AJB Temple
Finely figured
For the novice turners among us I thought I would jot down a few thoughts on the Axminster 2-day turning course I did at their Sittingbourne store this week. This was for beginners, there are 5 places on each course and we were all total novices at turning. Cost £250 including all drinks, lunch, snacks, wood and tuition.
I would thoroughly recommend this course as it will take you up the learning curve much more rapidly than trying to learn alone. The 2 day course is intensive, starts at 9 and you are on your feet until 5 including tuition through the breaks. We made a decorate mushroom, a very nice hollow vase and a 7” thin sided bowl. All complete and finished to a good standard. Everyone on the course found it really helpful, friendly and insightful: I learnt a great deal about techniques that I would not have picked up on my own. Peter (whose surname I can’t recall sadly) was a good tutor, with about 30 years of turning experience as a pro.
As well as turning decorative objects, beads and coves, hollowing, drilling, bowls etc, it covered safety (including dust safety and tool safety), lighting your work, sanding, three different methods of finishing, polishing, tool sharpening (on two different types of grinder), tool selection, chucks and lathe characteristics. The machines used were either Axminster Trade or Jet. All quite heavy duty variable speed machines in an excellent workshop with top notch extraction etc. We covered a lot of ground in two days.
Surprisingly there was very little time to shop (unless you get there early when the store opens at 8am) and no attempt to sell us stuff at all. It was pure tuition and they did not push machinery or tools. This was professional in my view and I was glad not to get a hard sell. Peter the tutor gave advice when he was asked for it, and it seemed sensible and not in any sense pushy,
Lessons learnt
1 Moist of us had a lathe already but no idea how to use it. None of us would have bought the lathe we actually have if we had attended the course first. For me I discovered quite quickly what features I like and those I don’t need.
2 All of us would have bought different tools if we had done the course first. In my case I have a set of tools which excludes the three that I am actually likely to use most (large roughing gouge and long small and medium spindle gouges).
Highly recommended and excellent value. A very hands on course that proves anyone can do woodturning and turn out professional looking products. We were all pleased with the things we made and took home.
PS: For attending the course you also get a 5% Axminster discount voucher, valid for a month. We all felt it was a bit stingy for some reason!
I would thoroughly recommend this course as it will take you up the learning curve much more rapidly than trying to learn alone. The 2 day course is intensive, starts at 9 and you are on your feet until 5 including tuition through the breaks. We made a decorate mushroom, a very nice hollow vase and a 7” thin sided bowl. All complete and finished to a good standard. Everyone on the course found it really helpful, friendly and insightful: I learnt a great deal about techniques that I would not have picked up on my own. Peter (whose surname I can’t recall sadly) was a good tutor, with about 30 years of turning experience as a pro.
As well as turning decorative objects, beads and coves, hollowing, drilling, bowls etc, it covered safety (including dust safety and tool safety), lighting your work, sanding, three different methods of finishing, polishing, tool sharpening (on two different types of grinder), tool selection, chucks and lathe characteristics. The machines used were either Axminster Trade or Jet. All quite heavy duty variable speed machines in an excellent workshop with top notch extraction etc. We covered a lot of ground in two days.
Surprisingly there was very little time to shop (unless you get there early when the store opens at 8am) and no attempt to sell us stuff at all. It was pure tuition and they did not push machinery or tools. This was professional in my view and I was glad not to get a hard sell. Peter the tutor gave advice when he was asked for it, and it seemed sensible and not in any sense pushy,
Lessons learnt
1 Moist of us had a lathe already but no idea how to use it. None of us would have bought the lathe we actually have if we had attended the course first. For me I discovered quite quickly what features I like and those I don’t need.
2 All of us would have bought different tools if we had done the course first. In my case I have a set of tools which excludes the three that I am actually likely to use most (large roughing gouge and long small and medium spindle gouges).
Highly recommended and excellent value. A very hands on course that proves anyone can do woodturning and turn out professional looking products. We were all pleased with the things we made and took home.
PS: For attending the course you also get a 5% Axminster discount voucher, valid for a month. We all felt it was a bit stingy for some reason!
