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.