Spring 2026
June 13-14

This two-day class is intended to be a follow up from our weekend class, Introduction to Turning I: Spindles. Build your turning experience, or refresh your skills by creating bowls from freshly felled green wood.

The class is taught on mini lathes, but the techniques explored scale up to much larger lathes and we’ll talk about that transition on the final day.

The core of this class is translating the fluid relationship between your body, legs, and arms into smooth curves on your working surface. You’ll learn how to really dance with the turning tools as you work the transitions between shapes.

Building on your experience of spindle turning. We’ll be using freshly cut green wood to understand  how grain and growth rings impact the appearance of the bowl. Green wood cuts beautifully, sending off long shavings and minimizing sanding dust. Wooden bowls are wonderfully utilitarian. You hold the essence of the tree in your hand.

Bowl turning relies on learning how to use balance and movement from the core to create the beautiful curves. 

You’ll also learn about the different chucking methods to work on the outside and the inside of a bowl, plus how to reverse chuck to finish the bottom. There will be opportunities to make several small bowls about 6” diameter. 

When you finish this course, you will have a good understanding of how the tools are used to remove wood and feel confident about putting a tool onto spinning wood.

Tools  

The school is equipped with all the turning tools you'll need for the class. However, if you want to bring along your own turning tools and work with them, we encourage you to do so.

Required Equipment

• Pencil and notepad

• High-collar shirt or turning smock

• Hair tie for long hair

• Face shield (if you have one - the school has plenty)

• Dust mask

Prerequisites 

Some skills required. Introduction to Turning I: Spindles or equivalent turning experience. Please feel free to reach out to us if you are unsure about your fit for this course.

Class Information and Registration

Class runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday and Sunday in Building 315 at Fort Worden. Map
Please read our What to Expect page for general information about the school.
Please also read our Registration Policy.
Please sign up for the waitlist if the course is full.

Class size: 12
Cost: $420
Materials Charge: $35