Who to go to for all-around instruction???

[WV Woodturner]

I am planning to go to a "Name" turning school soon but want input on who to go to. I saw the "Dream 3" but there is to many choices.
I want to be instructed by someone that is a very good "all around" instructor. I am mostly self taught and may need some bad behavior corrected, some technique tweeked and safety issues driven in. I am looking for in-depth "How to's"; to correctly use tools; perform cuts on both bowl and spindle work; some hollow vessel and thin wall, more technique and hand control than design. I want to learn in a way to be able to teach what I learn to my club.
IF YOU COULD HAVE GONE TO ONE INSTRUCTOR WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE ?

 

[Jim Stoppleworth]

This doesn't answer your question but here's the route I'm taking:

Like you I'm self taught. At age 65 my short term memory isn't what it used to be for transfer to long term memory. I figured a one or two day class one on one was going to cost me with travel, lodging, instructor fees, and other expenses 600 to 900 bucks. I figure I'll lose most of what I'm taught to short term memory lapse only keeping a few salient points with me into long term memory. So I've made the decision to have most all of the good instructors with me all the time in the form of DVD's. For the same amount of money I can build a great library that I can watch over and over to drive the good points into my long term memory. It seems to be working I have several DVD's - Grumbine, Lacer, Cook, Raffan, Klein among the instructors. I'm making progress.

Also like you, I'm sure I'm developing some bad habits that a one on one would help fix. I probably pay better attention to the DVD's because I'm a left hand dominant person that is really working on learning right handed techniques.

Down the road I'd still like to do what you're looking to do.

But that might be awhile as the turning vortex just took a big gulp from the wallet this past week with the arrival of a new PM3520B.

Jim

 

[Ron Sardo]

I am planning to go to a "Name" turning school soon but want input on who to go to. I saw the "Dream 3" but there is to many choices.
I want to be instructed by someone that is a very good "all around" instructor. I am mostly self taught and may need some bad behavior corrected, some technique tweeked and safety issues driven in. I am looking for in-depth "How to's"; to correctly use tools; perform cuts on both bowl and spindle work; some hollow vessel and thin wall, more technique and hand control than design. I want to learn in a way to be able to teach what I learn to my club.
IF YOU COULD HAVE GONE TO ONE INSTRUCTOR WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE ?

I was turning less than a week when I took a lesson from Bill Grumbine.

 

[Brodie Brickey]

Instruction Options -- Long

Rodney,

I'm not sure where you are located, but my first recommendation would not be a "named" woodturner. I would recommend a community college turning program. You get all the basics, various projects to work through, and anywhere from 11 to 18 weeks of instruction.

Here in southern California, Cerritos College provides a basic woodturning course for about $100, every Sunday for five hours for 15 weeks. We used school Jet Mini lathes, school tools, and turned basic bowls, baby rattles, lidded boxes, snowmen, christmas trees, candlesticks, and a couple other things I've forgotten. We also used the buffing system to buff out the bowls after applying a tung oil finish.

The advanced class covers hollowing and segmented turning. (Same price and also 15 weeks).

Does the school give me the opportunity to turn an 18" platter or bowl? No.

Does it provide the safety instruction I need to keep from getting myself hurt? Yes.

It has also corrected some of my misconceptions of form design as well as desired function for pieces. (You mean a lidded box should 'pop'? Why should the lid be easy to handle?)

Once you have the all-around instruction, then you go to a particular woodturner for their specialty.

Ellsworth is great at natural edged bowls and more specifically using his grind. He can certainly teach you how to work through that and turn "his" way.

JoHannes Michelsen (http://www.WoodHat.com) can teach you how to turn a hat.

BinHo can teach you about thin walled vessels and texturing.

Andi Wolfe will cover pyrography and texturing.

Wherever you go for the all-around instruction, you will need time for the skills to sink in as you practice. I see it all the time in the technology field. We send out a programmer to learn a new language in a week and expect great things. What he gets is a crash course and overview and then spends the next year working through or converting code to the new language, having forgotten most of what was poured into him during his five days in training.

