nordic
influences. The addition of hammered metal increasingly became
the guiding principle of my explorations, always with the aim of
giving the illusion that the metal is hidden under the wood.
Follow Lorin on Instagram, @lorinbruckin.
Brick, 2021, Elm (turned and burnt),

worn pieces of terracotta brick eroded
by river current, earth/oil joint mixture,
oil, 10" (25cm) diameter
Column, 2024, Century-old oak barn beam,

shale, earth/oil joint mixture, oil finish,
12" × 8" × 8" (30cm × 20cm × 20cm)
Sous la Croute (Under the Crust), 2023, Ash burl (burnt and carved), red
wine stain, hammered and heated copper inserts, 6" (15cm) diameter
American Woodturner June 2024

GALLERY
Crack, 2022, Wood, hammered

Cévennes, 2020, Cedar (turned and
zinc from old gutters, earth/oil
burnt), stone, oil, 9½" (24cm)
joint mixture, copper, oil finish, 8"
Cévennes is a tribute to my native (20cm) diameter
region in the South of France. It is
a mountainous area where people
have altered the landscape by
building terraced walls with shale
to cultivate the land.
Boule de Canton Cuivre (Copper
Canton Ball), 2022, Ash burl,
hammered copper, oil, pigment,
7" (18cm) diameter
(Left) Oak Runes, 2020,

Oak, zinc, 6¼" (16cm)
diameter
(Right) Runes, 2020, Wood,

zinc, 6¼" (16cm) diameter
The Runes series,
comprising turned wood
spheres adorned with zinc
inserts, is my personal
interpretation of the
Viking runes engraved on
Scandinavian stelae.
woodturner.org 1
Dedicated to providing education, Inside This Issue
information, and organization to those
interested in woodturning June 2024 vol 39, no 3
American Woodturner (ISSN 0895-9005) F E AT U R E S

is published bimonthly by:
American Association of Woodturners
222 Landmark Center, 75 5th St W
Saint Paul, MN 55102-7704 20 Using a Profile Gauge
Terry Martin demonstrates the usefulness of this
Periodicals postage paid at Saint Paul, MN,
and at additional mailing offices. handy accessory.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
American Woodturner, AAW
222 Landmark Center, 75 5th St W
Saint Paul, MN 55102-7704
22 Here’s the Scoop! (No Special Chucks Needed)
Using a wood scoop you made yourself to measure out
office: 651-484-9094 the morning coffee is an ever-satisfying ritual. Bill Kram
toll free: 877-595-9094 shows how to make them without the need for a
email: memberservices@woodturner.org specially made chuck.
website: woodturner.org
gallery website: galleryofwoodart.org
Executive Director Jennifer Newberg 26 “Galaxy” Accent Light with Open-Segmented Base
Rolland “Kip” Stratton shows a simple approach to open
Marketing and
Communications Director Matt Brubaker
Curator Tib Shaw
segmenting to create a lovely accent piece that makes a
hand-blown glass orb really shine.
AAW BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Mike Summerer
32 Visualize Designs with CAD Before Turning
Using reputable software that can be acquired free of charge,
Vice President Ron Day
Treasurer Chuck Lobaito Ron Giordano shows the benefits of designing with CAD,
Secretary Linda Britt
including a link to a free CAD tutorial download.
Board Members Jay Brown
Sally Burnett
Kimberly Winkle
KC Kendall
34 Smoke a Bowl (Literally)!
Instructor Beth Ireland shares her discovery that turned
Reid Zimmerman
items can be embellished using a meat smoker.
Board of Advisors John Hill
Jean LeGwin
Dale Larson
David Wahl
36 As the (Sustainable!) Cork Turns
Yes, cork grows on trees and is a sustainable resource. It is
Margaret Lospinuso
Louis Vadeboncoeur also an excellent material for turning, by Scott Hendricks.
Yearly General membership in the American

Association of Woodturners is $74 and includes
a subscription to American Woodturner. Dues for
41 The Life-Inspired Creations of Ron Gerton
Drawing from work experience and an appreciation for nature,
international members are equivalent to
USA amounts before exchange rates are applied. Ron Gerton creates surprising works using a variety of materials,
All electronic-journal memberships are by Jerry Johnson.
$60 yearly or USA equivalent.
Send dues to:
American Association of Woodturners 46 Visceral Simplicity: The Bold
222 Landmark Center
75 5th St W
Work of Ruben van der Scheer
St. Paul, MN 55102-7704 USA Dedicated to experimenting with simple forms and materials,
Or join online at woodturner.org Dutch woodturner Ruben van der Scheer achieves elevated
results, by Steve Loar.
Printed in the USA by Quad/Graphics, West Allis, WI
© 2024 American Association of Woodturners
52 Maria van Kesteren: Variations on a Theme
A snapshot of this widely influential Dutch turner who
mentored Ruben van der Scheer, by art historian
Thimo te Duits.
2 American Woodturner June 2024

woodturner.org
EDITORIAL
American Joshua Friend
Woodturner editor@woodturner.org
Editorial Betty Scarpino
Journal of the American Association of Woodturners Advisors Terry Martin
Jean LeGwin
Journal Plaid Moose Creative
A SSO C I AT I O N N E W S Production Linnea Overbeck

Art Director
Production Management
4 Editor’s Note 6 Apply for an AAW Grant Woodturning Don McIvor
Joshua Friend FUNdamentals editormcivor@woodturner.org.
6 Call for
4 President’s Letter Demonstrators: EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS
Mike Summerer
AAW Symposium 2025 Send article ideas to: editor@woodturner.org
5 AAW’s 39th Annual 7 Join the AAW Legacy Society For tips on article submission and photography
requirements, visit tiny.cc/AWsubmissions*.
International
Woodturning Symposium 7 Our Heartfelt Thanks, MEMBER SERVICES
Portland Symposium
6 2025 POP ARTIST Sponsors and Exhibitors!
For address changes or journals
damaged or lost in the mail:
SHOWCASE OPPORTUNITY Contact the AAW office at
memberservices@woodturner.org or call
651-484-9094 or 877-595-9094 (toll free).
Index to previous articles:
Download a free complete American Woodturner
WO O DT U R N E R SCH AT T E R index (PDF format) at tiny.cc/AWindex*.
To order back issues:
8 From the Editor’s Inbox 12 SkillsUSA Utah Holds Third-Annual
@ High School Woodturning Contest
Order past issues of American Woodturner at
tiny.cc/AWbackissues* or call 651-484-9094
10 Tips for Selling Tools or 877-595-9094 (toll free).
11 Book Review: 14 AAW WIT Wig Stand Initiative— ADVERTISERS

Creative Woodturning One Year Later
For rates and specifications, contact:
Projects, 15 Calendar of Events Ewald Consulting
Erica Nelson
by Richard Findley
16 Tips 763-497-1778 • erica.nelson@ewald.com
Betsy Pierre
763-295-5420 • betsy.pierre@ewald.com
While the AAW is supported in part by
advertisers, sponsors, and exhibitors, it does
GALLERY not endorse any product featured or advertised
in this journal, nor does the AAW assume
1 Gallery 54 Members’ Gallery responsibility for the content of individual ads.
Lorin Brückin Bruce L. Jones
William A. Clark, III DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Scott Wishart The AAW strives to cultivate an organization
Chuck Goldstein built on mentorship, encouragement,
John Sisak tolerance, and mutual respect, thereby
engendering a welcoming environment for
Perry Balog
71 Advertising Index all. To read AAW’s full Diversity Statement,
visit tiny.cc/AAWDiversity*
A NOTE ABOUT SAFETY

An accident at the lathe can happen with
COVER blinding suddenness; respiratory and other
problems can build over years.
Cover: Ruben van der Scheer, Wall Shelf of Ideas Take appropriate precautions when you
turn. Safety guidelines are published online
Back cover: Daniel Michalik at tiny.cc/turnsafe*. Following them will help
you continue to enjoy woodturning.
*Web address is case sensitive.
woodturner.org 3
A
N
A SSO C I AT I O N N E W S
NEWS
Editor’s Note
Ever wondered where ideas for content for AAW woodturner be profiled in the journal or that a certain technique or
publications come from? Of course, as your project be included. As active AAW members and readers of both this
editors, Don McIvor and I come up with topics journal and Woodturning Fundamentals, you are well positioned to
based on our own observations and experience influence the content. And by doing so, our publications become a
as longtime woodturners. But also, very often more accurate reflection of current needs and trends in our field.
we receive incredibly useful ideas from you, the AAW publications are by woodturners and for woodturners. So
woodturning community. please don’t hesitate to reach out with your ideas for content.
Since we can’t possibly attend all woodturning events and be
aware of everything everywhere, you are our eyes and ears out there
in the field. We routinely receive messages suggesting that a certain —Joshua Friend
From the President

Continuous and entertain. Our presentations in my non-woodturning profession
improvement intend to demonstrate good, safe tech- who is now a woodturner. This event is
for woodturners nique and to inspire. Particularly for part of a larger woodworkers gathering
How do we “grow” in our Annual International Symposium, with instant galleries for all forms of
woodturning? When I we do not expect attendees to spend work with wood. In my opinion, these
started out, I produced their discretionary dollars for a series cross-fertilization opportunities are
a few small plates of basic classes that can be more effec- worth pursuing.
without knowing good technique by tively delivered locally, in person with
current standards. I assumed the tools a mentor, or at a local chapter event. Portland AAW Symposium
were sharp, and would remain sharp, Having said that, we know that our As you read this, we will have completed
since they came from the factory that most effective demonstrators, even another International Symposium, this
way. After spending several weeks scrap- when teaching a complex process, show time in Portland, Oregon. Registration
ing my way to success, I decided my good fundamentals as well. exceeded our targets, and the event fea-
next woodturning project would be a What, then, is our role as “experi- tured incredible demonstrators, wood
chess set. Several months later, I finished enced” woodturners in furthering our artists, and exhibitors. As always, this
the project, and it is unique in having art, craft, and organization? Are you success was due to the hard work and
twenty-four pawns, about sixteen of pushing your creative limits? Are you involvement of over 100 volunteers,
which look similar. The set is still in the demonstrating at your local chapter both for the Symposium itself and in
family, in the possession of a grandson, meetings? Are you sharing a new tech- support of all of the committees, staff,
who is an excellent chess player. nique (or tool) at the “show and tell” and ad hoc groups who assisted with the
After a few decades in this avocation, table? Are you writing informative arti- event in the background. We are grateful
I have developed modest skills and can cles for our Woodturning Fundamentals for their efforts.
produce a platter or bowl (with sharp publication? When was the last time All year long, many hands make
tools and good technique) in a fraction you invited a new turner to your shop light work, and I hope you will con-
of the time those early projects took. for a mentoring session? sider volunteering your time and
Frequently, however, I seize upon a new talent, if not to the AAW then perhaps
idea from my imagination, a demonstra- Our community at the local level for your chapter.
tion, or the instant gallery at a chapter I have just returned from a regional Even mentoring a new turner in your
meeting or symposium. Once I start that woodturning event in Upstate New York own shop helps fulfill our mission to
new project, I learn things—about myself, (Totally Turning). As always, I am struck increase awareness of our avocation.
my impatience, the wood, and the tools. by the sense of community, sharing,
Afterwards, I feel that I am a better turner, and enthusiasm for our woodturning Keep turning,
and my next effort includes a new per- group. I was able to connect with leaders
spective and an improved skill set. of chapters, talk with both beginning
The AAW, in its print, online, and in- and experienced woodturners, and Mike H. Summerer
person programs, seeks both to educate even reconnect with a former colleague President, AAW Board of Directors

2025 AAW International Woodturning Symposium
Join Us in Saint Paul, Minnesota

June 12-15, 2025
AAWSYMPOSIUM.ORG
woodturner.org 5
A
N2025 POP ARTIST SHOWCASE OPPORTUNITY
NEWS
Application deadline: August 1, 2024
Each year the Professional Outreach panel compensation; three days of Saint Paul, Minnesota, June 12-15,
Program (POP) showcases two lodging at the AAW host hotel, and up 2025. Applications will be juried by
wood artists at the AAW’s Annual to $300 in travel expenses. the POP committee. The application
International Symposium. They are Artist applications are invited deadline is August 1, 2024. See online
either experienced artists who have for the 2025 AAW Symposium in application at tiny.cc/Calls.
made significant contributions to
the woodturning field but have not
received appropriate recognition, The 2024 POP Showcase Artists
or emerging artists who have the
potential to make significant
contributions to the field.
The two selected artists give two
demonstrations each and participate
in a panel discussion of their work led
by David Ellsworth. Artists receive a
complimentary Symposium registra- Heather Marusiak (Manhattan, Kansas) and Kevin Jesequel (Portland, Oregon) were
tion; a featured display in the Special the POP Showcase Artists featured at the 2024 AAW Symposium in Portland, Oregon.
Exhibitions area; demonstration and
Apply for an AAW Grant

AAW Grants are available to workshops or class participation, June through December. However,
individuals, chapters, schools, and professional development Women in Turning (WIT) grants and
non-profit organizations. Examples opportunities, chapter projects, etc. others for under-represented popu-
include but are not limited to In addition to monetary awards, up to lations, events, and exhibitions are
outreach programs and/or events ten mini-lathe packages are available awarded quarterly.
to encourage youth and under- for award each year. Find detailed grant descriptions
represented populations (women, Regular AAW Grants are awarded and application information at
minority, disabled, etc.) to learn on a bi-annual basis. To be eligible, tiny.cc/aawgrants. If you have questions,
and pursue woodturning, support applications must be received by please contact the AAW office by calling
of existing or developing unique December 31 for grants given January 877-595-9094 or emailing
woodturning programs, educational through May, and by May 31 for memberservices@woodturner.org.
Call for Demonstrators:

AAW Symposium 2025
The AAW’s 39th Annual International Symposium will be held in Saint Paul,
Minnesota, June 12-15, 2025. To apply to be a demonstrator, visit tiny.cc/Calls
between May 1 and August 1, 2024. For more information, call the AAW office
in Saint Paul at 651-484-9094 or email memberservices@woodturner.org.
Photo: Andi Wolfe
Roberto Ferrer gives the thumbs up during

one of his rotations at the 2023 AAW
Symposium in Louisville, Kentucky.

Join the AAW Legacy Society

When you think about what will happen You can easily include a bequest in After setting up your bequest, let
to your belongings after you’re gone, your will or trust, and it is flexible: us know so we can welcome you into
it is natural to think about the people • It does not affect your finances the AAW’s Legacy Society, a group of
and organizations that have meant during your lifetime. special individuals who have made
something to you. If you have been a • It is private, not disclosed until provisions for the AAW in their
member of the American Association of after your passing. estate plans.
Woodturners (AAW) during your life- • You can change it any time before
time and believe in our mission, you can your death. —Joe Dickey, Fundraising Committee
ensure we will continue to make a posi-
tive difference far into the future. Specify an amount Sample Bequest Language
You can support future woodturn- or percentage Simple bequest language that you can provide
ers and secure the AAW’s future by You can specify a certain amount or a to your estate attorney might read like this:
leaving a gift in your will or trust. percentage of what is left in your estate
“I give, devise, and bequeath [specific dollar
This makes sense, especially if you after other expenses. Generally, giving
amount, or percentage of estate] to the
have assets that would be subject to a percentage allows for more flexibility
American Association of Woodturners, a non-
capital gains tax if given to others. By in your long-term planning.
profit organization located at 75 5th Street W,
donating these assets to the AAW, you Your gift is deductible for federal 222 Landmark Center, Saint Paul, MN 55102
won’t pay capital gains tax, and you estate tax purposes, and there is no USA [Tax ID: 45-3809279], for its
can deduct their current value from limit on the deduction. Plus, it is often general purposes.”
your income tax. exempt from state inheritance taxes.
Our Heartfelt Thanks, Portland Symposium Sponsors

and Exhibitors!
2024 AAW International Thank you to the many vendors who filled the
Symposium Sponsors: tradeshow in Portland, Oregon, this year:
Cousineau Wood Products Airbrushing Wood Lucid Woodturners/XTool Lasers
Crown Hand Tools Arrowmont School of Arts Lyle Jamieson Woodturning, LLC
Easy Wood Tools and Crafts Matt’s Wood, Inc.
Howard Products, Inc. Branches to Bowls, Ltd. MDI Woodcarvers Supply
JPW Industries/Powermatic/JET Carter and Son Toolworks Milwaukie Hardwoods, LLC
Lyle Jamison Woodturning, LLC Clapham’s Beeswax Products, Ltd. Niles Bottle Stoppers
MDI Woodcarvers Supply Clark’s Art Beyond Oregon State University
Rikon ClubExpress, a division of Peke Safety
Woodcraft Lumaverse Technologies Planet Plus, Ltd.
Craft Supplies USA Robert Sorby, Ltd.
A Special Thank You Curt Theobald Studios Robust Tools
to JPW Industries D-Way Tools Rockler Woodworking
Easy Inlay & Hardware
EZ Jigs - Chefwarekits Stainless Bottle Stoppers
JPW Industries, makers of Powermatic and FedEx Stuart Batty Tools
JET lathes, continued its legacy with the Gallery Hardwoods Teknatool USA
AAW as the donor of the 2024 Symposium Gilmer Wood Company Trent Bosch Tools
raffle lathe in Portland, Oregon. The Hunter Tool Systems Woodturner PRO
company was also a key sponsor of our Learn Joshua Salesin Woodturners Smocks
to Turn Youth Program as well as demonstra- JPW Industries/JET/Powermatic Woodturning Magazine -
tion rooms during the Portland Symposium. Kallenshaan Woods GMC Publications, Ltd.
woodturner.org 7
WO O DT U R N E R SCH AT T E R
@
CHATTER FROM THE
EDITOR’S
INBOX I have raspberries growing in the garden, so I turned wood colanders to rinse
them. First, I turned the bowls, then drilled the drain holes. I found stainless
Send emails to steel grommets at the hardware store and used gel cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to
editor@woodturner.org
secure them in each hole. I used
varnish as a finish, and the colan-
ders are holding up well to normal
On February 11, 2024, members use and hand-washing in warm
of the Yellowstone Woodturners soapy water.
(Billings, Montana) watched —Tim Heil, Minnesota
and cheered during the
Chiefs/49ers Super Bowl game,
but on the Friday before that,
The Cumberland Woodturners (Crossville, Tennessee) prides itself on giving
we cheered and had a bowl
back to the community by utilizing special projects and events. In 2023, we
of soup at a different kind of
continued to team up with the Dogwood Exchange, Village Green, and the
“Souper Bowl.” Our club’s 2023
first National Bank as sales locations for Christmas ornaments and turned
goal was to turn 100 bowls and
art projects. We are happy to report that last year we broke our past orna-
donate them to Angela’s Piazza
ment and art sales record by selling more than 750 custom ornaments and
(angelaspiazza.org) for their
generating more than $16,000 in total sales.
annual fundraiser. Angela’s
We consider our Christmas ornament program and turned art projects
Piazza is a community organiza-
as club hallmarks and are proud to donate all proceeds to local community
tion that aids domestic violence
charities. The 2023 recipients from those sales were House of Hope and
survivors and their families.
Kids on the Rise, which help hundreds of kids in need throughout the year.
Each year they hold their own
“Souper Bowl” when they invite
Club challenges
local supporters to purchase a
To support our outreach efforts, our club offers special turning challenges
bowl of soup donated by local
to our members. We turn art projects and sell them at our local arts festi-
restaurants and then send the
vals with all proceeds going to local charities. We challenge club members
satisfied diners home with a
to make boxes for Beads of Courage, a national organization that provides
wood bowl turned by our club
milestone beads for children who are going through medical treatments.
or a ceramic bowl made by local
Boxes turned by our club members serve as vessels that children can use as a
craftspeople. Our club’s dona-
special place to store these meaningful beads. Members of the Cumberland
tion of turnings gave every
Woodturners also make wig stands for both children and adults suffering
turner, beginner or pro, the
from hair loss during cancer treatments. This year, 2024, marks the fifteenth
opportunity to “let the chips fly”
year the Cumberland Woodturners has served our community with projects
and contribute to humanity.
dedicated to sporting local charities.
—Richard Vande Veegaete,
Yellowstone Woodturners
For more information, including how to join us, visit
cumberlandwoodturners.com.
—Thomas Neckvatal, President, Cumberland Woodturners
Representatives
from House of
Hope and Kids on
the Rise receive
funds generated
and donated by
the Cumberland
Woodturners.

