Demonstrations

I am able to provide Woodturning Demonstrations for your club or society My demonstrations are tailored to your needs and can be of any length. I can provide all equipment and have Public liability insurance. my evening demonstrations to woodturning clubs are normally of 2 Hours duration and have a set theme. The most popular subjects are a 90 piece segmented bangle with inlaid copper, a spinning top that turns on a tower then hangs on when it stops and has an innovative decoration system that involves spinning it in a centrifuge at 2500 RPM. Another is a Japanese technique that raises bumps above the surface of a bowl and also some decorating techniques. other demonstrations are available at your request.

For more information please contact me.

Demonstration at Berkshire Woodturners

After Introductions I show my audience the project that I am about to execute. For this evening it is to be the Tower top. I am using Sycamore as it is good to turn and takes paint well.
I begin by showing how to turn the base. this involves turning the material to round on a specially developed pin centre , then finishing the bottom. I then drill the mortice for the tower and chamfer the top.
The tower is made by Drilling the recess that the top will spin in. I then bring it to round and shape it forming a tenon on the bottom that will fit the base. I Part this off and it is done.
I turn the small stem for the top. after turning the top end and putting a point on it I have a small centre that fits my live centre with a hole in it to steady the peice while I finish it and cut the tenon that will fit into the top.
I turn the underside of the top and form the small mushroom like button that will allow the top to hook onto the tower, the underside is cut out with a special scraper made from a small dentists tool kindly supplied by my sister in law Susan.
The top is reversed in the chuck and given its final shape, a tiny mortice is drilled to take the tenon on the stem and the peice is ready for assembly.
The stem is glued to the body of the top on the lathe to be sure that it is in line. Note that the top is held with a socket that holds the button and the centre with a central hole holds the stem.
The assembled tower is held between the pin centre and the spigot centre and turned at a slow speed. paint is then applied. A light colour all over then a contrasting colour to highlight it.
The top is held between centres as before and spun slowly to be painted in a likewise manner to the tower.
The spinner is held in a specially built centrifuge that turns in a wooden box that catches any paint that spins off and is there for safety.
Spots of paint are put on the top and it is spun at 2500 RPM so that the paint flies up the piece
After two or three similar applications another application is made in a contrasting paint or a metallic colour and this one is not spun.
The tower is now mounted in an alternative centrifuge and spots of paint are applied to be spun up the tower in the same manner as the spinner.
In this picture the top is spinning at 2500 RPM as you can see it is too fast for the camera to capture it.
Finaly the finishing touches to the tower and when it has dried the tower top or as they are known in Germany Turmkreisel is finished.
The finished tops in action.