Our demonstrator for the evening was Steve Kearvell, visiting us for the first time from King’s Lynn. In addition to his demonstration, Steve brought along a selection of sanding and finishing materials, which proved especially helpful for members who may find it difficult to source these supplies themselves.
During the demo, Steve turned a sycamore bowl measuring approximately 10 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches deep. The finished piece featured an attractive metal leaf decoration applied to the rim.

To begin, the blank had a hole drilled into its base, allowing it to be securely mounted on the lathe using a screw chuck. The lathe was then operated at speeds ranging between 800 and 1200 rpm throughout the turning process.
Using a bowl gouge, the rim was initially trued to form a clean, round shape. A draw cut was then used to create a flat surface. A 54 mm mortice, approximately 5 mm deep, was cut to allow mounting on the chuck once the main body shape had been completed. Within the mortice, a domed detail was formed, and a dovetail profile was cut using a skew chisel to ensure a secure fit. The external form of the bowl was then shaped into an ogee profile, using a combination of push and pull cuts. Once the desired shape was achieved, the surface was sanded progressively through grits ranging from 120 to 400 to achieve a smooth finish.

A sanding sealer/thinner, mixed at a 60/40 ratio, was applied to the wood. Once dry, it was burnished back using the shavings produced during turning, and this process was repeated to build up a smooth surface. A gloss wax was then applied to the underside of the bowl and polished, with the application repeated to enhance the finish.

At the halfway stage of the evening, Steve paused to answer several questions that had been raised during the demonstration.

The blank was then reversed onto the chuck so that the front face could be worked during the second part of the evening. The face was trued to a flat surface, after which a bead was formed around the inner edge of the bowl opening. The surrounding rim was left approximately 5–6 mm lower than the bead, creating a defined step. The rim was then sanded using progressively finer grits, and a sanding sealer was applied at this stage.

Once dry, a layer of size was applied to the wider area of the rim and allowed to become tacky. Metal leaf was then carefully laid over this area. When the surface was fully covered, a soft brush was used to remove excess leaf and smooth it down to achieve an even finish. The piece should then be left to dry for approximately 24 hours before proceeding. A spray varnish was applied over the metal leaf to seal it, as the size does not fully harden on its own. Drying was then accelerated using a heat gun. The bead was then painted with black gesso while the lathe was running, ensuring the paint was worked down to the base of the bead.

This was left to dry before proceeding to hollow the bowl.
Once the waste material had been removed and the internal shape completed, the same finishing process was applied as before, using progressively finer grits, followed by sanding sealer and a wax finish.

The bowl was now complete, and Steve kindly donated the piece to help raise funds for Mary Stevens Hospice. Thanks were extended to all those who assisted with setting up and taking down the equipment for the evening. Appreciation was also given to Steve Hackett and Sam Paskin for managing the audio and video equipment, and to Mike for organising and running the raffle.

For our evening’s entertainment, we enjoyed a demonstration from our very own member, Robert Hackett.

Rob demonstrated how to make two different wands, using only skew chisels throughout. The first was an 8” very thin wand, followed by a 16” off-centre wand, both turned from cherry. These are excellent projects for developing skew skills.

He began with an explanation of the wood choice, the type of skew he prefers, and his main skews are round bar, and all have a flat cutting edge, ground at 90° to the shaft.

Rob started with an explanation of how to turn the wood whilst supporting the wood blank with his hand.

The first project was a very thin, straight wand. Rob began with the blank mounted between centres, roughing it to round using only a skew chisel. He worked with the thin end facing the headstock, maintaining excellent control throughout.

The handle was shaped first, with decorative details added while the blank was still thick enough to remain stable. This area was then sanded before moving on, ensuring there was no risk of whipping between centres. Rob then worked progressively down the shaft towards the tip, using a controlled planing cut with the skew. As the wand becomes finer, care is essential—the thinner the wood, the more flexible it becomes. Once the wand reaches its final delicate thickness, the lathe must be kept running. Stopping and restarting at this stage can introduce sudden torque, which may cause the wand to snap.

After sanding, the chosen finish can be applied, typically Tung oil, linseed oil, or a polyurethane finish, depending on the desired look and level of durability.

For the second wand, Rob used three different skews and worked at a speed of around 1600 rpm.

One end of the blank had previously been shaped down on a bandsaw so it could be mounted securely in the chuck—this reduced section being about half the length of the blank. As before, shaping began with the handle positioned at the tailstock end.

Due to the increased length, Rob used his hand as a steady while turning, helping to maintain control of the skew and minimise vibration along the wand.

For the off-centre work, the end nearest the tailstock was offset by approximately 5mm from the centre to begin shaping. Sanding was carried out at each stage as sections were completed, after which the blank was returned to its true centre position to continue forming the next part of the handle. These steps were repeated several times along the length.

As the wand progressed, it was moved further out of the chuck to allow continued shaping, repeating the same process as the piece became longer and thinner. This created a series of flowing coves along the wand. When less material remained held in the chuck, a wedge was introduced to maintain the off-centre effect as the diameter reduced.

Much of the process is deliberately repetitive, making it an excellent exercise for developing skew control. The offsets become progressively smaller towards the tip, requiring increasing precision as the work advances.

Thanks to everyone who helped set up and pack away at the end of the evening, and to those who looked after the audio and video systems.