Classes, Workshops and Current Exhibits

Making Decorative Turned Boxes with Matthew Hill

April 28 - May 2, 2008 • Marc Adams School of Woodworking
5504 East, 500 North, Franklin, Indiana 46131-7993 • (317) 535-4013
To Register, go to: www.marcadams.com

In this class we will make two different styles of lidded boxes that relate to grain orientation: an end grain box and a face grain box.

Turning end grain boxes employs basic spindle turning tools and techniques. Special focus will be given to creating form and detail using the spindle gouge, the skew chisel and shear scrapers. Matthew will demonstrate end grain hollowing using a hook tool, a Berger tool and a round nose scraper. Students will master shear scraping the interior of a box using a round nose scraper.

Matthew will cover the basics of bowl turning as it relates to the face grain box. Emphasis will be placed on shear scraping with the bowl gouge to reduce torn grain and refine form. Participants should also have time to explore making a handle for their face grain box.

Beyond technique lie the bigger issues for the wood turner. What makes a good form? How do we decide on proportions? How do we create meaningful detail? When and how do we use texture and color? Matthew will discuss these issues within the context of a slide show. Students may have time to experiment with some of the techniques discussed.