The Ohio Valley Woodturners of turned boxes, our Guild has To learn more about donating
Guild (OVWG) recently donated conducted an annual BoC box boxes to Beads of Courage, including
nearly forty Beads of Courage (BoC) contest. Many members are regular important guidelines and instructions
boxes to Cincinnati Children’s contributors. Two young members for woodturners, visit
Hospital. This is a well-established of the Guild committed that the beadsofcourage.org/bead-bowls.
program with the OVWG, going first thing they would turn each —KC Kendall, Ohio Valley
back many years. In the BoC month is a BoC box. Woodturners Guild
program, boxes are donated to
young patients undergoing various
medical treatments for which they
receive commemorative beads.
The children use the boxes to hold
the beads, as they meet certain
milestones in their treatment
BoC boxes lovingly made by OVWG members. OVWG member David Wright leads
process. To encourage contributions the club’s BoC initiative.
My wife wanted a better way to store her necklaces, so she could retrieve one without
getting them tangled. I thought about a solution where I could turn something for her. I
have been making wig stands for cancer patients and wondered if I could make a necklace
holder from a wig stand. I evenly spaced sixteen small screw hooks around the edge of the
top and found that the necklaces hang nicely from these hooks.
Then it occurred to me that I could include the necklace hooks with the wig stands we
donate to cancer patients. I decided to drill the holes in the wig stand and include the hooks
in a separate bag, along with a note that informs the recipient that the screw hooks can be
threaded into the holes after the stand is no longer being used to hold a wig. Voila! Now it is
a necklace holder!
—James Andersen, Wisconsin
The Cumberland Woodturners (Crossville, Tennessee), along

with Theresa Hess and Sally Neckvatal, sponsored an ornament-
painting activity using a recently developed memory-ornament
package. This ornament package was recommended by club
member Jake Niedling to be offered for sale during our annual
Christmas ornament project. The packages contained all neces-
sary painting materials plus some decal embellishments and
several ornaments turned by members of the Cumberland
Woodturners. Theresa and Sally put the package to the test with
a gathering of twelve girls who are members of Theresa’s grand-
daughter’s soccer team. The paint-a-thon, including lunch, was a Prepackaged ornament-decorating kits, including
rousing success. turned ornaments, helped the Cumberland
The Cumberland Woodturners continues to seek projects that Woodturners involve community members in
charitable fundraising.
provide opportunities for members to be more involved and
connected with our community. All proceeds from ornament
sales are donated to local charities.
—Thomas Neckvatal, President, Cumberland Woodturners
woodturner.org 9
CHATTER
Tips for Selling Tools Jeff King
Photos by Dennis Belcher.
Following are some tips for woodturn- and driveway parking can quickly
ers who, for whatever reason, have run out. Conducting a day-long series
decided it is time to reduce their col- of thirty-minute sales sessions, for
lection of woodshop tools. They are maybe ten buyers at each session,
largely based on the recent experi- will eliminate an overflow crowd
ences of members of the Wilmington all at one time. However, if a buyer
Area Woodturners Association, an chooses a time later in the day, or is be priced at 50% of the current price
AAW chapter in North Carolina. No assigned one, they may find the items of a comparable new item. Adjust this
doubt, readers will think of ideas to they wanted have already been sold. percentage based on the condition of
supplement these tips; this article is That will be disappointing for them, the tool and the primary goal of the
merely intended to prompt you to particularly if they traveled a long sale. Also, expect that no matter how
think and plan ahead, so you can be way to the sale. reasonably you have priced your items,
better prepared when your tool sale is some prospective purchasers may
on the horizon. 4. Folding tables are an easy place to attempt to negotiate further. Decide
display tools, whereas placing them on ahead of time how you will handle this
Plan ahead the ground or floor is much less desir- scenario—know your bottom line.
1. A sale held indoors, ideally in your able and can create a tripping hazard.
shop, will reduce the chore of having 8. Some buyers may show up well
to move and display all of your items 5. Have one or more extension cords before the sale starts to increase their
outside. And an outdoor/driveway sale available so prospective purchasers chances of getting what they want
might necessitate scrambling if the can plug in and safely try electric tools to buy. Decide ahead of time how (or
weather takes a turn for the worse. before purchasing. whether) you will accommodate them.
2. While many woodturners are 6. You may want to put a sign, such A “to do” list
retired and have the flexibility to as “WOODTURNERS TOOL SALE” 1. Prepare an inventory of your sale
attend a sale almost any day and time, curbside at your location to help items, including brand names, model
new and younger members may not buyers find you. numbers, tool capacities in inches (as
have that same flexibility. A weekend appropriate), horsepowers, voltages,
sale reduces this concern. 7. Understand that the actual sales and prices, for inclusion in a compre-
price of used tools will likely not come hensive list for publication ahead of
3. The availability of on-street close to the original price you paid for the sale. If your club can publish your
parking at the site, especially if you them. Before pricing the tools in the sale items (either in a newsletter or on
intend to hold just a one-day sale, sale, determine whether your goal is their website), make the list “email-
must be considered, particularly if to have nothing left at the end of the able” and include photos.
heavy tools/machines need to be sale or to maximize revenue. A helpful
transported to vehicles. Also, street rule of thumb is that used tools can 2. Clean your tools as best you can.
Plan ahead to avoid parking issues. Have power available so buyers can test People may show up ahead of the starting time
electric tools. to get first dibs on certain items. Decide ahead
of time how you will accommodate them.

3. Plug in and test any electric tools to

ensure they operate.
4. Locate and plan to provide to the

purchaser any owner’s manual or
instructions that came with the tools.
5. If you have many items, label each

one with an inventory number and a
price. Several sizes of adhesive stickers Mark each sale item with an inventory number Be sure to have sufficient smaller bills on hand
and price. to make change.
for this purpose are available at any of
the local office supply stores.
6. Cash may be the simplest way to collect payment will leave you, the 9. If your sale will be held in a confined
make a sale, but if you trust the person owner, free to answer questions for space, such as a one- or two-stall garage,
offering a check, that is your choice. other prospective buyers. try to arrange your tables and tools so
If it is to be a cash-only sale, have a that prospective buyers can inspect
supply of various denominations 8. Have on hand or remind buyers to them and move through your display
on hand. Price items in even dollar bring sturdy shopping bags and/or card- in a free-flowing manner. Locate related
amounts to avoid the need for coins. board boxes to move their purchases to items together—such as sandpaper and
their vehicle. If you are selling a heavy sanding tools, electric drills and drill
7. Arrange to have help during your piece of equipment, have on hand or bits, and routers and router bits.
tool sale. The availability of a family ask buyers to bring a two-wheeled cart, —Jeff King, Wilmington Area Woodturners
member or friend to finalize sales and hand truck, or some extra help. Association
Book Review: Creative Woodturning Projects, by Richard Findley,

Guild of Master Craftsman (GMC) Publications, 2024, 160 pages, paperback
Richard Findley’s a handsome chess set, and another to to encourage a novice. The projects
first book, Turning boxes, none of which align with the are exciting and inspiring, with end
Decorative Bowls, usual mental image of box. A bread results that are a testament to the
was reviewed in board with incised letters would be pleasure and practicality of woodturn-
the October 2023 ideally suited for slicing a baguette at ing. While making a cryptex is, by
AW (vol 38, no the table, although devious crumbs no means, easy, the satisfaction in its
5, page 9). Based could hide in the incised letters. The completion would build confidence
on the same book concludes with a 3" (8cm) globe and commitment to the lathe.
premise—addressing a challenge set on a stand that permits pyrography of
by the editor of Woodturning maga- any version of the world you want— Creative Woodturning Projects is rec-
zine—Creative Woodturning Projects antipodeans can turn it upside down. ommended as a contemporary wood-
has greater appeal for two reasons. Like in the bowls publication, Findley turning how-to book that includes
tells how he tackled each project by a “Tools of the Trade” chapter that
Content means of images and text. A seasoned would help a newbie decide what is
The book’s projects are true to its title: turner could readily follow along, with essential for the workshop. As with
creative. Most are small and ideal as the proviso that patience and practice Findley’s previous book, you can
gift items for family and friends. There make perfect. support the maker/author by pur-
are two examples of jewelry—a heart- chasing signed copies via his website,
shaped pendant and ring—that would Potential turnersworkshop.co.uk.
be appreciated by any recipient. One The book, in itself, would be an ideal
section is devoted to games, including present for an established turner or —D Wood
woodturner.org 11
CHATTER
SkillsUSA Utah Holds Third-Annual
High School Woodturning Contest Photos by Alan Peck.
The third-annual SkillsUSA Utah High significant effort beyond making

School Woodturning Contest was a turned project. Contestants were
held March 29, 2024. Nine contestants judged in five categories—project
participated, representing five schools design, project quality, interview,
from five school districts. portfolio notebook, and written
The primary goals of SkillsUSA test. The quality of the turnings and
are to help students build leadership portfolio notebooks submitted were
and workplace skills. As a result, excellent and represented significant
preparing for the state contest requires creativity, initiative, and work. Each of
the three winners submitted work that
was very nicely done and performed
SkillsUSA Utah 2024 Woodturning well in all five judging categories.
Contestants (left to right): back row: Griffin Student prizes and contest judges
Burnham, Isaac Loser, Chance Roberts;
center row: Benjamin Tuttle, Andrew were provided by Craft Supplies
Jensen, Lincoln Zacaharias; front row: Asher USA (Provo) and Woodcraft (Sandy).
Anderson, Jaelie Adams, Porter Avery.
Several individuals, including
members of the Timp Woodturners
All fifty states have a SkillsUSA association, director, Association (Provo, Utah), donated
their time to serve as judges and
and annual competition, but currently only Utah holds a assistants to make the contest run
state-level woodturning competition. smoothly. Nathan Pickett (SkillsUSA
Utah State Director), Savannah
Costello (SkillsUSA Utah State
Site Director), and Jared Massic
(Woodturning Cluster Chair) were
particularly supportive and helpful.
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a national career
and technical student leadership
organization with more than 380,000
members. It sponsors over 100
different competitions (see sidebar).
All fifty states have a SkillsUSA
association, director, and annual
competition, but currently only
Utah holds a state-level woodturning
1st Place, Maple Harbor, by Porter Avery,

Tooele High School, Josh Warren (teacher)
2nd Place, Three-Legged Chair, by Asher Anderson, 3rd Place, Sun Kissed, by Chance Roberts, Tooele
Brighton High School, Paul Otterstrom (teacher) High School, Josh Warren (teacher)

competition. It is hoped that in 2025

there will be SkillsUSA woodturning
competitions held in additional states
More on SkillsUSA
and that eventually woodturning To learn more about SkillsUSA, visit the following links:
competitions will be held in states
• SkillsUSA main website: skillsusa.org
throughout the country at the
national level. • SkillsUSA State Association Directors:
If you are interested in organizing skillsusa.org/who-we-are/leaders-and-partners/association-directors
a SkillsUSA woodturning competition in • SkillsUSA List of Competitions: skillsusa.egnyte.com/dl/B7UvDZ4E9e
your state, please contact Kip Christensen
at kc@learningturning.com.
Display Bowl, by Lincoln Zacaharias, Brighton High Maple Magic, by Griffin Burnham, Tooele High Function or Form/Nesting Dolls, by Benjamin Tuttle,
School, Paul Otterstrom (teacher) School, Josh Warren (teacher) Timpview High School, Cameron Whatcott (teacher)
Rolling Pin, by Jaeli Adams, Dixie High School, Arissa Ward (teacher)
Cherry Chair, by
Andrew Jensen,
Brighton High School,
Fruit Burl Bowl, by Isaac Loser, American Fork High School, Paul Otterstrom
Sandon Ellefson (teacher) (teacher)
woodturner.org 13
CHATTER
AAW WIT Wig Stand Initiative—One Year Later
As part of a WIT wig stand initiative, members of the Tennessee A selection of WIT-initiative wig stands from the Minnesota Woodturners
Association of Woodturners (both female and male) collaborated with Association monthly challenge project.
students from Covenant School and the folks at Tri Star Medical Center. Photo: Linda Ferber
Women in Turning (WIT) is a program ideas, information, and processes to support people undergoing (most
of the AAW that brings together further their skills and creativity. WIT often) cancer treatment. Almost all
women worldwide who share a passion programming provides a platform to of us—our families, friends, and
for woodturning. WIT is dedicated connect women, embracing all back- communities—have been touched by
to encouraging and assisting women grounds and differences in celebration cancer, so this project resonates with
in their pursuit of turning by sharing of equity and inclusion. people on a personal level.
After a few months of gathering and
WIT Liaisons organizing resources for distribution,
Club officers help engage women in production, an introductory letter,
their local club by supporting a WIT and photos by Robin McIntyre, Jean
Liaison—a point person in the club, LeGwin, and the WIT Committee, the
either female or male, who works AAW WIT Wig Stand Initiative was
within the group to bring women launched in March 2023. The response
together and also engages in the larger has been widespread. WIT groups and
Genae Johnson turns a wig stand spindle/post
WIT Liaison community. entire woodturning chapters have
during a Cape Cod Woodturners WIT gathering. Since early 2022, WIT Liaisons have jumped on the bandwagon and have
Photo: Robin McIntyre been meeting online every six to eight produced 541 wig stands to date. These
weeks to share ideas, insights, and con- creations of talent and TLC are treasured
cerns and to problem-solve and build by their recipients, who are having to
community. They also connect via endure a tough time in their lives.
the WIT Liaison online community,
sharing information and ideas. It would be wonderful if there was no
ongoing need for these wig stands,
The WIT Wig Stand Initiative but unfortunately the need continues.
In late 2022, New Jersey’s Atlantic Join us on this journey. To see all of
Shore Woodturners Club Liaison the resources in our initiative—the
Susan Chiarello presented the idea to what, why, and how, plus distribution
launch a national WIT project to make materials—visit the WIT Calls,
wig stands. Wig stands have been Projects & Grants webpage at
crafted by other clubs over the years, tiny.cc/WITInfo (URL is case-sensi-
but this was to be specifically a WIT tive). Let’s keep a good thing moving
initiative. The wig stands are donated forward! Many thanks to all who have
to local partnering organizations that donated their time and talents to this
are giving away free wigs to those in community project.
need. The partners may be hospitals,
Cape Cod Woodturners’ Deb Chase shares her
embellishment talents on a wig stand top. oncology clinics, cosmetology —Robin McIntyre, WIT Liaison Coordinator
Photo: Don Chase programs, or other organizations that and Cape Cod Woodturners WIT Liaison

