Posted on by Alec Mutch

0ur meeting this week, 30-03-2023, End grain turning.

Start time 6.45pm

Our meeting this week 30th March 2023, is all about end grain turning, it’s being handled by Errol Levings and he has arranged for 4 other turners and himself to man all the lathes.

End grain turning needs to be approached from a completely different way to that of face grain turning, no doubt Errol and those involved on the lathes will be demonstrating and discussing some of the changes in approach that’s required.

The range of items that include some end grain turning may surprise you, it includes most types of boxes, goblets, small pots and various natural edged turnings that are made from a whole log. Looking back through our archives I have found a few examples of end grain turnings, whether or not we see some more of these types of things being made at this meeting we will have to wait and see.

Here are some examples,

Here we have a Goblet made from Sweet Chestnut, and 2 examples of different types of boxes. All these items require some end grain turning in their making.
Here we have a Laburnum shallow bowl on an elevated stem, made from a short piece of log, the bowl part being very shallow is the easiest to work with as a starter piece, it’s still using end grain turning to create the dish, a good item to start your end grain turning.
These are getting a little more difficult to make as they are deeper and turned with very thin walls, made from Beech logs with the bark intact.
Side view of the 2 Beech bowls in the previous picture.
Increasing in difficulty, this is a deep end grain bowl made from a piece of Leylandii with the natural edge intact.
This is a piece of Birch, it is about 250mm deep and about 300mm in diameter, turned on end grain from a Birch log with a very unusual shape. Birch tends to give you this type of structure, beautiful to see once finished but great care needs to be taken when making something along these lines.

Whether or not we see anything along the lines of the examples I have shown or not, I’m sure the turners will give you all an insight into end grain turning.

We are hoping for a large turnout, the raffles will be on sale as usual and coffee will be available for a 50p donation. Hope to see you all there.