I’ve had wonderful and fascinating students since I started offering workshops in 1976. These are some of their stories, illustrative of the point that there is much to be gained from supervised instruction rather than a hit-or-miss approach.

There was an art teacher from a New Jersey college. In later years we met occasionally at turning conferences and at one he told me that as he had approached my home for the course he had come close to calling up to say he could not make it. The idea of being under the watchful eye of someone else was hard to imagine. Yet he realized he did this all the time to his students. He said studying with me gave him a new perspective on teaching his own students.

For many this feeling has to do with the fear of failure. I know the feeling, having given up studying electrical engineering in the 50s. But your situation is different. You enjoy turning and want to improve your skills, or you enjoy watching others turn and would like to try to do what they are doing. Don't even think of failure! Since 1976 I can think of only 3 who did "fail," primarily due to temperament. (They were too impatient with themselves.)

The course might help you avoid the following situation: A student told me he had bought a Sears lathe. He mounted wood between centers, turned it on, tried a few cuts and and turned it off. Ten years later his wife asked him what he was going to do with that piece of wood in that machine in the basement. He called me, came for the course, and after turning two days and making several decent items, announced, "It isn't as much fun as I thought it would be." If one realized that before investing in a lathe and a bunch of tools, you'd be ahead. If, on the other hand, you found you enjoyed it, then you'd have a good start and some ideas that would help you buy the lathe and tools you need.

One student said that he was glad he had come to me first because of the approach I take which prepares you for future turning experiences. My approach combines hands-on activities with the theory that explains why you do things in a particular way. My approach provides you with practice, some immediate successes, and a theoretical reference for all your future turning experiences.

A few years ago, on the first evening, a student started out saying, "I'm scared to death of my lathe." He was the first in 18 years to say it before starting, but I have always known this was a common feeling. I started him turning and he realized he was in control and there was little to fear, except fear itself, which leads to apprehension, which may lead to loss of control. I keep you turning successfully and you build confidence.

A final personal note: I was once at a craft show in Northampton, MA. Three of the exhibitors were former students. It was wonderful to see what they had done with turning since studying with me. One was making amazingly large, turned-wood lamp shades, in addition to his series of turned vessels. Another was making wonderful, large diameter bowls, and a third’s furniture, some of which incorporated turnings, was beautifully crafted.

Please note: Whatever these former students have done is attributable to their own creative skill, desire and patience, rather than to me. The same is true of the art teacher who is well known for his giant turned tops. Whatever came from me was new techniques, theory, the idea that turning could be done better, and that you could make a living at it, in my case by teaching. Just this knowledge has kept many turners going.

I remember so many of my students, most of whom did woodturning for leisure, as a hobby. Every so often I'll hear from someone who was with me 20 years ago. Sadly, others have died. But as I look through the Woodturners' Association membership, I am pleased at the number of current members that came to me first, long ago.

 

That is I roughing out a natural edge white ash bowl on the Myford ML8. (This was probably the mid-80s.)