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Welcome

The purpose of this website is to provide you with some basic information about the club – when and where we meet, what meetings are like, details about membership and other club activities. It’s not meant to be a gallery of resources about woodturning, simply an introduction to the club.​

2026 marks the Club’s 25th Anniversary

A proud milestone celebrating 25 years of friendship, shared knowledge, creativity, and craftsmanship. Over the years, the Club has brought together people with a passion for woodturning, creating lasting friendships while encouraging learning and the sharing of skills and experience between members of all abilities.

We have been honoured to remain affiliated with the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain throughout our journey. (AWGB).

From the very beginning, our roots have been set in the heart of the Midlands, in the “Black Country”, a region forged by industry and rich in history.

For a flavour of its early days, follow the link, you may find it interesting:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Country

The club’s home is at Dudley College, a superb venue with easy access for people with disabilities and plenty of free parking. “Club Nights” are usually held on the third Thursday of the month, 6 pm to 9 pm. (see events page for full details).

Since the start of the 2020 pandemic, the club has had to rethink and redefine how it pilots the future. We now embrace technology as best we can, mixed with good old hands-on learning. We were able to remain open throughout the Pandemic period by hosting across the Zoom platform. However, we are delighted to state that since October 2021, we have been open at Dudley College.

We host a variety of meeting types, informal online monthly “Chinwags / Give It A Go” via Zoom, plus monthly club night events, made up of Hands-on evenings, Club turner demos or professional turners demos.

All are welcome, from those thinking of taking up this fabulous hobby to those already giving it a go; you will meet and enjoy the company of a friendly bunch of folk, sharing your venture to learn more about this historic craft.

If you are interested, contact us via the website or simply come along and see what goes on. Details of the costs involved are shown on the  Mission Tag “Joining the Club”, as well as Organisation & Documents, where you will find our policies on Safeguarding & Health & Safety matters

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November 2026 – Our Monthly Zoom meeting – “Give it a Go”

Our monthly Zoom meeting, “Give it a Go” (previously known as the Chairman’s Challenge), serves several important purposes within our club.

It gives every member the opportunity to get into the workshop and make something based on the same theme as everyone else. It’s also a chance to share our work and receive feedback from fellow club members, encouraging the exchange of ideas, techniques, tooling and finishing methods.

Photographs of members’ creations are shared during our Zoom “chinwag” on the first Tuesday of each month and are also displayed at our in-person club meeting on the third Thursday.

There are no separate categories for beginners or more experienced turners, and certainly no prizes to be won. The idea is simply to encourage everyone, whatever their level of experience, to have a go, try something different, share what they’ve made and, most importantly, enjoy their woodturning.

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Mary Stevens Hospice “Wind Phone” Project

Mary Stevens Hospice in Stourbridge is the club’s nominated charity.

Recently, the hospice approached us to ask whether we could help with a special project they needed assistance with.

The project involved creating two permanent wooden signs to guide grieving families and visitors to a reflective and private space within the hospice grounds called the Wind Phone.

This peaceful retreat is a summer house, situated in the beautiful, tranquil gardens. It’s a place where people can take a little time for themselves, to reflect on their memories, and find comfort. It provides a special place where they can go to say the words they never had the chance to say to loved ones who have passed away.

We were delighted to be asked to help with such a meaningful project and hope our contribution will make a small but lasting difference to those who visit the hospice.

A special thank you must go to Ian Brown and Greg McAteer, who kindly volunteered to take on the challenge of making the signs. The timber was generously donated by Wolfgang Schulze-Zachau, for which we are very grateful.

Ian and Greg have done a fantastic job, and the completed signs were handed over at the begining of November 2026.

A big thank you to everyone involved for giving their time, materials and skills to support such a worthwhile cause.

Please see the photos below.

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October 2026 – Our Monthly Zoom meeting – “Give it a Go”

Our monthly Zoom meeting, “Give it a Go” (previously known as the Chairman’s Challenge), serves several important purposes within our club.

It gives every member the opportunity to get into the workshop and make something based on the same theme as everyone else. It’s also a chance to share our work and receive feedback from fellow club members, encouraging the exchange of ideas, techniques, tooling and finishing methods.

Photographs of members’ creations are shared during our Zoom “chinwag” on the first Tuesday of each month and are also displayed at our in-person club meeting on the third Thursday.

There are no separate categories for beginners or more experienced turners, and certainly no prizes to be won. The idea is simply to encourage everyone, whatever their level of experience, to have a go, try something different, share what they’ve made and, most importantly, enjoy their woodturning.

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September 2026 – Our Monthly Zoom meeting – “Give it a Go”

Our monthly Zoom meeting, “Give it a Go” (previously known as the Chairman’s Challenge), serves several important purposes within our club.

It gives every member the opportunity to get into the workshop and make something based on the same theme as everyone else. It’s also a chance to share our work and receive feedback from fellow club members, encouraging the exchange of ideas, techniques, tooling and finishing methods.

