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

Peter Yendall - 22nd November 2019

What a wonderful day I spent being taught how to use the wood turning lathe. Albert is an excellent teacher, patient and full of knowledge and tips. As a complete novice, I was over the moon with my choice of tutor. I will be booking a 2nd day with Albert as soon as I have practiced what I have been taught so far.
Albert and his wife Sheila are lovely hosts, the tea and walnut cake certainly hit the spot.
Thank you Albert.

Pete
Harry Carter Jonas - 7th November 2019

Had a fantastic day with Albert, who is friendly and welcoming as well as a great teacher, and I came away with a couple of lovely pieces of work. I'm also now considerably more confident about setting up my own lathe.

Thank You Albert
David Clark - 3rd October 2019

What a fantastic day spent with Albert, made very welcome and learned so much in what felt like a very short time the day just flew by, if I had a tenth of the knowledge that man has I would be a very happy woodturner will definitely be going back
David Elliston - 12th September 2019

I did a day's introduction to woodturning on a perfect day outside - dull and wet :)
Albert's teaching method worked well for me - explain it, show how to do it and then supervise me doing it.
Very pleased with the outcome from the day: a cheese knife and a bowl. I felt that I learned a great deal from a starting point of zero practical experience but it's clear there is so much more to learn. I hope to book a follow up course at some point over the coming months.
Albert is a most welcoming host and his workshop facilities are superb. I need to set up a workshop and having been in one for the day I have a much better idea of the requirements.
Thoroughly recommended for anyone looking to try woodturning or wanting to enhance their skills.
Lee Munro - 4th May 2019

29th April 2019.

My Wife treated me to a days wood turning as a Birthday present.

I was greeted as soon as I entered Alberts property, with a pleasant warm welcome and was introduced to Alberts Aladdin Cave.

Wow what an amazing carpentry workshop, a life’s work of collecting all the tools one could ever want to produce the quality of work that Albert and his Wife have delivered over the years.

The course Albert delivered was absolutely amazing from the start of day until the end, never having ever completed any wood turning, I was amazed just how easy Albert was able to demonstrate and train a novice to produce some quality wood turning, I learnt so much and left with skills that have now wetted my taste buds to want to peruse this as a hobby.

Albert, thank you so much for a truly memorable day and your hospitality, it’s clear your passion and joy of your work enables you to deliver these exceptional one to one courses, which for anyone with an interest in a practical hobby would learn so much.

I will definately be returning for the next stage of course in the near future and would encourage anybody looking for a wood turning course to not miss out on this gem of an experience, many thanks once again.
David Hawthorn - 12th January 2019

I had a great day with Albert on 11th January. I managed to get lost on the way by making a mistake putting the postcode into Satnav. Fear not, the correct postcode will take you to the front door! Albert was very relaxed and welcoming. The workshop is an Aladdin’s cave full of every tool and gadget you could imagine. Albert’s teaching experience was quickly obvious and he showed remarkable patience with a student of no experience and barely a modicum of potential. I had had a go with my newly acquired entry level Axminster lathe and a book. I think I learned more from Albert in an hour than I could have picked up from the combination of book and trial and error in several months. I think I picked up some skills and some insight into what it is possible to achieve in a surprisingly short time. Albert also helped me greatly by sharpening my chisels and giving advice on sharpening systems. I had hoped to pick up sufficient knowledge to be able to go home, improve my shed setup, and get started on a number of small projects. Albert’s calm and reassuring tuition has given me great encouragement and the confidence to ‘have a go’. I also needed advice about accessories and Albert was able to help me here as well. Finally, Albert offered to be available to give further advice on the phone and by email in the future.

I came home suitably enthused and energised and can’t wait to make the purchases that I now know I need to make to be able to take my new found hobby to the next level.

Thanks Albert for a superb day of exceptional teaching and fun.
Heather Harrison - 26th November 2018

Had a great day with Albert for my second lesson on Friday 23rd November. He has the patience of a saint, I know I was forgetting things and Albert is so good at putting you back on the right track. Will definitely be going back for my 3rd lesson

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