Review from Woodworking Night at Todd's Studio

            Thanks everyone who came out last night to make birdhouses, spinning tops, and generally have fun in Todd's woodshop learning to turn. It was most exciting. I had a great time making my first spinning top and never knew woodworking could be that fun. No one in the group had ever turned before so it was exciting to see people mastering the basics. It was also very humbling to see a master at work. Todd does some incredible one-off projects and unique pieces of beauty.
             It's really wonderful that his shop is so close to ours and I know a number of people are excited to head back in a few days. My head is still spinning, literally from all I learned last night. Some of the cooler things I learned was about aging and seasoning word for years to dry it out and how most wood is turned in stages to prevent it from cracking. Most pieces you see are actually what is called "twice turned" where it is turned in a rough form, allowed to dry for a year or two, and then turned again gently to bring out the inner beauty. While you can turn objects on a lathe very quickly, the actual process of making wooden pieces of art takes years beginning from the selection, cutting, and drying process.
             I'm definitely looking forward to going back and trying my hand at doing more pieces. While it seems abitious, I would like to try making a wooden bowl in the future. Hopefully some of the other group members will get to have fun hanging out with Todd this summer too. Have a great day everyone and look forward to seeing you at the next Etsy Tuesday night meeting in a few weeks.