If you're really set on an excellerated course, I recommend the one in Virginia or Tennesee (I can't remember the name sorry its in the Appalachian's somewhere as I understand it.) but it is a well known a craft school. They do furniture as well as woodturning and it goes from 1-3 weeks I think. You should see the advertisement in the back of the AAW or FWW mags. You can also go to Bill Grumbine in PA. I've used his video, but I've heard great things about his instruction and demonstrations.

For videos:
Mike Mahoney - "FROM THE TREE TO THE TABLE" - Good bowl turning as well as platter work.
Bill Grumbine - I've seen his first video and it covers most everything on bowl turning. A very good resource and funny too.

Other Options:
Seriously consider going to either the Utah Symposium or the AAW Symposium. The number of turners instructing, the ability to ask questions, as well as interact with others and seeing the Instant Gallery up close will open you mind to a number of possibilities you hadn't considered before. Of the four demonstrators listed above, I saw three at the Pasadena AAW Symposium in 2003 and about 6 others including Chris Stott. Very worth my time and money.

Also check for your nearest AAW Chapter. Mine has demos most months and challenges for different types of turning which expand our horizons.

Whatever you choose I hope it meets your needs and helps to expand you love of woodturning. All the best.

 

[rbabbittjr]

You don't say how long you've been turning. A lot of our club members have come to me to start. Not my first choice. I cannot make the choice you are asking. There are a lot of turners out their that can teach what you want. Local clubs are a good start for beginners or advanced. The professionals that teach are invaluable. I cannot choose one pro over another. They are all good for their own reasons. You almost can't go wrong with anyone. If I gave you one name I would feel guilty about leaving someone else out. Take a look at what the instructors turn, ask others who have attended their classes. I'm sure you will learn with whatever choice you make.

 

[Barry Elder]

For all-around instruction:

I would have to say that my "mentor", who is also a fellow bowler and golfer and fisherman, is the best choice I could have made. He is local, and that saved me at least a thousand bucks, and he has been going to the John C. Campbell School during the summer for at least five years. He has taught me safety, technique, how to present the tool to the wood, how to sharpen, and we are forming a club for the local area and have discovered quite a few artists in wood. With our propensity for major hurricanes, we don't plan on ever having to buy wood! Good luck with your turning!! No matter where you are, very little could be better than turning!!

 

[PapaDoc]

I would recommend a week's course in Beginning Woodturning at John. C. Campbell. Nick Cook teaches that as well as many other fine turners. There's nothing like spending 8-12 hours a day at the lathe to get you comfortable. You can look at the offerings at www.folkschool.org. Also, they have just opened the new Willard Baxter Turning Studio which is sweet.
Good luck.

 

[dkulze]

I'll back up Papadoc.

Spending full days with turners and instructors in a classroom setting for a full week will take you places you can't imagine. From there, you'll know who to chase for instruction based on your specific interests.

Short of that, find turners from your local AAW club and get some mentoring. Most folks can teach you the basics well enough to get a clearer picture of just who you might want to seek out for more advanced instruction.

Dietrich

 

[Charlie Harley]

What about a club or mentor?

I can't comment on schools because I've never been to formal training, but joining a local club has been invaluable to me.

Every meeting there is something demonstrated that I've learned and taken with me. I'm also arranging for some mentoring from one of our master turners.

Gas to the mentor's house: $1
Adult libation or other gift to show my appreciation: $10
Funds available for tools because I didn't attend a formal class: $lots and lots
Learning good techniques that enhance my hobby's enjoyment: PRICELESS!

I'm not knocking the formal schools. I think one would be fun to attend one day. For where I'm at, a club and a mentor are my best values.

 

[john lucas]

I can highly recommend any of the instructors that are coming to the craft center in Smithville, Tn. this summer. Unfortunately the John Jordan workshop is already full but you would certainly benefit from any of the others. Nick Cook and Mark St.leger will probably be teaching most things besides hollowing but they could certainly help you there. Al Stirt and Tom Fortenbery will probably do Green wood. You can read the descriptions and probably call the instructors to find out if thier classes will meet your needs.
I would probably suggest that anytime you take a workshop. Most won't mind a short phone call, and I would much rather a student call and find out what i plan to teach than to have them show up and not learn what they want.

 

[davidwalser]

Consider the 5 day basic class at Craft Supplies USA

About three summers ago, my wife and I took the five day basic turning class at Craft Supplies USA. Dale Nish was the instructor with Kirk DeHeer assisting. Dale taught industrial arts at Brigham Young University for years and his experience as an instructor showed. Not only does he know how to turn, he knows how to teach you to turn. You want someone who can do both. Dale and Kirk can.