Calendar of Events Hancock, Greg Gallegos. Featuring Friday night

meet & greet demonstrator presentations,
Send event info to editor@woodturner.org. Ausust issue deadline: June 15. Women in Turning meeting, vendor room,
silent auction, raffle, instant gallery, and a
hands-on room with tips and tricks from
England Hotel, Northbrook. The only symposium fully professionals. For more, visit mawts.com.
October 4–6, 2024, Association of Woodturners dedicated to segmenting. Save the date for
of Great Britain (AWGB) 18th International next year; details to come. For more, visit Texas
Woodturning Seminar, Yarnfield Park Training segmentedwoodturners.org. August 23–25, 2024, SWAT (Southwest
and Conference Centre, Staffordshire. Association of Turners) annual symposium, Waco
Demonstrators to include Mick Hanbury, Simon Minnesota Convention Center, Waco. Demonstrators to
Hope, Margaret Garrard, Jason Breach, Kade Multiple 2024 exhibitions, AAW’s Gallery of include Stuart Batty, Sammy Long, Kurt Hertzog,
Bolger, David O’Neill, Yann Marot, Jan Hovens, Wood Art, Landmark Center, Saint Paul: Kirk DeHeer, Jason Breach, Beth Ireland, and
Neil Joynt, and Rolly Munro. For more, visit Laurent Niclot. Registration includes lunch each
• May 19–September 1, 2024: Art from
awgbwoodturningseminar.co.uk. day, vendor tradeshow, and instant gallery. For
the Lathe—Selected Works from the AAW
more, visit swaturners.org.
Permanent Collection
Ireland
October 12, 13, 2024, Irish Woodturners Guild • September 8–December 29, 2024: Common Virginia
(IWG) Seminar, Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore, Roots (AAW’s 2024 member exhibition) November 2, 3, 2024, Virginia Woodturners,
County Offaly. Demonstrators to include Emmet • Ongoing: Touch This!; Around the Hus—Turning Inc., biennial symposium, Expoland, Fishersville.
Kane, Derek Weidman, Chris Parker, Nikos Siragas, in Scandinavian Domestic Life; She’s Tops! Headline artists include Donna Zils Banfield, Trent
and Roberto Cecconello. For more, visit iwg.ie. Selections from the Linda Ferber Collection; Bosch, JoHannes Michelsen, Kristin LeVier, Andi
vintage and historic lathes and turned items Wolfe, Bob Rotche, Nick Agar, Joe Fleming, Barry
Colorado Gross, Jeff Hornung, Linda Ferber, Willie Simmons,
For more, visit galleryofwoodart.org or email
September 27–29, 2024, Rocky Mountain and Steve Schwartz. Forty-six demonstrations,
Tib Shaw at tib@woodturner.org.
Woodturning Symposium, The Ranch Larimer large vendor tradeshow, instant gallery. For more,
County Events Center, Loveland. Demonstrators visit virginiawoodturners.com.
Montana
to include Jean-François Escoulen, Dale Larson,
September 20–22, 2024, Yellowstone
Rudolph Lopez, Jacques Vesery, Kimberly Winkle, Washington
Woodturners Symposium, Roaring 20s Club
Michael Anderson, Christian Brisepierre, Linda October 19, 2024, Northwest Washington
House, Billings. Featured demonstrator/
Ferber, Joe Fleming, Chris Hoehle, Vinny Luciani, Woodturners’ 12th-annual all-day demo, A Day
instructor will be Michael Roper, whose
Randall Olander, Doug Schneiter, and Chip with Keith Gotschall, Anacortes First Baptist
sessions will be geared toward both beginners
Siskey. Symposium to include hands-on learning, Church, Anacortes. Full-day demonstration
and experienced turners. For more, visit the
tradeshow, instant gallery, and auctions. For including bowl-turning techniques and turning
Yellowstone Wood Turners Facebook page or
more, visit rmwoodturningsymposium.com. a stool. Deli lunch provided, and classes will
email Sam Angelo (samandcheryle@gmail.
also be available. For more, visit nwwwt.org,
com) or Roger Kesler (rogerkesler@msn.com).
Illinois email questions to info@nwwwt.org, or call
August 2–4, 2024, Turn On! Chicago Charley Drake at (425) 785-2994 or Rod Parker
Pennsylvania at (480) 338-3395.
Woodturning Symposium, Crowne Plaza
February 9–September 15, 2024, Experiencing
Hotel, Northbrook. Demonstrators to include
Form: Phil Brown and the Museum’s Residency
Stuart Batty, Roberto Ferrer, Greg Gallegos,
Artist Alumnae, Museum for Art in Wood,
Keith Gotschall, Kristen LeVier, Laurent Niclot,
Philadelphia. An exhibition of bowls and
Elizabeth Weber, Rob Wallace, Jeff Hornung,
sculpture initiated by the late Phil Brown and
and Kurt Wolff-Klammer. Live rotations, instant
completed by the residency alumni. For more,
gallery with People’s Choice award, WIT
visit museumforartinwood.org.
meeting, banquet/auction, and tradeshow. For
more, visit turnonchicago.com and follow us September 20–22, 2024, The Mid Atlantic
on Instagram, @turnonchicago. Woodturning Symposium, Lancaster Marriott
Hotel and Convention Center, Lancaster.
September 26–28, 2025, Segmented
Featured demonstrators to include Stuart Batty,
Woodturners Symposium, Crowne Plaza
Alan Lacer, Keith Gotschall, Carol Hall, Mark
woodturner.org 15
TIPS
Tips Share your turning ideas!

If we publish your tip, we’ll pay you $35. Email your tips along with relevant
photos or illustrations to editor@woodturner.org. —Joshua Friend, Editor
Toolrest jig for off-center work Drop-on chainsaw

Making certain repeating patterns using an offset jig, such as the Joyner offset scabbard
jig, requires you to place the tool in the exact same spot on a toolrest multiple My chainsaw is always sitting
times. To aid in this process, I made a jig that attaches to my Robust box tool- around somewhere in my studio.
rest. You can see my diamond-pointed carbide tool just fits in the slots in the The chain teeth are razor sharp,
jig I made, providing consistent alignment (Photo 1). so I like to keep a chainsaw scab-
The bottom of the wood jig has a narrow lip, which, when pressed up bard over them to avoid getting
against the metal toolrest, helps to keep the jig square to the toolrest. I also cut accidentally. Commercially
make use of the metal post in the Robust toolrest by having a hole in the available scabbards are designed
wood jig. These two features are all that I need to keep the jig in place during to slip on/off the end of the bar.
use (Photos 2, 3). I found installing and removing
When positioning the toolrest, make sure to leave enough room for the them to be more difficult than
offset jig to be removed so you can change the offsets (Photo 4) without necessary, which meant I didn’t
having to move the toolrest. Depending on use a scabbard consistently. I
the pattern you are making, you may end up solved the problem by making my
moving the toolrest or making use of an addi- own scabbard that just slips down
tional slot on the plywood jig once the first set over the bar. It is easy to install
of patterns is made. and remove.
—Byron Patterson, Wisconsin, AAW member I made the drop-on scabbard
since 2020 out of ¼"- (6mm-) thick plywood
with ¾"- (19mm-) square spacers
on the top and front. I painted it
red and yellow to make it easy
1 to find.
—Carl Ford, New York, AAW member
since 2001
2 3 4
Lathe-mounted abrasive disk

It’s impossible to carve bone and soft
metals with any accuracy using a hand-
held angle grinder. But if you mount an
angle grinder disk inboard (as shown)
and lock a horizontal platform into the
banjo, accurate carving of a hand-held
workpiece is possible.
—Mike Darlow, New South Wales, Australia,
AAW member since 1986

Bed ways-mounted workstation Cake tester aids in

Since my best dust collection is located at my lathe, I am forever doing centering faceplate
much of my sanding there, whether sanding turnings or other pieces. When attaching a faceplate to a bowl
Not only is balancing work on the ways tricky, but it’s too easy to drop a blank, I like to get it centered to reduce
workpiece on the floor. So using scraps laying around the shop, I created a wobble and to maximize the bowl size.
new, stable sanding and work platform at the lathe. My faceplate has an opening diameter
First, I used wood glue and a brad nailer to fasten a 1½" × 2½" (38mm × × 6cm) of 1½" (38mm), so if you center it by eye,
piece of pine to a 17" × 27" (43cm × 69cm) piece of scrap plywood. The pine there is quite of bit of room for error. To
piece fit nearly perfectly between the bed ways of my lathe without my having center it more precisely, I turned a small
to do any significant trimming (Photo 1). This piece not only stabilizes the “plug” with a diameter just shy of 1½" and
plywood work surface but also allows me to move the workstation left or right. drilled a small hole through the center of
Next, to give the plywood platform a non-skid surface, I glued rubber- it, just big enough for a cake tester.
ized shelf lining to the plywood using a spray adhesive (Photo 2). To center the faceplate, I drill a small
Finally, to make the workstation really stable, I attached four powerful hole in the center of the bowl blank
rare-earth magnets to the underside of the plywood using epoxy. Since about ⅛" (3mm) deep. I then “pin” the
the magnets have a total pulling force of over 20 pounds, they keep every- plug to the center of the blank with the
thing in place while I’m working. However, the magnets aren’t so strong cake tester and drop the faceplate over
that I can’t easily remove the workstation when I need to put it away. the cake tester and plug. After attaching
—Rich Sabreen, Connecticut, AAW member since 2015 the faceplate with screws, the cake tester
and plug will easily drop out.
And since cake testers are inexpensive,
you won’t need to borrow one from the
kitchen!
—Michael Mullen, New York, AAW
member since 2021
1 2
Sandpaper rack
The “secret” to achieving a finely polished finish is to sand through the grits
to, say, 600 grit. If I start with 150 grit, I then sand with 180, 240, 320, 400,
and 600. This process is much more efficient if you use a sandpaper rack. The
one shown is about 20" (50cm) tall, 16½" (42cm) wide, 6" (15cm) deep. Its top
shelf is at a height of about 12" (30cm), which is 4" (10cm) higher than my
lathe’s center height. The rack’s features include the following:
• The square bar at the top is rotatable so that four different series of grits
can be labeled on it.
• The top “shelf” holds triple-folded quarter sheets, which are used to sand
the workpiece.
• The top shelf’s vertical dividers are supported
on dowels so that shavings fall through.
• The top shelf is high enough for the
turner to safely reach over the rotating
workpiece to remove and replace triple-
folded quarter sheets.
• The bottom shelf holds unfolded quarter
sheets and is positioned high enough to
clear the top of the lathe’s banjo.
—Mike Darlow, New South Wales, Australia,
AAW member since 1986
woodturner.org 17
TIPS
Vary bevel sizes on double-bevel scrapers
The most important part of a double- An internet search will show that and because the upper and lower bevel
bevel scraper (commonly known by many turners sharpen the upper and angles are the same, I don’t need to
the more technical term, negative- lower bevels to the same length, which adjust the grinder toolrest. I only need
rake scraper) is the edge, and because means the edge will be in the middle to do that about every tenth time I
the bevels don’t touch the wood, of the tool thickness, but that is not sharpen. The edge is the same as with
their only purpose is to create the the most efficient way to sharpen these equal bevels, but I have kept the edge
included angle of that edge. The tools. When I shape such scrapers, I nearer to the top of the tool, so there is
included angle can be as small as complete the bevel on the bottom first, more support from below.
you want, but too acute will mean so it looks like a conventional scraper, If you already have a double-bevel
it goes blunt very quickly. There are and then I turn it over and create only scraper with equal bevels, sharpen
many reasons you might have dif- a tiny bevel on the top, as little as 0.1" only the bottom bevel for a while and
ferent angles, such as the hardness (2.5mm) wide (Photos 2, 3). I only need eventually you will arrive at the same
or abrasiveness of the wood you are one final pass on the lower bevel to result, and you can decide for yourself
working, or how often you prefer to create the “hook” on the upper bevel if you will keep it that way. Photo 4
sharpen. Once you have decided on and I am good to go. The advantage is shows just how well the tool works,
the angle you want, the best way is to that when I sharpen, I need to touch and this is with very hard Australian
divide the angle in two and that will up only the bottom bevel. When the hairy oak.
be the angle your grinder toolrest small bevel on the top gets too narrow, —Terry Martin, Queensland, Australia,
should be set at (Photo 1). I sharpen it to its former 0.1" width first joined the AAW in 1996
1 2 3 4
Boring holes with a cross-slide vise Dowel centers wasteblock

If you need to bore holes of specific and constant diameter, you can use When I glue a wasteblock to a bowl blank, I do two
a cross-slide vise. The one shown in Photo 1 is inexpensive and amply things. First, I drill a shallow hole in the center
accurate. You have to pack the cross-slide vise up so that the cutting of the wasteblock and the bowl blank (labeled A
takes place at lathe-axis height. The cutter shown held in the vise is an and B, respectively, in Photo 1). Next, I spread glue
unhandled detail gouge, with the blade sharpened out-cannel; it leaves between the bowl blank and wasteblock and keep
a better surface than a scraping cutter would. For deep small-diameter them aligned using a dowel inserted into the cor-
holes, swap to an in-cannel-sharpened gouge (Photos 2, 3). responding holes. The final step is to use the drill
—Mike Darlow, New South Wales, Australia, AAW member since 1986 press as a clamp while the glue dries (Photo 2).
—Tim Heil, Minnesota, AAW member since 2001
1 3
Ready to increase the diameter of the hole A bowl gouge sharpened in-cannel.
in an Osage orange workpiece using a
gouge clamped between the vise jaws. 1 2

Needle-tip applicator bottle for CA glue

I bought these needle-tip applicator bottles at Hobby Lobby, and they
are great for applying cyanoacrylate (CA) glue without getting it in
unwanted places. The needle on the bottle allows me to get close to, for
example, a crack in the wood that needs to be filled, giving me greater
accuracy. I keep the needle cap that comes with the bottle off, as using
it actually causes the needle to clog. The uncovered needle doesn’t clog
very often, but if it does, I just soak it in acetone for a few minutes and I
am ready to go again.
—Terry Butler, Arkansas, AAW member since 2022
Leveling bolts as sanding disk mandrel

I used leveling bolts and foam to make a sanding disk holder, or
mandrel. (The traditional purpose of leveling bolts is to thread
them onto the ends of table legs for easy leveling adjustment.) Start
by cutting foam disks slightly wider than the flat of the leveling
bolt. Next, use double-sided carpet tape to affix the foam to the lev-
eling bolt. I cut rounds of sandpaper to fit over the foam, then use
more double-sided tape to hold the sanding disk to the foam pad.
—Tim Heil, Minnesota, AAW member since 2001
Steel rod mandrel

Years ago, I took a class in which we successfully. But while I was preparing rod you intend to use. The goal is
turned twig pots. In preparation for to give a demonstration for our club to get a press fit with no glue/epoxy
the class, the instructor asked us to on turning twig pots, I realized required. For the steel rod, I bought
get a ¾" (19mm) drill bit with a #2 that only two club members own cold-rolled zinc-coated ½" (13mm)
Morse taper. We turned twig pots and collet chucks. I wanted to present a steel rod from Home Depot, which
drilled the center with this drill bit holding method that I knew would be requires a 31⁄64" hole for a good fit in
to accept a glass tube. Then, when we accessible for most turners. We ended the wood. During the demo, our club
were ready to complete the bottom of up using a length of steel rod driven members were impressed by how
the twig pots, we used the drill bit as into a piece of wood that had been rapidly I reverse-mounted, turned,
a mandrel to reverse-mount the work. turned with a chucking tenon to fit in and sanded the bottom of the twig
We installed the drill bit directly in a four-jaw chuck. pot I had made.
the headstock spindle, then mounted To make this jig, be sure to drill a —Leon Olson, Utah, AAW member
the workpiece on the drill bit using hole just slightly smaller than the since 2010
the hole we had drilled. I have used
this mounting method many times
since then. However, one limitation
is that pushing sideways on the drill
bit could make the Morse taper come
loose. Likewise, mounting the drill
bit in a drill chuck with a Morse taper
could cause the same problem; drill
chucks and Morse tapers are not made
for side pressure while being held
from one end only.
Holding a steel rod of appropriate A steel rod press-fit into a hole in a piece of The hole drilled in a twig pot fits on the steel
wood held in a chuck can serve as a reliable rod mandrel, providing access to the bottom
diameter in a collet chuck is mandrel. Blue painter’s tape will take up any of the workpiece. For maximum safety, use
one alternative that I have used slack to achieve a good fit of the twig pot. tailstock support until the final passes.
woodturner.org 19
Using a
Profile Gauge
Terry Martin
T
here are different kinds of pro- shape to be copied, the “fingers” spread hole, I stopped and checked the shape
file gauges, and the type that is apart, so it is better to push them down against the profile gauge (Photos 4, 5).
used by woodturners is a con- one at a time with a fingernail to get an After I had turned all the tops of the
tour profile gauge. These gauges use a accurate impression (Photo 3). Once the compass holders, I proceeded to turn the
set of captive pins to copy a shape so it profile gauge was set, I had to be careful bottoms. I used a small chuck with the
can be transferred to a piece of wood. not to bump it too hard. jaws expanded into the hole to reverse-
It is a very quick way of copying what I used a chuck to mount a square mount each workpiece for turning the
would otherwise require a very com- blank that I had cut slightly larger base. I again used the gauge to copy the
plex set of measurements. than the diameter of the finished profile of the base of the sample. When
My oldest profile gauge is made of piece. I then drilled the hole for the I had completed fifty of them and lined
metal, as shown in Photo 1. It is very compass with a Forstner bit in a chuck them up for applying a finish, there
reliable because once you set it, it is very held in the tailstock. When I made were no discernible differences in the
hard to accidentally change the profile. the first one, I bored the hole in small shape, thanks to my profile gauge. After
The newer plastic ones are easier to increments until it was the right the finish dried, it needed only a small
set, but it’s quite easy to accidentally depth for the compass, then noted amount of silicon inside to hold the
change the setting if you bump it. how many turns of the tailstock compasses and the job was complete.
handle it took to reach that depth.
Reproduce an existing shape That made it quickly repeatable Line up curves
I was recently asked to turn a large without need for measuring. Another way a profile gauge can be of
number of small wooden holders for After that I made a flat cut from left great help for woodturners is when you
desk compasses. It wasn’t a compli- to right to create the shoulder of the want to carve feet on a bowl. A common
cated shape, but they all had to be body, just like the outside of a bowl. method is to turn a ring on the base of
exactly the same (Photo 2). Once I reached the edge of the square, the bowl, mark the positions of the feet,
I used my 5" (13cm) profile gauge I knew I had the exact diameter, and then remove the wood between
on the sample I was given to establish which is repeatable for every piece. the feet. The problem is that when you
the shape of the top. Sometimes, if you As I refined the cut for the shoulder are cutting the curve on the underside
just press the whole gauge down on the and the small bevel that leads into the of the bowl, it is difficult to know if the
Profile gauges Gauge a completed project
1 2
The author’s three profile gauges. The A sample desk compass the author was
plastic ones are 5" and 10" (13cm and commissioned to copy in multiples. He
25cm) wide. uses a profile gauge to take a physical
record of the shape to be duplicated. 3

