A blog about woodturning

Now that the Christmas rush is over, I'll be rough turning all the timber which has mounted up over the last few months - a rather daunting task! I was hoping to get some turned recently, but have been far too busy with orders. As fresh wood comes in, the pile just gets bigger - maybe I need an apprentice?! Continue reading...

The pop up gallery in Keswick opened over a week ago and started with a preview on the Friday evening. I went along to take a look and discovered some very nice things indeed. See some photo's of the exhibition...

Just thought I would let you know about a new exhibition, soon to be opening in Keswick. Luke Harding of MOS furniture has kindly invited me to display my bowls alongside the work of selected designers and makers. Continue reading...

For quite a while now, I have been looking for a second lathe. The VB bowl turner is a fantastic machine and without doubt my first choice for making larger pieces. However, I'd prefer two lathes for certain processes and also need one for making smaller items, such as tea light holders and pegs for my peg boards... Continue reading...

I was having a tidy up recently and thought it would be a good idea to take a few shots of the workshop - in fact, I think these are the only photo's I have taken since it was built, two years ago! Continue reading...

People often ask me were my shavings go, or if I have a use for them. I'd love to say that I'm able compress them into pellets for the stove, or sell them to pet shops for bedding - if only it was all that easy! However, they do still have some uses... Continue reading...

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the string of blog posts I've written, dedicated to my pursuit of yew - I promise I'll be writing about a different timber next time! However, after mentioning the wood I found at Brackenburgh recently, I thought I'd post some photos, now that it's all been collected. Continue reading...

Way back in 2009, I was approached by the National Trust and asked if I could make use of a fallen tree, which belonged to them. This was the Wordsworth beech and proved to be a very special part of our history! During my open studio, I'll be displaying the special bowls made from this tree, along with some one offs from my own timber supply. These will include some gorgeous burr oak fruit bowls and a very large piece in burr elm! Continue reading...

I had a call from a contractor last week, who'd been doing some tree felling work at Brackenburgh, near Penrith. This is a very large country estate and has about five separate farms within its grounds. It turns out that the gardens of the main house were becoming overgrown by yew trees, some of which had to be removed. Continue reading...

This is a bit different to my usual blog posts, but too good not to mention! I didn't expect to be greeted by such amazing sights, when I arrived at Alnwick on Sunday. Continue reading...

Just thought I would post a few pictures of the forestry festival, which is the first of its kind in Cumbria. The event was organised by Cumbria Woodlands and Woodland Inspirations. Cumbria is very rich in its woodland and the main idea of the festival was to promote forestry as a main sector of the regions economy. The range of displays was diverse - it was great to see all aspects of the industry, from heavy timber extraction and processing machinery, to beautifully made willow sculptures and greenwood crafts. See some photos of the festival...

This really has taken me years to work out and is certainly very frustrating when I get it wrong! It would be uneconomical for me to buy large quantities of kiln dried timber, so preparing it from green myself is without doubt the best way forward. Continue reading...

I've just been invited to display my work at Hesta Scene gallery in Caldbeck. Karen Kennedy and Julie Coghlan established the gallery in 2009, with the name Hesta Scene coming from the Cumbrian word 'Hesta' which translates to 'have you'.  Continue reading...

This is something easily overlooked, but an essential part of the turning process. Very dry timber can blunt a gouge in seconds, so understanding the grinding wheel is quite important. Continue reading...

Each year, the shops and stores in my local hometown of Wigton offer up their window space to local craftspeople. This makes for some fantastic displays, and shows off a great selection of crafts, including ceramics, jewellery, paintings, sculpture and more Continue reading...

Early last year, I dedicated a couple of blog posts to chainsawing and rough turning the 'huge yew bowl'. You may be wandering what became of this beast, but all will soon be revealed. Continue reading...

In my last blog post, I got rather excited about some yew trees I had just acquired! The largest one is now well on the way to being rough turned, which leaves about three or four good sized sections to be cut up. Continue reading...

I had a call last week from a local country estate, asking if I was interested in some yew trees, which had just been felled – you bet I am! Just a quick look at all those sold pieces on my website will give an idea of what people like the most! Continue reading...

I really hope those visiting my gallery find the images both attractive and useful. Being able to capture the character, or beauty of something is difficult – whatever you are wishing to photograph. I’m going to be featuring some of the different aspects of photography over the next few blog posts – this one is going to be about lighting. Continue reading...

Protecting my bowls in transit is something I’ve always taken seriously. Many of my pieces have delicate edges and these need to be protected – in fact, a large impact from the side of a box should not even touch the bowl inside.  Continue reading...

Having a good chainsaw is essential if you’re really into woodturning. Being able to source your own timber opens up a whole array of possibilities. Not only will you be able to use unseasoned green wood, but you’ll also be in full control of the size and shape of the blanks you intend to use. However, chainsaws, like any other machine need to be maintained. Continue reading...

Local designer, Joe Butler, has developed his own range of high quality serving boards. Made only from Cumbrian timber, they incorporate many of the features mirrored in my wooden bowls and are hand made from start to finish.  Continue reading...

If ever I’m after an elm trunk, or maybe some spalted beech, this is the place to look! Danny Frost Timber is a furniture making and sawmilling business, specialising in local hardwoods.  Continue reading...