A Woodturner's Life...Glenn Lucas

[Aron Fast]

The 4th episode just dropped on YouTube. My son and I have watched each one and I have learned quite a bit about processing wood. I'm not a professional and I don't have a sawmill or a kiln. But I have a chainsaw, bandsaw and forklift and the nuggets of knowledge that Glenn drops along the way are so great.

For example he lays out his circles slightly overlapping so even though the rough turned bowl will have a flat spot and be a little 'oval' the differential shrinkage will be more round.

I think I enjoy the methods of work almost as much as I enjoy the woodturning itself.

 

[John Torchick]

Thanks for the post. Got my curiosity up to watch the videos.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

I've really been enjoying this series! Led me to finally get off the dime and schedule a class with him (not until 2027) to give us an excuse to go to Ireland for a few weeks. The scale of is operation (and the amount of hard work involved) is really impressive. Love the spalted beech he gets.

 

[John Torchick]

Watched the four videos and amazed at the huge operation he manages. I was particularly interested in his routine for cutting logs into blanks. I have been putting off cutting logs but am confident that I can follow his directions to produce good blanks.

 

[David Bolson]

I enjoyed that. Thanks.

 

[John Torchick]

Love to to to Ireland for a class but too far to drive.

 

[John K Jordan]

Thanks, Aron, for the heads up on the videos. I watched two and they have been fascinating! And I learned several things so far.

• I need to make a coarse screen for my dust collector pickup at the lathe. I've already lost a wrist watch and a kitten. Just kidding, but have lost plenty of strips of sandpaper.
• It would be great to have a building where I could keep my sawmill out of the weather. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.
• He makes good use of the fork lift. I can't imagine not having forks, although I use mine on the tractor and skid steer.
• The highway weight limit Ireland. I assume there are special permits or fees or something if you really need to haul something heavy. I typically haul 4-ton loads of hay and that doesn't count the 18' gooseneck trailer. My tracked skid steer weighs a bit over 4 tons lbs with another 2000 for attachments (plus a the weight of the equipment trailer). Or loads of gravel, usually 20+ tons per load around here.
• I love the the heavy plate he added to the trailer bed - fabulous idea. The typical wooden beds are the first things that need replacing.
• Hey, another person to add to the list of those who like mini donkeys!
• Glenn certainly has incredible tool control! He did mention he's turned a few bowls in the past.
• If I ever say I want to become a production turner, someone please knock some sense into me with a stick. If that doesn't work, please lock me up!

A few years back we considered using Glenn Lucas' class to justify a jaunt to and around Ireland. Been to numerous points in the UK and Europe but never made it to Ireland. Bucket list.

JKJ

 

[John Gordon]

Yep - always enjoy watching Mr Lucas. Wealth of knowledge and experience and very well done videos. Great series for sure!

 

[Webb Willmott]

His tailstock gauge for repeated bowl bottoms was genius

 

[Aron Fast]

I was inspired this afternoon to harvest some bowl blanks.

6 4x13x13” from honey locust.

It is by far my favorite to turn right now for utilitarian bowls

I think I first heard Stuart Batty say he liked that species.

 

[John K Jordan]

Episode 3

Banjo maintenance comment - if you don't have circlip/snap-ring/retaining-ring pliers, consider the convertible pliers - I keep several but the one I like the best has both internal and external, the mode changed by moving a thumb lever. It came with a set of hooked and straight clips to change to fit the job.

Don't know about those on most lathes, but some large rings used on other equipment can take some effort and hand strength. Pliers with longer handles can help. Another handy thing is a set or two of spare circlips in both metric and imperial sizes. Occasionally one will be bent or otherwise damaged (and I hate to say it but I lost one which slipped out of the pliers and flew to somewhere in the shop - always wear safety glasses)

His tailstock gauge for repeated bowl bottoms was genius

Yes, nice! Don't know if you've seen them but some people use 3D printed gauges with tenon and recess sizes that fit their favorite jaws. Guess they could be cut by hand from a piece of plastic sheet or thin brass/aluminum.
What puzzled me for a while was watching turners make a tenon without measuring it and it always fit. Some may just have calibrated eyes. Some apparently judge the size relative to the tailstock quill or live center. I measure or use dividers, depending.

I was inspired this afternoon to harvest some bowl blanks.... 6 4x13x13” from honey locust.