Photographs of members’ creations are shared during our Zoom “chinwag” on the first Tuesday of each month and are also displayed at our in-person club meeting on the third Thursday.

There are no separate categories for beginners or more experienced turners, and certainly no prizes to be won. The idea is simply to encourage everyone, whatever their level of experience, to have a go, try something different, share what they’ve made and, most importantly, enjoy their woodturning.

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August 2026 – Our Monthly Zoom meeting – “Give it a Go”

Our monthly Zoom meeting, “Give it a Go” (previously known as the Chairman’s Challenge), serves several important purposes within our club.

It gives every member the opportunity to get into the workshop and make something based on the same theme as everyone else. It’s also a chance to share our work and receive feedback from fellow club members, encouraging the exchange of ideas, techniques, tooling and finishing methods.

Photographs of members’ creations are shared during our Zoom “chinwag” on the first Tuesday of each month and are also displayed at our in-person club meeting on the third Thursday.

There are no separate categories for beginners or more experienced turners, and certainly no prizes to be won. The idea is simply to encourage everyone, whatever their level of experience, to have a go, try something different, share what they’ve made and, most importantly, enjoy their woodturning.

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July 2026 – Our Monthly Zoom meeting – “Give it a Go”

Our monthly Zoom meeting, “Give it a Go” (previously known as the Chairman’s Challenge), serves several important purposes within our club.

It gives every member the opportunity to get into the workshop and make something based on the same theme as everyone else. It’s also a chance to share our work and receive feedback from fellow club members, encouraging the exchange of ideas, techniques, tooling and finishing methods.

Photographs of members’ creations are shared during our Zoom “chinwag” on the first Tuesday of each month and are also displayed at our in-person club meeting on the third Thursday.

There are no separate categories for beginners or more experienced turners, and certainly no prizes to be won. The idea is simply to encourage everyone, whatever their level of experience, to have a go, try something different, share what they’ve made and, most importantly, enjoy their woodturning.

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June 2026 – Our Monthly Zoom meeting – “Give it a Go”

Our monthly Zoom meeting, “Give it a Go” (previously known as the Chairman’s Challenge), serves several important purposes within our club.

It gives every member the opportunity to get into the workshop and make something based on the same theme as everyone else. It’s also a chance to share our work and receive feedback from fellow club members, encouraging the exchange of ideas, techniques, tooling and finishing methods.

Photographs of members’ creations are shared during our Zoom “chinwag” on the first Tuesday of each month and are also displayed at our in-person club meeting on the third Thursday.

There are no separate categories for beginners or more experienced turners, and certainly no prizes to be won. The idea is simply to encourage everyone, whatever their level of experience, to have a go, try something different, share what they’ve made and, most importantly, enjoy their woodturning.

Individually Turned & Handcrafted Wooden Hearts for Mary Stevens Hospice

The Black Country Woodturners have proudly responded to a request from Mary Stevens Hospice to create some individually turned & handcrafted wooden hearts for inclusion in the welcome bags given to new in-patients at the hospice.

These welcome bags provide patients with a range of useful and comforting items to support them during their stay. The wooden hearts have been specially made to offer comfort and reassurance, giving patients something tactile to hold, gently feel and rub during treatment and moments of anxiety.

On 6 May 2026, we were delighted to present more than 100 handcrafted hearts, all produced by members of our club, with many more still to come. This project reflects the generosity, care, and community spirit of our members, and we hope these small tokens will bring comfort to those receiving care and their families at the hospice.

Those present from the club were the following Black Country Woodturners committee members.
Steve Hackett, Ian Brown, Andy Dore, Brian Smith & Barrie Fisher
On behalf of Mary Stevens Hospice,
Ruth Radley (Spiritual Care Lead), Lee Taylor (Communications), Epi Wasi(Nurse)

Mary Stevens Hospice is our recognised charity, and we have been fundraising for it for many years. We also support the hospice by providing demonstrations and supporting their events throughout the year.

Mary Stevens Hospice Facebook Post.

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May 2026 – Our Monthly Zoom meeting – “Give it a Go”

Our monthly Zoom meeting, “Give it a Go” (previously known as the Chairman’s Challenge), serves several important purposes within our club.

It gives every member the opportunity to get into the workshop and make something based on the same theme as everyone else. It’s also a chance to share our work and receive feedback from fellow club members, encouraging the exchange of ideas, techniques, tooling and finishing methods.

Photographs of members’ creations are shared during our Zoom “chinwag” on the first Tuesday of each month and are also displayed at our in-person club meeting on the third Thursday.

There are no separate categories for beginners or more experienced turners, and certainly no prizes to be won. The idea is simply to encourage everyone, whatever their level of experience, to have a go, try something different, share what they’ve made and, most importantly, enjoy their woodturning.

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Demo Report – April 2026 – Steve Kearvell

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.