About

"Where do you get your wood for turning?” -- Perhaps the most common question woodturners are asked by people new to the craft!

In this class you will learn not only where to find or buy wood, but also how to evaluate wood for different projects; how to cut, preserve and store it (if it is green); how to lay out bowls, vessels and spindles on your stock to ensure good project success; and how to maximize the yield from your wood. Much of the wood local turners use is free “found” or “fallen” wood, and there are many details to learn about how, when and where to obtain these treasures.

Woodturners use bandsaws to prepare much of their stock, and are often challenged by irregular pieces of wood that require special safety tactics. In this class you will learn how to determine which approach you should use for a particular piece of wood, be it a log, a burl or a piece of spindle stock. Students who have taken Tool Safety II will gain hands-on experience in cutting turning stock on one of the studio’s bandsaws.

You are welcome to bring one or two pieces of wood you want to evaluate for turning stock.

Details:

• Ages 14+ are welcome.
• While this class has no pre-requisites, only students who have taken Woodshop Tool Safety Checkout 2 will be allowed to operate a bandsaw and only those who have taken Woodshop Tool Safety Checkout I will be allowed to operate a miter saw during this class.

• Please click here for BARN's current COVID-19 health & safety protocols. 

• You must wear safety glasses and closed-toe shoes, tie back long hair, and avoid loose-fitting clothing and jewelry. We recommend bringing your own safety glasses.
• BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition Assistance is available - click here to fill out the simple application before registering for a class. For those who might need physical assistance, please learn about BARN's Companion Program here.

Instructor: Jamie Straw has been turning wood for several years, working on both spindle and bowl projects, and has taught woodturning at BARN since July 2017. She also serves as coordinator of BARN’s woodturning classes.  She is past Vice President for Education and Training for the local chapter of the American Association of Woodturners. Her focus is on helping students build skills progressively as they design and create their woodturning projects.