F E AT U R E
Confirm the shape The goal: a

Before sanding,
the author verifies
continuous curve
the shape of
the top of the
compass holder
using the profile
gauge, making
additional cuts
as needed. The
same process
is used for the
bottom of the
piece.
4 5
curve matches inside and outside of the needs to be turned inside the foot ring for 6
A bowl is reverse-mounted on plate, or
foot ring. If you get it wrong, the differ- remounting. In this case, the bowl will jumbo, jaws to allow full access to the base.
ence of the curves will be very obvious need to be reverse-mounted after hollow- The author has removed the chucking
after you have removed the wood ing to remove the spigot. tenon that was inside the foot ring and
now strives for a continuous curve flowing
between the feet, and you might have to In either case, a simple way to make down the bowl and through the foot.
do more turning to blend the curve. the curve consistent is to use a profile
There are several ways to make a bowl gauge. I turned a red cedar bowl that
with a ring that will later be carved to was 8" (20cm) in diameter with a 3½" Then I removed the wood between the
create feet. If the ring is small enough, (9cm) foot ring and a small spigot inside legs with a combination of a small flexible
it can temporarily double up as the the ring. I reverse-mounted it when saw and a carbide cutter in a flexible shaft.
spigot, or chucking tenon, that is used for the bowl’s interior was completed and With careful sanding, I removed all signs
remounting to turn the inside of the bowl. removed the spigot (Photo 6). that there had been a ring there (Photo 9).
In that case, the curves inside and outside As I approached what I thought was
of the ring can be matched up while you a good curve, I constantly checked Profile gauges have many possible
are still shaping the whole underside, and by pushing the profile gauge onto the applications for woodturners, particu-
once the bowl has been hollowed, you can wood so that it copied the curve on larly if you do production runs, so why
proceed directly to carving the feet. In the both sides of the ring. After removing not give them a try?
process, you can remove all evidence that the gauge from the bowl and holding
Terry Martin is a woodturner and writer
the ring was used as a spigot. However, it at eye level, I could see if the curves working in Ipswich, Australia. Visit his
if the bowl is large and the ring is too lined up and was able to make small website, terrymartinwoodartist.com, or
wide to be used as a spigot, then a spigot cuts until they matched (Photos 7, 8). contact him at tmartin111@bigpond.com.
Confirm the curve Carve the feet
9
With the proper curve established, the
7 8 author carves away most of the ring,
The profile gauge confirms that the curve inside the foot continues perfectly from outside leaving just the finished feet.
the foot.
woodturner.org 21
HERE’S THE
SCOOP (NO SPECIAL CHUCKS NEEDED)
Bill Kram
T
urned kitchen utensils are a plea- this would be a nice replacement for my After thinking about this and won-
sure to make and a joy to use. The generic plastic measuring scoop. dering if I could avoid spending the
personal touch of the maker— The 2012 article starts with direc- time making the chuck, an idea came
you—also gives them special meaning tions for the construction of a complex to mind for another method of con-
as a gift. Turning scoops was the theme donut chuck. The author acknowl- struction. I believe it is simpler and
of an August 2012 American Woodturner edges that you will probably spend more convenient, as it uses no special
article by Mike Peace, “Donuts and more time making the chuck than jig at all—just a large wood face-
Coffee: A Small, Versatile Chuck Lets turning your first scoop. This method plate—and allows for any size scoop
You Turn Scoops” (vol 27, no 4, page is presented in several published arti- to be made.
43). This article had a special appeal for cles and in internet videos, too. One As with other methods of turning a
me, as it showed how to make a coffee drawback, besides its complexity and one-piece scoop, the blank has to be
scoop that could be used each day for time involved, is its restriction to just mounted in two separate orientations
my morning coffee routine. I thought one scoop size per donut chuck. on the lathe. One position is for turning
the bowl of the scoop, and the second
is for turning the handle. The method
Blank layout I have adopted reverses the steps from
other approaches I have seen: the bowl
Draw the scoop’s shape is hollowed first and then the piece is
directly onto the turning
blank. A centerline spindle-turned to completion.
(A) runs along the top
surface and down the
ends. Line B represents Prepare the blank
the center height of For a coffee scoop measuring 1 table-
the side view and is
positioned ½" down spoon, start with a blank of dry,
from the top surface. straight-grained wood about 2" (5cm)
square and 6" (15cm) long. Photo 1
shows a blank with a 5"- (13cm-) long
scoop drawn onto it, including spindle
1 features. Start by drawing a centerline
down the length of the blank on

F E AT U R E
the top surface, and, using a square,

extend it across the ends. Then draw
lines across the ends of the blank and
Attach blank to faceplate
With the workpiece held
down the sides ½" (13mm) down from in place with tailstock
the top surface. Center-punch the line pressure, the author
uses beads of hot-melt
intersections on the ends; these will be glue to fasten it in place.
your mounting centers. For better holding
Draw the outline of the scoop on the results, use a hot-melt
glue gun with a 60-watt
side and on the top of the blank. For a or higher rating. Note
1-heaping-tablespoon-sized scoop, the the short counterweight
block, which helps to
bowl should be 1¾" (44mm) outside balance the turning and
diameter (OD) and 1½" (38mm) inside 2 3 reduce vibration.
diameter (ID). The bowl top opening is
cut to 1¼" (32mm) to account for the
curvature of the scoop.
Alternate Holding Method – Splines
Mount the blank, If you don’t want to make a dedicated faceplate disk
1st orientation for mounting the work, you can also mount the
A simple wood or medium-density fiber- blank in a scroll chuck. To give the chuck something
board (MDF) faceplate disk is used for to grab onto, you’ll need to either glue a separate
the first mounting of the scoop blank. spline to the blank bottom or form a spline from
The disk diameter can be 10" (25cm) or the blank itself, which would entail starting with a
larger. I fastened a counterweight block thicker workpiece (Photo a). In either case, I center
to the disk to help reduce vibration. The the splines by trimming them on a table saw, run-
counterweight shown in Photo 2 meaning both sides along the fence to cut the same
amount off of each side (Photo b). The spline thick-
sures 2" square by 3" (8cm) long, which
ness is matched to the chuck opening.
has proved sufficient for a good balance.
Position the scoop blank on the face- (a) A spline, either added by way
plate with the tailstock pressing against of glue (top) or formed out of the
the center point of the bowl. Then fasten original blank (bottom), provides
the blank to the faceplate using beads a way of holding the blank in a
of hot-melt glue (Photos 2, 3). Only a few chuck for hollowing.
spot beads are needed for a secure mount; (b) Alternating passes on a table
a continuous line of hot-melt glue is not saw centers the spline
needed and would make removal of the
a b
blank unnecessarily difficult.
As an alternative, it is also possible
to hold the scoop blank in a four-jaw Prepare for hollowing
scroll chuck. See Alternate Holding
Method sidebar.
Hollow the bowl

Define the top edge, or rim, of the bowl
with a parting tool to a depth of about
⅛" (3mm) (Photo 4). Make two cuts with
a thin-blade tool to define both the OD
and ID of the bowl’s opening.
Drill a depth-indicator hole 4 5
With the tailstock removed, use a thin Drill a depth-indicator hole. A tape marker
using a ⅜" (6mm) bit held in a drill parting tool to define in OD and ID of the on the bit limits the depth to 1".
chuck mounted in the tailstock (Photo bowl’s rim.
5). Drill the hole 1" (25mm) deep.
woodturner.org 23
Start hollowing the bowl with a hollowing with a round nose using a half-round template cut to
spindle gouge. I used a ½" gouge, scraper (Photos 6-8). As you 1½" OD (Photo 11).
making push cuts to the bowl’s hollow the bowl, check the depth Sand the inside of the scoop’s bowl.
bottom. Then, using a back cut, periodically with the side outline Remove the blank from the mounting
the bowl sides can be cut to a marking for reference (Photos 9, 10). disk using a small chisel to cut the hot-melt
spherical shape. Complete the Finally, confirm the inside shape glue beads and pry it off (Photos 12, 13).
Hollow the bowl
6 7 8
The author uses a spindle gouge and round nose scraper to hollow the bowl of the scoop.
Confirm depth and shape
9 10 11
A simple shopmade jig comprising a piece of wood and a dowel is used to gauge the A half-round template is used to confirm
depth of the bowl. Holding it against the side view drawing on the blank accurately the interior curve.
shows the progress.
Remove blank from

faceplate
A chisel will break away the hot-melt glue spots
and pry the workpiece from the faceplate disk.
12 13

F E AT U R E
Mount in spindle orientation Shape bowl’s exterior
14 15
Dark lines are added to indicate where to The bandsaw-trimmed scoop mounted
cut away waste wood. The bowl’s rim is
darkened as a visual aid while it is spinning.
between centers, ready for turning. 16
The darkened bowl rim serves as a
visual aid as the author shapes a sphere
for the bowl’s exterior.
Mount the blank, for the wall thickness to be uniform. a drill chuck held in your lathe’s head-
2nd orientation Take trial cuts to check for center stock spindle. Sand the top edge of the
Trim the blank on a bandsaw to position, and adjust the live center’s bowl to remove the black markings. If
remove waste material, which will horizontal location as needed. the two side edges of the bowl are not
facilitate the turning to finished Start turning the bowl area, using quite equal, small adjustments can be
form. Draw cutlines on the blank to the intermittent “ghost image” from made by rotating the scoop to sand the
guide the bandsaw cuts. Also, mark the black edge as a visual guide for a thinner edge slightly (Photo 19).
the top edge, or rim, of the bowl uniform sphere (Photo 16).
with a black felt pen, as shown in Continue rough-turning to form
Photo 14. This will serve as a guide the handle and bowl shapes, and then Bill Kram is a retired electrical engineer
when shaping the bowl. complete the turning to the final who worked for General Electric in New
The trimmed blank is now ready shape (Photos 17, 18). Sand the handle York, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire. He
for mounting between centers currently lives in Sun City West, Arizona,
and part the work from the lathe.
and is a member of AAW, the Arizona
(Photo 15). It is important that the Woodturners, and the Prescott Area
tailstock live center be positioned The little end nubs can be sanded off Woodturners. Bill has been an active turner
exactly on the centerline of the bowl with a rotary sanding disk mounted in for more than twenty years.
Shape handle Refine surfaces
17 18 19
With the bowl fully shaped, the author completes the scoop’s handle. A handy sanding tip! Mount a sanding
disk in a drill chuck held in your lathe’s
headstock spindle.
woodturner.org 25
“GALAXY” ACCENT LIGHT
-with-
OPEN-SEGMENTED BASE
Rolland K. Stratton
T
he first time I incorporated
Mount top to pressure plate light in my woodturning was
when my son gave me some
stained glass for Father’s Day, along
with a quick lesson in cutting it. I
designed a stack-laminated bowl
with a segment ring that featured
the stained glass as “portals,” and
a votive light placed inside the
completed bowl lit up these accent
windows beautifully. More recently,
1 2 I was inspired by the recent deep-
The top is temporarily affixed to a wood faceplate using double-sided carpet tape. space photos from NASA’s James
Tailstock pressure helps to form a good bond.
Webb Space Telescope and a trip to
the Corning Museum of Glass in

F E AT U R E
Shape top, form chucking recess
3 4 5
The top is shaped and a temporary chucking recess, or mortise, is formed.
Corning, New York. Seeing these served as a faceplate, or “pressure I then shaped and shear-cut the
things led me to create a stack-lam- plate,” which I flattened and sanded. outer design of this top piece. Using
inated, open-segmented, bowl with To this, I add two pieces of double- the long point of a skew point, I
a tapered opening at the top to hold sided carpet tape (Photo 1). marked the outer edge and depth
a 4" (10cm) handblown glass orb I started with the piece that of a mortise in the bottom of the
with globs and lines of colored glass would become the top, which holds blank. Using a small bowl gouge,
inside. After experimenting with the glass orb—a piece of white I hollowed most of the mortise
light sources, I found that a small oak 6¼" (16cm) in diameter and opening (Photos 3-5). Finally, I
puck, or push, light had enough 1¼" (32mm) thick. After cutting it removed the tailstock and cut the
power to push light through the round on the bandsaw and sanding mortise to its final shape. Note
bowl’s side openings and up through both flat surfaces on my bench that making cuts that press the
the globe. And with that, my own sander, I pressed it onto the double- workpiece into the tape (toward the
“galaxy” was formed. sided tape, aligning it using my headstock) is safer than cuts that
tailstock live center in the center might pull it away. After sanding
Start at the top mark left from my compass through the grits and applying
I started with a piece of maple 7½" (Photo 2). The tailstock pressure Danish oil, I removed the top from
(19cm) in diameter with a chucking presses the wood into the tape and the glue strips using a small drywall
tenon. Mounted in my chuck, this supports the work during turning. skimming blade (Photos 6, 7).
Apply finish and remove top Reverse-mount top,

form foundation rim
Now the top
is reverse-
mounted using
the recess and
chuck jaws
in expansion
mode. The
wide flat rim
will serve as the
foundation for
the segments
used in the stack
7 lamination.
Prior to removing the top with a drywall
6 knife, the author applies a Danish oil finish. 8
woodturner.org 27
Add first segment layer
I remounted the turned top using
the mortise as a chucking recess,
Mark for segment placement
expanding my chuck jaws into this
recess. I then hollowed the center of
the top to about ⅞" (22mm) depth,
leaving a 1"- (25mm-) wide rim as a
foundation for attaching the open
segments. Make certain this outer
rim is truly flat. After sanding this
side through the grits, I oiled the
small dish shape in the center
(Photo 8). Applying finish at this
9 10
The author uses a clock-making template (from Klockit) to mark off segment locations
stage protects that area of the wood and an inside ledger line.
from any glue that might drip and
leave a stain. However, there should
be no oil on the rim, where you will
glue the first layer of segments. of patterns before selecting my final throughout the gluing process. After
I had cut and prepared a variety wood colors and patterns. selecting each piece, I sanded away
of segments for my artistic palette. I placed a paper clock-making tem- any torn grain and ensured all pieces
The segments were all ¼" (6mm) plate on top of the foundation rim to were dust-free. I decided to repeat the
thick , ⅞" wide, and 1⅞" (48mm) mark lines where the twelve segments base pattern on each of the additional
long on the top outside corners. would be glued. I then added a ledger layers (for a total of nine segment
These were cut at a 10-degree line with a compass by scribing a circle layers). Except for using the marked
angle on my table saw sled. I had around the inside edge of the rim edge lines for the first level, the sub-
separate containers for segments of (Photos 9, 10). This helped me to accu- sequent pieces were carefully placed
bloodwood, cherry, purpleheart, rately align the inner edge of the seg- by eye, and I made final adjustments
sapele, walnut, ash, oak, butternut, ments at the first level as I glued them to the segment openings before the
canarywood, and pau grandis. I in place (Photo 11). glue set up (Photo 12). In this design,
like to be playful when creating each subsequent level was added to
designs, often trying out a variety Add layers progressively the right of the existing segments,
of unglued rings to several levels I carefully checked that my chosen giving the bowl a swirling, or stair-
and rearranging pieces in a variety segments were in the correct order step, pattern.
Glue on 1st three layers
11 12 13
An assortment of precut segments in various wood species is a color palette, with which the The first three layers are arranged and
author chooses a pattern for the open stack lamination. glued. Pressure is applied via a weight
and flat board.

F E AT U R E
I used a small paintbrush to apply

a light layer of glue to each segment
where it would make contact with
Turn 1st three layers
the segment below it. I experienced
no glue squeeze-out. My workbench
has a cardboard cover, so I don’t
need to scrape the old glue off of its
maple top, and it also protects my
designs from being marked by the
hardwood.
I placed a thin board with a
weight on top over the glued 14 15
segments until the glue had The work thus far is mounted on the lathe with a pressure plate applied with tailstock
dried (Photo 13). This and every pressure. Both the outside profile and inside are turned, the inside using push cuts
toward the chuck.
subsequent level was carefully
sanded and cleaned before the
next level was glued on. I used a
flat sanding board to level each
segment layer while the piece was
still in the chuck. Turn 2nd three layers
After gluing the first three
levels, I mounted the work on the
lathe using the chuck once again
in expansion mode and added a
pressure plate held in place with
tailstock pressure. This plate would
support the outer cut and make
turning the outside a much safer
process. I cut the outer profile I
wanted and gave it a final shear-cut 16 17
(Photos 14-15). After the next three layers are glued onto the assembly, the work is returned to the lathe
and turned both outside and in.
I removed the pressure plate
and carefully turned the inside
of the open-segment rings. A
progressive approach keeps the
cutting close to the uppermost
levels, so I didn’t have to reach
deeply into the bowl. I used a bowl
Glue on last set of layers
gouge to turn the inside levels
at 1200 rpm, which is the same
lathe speed I used on the outside.
Especially on the inside, make very
light cuts. I cut toward the chuck
to avoid the possibility of a pull cut
catching a layer and blowing the
segments apart.
Using this process of turning 18 19
three levels at a time also helped At the workbench, the last three layers are glued on, continuing the stepwise pattern.
Again, the weight and flat board provide gluing pressure.
me to know exactly where my ½"
(13mm) bowl wall was located, so I
could adjust the placement of the
woodturner.org 29
next segments to create the devel- place by the tailstock, then removed Add the base
oping shape I desired. The width of the pressure plate to access and shape I decided that the tenth and final ring
these segments provided enough the inside. The final shaping cut and would be a solid ring from figured
material for me to change the shape then a series of shear-cuts blended white oak to match the top. This last
of the design on the fly. My bowls the six levels (Photos 16, 17). ring would become the actual base of
are playful in color selection and After sanding the top level flat and the piece.
shape, and they are not rigorously true, I returned the piece to my work- I cut the solid base ring to the right
engineered. bench to add the final three layers diameter to match the outside of the
I glued the next three levels using using the same gluing process (Photos last segment ring and mounted it on
the same procedure. I adjusted the 18, 19). I returned to the lathe to turn the pressure plate with double-sided
placement of the segments to create the final segment layers, outside and tape, pressing it tight using tailstock
the desired shape of the design. The in, using a freshly sharpened gouge pressure. I trued its outer edge, cut
emerging bowl was returned to the (Photos 20, 21). After each section was and sanded the disk’s surface, and cut
lathe after the third level was added. turned, I was careful to clean all dust an inner circle with a sharp parting
As before, I turned that level using and shavings from the piece in prepa- tool, which resulted in a 1" solid ring
the safety pressure plate held in ration for the next gluing. (Photo 22). I removed the ring from
the plate with the drywall blade and
confirmed its placement on the last
segment ring (Photo 23).
Turn last set of layers After checking again that the ring’s
surface was true, I placed a light layer
of glue on top of each of the nine seg-
ments, centered it on the ring aligned
with the grain orientation of the top,
and added a weight until the glue was
dry (Photo 24). I then mounted the
work back in the chuck and shaped the
final solid ring to complete the base
(Photos 25, 26).
20 21
Now with nine segment layers assembled, the work is returned to the lathe and turned
outside and in. Open the top
To reverse-mount the work in order
to make the opening in the top, I
Turn and part base ring Glue base ring to

segment assembly
22 23
Material for the base ring is affixed to the The ring is dry fit on the turned segment
wood faceplate using strips of double- assembly. 24
sided tape and tailstock pressure. The The author glues the segment
author uses a parting tool to form the assembly onto the base ring using
base ring. weights for gluing pressure.

