Welcome

Berkshire Woodturners Association is open to woodturners of all abilities and interests: absolute beginners to masters alike. All are very welcome.

The club draws in members mostly from Central and East Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and South Buckinghamshire. Club nights are held every third Wednesday at Priestwood Community Centre, Bracknell, RG42 1TU at 7pm.

All club night demonstrations are now ‘hybrid’. So in addition to attending in person, members have the option of seeing demonstrations from home, streamed live on Zoom. Sessions are also recorded using our new modern high resolution audio visual equipment. Very useful if you are away on holiday so you can catch up afterwards and never miss any of the excellent top quality demonstrations. Indeed several members have now joined us from quite far afield and they access most club night demonstrations over Zoom. We also hold regular Zoom coffee morning drop ins open to any member and also host regular hands on workshops.

News

Coming Events

  • July Meeting
    Our July meeting was the first at Priestwood since March 2020, 16 months ago! We continue to be careful, Covid-wise, and the weather made it possible for the auctions of wood and tools to be conducted out of doors. We totalled 25 people in all, and after everyone checked in and got their auction cards,…
  • January 2022 Club Meeting Demonstration
    The recording of the Zoom demonstration by Stewart Furini is now available from the Documents page
  • February 2022 Club Meeting Demonstration
    The recording of the Zoom demonstration by Michael Gibson is now available from the Documents page
  • March 2022 Club Meeting Demonstration
    The recording of the Zoom demonstration by Ben Dick is now available from the Documents page A few photos from the night…
  • 17th August Club Meeting
    This will be a (slightly delayed) 30th birthday party.  A one off event and a fantastic opportunity for the whole of the club to get together over a free ‘fish and chip’ supper.  Initial details below with more to come.There will be some great auction and raffle items. And it’s also a fantastic opportunity to…
  • August 2022 Club Meeting and Competition
    Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Please advise Webmaster of any errors or omissions. A selection of photos from the evening Thanks to all our Sponsors
  • September 2022 Club Meeting and Competition
    Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Please advise Webmaster of any errors or omissions.
  • October 2022 Club Meeting and Competition
    Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Please advise Webmaster of any errors or omissions.
  • November 2022 Club Meeting and Competition
    Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Please advise Webmaster of any errors or omissions. A few photos from the evening that included a demo of a “Sunrise Bowl” from Darren Breeze…
  • December 2022 Club Meeting
    The Christmas Social was a successful event, attended by 24 Club members plus our patron Gary Rance. A total of around £130 was raised from the raffle and wood/equipment sales. Four of the club lathes were out – Gary did a quick demo of a “Tippee Top” – and several others had a go at…
  • January 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Chris Parker Demonstration: Carving and heavy texturing of boxes / bowls / platters Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • February 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Colwin Way Demonstration: Tool skill with the skew, turning between centres and turning a wet oak vessel Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • March 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Malcolm Cleaver Demonstration: Turning Cubes Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. An interesting demo of chucking methods for cubes. A video is available on the club YouTube channel – see Part 1 and Part 2 A couple of photos of the Chairman in action…
  • April 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Rick Dobney Demonstration: Offset bowl in a bowl Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • May 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Harvey Grimwood Demonstration: An Earring Stand project involving both faceplate and spindle turning Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. A few photos of Harvey in action…
  • June 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Club Members Demonstration: Sphere demonstration / challenge – by club members We had 4 lathes out to for club members to demonstrate differing techniques for turning spheres. 25 club members attended and several had a go themselves. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • July 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Gary Rance Demonstration: Pocket Watch stand / Apple A few photos of Gary in action… Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • August 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Jo Sonja paints demo by Lynn and also the Club Wood Sale – including tools etc. A few photos from the evening… Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • September 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Les Thorne Demonstration: Small Urn A few photos from the evening… Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • October 2023 Club Meeting – AGM
    Annual General Meeting Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • November 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Ron Caddy Demonstration: Ballpoint Pen and a Fountain/Rollerball Pen using wood and acrylics. A few photos from the evening… Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • December 2023 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: None – Christmas Social Meeting Food, Awards and Raffle Prizes Keith Sherwood Challenge Entries Ornament Challenge
  • January 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Mark Beckett Demonstration: Spiralling work on a goblet and hollow form Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • February 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Pat Carroll Demonstration: Acorn Box Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • March 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Stewart Furini (In person) Demonstration: Using the Simon Hope fluting Jig Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Stewart in action…
  • April 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Terry Smart (In person) Demonstration: Chestnut Product Demos – new and old Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • May 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Club “interactive event” Demonstration: Captive Rings Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Captive Ring action shots…
  • June 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: N/A – Club General Sale, including wood. Demonstration: N/A Competition Theme: An item designed to hang on the wall Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • July 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Gary Rance (In person). Demonstration: Salt Shaker Bell. Competition Theme: Something turned off-centre Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • August 2024 Club Meeting
    Club “interactive event” – Magicians wand – Harry Potter style Competition Theme: An Item with a finial which is at least twice as tall as the body Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • September 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Club member demonstration – Malcolm and Justyn (In person). Demonstration: Turning and using a Torus. Competition Theme: A bunch of flowers. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • October 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: None – Club AGM. Demonstration: N/A. Competition Theme: An urn with a pedestal foot and lid. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • 20th November 2024 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Robert Sorby company. Demonstration: Product demonstrations. Competition Theme: A finely detailed item that is no bigger than 2 inches in any dimension. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • 18th December 2024 Club Meeting
    Club Xmas event. Gary Rance demonstrated turning a Bell ornament. Club members then attempted to turn a replica. These were the results…
  • 15th January 2025 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Gary Lowe (IRD broadcast over Zoom and also within the clubhouse). Demonstration: “Saturn” Bowl. Competition Theme: Cruet Set. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • 19th February 2025 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Club “interactive event”. Demonstration: Fun with Skews. Competition Theme: 3 legged Plant stand/stool. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Some of the skew efforts from the evening…
  • 19th March 2025 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Chris Parker (In person). Demonstration: Texturing, using Sorby texturing tools plus air-brush colouring techniques.  He is also planning to create a decorated box with an off-centre lid using a home created chuck.  Competition Theme: A ‘one handed tear off ‘ kitchen roll holder. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • 16th April 2025 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Club member Harvey Grimwood. Demonstration: Sphere making using the maths method, followed by explaining and demonstrating the versatility of the Robert Sorby Eccentric Chuck. Competition Theme: Something you could find on the HMS Victory. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated. Harvey in Action
  • 21st May 2025 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: Club “interactive event”. Demonstration: Tag Team turning a bowl in 45 mins. Competition Theme: A Quaich. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.
  • 18th June 2025 Club Meeting
    Demonstrator: N/A. Demonstration: N/A. General Sale, including wood plus “show and tell”. Competition Theme: A decorative paperweight. Photo Gallery is now available. Competition Scores have been updated.