The Woodturning School

CPD Standards Office Provider Number: T90046

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Who should attend

<ul>
 	<li>Complete beginners — People who've never touched a lathe but are curious about woodturning. Whether it's a long-held curiosity, a gift experience, or simply wanting to try something new with your hands, our beginner classes assume nothing and build everything from the ground up. No experience, skills, or equipment needed.</li>
 	<li>Gift voucher recipients — Those who've received woodturning as a gift and want a hands-on experience with a guaranteed take-home result. Our Experience Days and Pen Turning sessions are particularly popular as gifts.</li>
 	<li>Self-taught turners — People who've been turning at home but have developed habits they can't quite see. An outside perspective from a professional can be invaluable for identifying what's holding you back.</li>
 	<li>Returning turners — Those who took a beginner's course years ago and have been quietly making bowls or spindles ever since, wondering what they're missing. Ready to refine rather than learn from scratch.</li>
 	<li>Turners seeking technique refinement — Experienced makers whose work is competent but not yet elegant. People are frustrated by inconsistent results — good days and bad days at the lathe with no clear understanding of why.</li>
 	<li>Skill-specific learners — Spindle turners who've avoided the skew chisel. Bowl turners wanting to explore boxes or hollow forms. Anyone ready to push into techniques that reward patience and precision.</li>
 	<li>Those interested in decorative and specialist techniques — Turners curious about surface enhancement, texturing, airbrushing, and sculptural forms taught by guest tutors with decades of specialist experience.</li>
 	<li>Independent turners seeking practice space — Makers who can work safely and independently but don't have their own workshop, or who value quiet, focused creative time with light-touch mentoring nearby.</li>
 	<li>People seeking a creative outlet — Those looking for mindful practice, a meditative hobby, or simply the satisfaction of transforming raw timber into something beautiful with their own hands. Minimum age 16. Under-18s must be accompanied by a booking adult.</li>
</ul>

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Category: Creative Arts & Design, Education & Training Centres

Description:

Hands-on woodturning courses in Hampshire for complete beginners through to experienced turners seeking specialist techniques. Our small-group classes (maximum five students) teach practical lathe skills — bowl turning, spindle work, tool control, design principles, and professional finishing — so you leave with both finished pieces and a genuine understanding of the craft.

Why learn woodturning? Whether you're looking for a new creative outlet, developing making skills for personal projects, or exploring craft as a form of mindful practice, turning offers something rare: the satisfaction of transforming raw timber into something beautiful with your own hands. Our structured approach means you learn not just how to make cuts, but why they work — building confidence that transfers to your own workshop.

What will I actually learn? Depending on the course, you'll develop skills in spindle turning, faceplate work, hollowing, sharpening, tool presentation, and finishing techniques. Beginners start from scratch with no assumptions. More experienced turners refine their technique and address gaps that self-teaching often leaves behind. Everyone takes home what they've made.

Who are the tutors? Classes are taught by Martin Saban-Smith and Les Thorne, both members of the Register of Professional Turners. Martin is the author of Woodturning: Form and Formula and founder of the Woodturning360 online community.

What's included? All timber, tools, equipment, PPE, and consumables are provided. Lunch is included in full-day courses. You arrive with curiosity and leave with something you've made.

The Woodturning School operates from a purpose-built teaching workshop in Four Marks, Hampshire, with five dedicated student lathes and professional demonstration facilities. Teaching since 2018, the school combines in-person tuition with online resources, including video refreshers and the Woodturning360 membership community.

Accredited Activities:

This provider is currently undergoing accreditation.

Who Should Attend:

Complete beginners — People who’ve never touched a lathe but are curious about woodturning. Whether it’s a long-held curiosity, a gift experience, or simply wanting to try something new with your hands, our beginner classes assume nothing and build everything from the ground up. No experience, skills, or equipment needed.
Gift voucher recipients — Those who’ve received woodturning as a gift and want a hands-on experience with a guaranteed take-home result. Our Experience Days and Pen Turning sessions are particularly popular as gifts.
Self-taught turners — People who’ve been turning at home but have developed habits they can’t quite see. An outside perspective from a professional can be invaluable for identifying what’s holding you back.
Returning turners — Those who took a beginner’s course years ago and have been quietly making bowls or spindles ever since, wondering what they’re missing. Ready to refine rather than learn from scratch.
Turners seeking technique refinement — Experienced makers whose work is competent but not yet elegant. People are frustrated by inconsistent results — good days and bad days at the lathe with no clear understanding of why.
Skill-specific learners — Spindle turners who’ve avoided the skew chisel. Bowl turners wanting to explore boxes or hollow forms. Anyone ready to push into techniques that reward patience and precision.
Those interested in decorative and specialist techniques — Turners curious about surface enhancement, texturing, airbrushing, and sculptural forms taught by guest tutors with decades of specialist experience.
Independent turners seeking practice space — Makers who can work safely and independently but don’t have their own workshop, or who value quiet, focused creative time with light-touch mentoring nearby.
People seeking a creative outlet — Those looking for mindful practice, a meditative hobby, or simply the satisfaction of transforming raw timber into something beautiful with their own hands. Minimum age 16. Under-18s must be accompanied by a booking adult.

Further Information:

https://www.thewoodturning.school