Finewood - Tuition

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

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.
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.
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

Dave Leivers - 28th October 2020

I have just completed 3 days woodturning with Albert in his awesome workshop. The lathes he owns are amazing and a must see!
Covid-19 precautions taken daily to ensure our joint safety as you would expect. If due to the Covid pandemic you find you have plenty of spare time to fill this training is ideal for anyone looking for a new hobby or just a bit of tuition to hone their skills.
I have owned a woodturning lathe for over 20 years and never had any professional tuition so any attempted woodturning never resulted in what I had envisage before picking a chisel and I needed the use of lots of very coarse abrasives to eventual get to an acceptable finish.
Albert tailored the 3 days to suit my experience and showed me how to correctly use each of the woodturning tools, which tool to use for the appropriate task in hand and also how to sharpen them. The results I gained straight from the tool were a vast improvement, with only minimal sanding required prior the finishing.
I made a cheese knife first followed by a shallow Ash bowl before moving onto approx. 9” diameter, 3” deep Ash bowl and a 9” natural edge Cherry bowl retaining the bark then a small Tiger Oak and sycamore lidded box with intricate Rosewood finial to completed the 3 days.
Albert provided coffee and tea throughout the day and homemade chocolate cookies, ginger biscuits and a slice of cake for the afternoon break all made by his wife Shelia.
Albert is a great guy with tons of knowledge and experience and best of all he’s willing to share his skills and knowledge with you. An inspiration!
Simon Bedwell - 24th October 2020

Many thanks Albert for a Brilliant day on 12th October 2020. I have spent many years working in the woodtrade with very little experience working on a woodturning lathe. Your knowledge and year's of experience you have started to pass over to me will help me understand a lot more about woodturning and I am looking forward to spending another day with you (Intermediate Course) in the new year 2021.Many Thanks again Albert for your knowledge patients and Hospitality. Simon.
Jonathan Rawlinson - 5th October 2020

My wife gave me one of Albert's introductory one day wood turning courses for Christmas 2019 and after a long wait due to the pandemic I finally attended his workshops. It was well worth the wait!

A warm welcome into his impressive workshop with all the precautions you would expect to ensure our joint safety. He explained and demonstrated all the basic tools and techniques. We both separately made firstly a cheese knife and secondly a wooden bowl which meant I can honestly say I made both pieces myself following closely whilst he demonstrated the necessary techniques.

Whilst I will never be able to approach Alberts skill or knowledge the course has given me a real insight of what is possible and a desire to want more!

Thank you Albert
Trevor Clark - 14th March 2020

Just completed an introduction to wood turning with the incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable Albert Lain.
The course Albert delivered was absolutely amazing from the very start to the wonderful slice of cake and cup of tea at the end of the day. Having never held a chisel let alone completed any wood turning, I was exceptionally pleased how effortlessly Albert was able to demonstrate and guide an absolute beginner to produce some quality pieces. I have learnt so much and thanks to Albert have definitely ignited my passion for turning.
Without doubt I will be returning for the next stage of course in the near future and would encourage anybody looking for a wood turning course not miss out on this oasis of experience, many thanks again
Dr Simon Dineen M.B..BS - 24th February 2020

I had a very instructive and enjoyable day day with Albert following an initial day a year or so again. Albert is a truly amazing teacher ,calm and reassuring, whilst imparting many useful techniques. His skills are incredible and his stories are fascinating. His method of teaching is I found very easy to follow, he has a lathe next to the pupils lathe and he demonstrates the work before asking you to do it. It was a charming and fascinating and instructive day.I must also thank his wife for her excellent cake!.
Norman Spicer - 11th January 2020

Norman Spicer-11January 2020

Yesterday the 10th January saw me leaving home with an old toolbox and tools for a days tuition at Grove House.

The sat nav location took me to Alberts home Grove House, where as stated Albert was waiting for me pottering about in his front garden, what I should have taken notice of in his letter that Albert sent me the parking spot is just inside the gate by the caravan, its best to reverse into the spot as it makes life a little better at the end of the day getting out.

After welcoming me to his home and workshop Albert put my lunch in the fridge and we set about getting to grips with all the Health and safety in the workshop before starting.

As a novice I found Albert a very good instructor, explaining and then demonstrating what he wanted me to do, then letting me loose on the machine next to his trying to copy what he had done. We went through about 5 different stages in this way to end up with a very nice handle 1100 we had a cup of tea and a chat.. Next we set up the lathe with some ash to have a go at a small bowl. Then came lunch. Time just seems to fly away when you are having fun. During lunch we chatted about our lives Albert has made some wonderfull things and has more tools than any man I know.

Lunch over we settled down to turning a bowl in the same manner as before, a very good teaching technique. The afternoon flew by with the bowl being sprayed we had another cup of tea. Whilst waiting for the bowl to dry between coats Albert showed me his wife Shelia smaller workshop. Something the size that I would be doing for myself and gave me an idea of what I would need.

Before leaving Albert sharpened some of my old tools, I require some more. As Albert says you can not have too many.

Thanks Albert for a great day, when I get my lathe and practice what you have taught me I will be booking the next course with you and I will see you at your next Suffolk Mid Coastal Woodturners meeting on the 6th February. Thanks again.

Norman
Mark Ambrose - 21st December 2019

My apologies for the delay in leaving feedback Albert.
Albert is a wonderful tutor, brimming with years of experience which he beautifully translates in his patient and comprehensive style of teaching. It's immediately apparent that Albert has passion and love for his craft which is evident in the work he has produced which for me was a marvel to be seen.
My day was hugely rewarding and his company both stimulating and gracious. I left with a new confidence for turning and put it to immediate use in my business. Thank you Albert.

Best wishes,
Mark

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