F E AT U R E
returned the pressure plate to the

chuck, sanded away any excess
remains from the previous use
Turn base ring
of tape, and blew away any dust.
This time I added three pieces of
double-sided tape, because the
wall of the design’s base was thin
with a limited area for the tape to
hold it. Using the centering mark
on the top for alignment, I pressed
the piece squarely into the double-
sided tape with the point of the
25 26
tailstock live center. The base ring, which here looks like a bowl rim, is turned outside and in, and the
There was room to make the author blends the new material with the previously turned layers with careful cuts.
For the inside cuts without tailstock pressure, be sure to make cuts in the direction of
initial cuts of the tapered edge with the chuck.
the tailstock in place. I used the old
mortise, or recess, as the outer edge
for holding the glass orb. At 200
rpm, I carefully cut the required confirmed the angle of my tapered After the finish had dried, I placed
angle into the mortise. I alternated opening (Photo 29). Thin cuts the lit puck light under the turned
cutting the outer edge with remov- can be made if adjustments are base and topped it with the glass orb.
ing material from the center, which necessary. I love standing back, turning off the
helped to prevent a catch. As this I then sanded all surfaces of lights, and seeing the beauty of inner
cutting pattern was repeated, a the tapered opening and top and galactic space!
small nub emerged under the live applied Danish oil to the outside
center point. I continued to remove of the segments and into all the
material until I was almost through openings, wiping away any excess. Rolland “Kip” Stratton grew up before
the opening. I finally removed the Using the drywall skimming knife TV. He was allowed to play in his dad’s
tailstock and used a very sharp again, I carefully removed the work woodshop and now practices playful
“what if-ness” in design and tool use.
thin parting tool to complete the from the three pieces of double-
He teaches in his home shop, never
cut. The center wood popped out sided tape. At the workbench, I charges for time and materials, and takes
without binding (Photos 27, 28). applied more Danish oil to the students without regard for race, age, or
Using the glass orb I had acquired, I inside of the form. gender self-identification.
Open the top Confirm fit of

glass orb
27 28
The work is once again mounted on the wood faceplate using double-sided tape and
tailstock pressure, this time with the thicker top on the tailstock side. Making careful cuts
29
The author holds up the 4" glass orb
and keeping the tailstock in place for as long as possible, remove the center wood to to check for a well-seated fit. Adjust as
create an opening in the top. needed with light cuts.
woodturner.org 31
Visualize Designs with CAD Before Turning Ron Giordano
Photo 2 shows the actual turned vase.
C
AD (computer-aided design) direction, wood choice, and finishes
is the use of computers to before turning the item at the lathe. Using CAD, I adjusted the shape, wood
design 2D and 3D models of If I design pieces on the fly at the choice, and decorative features of the
real-world objects. Although CAD has lathe, my impromptu results can be vase until I was pleased with the design
gained in popularity among wood- arbitrary and unappealing. However, prior to actual turning. CAD allows me
workers for designing flat-work items if I design with CAD beforehand, my to focus 100% on design during the
such as bookshelves and tables, the results are more aesthetically pleas- modeling stage and 100% on execution
use of CAD for woodturning has not ing. Once I finalize a design, I print during the turning stage. I find this sin-
received much attention. There are dimensioned drawings and use cali- gular focus per stage improves both the
several CAD programs on the market. pers to transfer those dimensions to design and execution of my turnings.
I use Fusion 360 CAD software from the actual turning.
Autodesk (V.2.0.18961) to test various For example, Photo 1 shows a photore- Visualize design options
design ideas such as shape, grain alistic CAD model of a lidded vase, and The design elements of shape, wood
selection, and grain orientation can be
Free CAD Software Available Online! explored using CAD. Although design
There is currently a free version of Autodesk’s Fusion 360 CAD software available for personal, is a personal choice, it’s helpful to look
non-commercial use for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Check it out at at other people’s designs to understand
autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal. the elements and proportions that
make them pleasing to your eye. From
that learning, you can develop your
own design aesthetic.
CAD model
vs. actual Shape
turned piece CAD can be used to progressively
improve the shape of turned objects.
A CAD model of a vase For example, Photo 3 shows the initial
(left) compares closely
to the author’s actual
design of a finial which is poorly
turned work (right). All shaped and unbalanced. The second
elements of the design version (Photo 4) is an improvement
were fully visualized via
1 2 CAD prior to turning. with a more interesting bulb but still
ungainly. The third version (Photo 5) is
more sophisticated and, with contin-
ued refinement, will be ready to turn.
Shape:
Wood selection
designing A nice feature of CAD is that the wood
progressively species can be easily changed to visual-
ize the design and improve the appear-
From left to right,
the first, second, and ance of the turning. The modeled
third proposed CAD vase in Photo 6 lacks contrast, inter-
designs of a finial. The
one at far right was the est, and harmony. The second model
chosen design. (Photo 7) is better; the wood choices
are more coordinated, the silver pins
complement the silver top, and the
black bands set-off the middle ring
3 4 5 nicely. I can now go to the lathe and
focus solely on the technical aspects of

F E AT U R E
cutting the wood since the design has

already been established. The use of CAD for woodturning has not received much attention.
Grain orientation
CAD can also be used to visualize the
grain pattern on a turning, depending Visualize
on the pith location. For example, CAD
models can show the distinctive grain pat-
wood choice
Two CAD designs allow
terns for an endgrain vase with the pith at for full consideration of
the center (Photo 8), a facegrain vase with wood species. At left, a
plain-looking vase and at
the pith intersecting the side (Photo 9), and
right, an improved design
a facegrain vase with the pith just above showing the effect of
the top edge (Photo 10). Although experi- figured wood and well-
enced turners are aware of these patterns, 6 7 coordinated features.
it is still instructive to visualize and rotate

these models to mentally associate how
the location of a vase within a log deter-
mines the resulting grain pattern.
Visualize grain orientation
Modeling basics
There are three key steps in creating a
CAD model. First, a 2D sketch of the
profile is made (Photo 11); second, the
profile is revolved around the turning
axis to create a 3D model (Photo 12); and
third, the wood appearance is specified
(Photo 13). To help you get started, I’ve
made a detailed tutorial on making a
simple vase using CAD. See the sidebar for
download details. Give it a try. It’s fun!
Ron Giordano is a retired chemical engineer

who lives in Granger, Indiana. He enjoys 8 9 10
making both flatwork and turned items. He CAD renderings showing the effects on grain of pith placement. Endgrain form with
learned the basics of CAD several years ago pith at center (left); facegrain form with pith intersecting side (middle); and facegrain
form with pith above the rim (right).
from his son. Ron’s work can be seen on his
website, rongiordano.com; on Instagram,
@ron_giordano_woodworking; and on
YouTube, @onemorecut7749.
CAD process
Downloadable
Fusion 360
Tutorial!
Ron Giordano has created a
detailed and illustrated tutorial
on the use of Fusion 360 CAD software to
help you get started successfully. Download
the tutorial PDF from the
AAW website. Log on and
11 12 13
CAD renderings derive from a simple process. Begin with a sketch of your desired shape
visit tiny.cc/AWextras or scan or curve in 2D profile. That 2D shape is used to create a 3D object to which you can
the QR code. apply the appearance of wood grain or other color.
woodturner.org 33
SMOKE A BOWL (LITERALLY)! Beth Ireland
D
uring my years of teaching the
eight-week Turning Intensive
at The Center for Furniture
Craftsmanship (CFC) in Rockport,
Maine, several fun activities that
enhance camaraderie have become
tradition. My favorite (for those who
are not vegetarian) is smoking a vari-
ety of meats using the wood chips and
shavings generated during wet bowl
week. On that day, we light the fire at
8:00 a.m. and keep it going until 5:00
p.m., at which point our class enjoys a will turn out. The results depend on tem- woodturning intensive, we usually turn
potluck dinner together. perature and placement in the kiln. maple or cherry during bowl week, as
I thought about this a lot and realized those are wood species local to Maine.
An idea from ceramics how similar the process is to smoking We collect the chips and shavings, trying
I have always felt that experiences meat, where the charcoal goes in a side not to pick up any unwanted debris from
equal creative ideas. While teaching at box (heat source) and the meat (or any the floor. We then put the shavings into a
Peters Valley School of Craft (Layton, object being smoked) goes on the rack. At bucket of water (Photo 2). After the initial
New Jersey), I have been able to visit the the far side opposite the side box is a vent lighting of the fire, we put a handful of
ceramics studio’s firing of their anagama pipe (Photo 1). By opening and closing the lump charcoal on the fire in the smoke
kiln and talk to the participants. vents near the coals, you can control the box every half hour all day and add wet
Anagama is a wood-firing process. When air flow over the coals, which ultimately chips to keep the smoke constant. The
the participants put their clay bowls controls the temperature. The smoke smoke adds flavor to the meat and, as I
in the anagama kiln for a multiple-day vent also has a cap that can be opened had discovered, color to anything on the
firing, they have no idea how the surface and closed in unison with the coal vent rack. By opening the vent on the vent
to move the heat and smoke across what- pipe, you can pull the smoke through
ever you have placed on the rack. The the smoker. I have found over the years
MORE ON THE CFC! items closer to the side box cook quicker, that items near the vent pipe get the most
What’s New
in Woodturn
ing Instructio
Joshua Friend
F E AT U
RE
whereas items closer to the vent pipe at color (Photo 3).
n?
the other end cook slower, with a lower
To learn more about Center for
Photo: Mark
Furniture
Juliana Craftsmans
hip, Rockport,
Maine temperature and, importantly, longer Mask to create patterns
woodturning and craft at O Rockport,
ver the past
the Center
Craftsmanship
Maine, has
twenty years,
for Furniture
(CFC) in
woodturn
byists, and
ers are older
not surprisin
(retired) hob-
The Beth
exposure to the smoke. My prior experience with fabric batiking

tion in the built a solid the available gly most Ireland connec
developm reputa- instructio of The intensive
craftsman ent of fine
furniture
market. Many n caters to
that woodturn tion
ship. Not professional CFC will ing course
one to sit on ers, after cover many
rels, Peter
Korn, CFC’s his lau- gaining enough woodturning a profession facets of becom-
at
utive director, founder and generate experience, al turner.
exec- income by an accompli
is expandin teaching Beth
onstratin shed profession Ireland,
The Center for Furniture

offering in
woodturn
g the school’s g for the hobbyist and dem- the
ing instructio by becomin market, not instructo al, will be
school is not g dedicated r. To get a
new n. The But standing better under-
ing—it routinely to teaching woodturn Korn’s vision practition of the
employs an - demographics. goes beyond the
ers. course, I caught significance of this
list of faculty. impressiv up with Beth new
2014, students
But beginnin
g in January
e icated professio He maintains that Purchase
, where she at SUNY
ded- was the artist
will
12-week intensive be able to take a new the appropria nal turners who possess residence. It doesn’t in
I had first tried smoking a wood- made me aware of the idea of achieving
te take long
geared toward woodturn build relationsh skills and who can stand that
she is an inspired to under-
ing course ips with architect who, as Korn
profession designers teacher
course will al turning. , and custom s, puts it, makes
cover a broad The the opportun builders have that you can you believe
including curriculum ity to thrive achieve anything
architectu , her optimism
Craftsmanship, use the

tion technique ral work; produc- and economi creatively contagiou . I found
s for faceplate, cally. Beth got her s.
and endgrain spindle, I wanted to start in carpentry
see
nents; milling
work; furniture shop in action, CFC’s woodturning than thirty
years ago more
compo- so and is no
machines
with other
woodwor month comprehe I visited while the to hard work
and long stranger
for stock preparatio king nsive furniture nine- Her productio
students were abilities are n runs.
and joinery; n, forming, doing their program obvious. Her
sharpenin woodturn one week teacher is goal as a
and business g; tool-maki ing. The facility of not just to
ng; skills needed impart the
a pattern by putting something to resist

practices.
turned bowl in the meat smoker a

sive, with specific
course represents As such, the twelve Oneway is impres- she intends
for predefine
d projects;
typical woodturn a bold departure from for students, 1640 lathes to
ing instructio purposes.
plus one for
demonstr W Othe D T U Rhelp
Osatisfactio N Estudents
R S C experienc
H AT T E R
ation n e
A course n. I witnessed problem solving,of creativity through
AAW’s Explore! search

specifical teaching the Stephen Gleasner
a career in ly geared furniture so they can
woodturn toward students spindle what they create
my interest. ing? This turning skills, envision.
Demogra piqued such as beads, class projects One of her
pommels first
Book Review: Why We Make Things and Why It Matters:
phically,
most
furniture
, which are
likely
coves, and
projects (Photos to be useful in
ing that stock
is tool-mak
tools tend
ing, emphasiz
-
1, 2). end products, to create stock
woodturn
The Education of a Craftsman by Peter Korn,
er.org and
grinds) increase custom tools (and
possibilit
David R. Godine Publisher, 2013, 200 pages ies.
tool to find these valuable

Someone once described Peter Korn
as a smart man. After reading his new
book, Why We Make Things and Why It
Matters: The Education of a Craftsman, I
consider that an understatement. Twenty
years ago, Korn founded the Center for
Furniture Craftsmanship (CFC) (AW,
Korn asks big questions framed in
broad contexts: What gives objects
meaning? How and why do we create
those objects? He also discusses the
nature of identity and selfhood and
how objects inevitably result from a
confluence of factors, deftly placing
spotlight on the
designing and
making of objects
to remind us they
are the result of
a multitude of
decisions on
33
couple of years ago. The first one came the color from being added to an object
vol 28, no 5), organized it as a nonprofit the discussion into historical context. the part of the Photo: Mark
LeFavor
For those involved in creative work—
(like masking during painting). I tried

school, and strategically placed himself maker, inevitably
out a beautiful brown. I periodically

within the institution to ensure its woodturning, furniture making, pottery, influenced by his or her existence in a par-
resources. Log on at
ongoing success and his own employ- glasswork, writing—Korn’s initial thesis ticular time and place. (And you thought
ment, doing what he loves. On the surface is not an untold secret. He notes early in it was just a refrigerator!) Offering these
and taken as isolated events, those actions the text that students who attend CFC kernels of truth that reside outside of our
sound simply like good career moves, “do not invest time, money, and effort everyday awareness makes Korn’s book a
but in the context of his new book, they traveling to Maine to cut dovetails with rewarding read.
represent the culmination of a life punc- hand tools because they need hardwood The ideas in Why We Make Things are
tuated by serious health issues, supported benches, which are the introductory-class perceptive and well informed. The tone is
by a persistent love of craft, and open to projects. What lures them is the hope of erudite, yet accessible to thoughtful readers.
rotated the bowl to expose all sides to different resist, or masking, materials and
continually reinventing himself. finding a deeper meaning by learning to Korn had already proven himself as a fur-
woodturner.org!
Unlike Korn’s first book, Working make things well with their own hands.” niture maker, designer, teacher, writer, and
With Wood: The Basics of Craftsmanship The act of creating is fulfilling and nour- administrator. With this insightful and
(Taunton Press), his new book is not ishing and makers undergo change in the well-crafted book, he has risked and gained
instructional, unless considered existen- process: We are the maker and the object more as an author, and in doing so offers a
tially; How to Make a Good Life could well being made. Creative activity is a vehicle roadmap toward a fulfilling life.
be its sub-subtitle. The overt theme is that for self-transformation.
—Joshua Friend
the act of making objects, with conscious Korn is skilled at voicing concepts
investment of self, fulfills the human that many makers and consumers only
Tim Yoder’s Woodturning
• “What’s New finally came to furnace tape. It stands up

spirit. Korn parallels that narrative with know intuitively: Objects are the material
the smoke being drawn to the vent

the inspirational story of how he crafted expression of ideas and values, whether Show Returns
his own life, giving the book depth. art, craft, or mass-produced. He shines a Tim Yoder, star of Woodturning Workshop, is back
with a new, bi-weekly show called Woodturning With
Tim Yoder. Viewers can watch the half-hour episodes
Arrowmont Purchases Historic Campus at popularwoodturning.com.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is Foundation, and numerous individual their larger contributions are necessary,
pleased to announce the school’s Board donors including the Arrowmont justified and well spent.”
of Governors has purchased its historic Board and staff. Gifts ranged from $3.5 The American Association of
in Woodturning
campus in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, from million to $5. Woodturners was born on the front
pipe. The interior of the bowl remained to heat and does not leave residue on the
the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. “All levels of giving are important,” porch of Arrowmont’s dining hall
“We are grateful to those who have made May adds. “It’s the heartfelt donation of 27 years ago. That shared history has
it clear that they believe in Arrowmont’s $5 from a retiree or teenage woodturner been vital and important to both organi-
future as much as they value its rich that helps convince municipalities like zations, and benefits a growing interna-
history,” says Arrowmont’s executive the City of Gatlinburg—which con- tional community of woodturners. For
director Bill May. Key donors to purchase tributed $3.5 million—or foundations more information about Arrowmont or
the campus are the City of Gatlinburg, like Windgate—which contributed a to view 2014 workshop offerings, visit
Instruction?” by Joshua
Sevier County, the Windgate Charitable matching grant of $2.25 million—that arrowmont.org.
woodturner.org 11
its natural wood color, as the smoke wood surface after it is peeled away.
Friend, October 2013 AW could not cross over its surface. Moving Whatever areas of the wood you
(vol 28, no 5, page 33)
the exterior surface of the bowl every cover with the furnace tape remain the
• “Book Review: Why We Make Things
half hour toward the smoke gave a nice wood’s natural color, and all exposed
and Why It Matters: The Education of a
even dark brown on the surface. areas are colored by the smoke. As you
Craftsman by Peter Korn [CFC’s founder],
June 2014 AW (vol 29, no 3, page 11) The smoke is controlled by whatever might imagine, this technique offers
you put on the coals. During the lots of creative possibilities (Photos 4, 5).

