Hi friends. Last month, my husband Scott and I took a road trip to Provo, Utah so Scott could take a woodturning workshop with Stuart Batty. He had such an amazing time he wanted to write an article about it so he could share his experience. Keep reading if you are are a woodturner and have an interest in taking a class or just want to hear about Scott’s experience. We hope you enjoy, Woodturning Workshop with Stuart Batty.
*Note: This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
WOODTURNING WORKSHOP WITH STUART BATTY
BACKGROUND ABOUT ME
I’ve been wood turning on a lathe for five years and as soon as turned my first bowl I was hooked.
To get started, I bought a brand-new lathe and took a basic 101 bowl turning class at the Rockler store. Fast forward a few years, including a lot of learning and struggling but still a passion for wood turning. My turnings keep getting better over the years but there is always room to improve. I feel that once you reach a certain point it helps to reach out to others with more experience.
SURPRISE
About a year ago, I mentioned to my wife that someday I would like to take a woodturning class with an experienced wood turner and made mention of Stuart Batty. Without me knowing, she began searching and found a class that Stuart was teaching at Craft Supplies USA in Provo, Utah and began making arrangements. On my birthday, my wife handed me an envelope with a unique surprise gift. She was able to enroll me in one of Stuarts 5 day workshops! I couldn’t believe what she had done for me and was so excited to get this opportunity. I eagerly anticipated what it would be like for months.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
Stuart Batty was the teacher for this 5 day workshop. He is a third-generation woodturner, being a full-time production turner and teacher in his father Allan’s studio at age 16. Stuart uses very simple tools and tool shapes to create his pieces. Stuart’s artwork is pure lathe cut work, with no carving or surface texturing.
Keith was Stuart’s assistant for the workshop. He is a resident instructor at Craft Supplies USA and has many years of experience as well. Keith was a fantastic resource to ask questions while also coordinating the other aspects of the class. I had some great conversations about bowl coring and craft shows with him and appreciated the advice he offered freely.
In addition to Stuart and Keith, there are a number of different instructors that teach at Craft Supplies USA. Here is a full list of teachers to pick from.
Keith , Stuart and Scott
WORKSHOP FACILITY
The Dale L. Nish School of Woodturning facility at Craft Supplies USA is the finest of its kind in the world. Top quality tools and equipment, state of the art video display and a fully equipped workstation for every student.
The workshop features Powermatic, Robust and Vicmarc lathes as well as JET grinders with CBN wheels and Oneway Wolverine Sharpening systems.
The workstations are well lit, each with a work lamp and high intensity overhead lighting.
Each station has ample working room with on-demand air and dust extraction.
MATERIALS
Each student is provided with a full set of Henry Taylor turning tools (or comparable), a professional grade lathe, chucks and all necessary lathe accessories. All sanding and finishing supplies and ancillary items that may be needed are on hand for students to use. If you have tools that you would prefer to use during class, you are free to bring them with you.
Wood
For all classes, students are provided with materials needed for the course. Wood used in the class is prepared specifically for class projects and is carefully chosen for figure and suitability.
Safety Equipment
On the first day of class, you will be provided with a new Apprentice Face Shield. To protect your clothes, bring a shop coat or turning smock.
WOODTURNING WORKSHOP WITH STUART BATTY
This class was a full week of learning concepts and techniques. Each session started with a short lecture providing important information about the topic, followed by a demonstration of the correct technique.
The demonstration was great because it included:
- The correct technique
- What would happen when altering the technique
- and the resulting defects when proper techniques are not applied
I found this helpful while working on practice cuts as inevitably I would run into the issue but would not be totally lost on how to address it.
After the demonstrations, we would go back to our lathes and practice the lesson. Stuart would observe us and immediately address any potential issues with our technique. This was to help get each student back on track to developing the skills we were practicing. His knowledge and experience were evident as he would walk up when I was struggling and provide an explanation in a way that was easy to comprehend. Sometimes it was as simple as Stuart walking up and placing a finger on the gouge to correct the pressure I was placing on the gouge. By the end of each lesson, I felt as though I now had the tools to improve my turning. It was just up to me to take the time practicing what he had taught.
WHAT I LEARNED
By the end of the week, I had learned Stuart’s 7 fundamental setup rules. Below are a few of the benefits I walked away with.
How to approach the grain
How to approach the grain to get a clean cut, avoid torn grain and reduce the amount of sanding that would be needed for either spindle, bowl or end grain box turning. These are important techniques that save time, money and also frustration. They can be applied to other turning styles and are a strong foundation for any turning.
Reduce the amount of abuse on my body
Reduce the amount of abuse my body would go through from fighting with poor technique. I can remember many times coming up from my shop and knowing I worked for hours because I was exhausted and hurting from fighting through the pieces I worked on. After learning Stuart’s rules, I can tell the difference in how my body feels for the better.
How to sharpen a gouge without needing a jig
How to sharpen gouges without the need for jigs and still get the right angles and cutting edges. This included the bowl gouge 40/40 grind negative rake scraper, vortex tool, skew, bottom bowl gouge, roughing gouge, etc. For years I have used a Oneway vari-grind but as soon as I went back into my shop, I pulled the jig and went to all hand sharpening.
I won’t go back to jigs since it’s just additional time. They make me work with dull tools in some cases due to the additional time to mount the jig and sharpen.
How to position my body
Stuart taught me how to position my body for successful cuts. The wrong position will cause you to fail before you even put the tool to the wood. Standing wrong can restrict fluid movement and will ultimately alter the path of the tool.
This was a great class and I would take another class with Stuart in an instance. He is obviously knowledgeable but beyond that, he is a great instructor. Stuart can relate to his students to ensure they learn as much as possible in the short time of his class. I found him to be personable and easy to approach. Lunch time brought discussions of a variety of topics with his students which made for great conversation. If Stuart ever wanted another apprentice I would certainly be interested!
Visit our travel page to see other articles with more fun things to do.
Overnight Getaway In Appleton, Wisconsin
Where the Locals Eat in Racine, Wisconsin
Fun Things to do in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
WRITE GUEST POSTS FOR US
Living 4 You Boutique is looking for bloggers who would like to write free guest posts!! We are accepting submissions in the following categories:
- Recipes
- Travel
- Dieting
- Health
- Exercise
- Saving Money
- DIY Tutorials on Projects or Crafts
- Organizing Tips
- Relationship/Love
If you are interested in having your article published on our site, click here to see how to get started!! We would love to hear from you!!