Dale works you hard -- we were exhausted at the end of every day, but we enjoyed every minute. During the five days, we turned a weed pot, an egg, a long-stemmed goblet, three bowls (he made us cut the first one in half so we could see how the consistent we had gotten the wall thickness), a platter, a lidded box, and a "table leg". (I may have left out a project or two.) Each project, whether spindle or face turning, built on and reinforced skills from prior projects. In addition to being taught how to turn, we were taught how to turn safely. In all, the class was very well thought out and Dale and Kirk were very attentive to our needs. I cannot recommend the experience highly enough to do it full justice.

 

[WV Woodturner]

I have reduced it to 3 instructors.

Thank you for all you responces. Right now I am concidering Bill Grumbine, David Ellsworth and Ernie Conover for this instruction. Can I get more input on these three.

 

[holistic]

Can't miss with Bill Grumbine

Just my two cents. I have been able to work with Bill Grumbine a few times and have never had a better time or learned so much. Bill customizes his instruction to exactly what you need or are interested in. He really understands how to teach each individual. You will come away from your time with him feeling like you have improved your personal turning techniques instead of just taking the same class as everyone else. On top of the great instruction, Bill is a lot of fun (especially if you like corny jokes), and his family makes you feel at home.

 

[C Edward Moore]

If you definitely want one-on-one instruction, then I recommend that you consider Bob Rosand in Bloomsburg, PA. Bob is a great instructor and he does a lot of spindle work, which is the best place to start. Others have mentioned a lot of good instructors, all of whom could help you.

When I first read your question and before there were any responses, my reaction was that you should go to John C. Campbell and take a week with Nick Cook. He is another great instructor and he also does a lot of spindle work. Club members who have gone to Campbell and have taken Nick's course have progressed very nicely and they were happy with what they got there.

 

[john lucas]

I know Bill and Nick and could not recommend two better instructors. In Fact I would highly recommend Bob Rosand also. If you do a lot of bowls Bill Grumbine would be better, if you think you'll do a lot of spindles and want to learn to use the skew I would recommend Nick Cook.

 

[C Edward Moore]

WV Turner,

I had not caught your second post in this thread when I wrote my response above. My reaction to your three choices leads me to suggest Bill Grumbine, who has helped a lot of people. It is my sense that someone a little farther along than your description of yourself might benefit from David Ellsworth quite a bit, but that you aren't quite ready for him. And to be honest, I have no knowledge or sense of Ernie Conover's teaching.

Good luck.

 

[drjcbarton]

I am planning to go to a "Name" turning school soon but want input on who to go to. I saw the "Dream 3" but there is to many choices.
I want to be instructed by someone that is a very good "all around" instructor. I am mostly self taught and may need some bad behavior corrected, some technique tweeked and safety issues driven in. I am looking for in-depth "How to's"; to correctly use tools; perform cuts on both bowl and spindle work; some hollow vessel and thin wall, more technique and hand control than design. I want to learn in a way to be able to teach what I learn to my club.
IF YOU COULD HAVE GONE TO ONE INSTRUCTOR WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE ?

I second John Lucas in suggesting the Craft Center at Tennessee Tech on the beautiful campus at Center Hill Lake. I did a week long workshop with Judy Ditmer there last summer and it was an epiffany. Here is a link to their site:

http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

Their prices are dirt cheap, the food at the cafe is amazing and the experience is exceptional. They have 8 PM3520a lathes for students of the program.

 

[PapaDoc]

I have experienced all three of the folks you mentioned as teachers. I personally would recommend David as his four day experience will give you some amazing progress. I would note that everything he does is included in his DVDs so you might rent/buy them to see him work. It's also good prep before you go. And reminders afterward. A key here is that you do not need to tape your own session as they would be redundant.
Bill is excellent as well. Lot of fun. He has a practicality that really is helpful for new folks. I have found some of his techniques particularly helpful in teaching beginners.
Ernie is a good guy with lots of experience. His teaching skills are good as well.
Obviously, you can not make a bad decision with any. It all comes down to availability, convenience, and money.
Good luck!