F E AT U R E
I like to use this method on maple, as

it results in a very noticeable color con-
trast. Some students tried the method
Color bowls in a meat smoker
on cherry and were also happy, but
with a more subtle outcome.
During this last winter session,
everyone tried making one. We cut out
designs from the furnace tape and stuck
them to the surface of our turned bowls
before adding them to the meat smoker. 1 2 3
A typical meat smoker, with The author’s students Woodturned items are added
a coal (or heat) box, smoke collect their wood to the upper rack in the smoke
Considerations chamber, and vent pipe at the shavings and chips chamber, positioned near the
far end. after wet-turning vent pipe for maximum smoke
Our bowls were turned wet and had bowls and soak them exposure.
air-dried for two weeks before smoking. in water before using
I have also tried this technique on kiln- them to flavor the
meat in the smoker.
dried wood with the same success.
I have made multiple elliptical bowls
that were created by cutting apart and
gluing the two sides of a bowl back Mask areas with furnace tape
together. See Beth Ireland’s AW February (4) Prior to smoking
2022 article, “Make an Elliptical Vessel” their bowls, the
author’s students
(vol 37, no 1, page 26). When smoking applied shapes cut in
glued items, I add some kind of furnace tape to create
masked patterns.
mechanical fastener such as a spline,
(5) Any area covered
rivet, or even sewing, as most glues are by the furnace
sensitive to heat (Photo 6). tape remained the
The coloring effect takes place only on wood’s natural color,
and all exposed
the surface of the wood. If you sand it, areas were colored
the new color will be removed. However, by the smoke.
it does take protective finishes very well.
4 5
I have used polyurethanes and also
waxes on smoked surfaces.
The smoke adds flavor to the meat and, as I had
My students had a lot of fun explor-
ing this technique. So, the next time
discovered, color to anything on the rack.
you’re having a cookout, try smoking
a bowl to see what creative results you
can achieve! Take caution
To learn more about The Center for
with glued items
Furniture Craftsmanship, visit Wood glues are generally sensitive
to heat, so take care if you intend to
woodschool.org. try this technique on any turnings
that have been glued together,
such as these elliptical bowls. The
Beth Ireland, a professional architectural author suggests reinforcing glue
woodturner and sculptor with more than joints with mechanical fasteners.
thirty years of experience, lives and works
in St. Petersburg, Florida. She teaches the
two-month Turning Intensive at The Center
for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine, as
well as workshop classes at major craft
centers around the country. For more, visit 6
bethireland.net.
woodturner.org 35
Photo: Daniel Michalik
A cork oak tree in a protected forest

in central Portugal called Companhia
das Lezírias, April 2022.
AS THE
(SUSTAINABLE!) CORK TURNS
Scott Hendricks
I
have enjoyed woodturning for countries along the Mediterranean promotes the tree’s growth and
more than forty years and have Sea. I learned that Portugal prolongs its life; in fact, cork oaks
worked with many species of produces 70% of the world’s cork. can grow for 300 years. Once
wood, but I had never turned cork. Portugal practices sustainable forest harvested, the bark/cork is washed,
In fact, I had never heard of using management to protect and grow boiled, and flattened, making it
cork as a turning material until Peters their forests. softer and easier to work with.
Valley School of Craft in Layton, New The cork oak has a thick outer bark The average cork thickness is
Jersey, offered a weekend class on the that protects it from temperature fluc- approximately 2" (5cm) (Photo 2).
subject, taught by Daniel Michalik. I tuations, droughts, and brush fires. The primary product is bottle
jumped at the opportunity. The bark is soft, fire resistant, buoyant, corks, which are punched from the
lightweight, rot resistant, and imper- cork bark (Photo 3). After the bottle
About cork meable to liquids (Photo 1). corks have been cut out, the cork
In preparation for the class, I did a The bark is stripped from trees scraps are ground into ¼" (6mm)
little research. that are at least twenty-five years pieces, as shown in Photo 4, and
The primary source of cork is the old. These mature trees can have are mixed with a binder, placed
bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus their bark harvested every nine in large molds, heated in ovens,
suber), which grows primarily in years. This stripping actually and pressed into workable blocks.

F E AT U R E
The finished blocks can be made

into a variety of products, such as
flooring, craft projects, bulletin
From the tree
boards, etc. Cork is an excellent
insulator against temperature and
sound and is frequently used in
building construction throughout
Europe. As buildings are renovated
or demolished, the reclaimed cork is
repurposed (Photo 5). Up to 10% of
recycled cork is added to virgin cork 1 2
Examples of cork bark without and with The average cork bark thickness is
to increase the production yield. the outer layer intact (left and right, approximately 2" after it is stripped from
There are primarily two types of respectively). the tree.
cork: hard and soft. The difference
derives from the manufacturing
process. Dimensionally, a block of hard
cork weighs 130 lbs. (60kg), while a
block of soft cork the same size weighs
From scraps to usable blocks
65 lbs. (29.4kg), or one-half the weight
of hard cork.
The Peters Valley class

At the start of our class at Peters
Valley, on display were three large
blocks of cork, cork circles, along with
different examples of cork turnings. 3 4
After bottle corks are punched from the cork oak bark, the scraps are ground into small
The large blocks were soft cork, while pieces and pressed into workable blocks.
the cork circles were cut from a block
of hard cork. Cork is sometimes reclaimed from
renovation or demolition projects
The large blocks of cork each had and then repurposed. Some recycled
lines marked on them, indicating cork is added to virgin cork during the
manufacturing process to increase
where each block would be cut into production yield.
six smaller pieces on a bandsaw
(Photo 6). Each student in the class
was given a piece and coached on the
types of projects we could turn. Most 5
of the students had previous turning
experience and this showed in their
finished projects. than wood, which presents unique
Mounting cork on the lathe

considerations. In fact, I learned that
after being crushed under a pressure
Class materials
Our first step in turning the cork of 14,000 pounds per square inch
was to determine the best way to (PSI), cork will regain 90% of its
mount it on the lathe. Similar to original size in twenty-four hours.
normal wood—cork is actually a
type of wood—it can be mounted Spigot, or chucking tenon
via a spigot (chucking tenon), The spigot approach failed for
mortise, jam chuck, or faceplate. several students since the chuck jaws
When contemplating how to secure expanded to just 2" (5cm), limiting
6
Class materials included blocks of both
the piece on the lathe, remember the diameter of the spigot. This was soft and hard cork, as well as rounds.
that cork compresses much more inadequate to hold the soft cork.
woodturner.org 37
Attempts to the save the spigots with
cyanoacrylate (CA) glue were not
successful since the spigot was then
Hard vs. soft cork
out of alignment with the turning.
Therefore, use large spigots to support
the piece.
Mortise, or recess
A mortise, or recess for accepting the
chuck jaws in expansion mode, can
be a successful solution so long as the
shoulder is sufficiently wide and deep 7 8
The bowl on the left was turned from hard cork, while the bowl on the right was turned
to support the piece being turned. from soft cork. Due to differences in density, hard cork weighs about twice the weight
of soft cork.
Jam chuck
Depending on the piece being
turned, a jam chuck can be a good
solution since the pressure is com- gouges and skews. The material cuts There was no mark left in the cork.
pressing the cork. quickly and smoothly. With sharp This was due to the elasticity of the
tools, there is virtually no tearout. cork. I experienced the same results
Faceplate The hard cork supports more turned with the soft cork.
The standard faceplate we were detail such as beads in the piece, but The bowls pictured in Photos 7 and
using at Peters Valley—2½" to 3" soft cork not as much. 8 were turned in our class. The bowl
(6cm to 8cm) in diameter—was I tried a spiral/texturing tool to in Photo 7 was made from hard cork,
expanded via a plywood waste- see what would happen. When I while the bowl in Photo 8 was made
block fastened to the faceplate. This pressed the tool into the hard cork, from soft cork. Although it may be
allowed for the attachment screws I observed the cork compressing. difficult to see the difference in the
to be placed farther apart, ensur- As soon as I removed the tool, the photos, the hard cork has a tighter
ing a secure attachment to the intended texture design was gone. composition, allowing for cleaner cuts
cork workpiece. The screws should and finer detail elements. Although
penetrate the cork by at least 1½" these bowls are about the same size,
(38mm). Protect yourself the hard cork bowl weights almost
twice as much. This is a result of the
Vacuum chuck from the dust density of the hard cork vs. the soft.
I experimented with the use of a A hot wire was used to embellish the
vacuum chuck and found it very suc- hard cork bowl with burn lines.
cessful for reverse-mounting a bowl to When turning and sanding cork,
remove the spigot. serious dust protection is in order.
Cork dust is fine and unlike the dust
Turning cork produced when turning conventional
When turning cork, very sharp tools wood; there are no long shavings
are essential, but with sharp tools, (Photo 9). Both hard and soft cork
the hard cork cuts easily. With soft sand very easily, and 220-grit sand-
cork, more care must be taken so as 9 paper yields a smooth surface. When
not to cut too deeply. Cork doesn’t Conventional woodturning tools work I experimented with higher grits, it
have grain like regular wood, so it very well on cork, but don’t expect was difficult to see a significantly
the long shavings you might get from
is uniform throughout. There is no regular wood. Turning and sanding smoother result. This appears to be
need to worry about sidegrain vs. cork produces a fine dust, so be sure due to the granular structure of both
to use adequate dust collection and
endgrain. personal protection equipment (PPE) cork types.
Cork turns easily with conven- to protect your lungs. Cork can be left unfinished,
tional woodturning tools such as stained, or painted. For the hard

F E AT U R E
cork bowl in Photo 7, I tried Danish

oil on it, but the oil soaked in
rapidly and just darkened the bowl.
Class projects
With the soft cork bowl shown in
Photo 8, I sprayed three coats of
semigloss polyurethane and did not
see any significant difference—no
sheen. Only after applying two coats
of shellac did I begin to see a sheen
developing on the bowl. I suspect if
I used shellac as the first two coats,
followed by the polyurethane, it 10
A grooved bowl by the class instructor,
would have yielded a glossier finish. Daniel Michalik (left), and a stool with a
Alcohol-based stain worked, as well. cork seat, made by Janine Wang.
However, cork does not have to be 11
finished and can be used outdoors
with no impact on the cork.
Class projects Class projects

Ours was an introductory class and
most participants had some turning
experience, though none of us had
turned cork. Turning cork is fun,
and project ideas are limited only
by one’s imagination. Photos 10-13
show some examples of the par-
ticipants’ turnings. Our creativity
resulted in a grooved bowl, a cork
stool with ash legs, a chess piece,
and a wine cooler. Other turnings
(not shown in photos) included
a mallet, cork stoppers for hand-
blown glass vessels, a lidded bowl,
a high stool with a cork seat, and
various bowls.
12 13
A chess piece and wine cooler, both made by the author.
Aquiring cork for turning
Cork is sold by the block, and you
can select it based on your intended
project. Keep in mind cork can be cork somewhat less than that for a
Scott Hendricks has been a
laminated with wood glue to create similarly sized piece (as of October
woodturner for more than forty
larger turning blanks, and the glue 2023). years and is a member of the
lines are virtually invisible after If you have difficulty finding cork, Watergap Woodturners, an AAW
turning. The material can be turned it can be ordered from our class chapter in northwestern New Jersey.
surprisingly thin and still have instructor Daniel Michalik. Find He lives on his farm in Blairstown,
strength, and it is suitable for indoor him on Instagram (@danielmichalik) New Jersey, with his wife, two
or outdoor use. and send him a direct message (DM). dogs, four cats, ten alpacas, and
Note that price can be a factor, Or you can learn more at Daniel’s three French geese. Along with
with a block of hard cork measur- website, danielmichalik.com. The turning wood, he grows hay
ing 6½" thick, 37" long, and 25" cork is shipped directly to you from a for the livestock. Email Scott at
wide costing around $360 and soft warehouse in Wisconsin. hendricks9903@gmail.com.
woodturner.org 39
WORKS IN CORK BY DANIEL MICHALIK
Photos courtesy of the artist.
Bacia Grande, 2014,

Cork, 10" × 25"
(25cm × 64cm)
Heavy Bowl, 2019, Cork, 3½" × 11½" (9cm × 29cm)
Totem Vessel Trio,

2019, Cork,
Each: 10" × 7½"
(25cm × 19cm)
Dual Bowls, 2018, Cork, Each:

3" × 8 ½" (8cm × 22cm)
Cork with
milk paint
Praia – Sky and Sea, 2010,
Cork, milk paint, Each:
6" × 12" (15cm × 30cm)

F E AT U R E
The Life-Inspired Creations of
RON GERTON
Jerry Johnson
T
he multimedia creations of
Washington State’s Ron Gerton
reside in many private collec-
tions and museums. The broad range
of his inspired artwork derived from
both his personal interests and profes-
sional expertise, a story recounted here
to explain some of the amazing works
from this talented artist.
Engineering and art

Ron humbly worked his way through
college as a checker in a grocery
store and graduated with a degree
in mechanical engineering. Out of
necessity and to earn extra money, he
rebuilt automotive engines and trans-
missions in high school and during
college. He was the first person in his
family to go to college, and this was Emerging Vessels, 2008, Curly koa,
a remarkable feat that would prove curly maple, birch, laser-cut maple
much more difficult with today’s high scraps, laser-cut black plastic, art
tuition rates. poster segments, 36" × 24" × 4½"
From 1969 to 1975, Ron worked in (91cm × 61cm × 11cm)
Pearl Harbor, Hawai‘i, as a nuclear
engineer, refueling and overhauling
nuclear submarines. He worked there how to make jewelry out of some of her While hiking, Ron would find
as a civilian employee for the Navy, favorite agates, so Ron learned how to contorted pieces of sagebrush, which
and after six years, he and his family work wax and cast the gems into gold reminded him of the bonsai plants
moved to Richland, Washington, where jewelry. That turned out to be easy for they had seen in Hawai‘i. Sagebrush is
he worked for twenty-eight years as a him, and he went on to teach jewelry a very weak material, so Ron decided
nuclear engineering manager. casting at the local community college to cast pieces of it in metal. He built
At first glance, engineering and art for more than twenty years. a bronze casting system and began
may seem like polar opposites. A career After Ron’s wife and daughter had casting the sagebrush in bronze. He
in engineering doesn’t leave a lot of accumulated enough jewelry, they then decided to weld several of the
spare time, yet Ron enjoyed hiking wanted something to keep it in. Ron pieces together to form sculptures.
with his children and occasionally made jewelry boxes out of curly Koa he
they would find agates, which they had brought back from Hawai‘i. During Wood and bronze
collected and tumble-polished. His this time, he also learned how to restore Ron Gerton became interested in
daughter asked if he could figure out the antique furniture they had acquired. woodturning in the early 1990s,
woodturner.org 41
Casting sagebrush in bronze
Pieces of dried
sagebrush are used
to create wood/wax
forms that are then
encased in a ceramic
shell into which
molten bronze is
poured.
A Tree Runs Through It, 2005, Western bigleaf
maple burl, cast bronze, polyurethane, 4' × 3' × 3'
(1.2m × 91cm × 91cm)
when a friend introduced him to inside of the wood vessel and emerge for his artwork. The pieces of sage-
the craft. He soon purchased a from the opening that he had created brush Ron finds are usually too large
Nichols lathe so that his daughter for hollowing. for a single casting, so he cuts them
could have an activity while home Bronze casting is a very time-con- up and makes several smaller castings.
from college for the summer. She suming process. First, Ron has to find The process starts by adding many
made several nice bowls and vessels, a suitable section of dried sagebrush wax sprues (channels) and vent lines.
and shortly after she returned to Once the wax is in place, the whole
college, Ron started to work with assembly is coated with a ceramic-
the lathe himself. In a short time, and-sand slurry to form a shell. Then
he was hooked on woodturning and the ceramic shell is placed in an oven,
quickly mastered the turning of very and the wax and wood are burned
large hollow vessels. He became so out. The hot ceramic shell is then
immersed in woodturning that in filled with molten bronze.
1997 he became a founding member After the casting has cooled, it
of the Mid-Columbia Woodturners, is removed from the mold and the
an AAW chapter in Kennewick, sprues and vent lines are cut off.
Washington. Then the bronze pieces are welded
Soon Ron started to incorporate together. Each weld must be ground
his turned wood vessels into his cast to make it conform to the contour of
bronze sculptures and showed them the sagebrush branch. The final step
at AAW Symposia and other confer- is to chemically treat the casting to
ences. As time progressed, his wood produce a dark, even color (called
and bronze artworks became more a patina).
complex. A 2005 piece, A Tree Runs
Through It, was made from Western Artworks
bigleaf maple burl. These burls tend While many of Ron Gerton’s bronze
to have voids as they form, sometimes creations were made to sit on a table
from bark inclusions. Ron used these or other flat surface, he has made
natural voids to allow part of the Cliff Hanger, 2003, Maple burl, cast bronze, some that hang on a wall. His 2003
bronze casting to run through the polyurethane, 3' × 19" × 10" (91cm × 48cm × 25cm) Cliff Hanger is one example. Another

