Pole Lathe Making Course

This is a one-day Pole Lathe Making course at our Troed-yr-Harn campus in Talgarth…

This workshop is for people who are interested in sustainable woodland management and would like to know how to make useful products from coppiced and other woodland materials. Pole lathes have been used to turn and shape wood for thousands of years. The most well-known use in recent history has been by the “Bodgers” around the Windsor area, who used the pole lathe in the woods to make legs for the iconic Windsor chair. You will be helping us create a set of pole lathes for use by our FE students at our farm campus, Troed yr Harn, Talgarth.

You will learn many skills while building the pole lathes including some basic joinery skills. You will then be able to learn how to use the pole lathe to create some simple turned projects.

This taster workshop in another offer of our green wood training following on from coppicing in February, making a split hazel hurdle in May, and making a sheep hurdle in July.

What will I do and learn?

  • Gain an introduction to pole lathe turning
  • Guided construction and assembly of a pole lathe
  • Use the draw knife and shaving horse
  • Learn to cleave the wood and prepare it for turning
  • Learn pole lathe turning skills

Key Information

Date – Saturday 23rd July 2022 from 9am – 4pm

Location – at our Troed yr Harn Campus. Our campus is a car free site, we will meet everyone at 9am at Talgarth carpark (LD3 0PG) to walk up to the campus ready to start the course for 10am.

This is a moderate uphill walk of 35-40 minutes. If you are unable to walk to the site, we will organise car shares and provide directions to you from the car park.

What you need – You should wear suitable, weather-dependent PPE including gloves, and good, sturdy boots.

Please bring a water bottle and a packed lunch for a picnic at the farm.

Tea and coffee facilities available free of charge.

Who will I learn from?

Owen Thomas of Owen Thomas Woodcraft

Owen is a full-time, internationally respected green woodworker who works and teaches from his workshop in Herefordshire UK. He splits his time between making and running classes with teaching at local social care organisations where he teaches woodwork to adults with mental health issues and learning difficulties.

Best known for pole lathe bowl turning, Owen was also the first apprentice to Barnaby Carder at 260 Hackney Road, London and it was there he began developing his spoon carving skills and designs based on traditional Welsh and English spoons. He also works as an assistant to Mike Abbott, helping him to deliver his chair-making classes from his woodland workshop near Hereford. He has been teaching green woodworking for around 9 years.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE

Accessibility

This course is rated as 3 (least accessible) on our scale of accessibility. Read more about our accessibility policy on Eventbrite and our T’s & C’s.

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