Andrew Glazebrook weekend
Andrew Glazebrook, from the Innisfail area of central Alberta, presented a high energy woodturning demonstration and a full day hands-on workshop for the Chinook Woodturning Guild on Saturday and Sunday, May 14th and 15th, 2016.
A true professional, Andrew arrived at my place half a day early in order to select and cut enough wood for the two days of turning. Available green wood consisted of Birch, apple, silver poplar and cottonwood. Korthuis Tree Care donated quite a lot of excellent wood. Andrew also brought birch logs and a bunch of 3” dry maple and ash blanks for tool control exercises.
Before his visit Andrew had said he wasn’t sure what he would need, so he’d bring everything. We didn’t realize that he really meant it! After selecting the wood Friday afternoon we went to CASA to set up the woodworking shop for the Saturday demo. When he began unpacking the trailer we were astonished at what appeared. Tool cabinets, trolleys filled with finishing and tinting products, drills, a vacuum pump, tools for sale, scores of gallery items and finally a giant Oneway lathe. Setup took quite a while!
During the Saturday demonstration Andrew freely shared his broad knowledge of woodturning. He is a highly skilled turner with the belief that if we understand why turning tools are configured as they are, we will be better turners. With this in mind he often took time out from whichever project he was demonstrating to discuss the flute shape, bevel or sharpening technique of the tool in hand at the moment.
This was no dry discussion. Andrew is passionate about teaching and turning and his energy and enthusiasm invigorated the audience. He had to be stopped at the end of the day so we could set up for the hands-on session the next day, but Andrew said he’d be glad to keep going until midnight if we’d let him!
Sunday was the hands-on session of woodturning with Andrew. Jim Jones kindly loaned the Guild five portable lathes, Vern supplied one and the Guild had the other two needed to give us enough for the eight students in the class.
We started at 9am sharp with a discussion of tool geometry and then went on to do exercises on dry blanks. The rest of the day we worked on green wood, each person determining for themselves what they wished to do and how far they wanted to push their skill level.
The skill levels of the students in the class ranged from very experienced with years of turning behind them to more or less no previous experience. Andrew was able to accommodate this, hopping from one lathe to another with help, advice and encouragement. Whenever there was the bang of a bad catch or the rumble of an out of balance lathe Andrew was there as quick as a wink to sort things out. Nobody left unsatisfied at the end of the day. Many thanks to Vern, who was not in the class, but was there to assist where needed. And he was needed almost all day. (Especially by the ladies, hmmm).
Several of us wanted to learn to use hook tools for end grain turning inside bowls and vessels. Three of us had Martel Hook Tools to practice on and Andrew brought several other types of hook and ring tools for us to experiment with. It was great and I got lots of advice and encouragement for practice in my home shop. I better get turning before I forget what I learned!
We had a great day, everybody took home added knowledge and experience. After the machines went quiet it was time to pack up. That only took three hours! Five small lathes went into Andre´s car for returning to Jim, and Andrew’s equipment was packed away and trundled up the ramp and into the trailer. We said our goodbyes.
What a great weekend!
Submitted by Dan Michener