Fall 2025
December 15-19

Taught by Tim Lawson, this five-day course is perfect for complete beginners or folks whose skills have gotten rusty and need refreshing. This course is taught on mini lathes but the techniques scale up to much larger lathes and we’ll cover that transition on the final day.

This weeklong class is designed to give you an understanding of the tools used by turners and the skills to safely and effectively use them; you’ll begin to develop a "feel" for turning. The class begins with the fundamental rules for turning spindles safely and confidently and progresses to expanding your newly learned skills to turning bowls from green (freshly cut) wood.

The course is taught using traditional gouges, not carbide tools. Using a sharp gouge is key to cutting well and safely, and we teach you how to sharpen freehand on the grinder. 

For the first couple of days, we focus on basic skills through the practice of spindle turning. We explore cutting theory by looking at the impact of grain direction on how a gouge cuts. We’ll make a smooth cylinder, then a simple French rolling pin. Then, you’ll explore beads and coves as we make a candlestick, and finish it with milk paint.

On Wednesday we switch over to bowl turning. We’ll be using freshly-cut green wood to explore how grain and growth rings impact the appearance of the bowl. Green wood cuts beautifully, sends off long shavings, and minimizes sanding dust. Wooden bowls are wonderfully utilitarian. You hold the essence of the tree in your hand.

You’ll learn about the different chucking methods to work on the outside and the inside of a bowl, plus how to reverse chuck to finish the bottom. There will be plenty of opportunities to make several small bowls about 6” diameter and examine various finishes, including those that are food-safe.

When you finish this course, you will have a good understanding of how the tools are used to remove wood and feel confident about putting a tool onto spinning wood.

Tools  

The school is equipped with the turning tools you'll need for the course. If you want to bring your own turning tools and work with them, we encourage you to do so.

Required

• Pencil

• Small ruler

• High collar shirt or turning smock

• Hair tie for long hair

• Paper/sketchbook

Recommended

• Personal protective equipment (face shield, mask, and safety glasses) that is comfortable 

• Turning tools: roughing gouge, spindle gouge, parting tool, bowl gouge.

Prerequisites 

Open to all. The only prerequisite for this class is enthusiasm. This class is designed for complete novices up through experienced turners who would like to tune up their skills.

Class Information and Registration

Class runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday in Building 304 at Fort Worden. Map
Please read our What to Expect page for general information about the school.
Please also read our Registration Policy.

Class size: 12
Cost: $940
Materials Charge: $100