I like honey locust too. If not aware, locust wood can be distinguished from some other species by using a cheap 365nm UV light. Locust will glow bright green while osage orange, mulberry, and some others with somewhat similar end grain won't.

Here are Redheart and Locust blanks in white light and in UV light.


This Wood Database article has a useful list:

Fluorescence: A Secret Weapon in Wood Identification | The Wood Database

www.wood-database.com

Just for fun: I also use UV lights to judge the freshness of peacock, guinea, and non-white chicken eggs, The brightness of the fluorescence decreases as the eggs age. I think it might be oxidation of the shell surface. Handy when finding a nest in the weeds to see if the eggs are fresh enough to hatch.
I wish I could tie this to woodturning with Glenn Lucas but I can't. If anyone wants to hear more nearly useless things just ask.



JKJ

 

[Tim Hunter]

‘An entertaining video series indeed. He has such nice equipment and facilities…I can’t imagine that turning/teaching alone has enabled such apparent success.

Tim

 

[Rip Littig]

I highly recommend visiting Glenn in Ireland. I made the trip almost three years ago and found it surprisingly affordable. Learning from him in person (I opted for private tuition) has really improved my turning. Glenn and his wife Cornelia are very warm, friendly people. Her cooking is great (lunch and baked goods during breaks) and she'll help you plan travel arrangements and accommodations. From a turning perspective what I enjoyed most was picking his brain throughout the day. He's incredibly efficient and I soaked up as much information as I could. I'll likely plan another trip later this year or in 2027. The views from his studio are fantastic too.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

I skimmed all four videos. Well done videos and an operation he can be proud of.. What I'm left with is who does the actual bowl turning? In one of the videos several men are shown turning on a row of lathes, not clear if they're taking a class or his employees. Teaching must account for a good deal of Glen's time.

Until now I barely knew the name Glen Lucas, apparently his bowls are very collectible. Does he sign all the bowls that come out of shop? Just running the operation must limit his time on the lathes.

In recent years I became involved in the high end art world. The biggest eye opener to me was how often artists subcontract their actual production to individuals like me who have equipment to produce their work efficiently. My first thought was this practice was a secret, not so, it's well known.

 

[Rip Littig]

I skimmed all four videos. Well done videos and an operation he can be proud of.. What I'm left with is who does the actual bowl turning? In one of the videos several men are shown turning on a row of lathes, not clear if they're taking a class or his employees. Teaching must account for a good deal of Glen's time.

Until now I barely knew the name Glen Lucas, apparently his bowls are very collectible. Does he sign all the bowls that come out of shop? Just running the operation must limit his time on the lathes.

In recent years I became involved in the high end art world. The biggest eye opener to me was how often artists subcontract their actual production to individuals like me who have equipment to produce their work efficiently. My first thought was this practice was a secret, not so, it's well known.

I can't speak for Glenn but I'm confident he personally makes and signs all his bowls and platters. Some of the rough production he bandsaws and cores will be finish turned by students for them to keep. The people you see turning in his videos are in fact students. Much of his time is now devoted to teaching both in person and online via his Woodturning Club. I purchased one of his bowls from his gallery and it wasn't much more than you'd pay stateside from a part time turner. I believe mine was under $175 for a 13 inch rippled Irish ash bowl with impressive detail work. Glenn has been a production woodturner for 35 years. When you produce the same thing everyday for that long you get very, very efficient in the process.

 

[Gord Cameron]

What I'm left with is who does the actual bowl turning?

As those who have watched Glenn's operation over the years know, not only does he turn (and sign) every bowl (or plate, platter etc.) that he sells, he transports the trees from local farms, cuts them into blanks in his yard, stores the blanks in his shed, cores and/or rough turns them and dries the rough-turned bowls in his kiln, and then finish turns them in his shop, which also houses his turning school and his filming studio. The dried blanks also supply the students in his classes. He doesn't have assistants or apprentices (or subcontractors) doing any of the work. One assumes that production turning is down significantly to make room for the teaching and filming, but whatever turned pieces Glenn sells have been made by him alone at every stage.

His turning and teaching facility in rural Ireland required a big personal investment and its multi-faceted success is an instance of the "if you build it, they will come" vision and confidence of a craftsman / entrepreneur.