On Saturday 12th June, The Woodturning Shop hosted a Young Turners Training Day organised and funded by the AWGB and the Worshipful Company of Turners.
The Young Turners Training Days are held throughout the year for free, for people aged under 22 years on the 1st of January that year.
Hosted at professional venues up and down the country, the courses cover safety in the workshop, safe turning techniques, tooling, and finishing.
The structured training day consisted of turning two projects, one with Les and one with Martin, plus a pyrography session with Bee Matthews.
The six students arrived in the morning for a safety briefing and an overview of the day before being split into pairs and getting started with their first project of three projects.
With Les, each student turned an ogee ash platter from start to finish using a variety of tools. Les guided them through the correct and safe use of the tools before the pieces were sanded and finished.
For their second turning project, Martin instructed the students on the turning and finishing of a coloured and embellished tea light holder.
All six young turners showed promise of becoming excellent senior turners of the future.
Ron Caddy, AWGB and WCT Youth Training Coordinator
Throughout the day, the students used tools provided by Crown Tools and finishes sponsored by Hampshire Sheen.
After the first two sessions, a welcome break for lunch was enjoyed where the students got to know each other and chatted outside on what was a beautiful, sunny day.
It is important to encourage young people to learn practical skills as well as digital ones! The Young Turners programme, supported by professionals is an ideal stepping stone to the future of turning.
Les Thorne and Martin Saban-Smith
Bee Matthews was the third instructor during the day, and she came with a collection of pyrography machines for the students to use under her guidance.
Peter Gibson, a past Master of the Worshipful Company of Turners visited in the afternoon on behalf of the Company and to award the students their certificates. After the presentation, he congratulated the students on a fabulous days work.
I was delighted to see six young turners today who I hope will continue turning long into the future.
Peter Gibson
Ron Caddy, AWGB and WCT Youth Training Coordinator then said a few words too about the importance of young people taking up turning and how good the day was.
Please contact the AWGB for more information about their Young Turners Training and Development as well as their adult training opportunities.
*Photos used with parental consent!