Tel: 01728 663567

Woodturning Tuition in Suffolk

Notice

Instead of retiring completely, as I had indicated, and disappointing traders and students, I hope to continue both on a reduced scale. I so enjoy meeting new customers and easing students into the absorbing and challenging pastime of woodturning. Just phone or e-mail me to discuss how I can help.

Happy turning to you all.

Albert


One day of 1-1 Wood turning tuition, available 7 days a week. Primarily devoted to practical experience with the aim for the student to complete a number of turned products. Along the way, covering safety, characteristics of different timbers and choice of tools, machines and sources of supply.

Tutor

Albert Lain; experienced and qualified teacher keen to impart his enthusiasm and skills.

Courses Available

  1. Introduction
    A days introduction. Learning how to safely apply the tools to rotating timber. Included will be working between centres, use of Roughing Gouge, Spindle Gouge, and parting tool. After lunch, the use of self-centring chucks, boring on lathes and Jam fitting. Suitable for someone considering the hobby, just starting to turn, or just interested and looking for an absorbing day.
  2. Intermediate
    A logical progression from course A but focused on Headstock work and increasing the diameter of the material to be turned. Use of screw chuck to turn a shallow bowl, and then a deeper small bowl with either a turned top edge or natural edge. Method of removing all indication of how it was secured to the lathe.
  3. Experienced
    In development at present, but either increasing diameter and/or depth of product, or experience in successfully turning freshly cut timber. Awareness of other methods such as split turning, duplicate turning, coopered work, long hole boring, lattice work, off centre turning. Just where do we stop? This can easily get out of hand...

The Workshop

A heated wood turning workshop with many lathes and good dust extraction. Always some interesting other work in progress. Attached to our home and looking out to the garden and across fields.

The Cost

Courses A and B: £175 9am-4pm, all materials and tools included
Course C: £225 9am-4pm, all materials and tools included

Preparation

Discussion before the day about experience so far and what you would like to achieve. Guidance on what to wear. Invitation to bring any existing tools and safety equipment to wear.

What Next?

Phone or email to discuss how I can help, and if you wish, to determine a mutually convenient date.

I will need your postal address to enable me to send a pre-course preparation document and to include a brief questionnaire about your experience, if any, so far.
If you would like to make a days tuition as a gift to a friend or partner, request a copy of our Gift Voucher. Warn me if you wish it to be conveyed confidentially for a birthday or Christmas surprise.

If you have been on one or more of these day courses, I would appreciate any comments you may have to help me improve and refine how and what I do. Please use the comments page on my site or let me know by phone, email, or letter.

64 comments

  • Rev Chris Ramsey

    Rev Chris Ramsey - 3rd February 2022

    I thought I'd email you to let you know how I'm getting on. I've been turning bowls, gonks, boxes and pens ; and most recently I've been trying multi axis turning and making tea light holders as I practice the technique. I found some very useful videos by Barbara Dill on the subject and have her book on order. I've also nearly finished converting my lathe to electronic speed control using a motor I picked up 2nd hand, pulleys via my dad's firm and a vfd from amazon. Runs beautifully, much quieter and less vibrations. Did it all myself in the end, after speaking with yourself, and the other student you put me in touch with. Thank you again for your tuition, it's been invaluable in giving me the confidence to get stuck in and really enjoy turning. Warm regards, Chris

  • Shaun Farrell

    Shaun Farrell - 1st December 2021

    Having received this woodturning days course as a present, I got myself booked in and was looking forward to it,
    The day was great from start to finish, Albert was very welcoming and knowledgable & covered everything from how the day was going to be
    filled, good explanation at all stages with tips on stance, safety & demonstrations (with cups of tea at breaktime) to make my bowl and pizza cutter. Lots of information on suppliers and clubs to join for further progression.
    My favourite part was just being in the amazing workshop with all the lathes & other bits of kit, also hearing and seeing about past & present jobs of Alberts with pieces in the workshop and photos.
    Hoping to move to my forever home in the next year or so when i can get my workshop with the possibility of room for my first lathe.
    If and when i would definitely book another refresher day.
    Thank you Albert for the creative insight!

  • Rev Chris Ramsey

    Rev Chris Ramsey - 27th November 2021

    I've now attended Albert's beginner and intermediate days and I am so glad that I did. I had already bought a lathe but was very anxious about putting steel to wood, Albert was able to guide me and then help confirm that guidance on my second day with him a couple of months later. Brilliant, patient tutor - able to rescue mistakes and give great encouragement to the extent that I have felt the confidence to have a proper go at home. Albert even adapted his intermediate day to let me have a go at turning a winged bowl. I can't recommend his tuition highly enough - he's even been kind enough to offer advice on my setup at home. Both Albert and his wife Sheila were so welcoming and warm (plus Sheila bakes beautiful cakes as well as turning wood herself) - I feel as though I have made some wonderful friends as well having learnt wonderful new skills.

  • Richard

    Richard - 26th October 2021

    I was apprehensive before attending an Introduction course as I had no experience of wood turning and did not feel I was particularly good with my hands. However Albert immediately put me at ease and carefully explained about the structure of the day, the different lathes, types of wood and the different tools. Each hands on practical session was demonstrated beforehand and guidance given during the turning. At the end of the day I was delighted with the two wooden items to take home.
    The only suggestion that I would make, is that it would be nice to have a DVD of Albert demonstrating the techniques to take home afterwards, as the day passed so quickly and at my age , it is difficult to remember the finer details. However, you do get a lot of notes and information to take away.
    The course is worth every penny but just remember that if you get the bug for for wood turning, it will take over all your spare time and your pocket as well!
    Thank you Albert and Sheila for an excellent day and all the tea and coffee.

  • Rob

    Rob - 16th October 2021

    Having recently spent a day in Alberts workshop I have come home with a beautiful yew handled pizza cutter and a shallow ash bowl. The day went very quickly, and Albert was a great tutor - he was set up on one lathe where he would show the first step which I recreated on another lathe, then he would move on to the next step etc, a very successful method of teaching I felt. Albert was very patient & clearly has a vast amount of knowledge to share. Highly recommended.
    Rob

  • Amanda

    Amanda - 16th October 2021

    I am a complete novice and just spent a day with Albert on the basic workshop. I felt very welcome and found the teaching excellent with its mix of showing how to do a task before attempting it myself and then a patient talking through the techniques with helpful comments and occasionally a guiding hand. Sheila had kindly bought gluten free biscuits for the coffee and tea breaks which was most thoughtful. I am sure we went past the planned end time but I felt so thrilled to bring home a shallow ash bowl and a new handle fitted to my ancient but precious daisy picker garden weeding tool. Albert said it should have been a cheese knife handle but he could see how much I valued the tool so he let me restore that. Health and safety was well carried out and it could not have been a better day although I was very tired at the end of it mainly because of my concerns about being a duffer but Albert helped me achieve results way above my expectation and boosted my self esteem in the process. Thank you for a lovely day

  • Neil speariett

    Neil speariett - 30th September 2021

    I went along to finewood furniture for the beginner wood turning course and was blown away. An amazing setting and even better workshop. Albert was a fantastic teacher and has provided me with a great foundation on which to start my turning journey. It was all I hoped for and more, thank you, and i will be back.

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