F E AT U R E
creation that hangs down, but from Ron also turned an enormous
a shelf, the 2006 Desert Waterfall, hollow vessel that started with a piece
features a multicenter turning (two of maple burl weighing 1100 lbs.
hollow vessels in one piece of maple (500 kg). The result was a vessel
burl) suspended by a meandering titled Big Bertha, which measures 47"
length of bronze sagebrush. (119cm) in diameter and which was
A truly amazing piece that fea- hollowed through an opening just 3½"
tures an impossibly thin section of (9cm) wide. The final weight of Big
Australian brown mallee burl, is Ron’s Bertha is 39 lbs. (17.7 kg). In order to do
2020 Lean ’n Mean. The burl’s length the turning, it was necessary to build
stretches 22" (56cm), forming a long a large frame with roller bearings to
wing that is only 3mm thick, and, support the vessel during hollowing.
remarkably, a small hollow vessel
resides at one end. This woodturned De-segmented vessels
piece is suspended at one end only Not content to stop when a hollow
by more sagebrush cast in bronze. To vessel was completed, Ron got the idea
form the thin wood wing, Ron used to cut it up and reassemble the pieces
a router mounted on an x-y table that into a new form. He calls these works
sits on the bed of his lathe. The piece de-segmented vessels. The original
was turned slowly by hand against turned vessel is rotated through a
the spinning router bit. The result is a bandsaw using a jig with an offset
“turning” that elicits comments like, center point. Each piece has the
“How did he do that?” The hollow same thickness, and Ron glues them
vessel was turned and hollowed in the together with each section shifted
usual way on the lathe, and to top it away from the preceding piece by a set
all off, a bronze snake rests near the and consistent distance. Reassembling Desert Waterfall, 2006, Maple burl, cast bronze,
hollow form’s small opening. all the pieces into one unit results polyurethane, 3' × 19" × 7" (91cm × 48cm × 18cm)
Lean ’n Mean,
2020, Brown
mallee burl, cast
bronze, slate,
polyurethane, 8"
× 22" × 8" (20cm
× 56cm × 20cm)
Big Bertha
Big Bertha, 2002, Bigleaf maple burl,
47" (1.2m) diameter
Starting at 1100 lbs., Big Bertha
required a specially built frame to
support it during hollowing.
woodturner.org 43
Evolution Revolution, 2003, Maple burl, cast Inside Out, 2002, Madrone burl, polyurethane, Curly Sue, 2019, Maple burl shavings, epoxy,
bronze, polyurethane, 31" × 20" × 9" 31" × 15" × 24" (79cm × 38cm × 61cm) 33" × 23" × 9" (84cm × 58cm × 23cm)
(79cm × 51cm × 23cm)
in a wonderful spiral form, such as sayings made from laser-cut letters generated a huge volume of shavings.
Evolution Revolution. (see this article’s opening image). He had a mold of a female figure,
When Ron assembled the pieces Another, very large, piece of from the neck to the knees, which he
for Inside Out, he felt that the inside Ron’s of this nature measures 8' × 4' had used for making bronze castings.
looked as interesting as the outside. (2.4m × 1.2m) and resides in the lobby Ron decided to use that mold to
So this piece, also made from a single of a local hospital. make a female form with the wood
turned hollow form, was reassembled shavings. He coated the inside of
in three parts, which were positioned Other works the form with wax and filled it with
so that both the inside and outside In the process of turning vessels from shavings saturated with epoxy. The
are displayed. maple burl, Ron not surprisingly result was Curly Sue.
Wall art
Another series of Ron’s artwork entails Corrugated teapot, two views
items that hang on a wall. A former
member of Ron’s local woodturning
chapter made various items using a laser,
including words cut from thin pieces of
wood. One day Ron discovered the trash
from this club member’s laser operations,
which he found to be stunning shapes,
symbols, and colors. Ron got the idea that
these scraps could be assembled to make
art. One of these detailed wall pieces also
incorporated broken segments of turned Aces and Spaces, 2014, Cardboard, wood glue, 10" × 12" × 10" (25cm × 30cm × 25cm)
work. In Emerging Vessels, there are also

F E AT U R E
Several years ago, many woodturn- piece with one of these broken items expertise. Such collaborative interac-
ers began making teapots. Not to as the central element. He added tions continue through events like
be left out of this trend, Ron made bronze to the broken vase to com- Frogwood (Oregon) and the Hawai‘i
a turned teapot from cardboard. He plete it, then made a circular disk of Arts Collaboration.
glued up a stack of corrugated card- figured maple, cut out a flat section
board, paying particular attention for the vase to sit upon, and added
to the orientation of the structure of silver castings of insects, frogs, and
Jerry Johnson is a founding member of the
each layer. The result was quite stun- butterflies. Mid-Columbia Woodturners. His work has
ning. From the side, the piece has the Over the past twenty-five years, been on display at various galleries in the
familiar shape of a teapot, but the end many artists have appreciated Ron’s Pacific Northwest.
view reveals the hollow structure of
the cardboard.
In 2008, Ron’s entry to the AAW’s
invitational exhibition, The Sphere, was
entitled, This Way, Dear. It featured
a sphere being rolled by two dung
beetles cast in sterling silver. The
sphere was covered with scraps left
over from laser cutting (as mentioned
earlier), and in a moment of
postmodern humor, Ron included on
one scrap the words, “Your Ad Here.” This Way, Dear, 2010, Maple, laser-cut wood Hold On, I’m Shifting into 2nd, 2018, Curly maple,
scraps, cast bronze, lacquer, 8" × 11" × 10" polyurethane, sterling silver, cast bronze, paint,
More recently, Ron created Hold On,
(20cm × 28cm × 25cm) 4" × 8" × 5" (10cm × 20cm × 13cm)
I’m Shifting into 2nd, which reveals an
innovative use of a hollow vessel in
figured maple. The figure trying to
“hold on” is a frog made from sterling
silver. Ironically, the vessel, plus head
and feet, is a turtle.
Collaborations
Ron Gerton has worked with other
wood artists in the U.S. and Europe,
many of whom were intrigued by
the idea of having their work incor-
porated with a bronze casting or
one of Ron’s turnings. Most notable
were the collaborations with Binh
Pho, a renowned artist who created
thin-walled vessels that he pierced
and painted to tell the story of his
upbringing and life in Vietnam.
(Above) Untitled, 2018, Curly maple, Binh Pho
Mystic Blooms (2016) couples five of broken glass vessel, bronze, sterling silver, paint,
Binh’s artworks with a large bronze 13" × 13" × 4" (33cm × 33cm × 10cm)
casting made by Ron.
Binh Pho had some of his turned
wood vases converted to glass,
which would sometimes break, (Left) Binh Pho and Ron Gerton
leaving an incomplete vase. Binh Collaboration, Mystic Blooms, 2016, Birch,
passed away in August 2017, and airbrushed paint, cast bronze, 47" × 10" × 10"
in an homage to Binh, Ron made a (1.2m × 25cm × 25cm)
woodturner.org 45
VISCERAL SIMPLICITY:
THE BOLD WORK OF
RUBEN VAN DER SCHEER
Steve Loar
A
common acronym of the early
years of contemporary wood-
turning was KISS, which stands
for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Yes, there
were the early patterns in the work of
Al Stirt and the carved narrative com-
positions of Michelle Holzapfel, but
by and large turning was about wood
turned simply. It is not that anymore.
The current field is largely propelled
by decorative carving, piercing, pyrog-
raphy, burning, color, texture, and
alternative materials such as resin. In
this context, the work of Dutch wood-
turner Ruben van der Scheer is quite
surprising. His pieces are simple in
the extreme—quite far from current
trends and beyond anything seen in
America, looking back or now. It’s as if
early 20th-century Modernism never
went away in the Netherlands.
Ruben claims he follows no formal
aesthetic, but his work takes us to the
very edges of the KISS mantra. Even
though his country’s borders don’t
touch any of the five Nordic countries,
from afar his work seems to express
the flavor of Nordic or Scandinavian
design—known for the use of natural
materials (especially wood), pale
colors, and restrained shapes. A some-
what sparer approach, Minimalism,
refers to an unadorned aesthetic with
the incorporation of industrial materi-
als such as stainless steel, chrome, and
lacquered plastics.
Ruben’s Instagram account main-
tains a steady offering of subtly chang-
ing designs and experiments. I am
Photo: Marjon Hoogervorst
fascinated by his ability to consistently

F E AT U R E
invent forms within an extremely Serving platters

with the offset
limited format, typically a circle or routed handle that
rectangle executed in dry wood on led Ruben to meet
his mentor, Maria
a faceplate and often with surfaces
van Kesteren.
directly off the tool. Ruben’s work is
about an intuitive search for art as
“pure form,” but his explanations
do sound quite like Minimalism. He
refers to Donald Judd, an American
artist who also refused to be labeled a
Minimalist but was a prolific writer in
explaining its sensibilities. Judd wrote,
“It isn’t necessary for a work to have a
lot of things to look at, to compare, to
analyze one by one, to contemplate.
The thing as a whole, its quality whole,
is what is interesting. The main things
Mentor and student
are alone and are more intense, clear Photo: Johannes Schwartz
and powerful.” Ruben adds, “Look at

waves in the ocean, on the lake, in a
pond. Feel the flow of riding a wind- or
surfboard, a skateboard, a bike. See the
fields of long grass or grain in motion
in the wind and especially how organi-
cally beech and plane trees grow. Like
the muscles in a body, the body in
general.” These connections—between
seeing the object as a whole, his expe-
riences and perceptions of nature, and
the body’s responses to them—estab-
Maria van Kesteren invited Ruben to exhibit with her at the 2018 Speculative Design
lish the crucial links to understanding Archive exhibition at Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Instituut.
Ruben’s work.
Freedom to create
Ruben’s longest thread of memory Furniture College in Amsterdam. The and now also employs in his other pro-
from childhood is of inventing, students there learn hand tools and fession as a psychomotor therapist.
needing to find alternatives, cre- methods first, which requires a sharp Even in his use of a router, it was
ative problem-solving, and wanting chisel. As he prepared for his first his search for freedom that obliged
freedom. Despite his memory of sharpening exercise, he found himself him to use the tool in an unconven-
schooling being about fitting into a stiff and awkward from anxiety. tional way. For a circular cutting
mold, he received a degree in Human Grinding a chisel should be done board, Ruben shifted the template
Movement Sciences and then a mas- mindfully, relaxed, swaying slightly slightly, creating a sharp point that
ter’s degree in Philosophy. As he with your whole body. His teacher swelled to a wide edge, then faded
worked through his graduate thesis, prompted him: “Look, listen, feel.” back to a point. Upon seeing this
though, he realized he longed to do Ultimately, the result was a gleeful peculiar edge, a woodworking col-
something with his hands rather experience. He was seized by the league urged him to have a talk
than just his mind. This curiosity wonders of wood and woodworking, with a local woodturner, Maria
about how things work led him to the and the idea of making things with van Kesteren, who was making a
remarkable decision in 2010 to apply his hands became a true passion. This living turning unconventional non-
to a respected but traditional cabinet- type of interaction, between mind and utilitarian forms and was showing
making program at the Carpentry and body, was exactly what he had studied her work internationally. When he
woodturner.org 47
Dents
(Left) Dents, 2020, Ash, Douglas fir, elm,
various sizes
(Middle) Dent, 2020, Ash, goldleaf,

4¾" × 4¾" × 1½" (12cm × 12cm × 38mm)
(Right) Dent, 2021, Ash (sandblasted), paint,

12" × 12" × 2¾" (30cm × 30cm × 7cm)
finally visited, Maria was welcoming Instituut. The conversations with “knowing” can be observed in his
and quite intrigued by the routed Maria, her success and, undeniably, Dents series, which can be wall or
edge Ruben had achieved. How had her persistence nurtured Ruben as table pieces. Over time, the Dents
he created this edge? Surely not on he grew dissatisfied with his chosen have developed from pleasant lumps
a lathe. This led to ongoing visits, pursuits. Maria’s dedication to non- to graceful hillocks rising gracefully
coffee, and conversations—but not functional work and her search for from a static surface. They come
about woodturning. He found her pure form motivated Ruben to stop smooth or with sandblasted textures,
home filled with various examples making useful things and begin his in muted tones, and in sets where one
of Minimalist art, many by notable own exploration of non-functional dent relates to another, with the grain
artists. While they did discuss craft turned forms. This approach offered adding continuity. Crucial to the
and making, they mostly talked him the freedom that he longed for. viewing experience is learning that
about art and being artists. Maria’s there is a corresponding depression in
work wasn’t really about woodturn- Truth in form the back, which establishes a mystery,
ing, but about the making of form. Ruben’s designs arise from his search especially for an audience ever-less
Editor’s Note: To learn more about for “truth” in his forms, a certainty knowledgeable about what wood is
Maria van Kesteren, see the accompany- of flow in the creation of the form, or can do. We know the impression
ing article by Thimo te Duits on page 52. like “riding the wave.” He wants his is back there as we respond to the
Once he had finished school, personal sense of flow to translate front. With a flat back, there would be
Ruben designed and made furni- to the viewer’s perception of the no indent and simply a mass on the
ture and cabinetry, but he often lost whole. He may make an occasional front, with our body responding to
himself in details and prototypes. scribble to note a general idea, but this difference.
“Maria’s greatest wish was to pass there is no sketching, drawing, or Ruben’s spin tops are another good
on her knowledge of a dying craft, calculating that would rationally example of this search. They began
as well as her highly individual explain the form. For Ruben, it must life as tops, left attached to a waste-
approach to the material, to the be experienced; what is important is block only until the paint was dry. As
next generation of woodworkers the emotional response, not objective he made more of them, the inspira-
while she still could,” he explains. reactions. Thus, each piece is a search tion for his Twist of Life tops devel-
To provide inspiration, Maria gifted for pure form that is utterly simple. oped, where a refined base is now
a large quantity of her uncompleted Ruben is also intrigued by what is part of an interactive art piece. They
work to Ruben. Rather than modify absent. The freedom that is inher- ask, Did you buy this piece to collect
the pieces, he used the unaltered ent in this search for “truth” is what it as a sculpture with an embodied
turnings to create several upright excites him and lures him on. potential for spinning, or did you buy
sculptures. The strength of these Ruben’s Instagram account reveals it to physically interact with it, snap it,
works was such that Maria invited an ongoing quest. His style arises and release that potential in an actual
him to exhibit with her at the presti- from a repetition of these inqui- spin—a spinning that simultaneously
gious 2018 Speculative Design Archive ries, but they are ever evolving and makes the top an isolated object that
exhibition at Rotterdam’s Nieuwe are never set repeated designs. A now has a useless wasteblock base?

F E AT U R E
But is pure form ever actually

accomplished? When pressed on the
concept of intuition and freedom,
Twist of
Ruben offers lekker, a Dutch word Life tops
meaning “tasty,” or het smaakt goed Twist of Life (Tops),
meaning “it tastes right.” If we each 2022, Various
“look, listen, feel,” that knowledge woods, paint
will provide the rigor for excellence—
and a good taste. In woodturning, it
is what is required before an object is
sandblasted, scorched, or textured if
it is to be a truly refined form. This is Spinning Tops,
what we desire and respond to in any 2019, Various
art form. How does a painting affect woods, paint
you? Is a sculpture interesting in
multiple views or just one? Is there an
awkward relationship or placement?
Or maybe there is a junction where
one sweep meets another, rather than
one continuous passage. Should it
have been a bit taller, or wider, or in
another color? Or maybe the propor- calculating, or theorizing about honed through the focused repeti-
tions are simply lumpish. What does whether a piece might look good in tion of strokes. And what we see in
“tastes good” feel like and could it black, pink, or red, for example, is his work is a wide-ranging inquiry
taste better? Another way to think inadequate. He must confirm how into what forms might lie within
about it is “resonance,” or a quality of it actually affects a viewer. Try it, a solid block. We see examples of
reverberation. Does the form have the do it. This approach is apparent in shape, color, and texture that may
best “taste,” or is there some subtle Ruben’s post(c)arts. These are turned or may not be pure form. Some may
element missing that makes it simply forms that even with their thickness not have lekker, not pass this gaunt-
another object, rather than some- conform to the Dutch postal code and let, never inspire others. But the
thing natural and complete? are mailed worldwide. The recipients post(c)arts are truly visceral, which is
accept any scuffs or dents as part of Ruben’s main contention. It’s about
Try it, test it the life of the piece. responding with the right side of
Another aspect of Ruben’s method- In making the post(c)arts, Ruben the brain. He finds the maximum
ology is “try it, test it.” He will take develops his creativity because to amount of freedom in work where
some of his pieces home to view for be profitable, he must be skillful anything is possible within a few
a while, to judge them, to be critical and efficient in both imagining and constraints. There are no theories: he
but emotionally responsive. Drawing, responding. His turning skills are must simply “do it, test it.”
Post(c)arts
(Left and middle) Post(c)arts, front and
back. At about ¾" (19mm) thick, these
turned “postcards” are fully functional
and can be mailed.
(Right) One of Ruben’s post(c)arts being

mailed via the Dutch postal system.
woodturner.org 49
Scale and proportion given that Judd once wrote, “There are revised or discarded. Ruben
An oft-cited principle of turning is is no hierarchy nor preexisting relies on the idea that our objective
that all cuts are either a cove, bead, ideas, we have the absence of a judgements, or those of drawings
or fillet. In Ruben’s disks, we can focal point.” Ruben’s education in and calculations, won’t necessar-
see that there is room for a variety psychomotor therapy gives him ily correspond to what is viscerally
of new relationships for these particularly compelling credentials seen and experienced.
shapes. Coves and beads func- in discussing this topic, one that
tion somewhat differently when some might find a bit “woo-woo.” At work
in a circle or on a wall or even on If his sculptures are placed high Regarding his modest studio, Ruben
a table surface. In a circle, large on a wall, they are perceived in a reminisces, “What inspired me
or small, they are visceral—you wholly objective manner, solely about [Maria van Kesteren’s] humble
feel it in your gut. Through this visual. But when Ruben’s larger studio setting was that in order to
interaction with the work, Ruben objects are placed near chest level, make really great art, there is no
acknowledges the relationship they can establish a more direct, need for new stuff, big machines,
between object and viewer. even bodily or visceral, response. or fancy tools, just technique and
Ruben is also committed to the On the other hand, his smaller a free mind, a vision, and creativ-
ever-present hole in the middle pieces may resonate more to the ity. It helps me to not get caught up
as an enigmatic void. This is one viewer’s hands, eliciting the urge to in the technical side too much and
area where Ruben is traveling hold or touch the work. keep my focus on form, shape, and
alone, apart from Minimalism, Ruben is a master of scale and intuition.”
proportion, and this supports his Ruben typically uses elm, ash, or
observations regarding resonance. sycamore that has been kiln dried.
Just as other artists use scale to His favorite is elm for its smooth
elicit different viewer responses, cutting. He uses single slabs, so the
Ruben accomplishes similar effects continuity of the grain is part of
with his wall pieces. In art, scale the form’s truth. He can get kiln-
refers to the size of one whole dried material in 2" and 3" (5-8cm)
object in relation to another whole thicknesses, up to 36" (1m) wide.
object. Proportion, however, refers Quite near him is a wood proces-
to the relationship between the sor and seller who slices and dries
different sized parts within one local and sustainable wood for his
whole composition. Human beings business in natural-edged slabs—a
have an innate and finely tuned wonderful family business with lots
perception of proportion. The of Dutch woods to choose from.
use of color can neutralize some Ruben will also buy material from
visual cues, specifically propor- a commercial dealer and, occasion-
tion, when covering all but the ally, is gifted wood from a local
boldest grains, while natural grain cemetery that is something of an
gives the knowledgeable viewer arboretum.
a reference to approximate size.
Grain, a hand, or a larger grouping Opportunities
can provide a sense of true scale. Ruben’s year began with the excit-
Ruben’s intention is for the viewer’s ing news that he had been granted
eye to travel inward, toward the a scholarship for three days of
center, the hole, and not outward. private professional development
Whether on a small or large disk at Glenn Lucas’s Woodturning
or on a rectangle, his selective use Study Centre in Co. Carlow,
of proportion is critical. You won’t Ireland. Additionally, late last
find photos of Ruben’s pieces where year he received an arts grant
Wall Objects, 2022, Ash, ink, paint, oil, largest: 35" your eyes move outward from the from the Netherlands government
(90cm) diameter center, simply because those efforts that will allow him to investigate

F E AT U R E
Scale and
proportion
(Left) Wall objects, disks of varying sizes
with a central hole as a focal point,
resonate with viewers in a visceral way.
(Middle) Wall object showing the
importance of proportion when
considering relative features within a piece.
(Right) Relatively smaller disks, wall

pieces with Ruben’s signature central
hole as a focal point.
some of the collaborative enter- how they might respond to his own For more, visit rubenvdscheer.nl or
prises already taking place in his work. An exciting possibility is that follow Ruben on Instagram,
country. Ruben is interested in some of his work could be created in @rubenvanderscheer.
establishing a studio where non- other materials.
artists can work, even though they These are surprising choices, but
face various challenges. In the similar to others Ruben has made.
Steve Loar is a sculptor, teacher,
Netherlands, these individuals are They would certainly expand and author, mentor, and woodturner living
referred to as “people with a dis- diversify his work in unknown in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He uses
tance to the job (or labor) market” ways. So this year looks to be one of wood, especially wooden bowls, to
in that they can’t hold a typical job. growth and diversification as Ruben create abstracted compositions that
are typically colorful and narrative.
In the U.S., these individuals might is challenged by other art and craft
Thirty-six years of university teaching
be regarded as outsiders, untrained professionals and, hopefully, by give him a depth of expertise in
idiosyncratic artists who are typi- people “with a distance to the job design, creativity, collaboration,
cally unconnected to the conven- (or labor) market.” and woodworking.
tional worlds of art or craft—not by
choice but by circumstance. Ruben
envisions these people contribut-
ing in meaningful ways to the
making of fine craft, not kitsch or
tchotchkes.
Ruben’s
There is a design-based ceram- studio
ics company, Cor Unum, that has Ruben van der
already implemented this initia- Sheer’s modest
but efficient
tive. The company “takes social and organized
and cultural responsibility for studio space.
the legacy of the ceramic crafts.
Everyone deserves a place, every-
one has got a talent and anyone
can contribute to make the world
somewhat nicer.” Ruben is inter-
ested in obtaining a residency with
a like-minded company where he
can interact with the designers and
staff but, in particular, with the
special contributors—including
woodturner.org 51
Photos by Gallery Marsden Woo,
London, except where noted.
D
utch woodturner Maria
van Kesteren (1933-
2020) had a love-hate
relationship with wood. She
disliked its characteristic fea-
tures, such as color variations,
grain, and knots. Since 1962,
she invariably coated her turn-
ings with a thin layer of acrylic
paint to emphasize the objects’
distinct narrative form. She
worked on collections, or series,
based on a single concept that
incorporated variations of
shape. She worked as large as
MARIA her lathe allowed and at modest

sizes. Maria was content with
VAN
both possibilities, as long as the
expressiveness was guaranteed.
Each object had to be perfect.
KESTEREN: Material and form
VARIATIONS
In the beginning of her wood-
turning activities, after lessons
ON A THEME
from Henk van Tierum and Nel
Punt, she worked with tropical
hardwoods. But she soon dis-
Thimo te Duits tanced herself from this mate-
rial because she found it too
romantic and started making
painted objects from native
woods such as elm, maple,
stone beech, and lime. For
jewelry, she used palm wood
and acrylic. Her forms typically
are short and wide and stand
solidly on a stable base, but
very occasionally Maria would
incorporate some lift. Besides
bowl shapes, she turned lots
of boxes.
In 1992, Maria introduced
Maria van Kesteren,
1999, at the Gallery taller objects in the shape of
Marsden Woo, London. a tree trunk, which are made
Photo: Philip Sayer
of both wood and crystal. She
disliked the transparent nature

F E AT U R E
of glass and therefore applied

opaque colors. She also developed
ceramic vases. Despite her dislike Maria van Kesteren took great pleasure
of wood’s common features, it
remained her favorite material to in mentoring Ruben van der Scheer,
work, which she did with great
craftsmanship to achieve forms
teaching him the trade.
that were unique to the interna-
tional field.
Sensibilities
Maria van Kesteren sought to
connect with abstract visual art
such as Zero and Minimalist Art.
She also had a fondness for strict
Modernist design from the 1920s
and 1970s. As if to prove the
conviction of her own taste, she
chose to reside in a 19 th -century
house in Hilversum. Her taste
was held strictly and was full of
respect for the makers of objects
she admired. For decades, she
advised the iconic craft gallery
Kapelhuis in Amersfoort, and she
took great pleasure in mentoring
Ruben van der Scheer, teaching
A solo exhibition at the Gallery Marsden Woo, London, 1999.
him the trade.
As I have mentioned, Maria
worked through various themes
since the 1960s: half-spheres, museums. A lengthy list of Thimo te Duits is a Dutch art historian,
plump forms, upward forms, international exhibitions and curator, author, and editor. He worked for
sucking forms, dyke forms, awards fell to her over four the National Glasmuseum (1990-1995,
craters, and tree trunks, to name decades. The latest retrospective Leerdam) and Museum Boymans Van
Beuningen (1995-2015, Rotterdam). For the
a few. She leaves behind an was at the Kunstmuseum Den
last ten years, Thimo has been focusing his
impressive and unique oeuvre Haag (The Hague, Netherlands), work exclusively on art and design. He is
that found its way worldwide which displayed the crowning an avid collector of the work of Maria van
to passionate collectors and glory of her artistic life. Kesteren, whom he knew very well.
Rising Form, 1981-1982, Wood, acrylic Wrinkling Form, 1986-1987, Wood, Variation on Circular Form, 1982-1984, Variation on Circular Form,
paint, 3½" × 11" (9cm × 28cm) acrylic paint, 2" × 10" (5cm × 25cm) Wood, acrylic paint, 2½" × 9½" 1982-1984, Wood, acrylic paint,
(6cm × 24cm) Largest: 3" × 8¼" (8cm × 21cm)
woodturner.org 53
GMembers’ Gallery
GALLERY
Bruce Lee Jones, Maryland

I have been involved with art for most of my life. I was a cabinet maker for
thirty years, so working with wood is in my blood. I also have worked in
acrylic, sterling silver, ceramic, as well as painting with acrylics on canvas.
When I started turning in 2017, I wanted to show that I can make higher-end
pieces without spending a great deal of money on equipment and tooling.
Most of the pieces shown here were turned using modest (not professional
level) equipment. It is also important to me to strive to make each project Sinuous, 2021, Teak, cherry, pyrography, lacquer,
unique. About eighty percent of the carving on my turned pieces is done with 8" × 12" (20cm × 30cm)
hand tools such as knives and gouges. When I need to do power carving, I use
a rotary tool with a flexible shaft with bits and burs. My goal is to continue
adding my painting, silversmithing, acrylic, pyrography, and carving skills to
my turned work.
Flower of Life, 2023,

Red elm, pommele
sapele, tigers eye stones,
pyrography, lacquer,
6" × 13" (15cm × 33cm)
Can We Stop All the Tears?, 2022, Teak, walnut, acrylic, dye, metallic
powder, lacquer, 5" × 15" (13cm × 38cm)
Nautilus, 2021, Sapele, curly
maple, metallic paint, 9" × 9"
(23cm × 23cm)
King Nammu’s Decanter, 2023, Padauk,

canarywood, African blackwood,
sanding sealer, 18" × 12" × 8"
(46cm × 30cm × 20cm)
After turning the hollow form, the
author hand-carved thirty-two flutes
into the main body. The spout is made
from two pieces that were carved all
the way through, so you can pour
liquid from this vessel.

GALLERY
William A. Clark, III, Rhode Island and Florida

My journey in woodturning began at the age of 8, creating small wooden cabinet drawer
knobs. Many years later, upon retirement, I graduated to turning large bed posts on a 12'
(3.7m) antique lathe. Eventually, I shifted my focus to crafting bowls and sizable vessels.
One such vessel stands out—a six-month labor of thought and design that won a 1st-
place prize at the 2024 Florida State Fair. The vessel stands 38" (97cm) tall and features
staved pieces with the grain running vertically. Assembly required two people and a two-
part epoxy that allowed for extended working time. The choice of materials significantly
impacts its aesthetic appeal. Tiger maple, known for its distinctive figuring and irides-
cence, creates a dynamic visual effect. The interplay of light and dark stripes adds depth
and character. In contrast, black walnut—with its rich, chocolate-brown hues—provides a
striking complement that enhances the piece’s elegance.
Nature’s Artwork on Display, 2024, Tiger

maple, black walnut, polyurethane, 38" × 19"
(97cm × 48cm)
Photo: Randy Saffles
Scott Wishart, Pennsylvania

After dabbling in woodworking for most of my adult life, I was finally exposed to wood-
turning about eight years ago. After witnessing someone turning on a lathe and seeing
those shaving fly, I was completely hooked. From shaping to sanding and finishing,
I was totally mesmerized by the entire process. Shortly after, I bought my first lathe,
and the obsession started. Learning woodturning became my focus. I joined my local
woodturning club and attended a few local symposia. I was like a sponge absorbing
as much information as I could. Spindles, bowls, hollowing, resin hybrids… I found the
whole thing fascinating.
After several years of woodturning, I now practice “treecycling” as much as possible, pri- StarBurst, 2022, Maple (carved and
marily using discarded local hardwoods for my projects. My main interest is still learning torched), 5" × 7" (13cm × 18cm)
something new. My goal is not to be better than anyone else, but to be better than I used to be.
Woodturning has become a therapeutic process where I create things that make me happy.
My goal is not to be better than anyone else, but to be better than I used to be.
Moon Vase, 2023, Red oak, Danish oil, 10" × 5" Springs, 2023, Boxelder maple, texturing, acrylic X-Wing Sphere, 2023, Mallee burl, urethane
(25cm × 13cm) paint, 6½" × 7" (17cm × 18cm) resin, walnut, 5" (13cm) diameter
woodturner.org 55
G
GALLERY
Chuck Goldstein, Wisconsin
I began my woodturning adventure in 2003 by making a bowl from lumber left over from a
grandfather clock that I had made. I discovered segmented bowls about ten years later and have
made closed-segment, open-segment, and tangential-segment forms, as well as bowls with rings in
them. I like to make forms that have unique shapes and are aesthetically pleasing.
With Bubble Bowl, I was challenged to create segments with a diagonal stripe that went per-
fectly from corner to corner. Each segment had to be carefully cut from long strips. The colored
circles are a nice complement to the strong diagonal and horizontal lines and give the piece a
light, “bubbly” look, reminiscent of champagne.
Bubble Bowl, 2023, Walnut, birdseye maple, wenge, yellowheart,

purpleheart, leopardwood, padauk, varnish, 10" × 7" (25cm × 18cm)
John Sisak, Michigan

I started woodturning about seven years ago and joined the Huron Valley Wood Turners
(Dexter, Michigan) to learn from some of their club members. During the pandemic,
our chapter offered an online demo by Craig Timmerman on how to turn a torus bud
vase. I finally got around to turning several of these forms. Because my woodturning
experience has included segmented bowls, I decided to try a segmented torus shape.
Infinity Spiral is segmented in two dimensions—eight segments comprising each of the
2"- (5cm-) diameter rings and 24 rings comprising the torus’s 8" (20cm) diameter.
Infinity Spiral, 2023, Black walnut, maple, walnut oil, 8" × 8" × 2" (20cm × 20cm × 5cm)
Perry Balog, New Jersey

Growing up in an environment of craftsmen, inventors, and artists led me at an early age to work
with my hands. I started turning wood at the age of 10 and, much later, completed a bachelor’s
degree in industrial arts and a master’s degree in fine arts. My passion has been to create custom,
one-of-a-kind pieces for clients and to share my knowledge and experience with students at Kean
University (Union, New Jersey).
As a woodturner and artist, I have always drawn inspiration from the world around me. The evo-
lution of my latest series stemmed from the Covid pandemic. The spread of the deadly omicron,
delta, and alpha viruses inspired me to create a unique series of turnings. The augmented edges rep-
resent the effect of the viruses’ spread, and as new variants evolved, I added layers. Avoiding gaps
between the layers and short grain during shaping was a primary challenge.
Alpha #2, 2023 Cherry, curly maple, rosewood, lignum vitae, wipe-on polyurethane, wax, 8½" × 3" (22cm × 8cm)
(Left) Alpha #1, 2021, Mahogany,

curly maple, ebony, magnets, wipe-on
polyurethane, wax, 3½" × 12½"
(9cm × 32cm)
(Middle) Delta #1, 2021, Spalted maple,
black walnut, wipe-on polyurethane,
wax, 9" × 6½" (23cm × 17cm)
(Right) Omicron #1, 2019, Cherry, wipe-on
polyurethane, 3½" × 9" (9cm × 23cm)

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DANIEL
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Turning Cork
In my New York City studio, Daniel Michalik Furniture Design focuses Cork Bowl Trio, 2021, Cork, Each: 3" × 12"
(8cm × 30cm)
on researching and expanding overlooked materials to create objects
Photo: Andrew Longo
that explore the intersections of material, culture, and manufacturing.
Recently, we have explored the secrets of cork, an engaging material with
vast implications for healthier perspectives on design, agriculture, and
production. Cork is a sustainable material, regenerating every nine years
Inside This Issue!
for harvest. The Portuguese regions of cork production hold centuries-old Learn more about cork as a turning
farming and manufacturing traditions that can teach us how objects can material in Scott Hendricks’
be made more responsibly. Our objects reflect a love for the origin and informative article on page 36.
context of material. And see more examples of Daniel
Experiments evolve into products that engage form, color, and function. Michalik’s work on page 40.
We have supplied products and solutions for clients worldwide, and our
work has been exhibited internationally.
For more, visit danielmichalik.com and follow Daniel on Instagram,

@danielmichalik.

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AS THE (SUSTAINABLE!) CORK TURNS • USING A PROFILE GAUGE • HERE’S THE SCOOP!

VISCERAL SIMPLICITY: THE BOLD WORK OF

Follow Lorin on Instagram, @lorinbruckin.

Brick, 2021, Elm (turned and burnt),

Column, 2024, Century-old oak barn beam,

American Woodturner June 2024

Crack, 2022, Wood, hammered

(Left) Oak Runes, 2020,

(Right) Runes, 2020, Wood,

American Woodturner (ISSN 0895-9005) F E AT U R E S

Yearly General membership in the American

2 American Woodturner June 2024

A SSO C I AT I O N N E W S Production Linnea Overbeck

11 Book Review: 14 AAW WIT Wig Stand Initiative— ADVERTISERS

A NOTE ABOUT SAFETY

From the President

4 American Woodturner June 2024

2025 AAW International Woodturning Symposium

Join Us in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Application deadline: August 1, 2024

Apply for an AAW Grant

Call for Demonstrators:

Roberto Ferrer gives the thumbs up during

6 American Woodturner June 2024

Join the AAW Legacy Society

Our Heartfelt Thanks, Portland Symposium Sponsors

8 American Woodturner June 2024

The Cumberland Woodturners (Crossville, Tennessee), along

10 American Woodturner June 2024

3. Plug in and test any electric tools to

4. Locate and plan to provide to the

5. If you have many items, label each

Book Review: Creative Woodturning Projects, by Richard Findley,

The third-annual SkillsUSA Utah High significant effort beyond making

1st Place, Maple Harbor, by Porter Avery,

12 American Woodturner June 2024

competition. It is hoped that in 2025

14 American Woodturner June 2024

Calendar of Events Hancock, Greg Gallegos. Featuring Friday night

Tips Share your turning ideas!

Toolrest jig for off-center work Drop-on chainsaw

Lathe-mounted abrasive disk

16 American Woodturner June 2024

Bed ways-mounted workstation Cake tester aids in

Boring holes with a cross-slide vise Dowel centers wasteblock

18 American Woodturner June 2024

Needle-tip applicator bottle for CA glue

Leveling bolts as sanding disk mandrel

Steel rod mandrel

Profile gauges Gauge a completed project

20 American Woodturner June 2024

Confirm the shape The goal: a

Confirm the curve Carve the feet

SCOOP (NO SPECIAL CHUCKS NEEDED)

22 American Woodturner June 2024

the top surface, and, using a square,

Hollow the bowl

Hollow the bowl

Confirm depth and shape