Tom Wirsing Demonstration and Workshops

Tom Wirsing Demonstration and Workshops

Tom Demonstration and Workshops
October 22-28, 2022
Finger Lakes Woodturners is thrilled to host Tom Wirsing as our featured Fall National Turner. During his visit, he will present an all-day demonstration on Saturday, October 22, and will be available for six workshops geared for beginner and more advanced turners from October 23-28. Details are below.

Saturday, October 22
All Day Demonstration
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
St. Michaels Woodshop

Tom will discuss and demonstrate on the following topics:

  • Tulip Bowl
  • Finishing, including Tom's special recipe
  • Platter Embellishment
  • Sharpening
  • Tool Steel

About the St. Michael's Facility

Finger Lakes Woodturners runs workshops at St. Michaels Workshop, 691 St. Paul St., Rochester, NY, a not-for-profit organization that offers life skills to urban youth through the art of woodworking. The skills and character traits the students develop at St. Michael’s give them a sense of self-worth and helps them establish habits essential to productive living. Several of our members volunteer at St. Michael's to teach woodturning skills to the students.

We are thrilled to have a location to set up our ten full-size lathes, along with an assortment of chucks and turning tools, for national turner workshops, and member-only events. The combination of the St. Michael's space and the FLWT lathes and equipment lets us present a world-class facility for woodturning training.

 

Workshops
October 23 – October 28
St. Michael's Workshop

Tom Wirsing will present six one-day workshops with two workshop sessions for Beginner turners, and four workshop sessions for Intermediate and Advanced turners.

Choose Your Level:

  • Beginner: Focused on beginners or limited experience turners
  • General: Focused on intermediate and advanced turners.

Pricing: $125 per student. Lunch available for $15, or bring your own. Be sure to purchase the correct ticket: with or without lunch.

Time: 8:00 am to 5 pm

Materials: We will have blanks available for sale at cost at the workshops.
Students may use their own blanks, but must first be inspected and approved by Tom for soundness and defects. Preference is to use instructor provided wood.

What to Bring: Students should bring their favorite bowl and spindle gouges, negative rake scraper, full face shield, and short sleeve turning smock. Tom will also bring all of his negative rake scrapers to loan. Students should also bring anything else they normally use in turning things, like a tape measure/ruler, pencil, calipers, etc.

Special Note on Wait Lists: Once a workshop sells out, the only option will be to join a wait list. The wait lists are for each individual event. Thus, if you want to be on a wait list for Monday and Wednesday, you need to join BOTH wait lists.

Beginner Platter Workshops
Focus: New and limited experience turners

Learn about the lathe, tools, and turning basics, smaller platter. Mentors will be present to assist participants.

Tuesday October 25, 2022 - Beginner


Thursday October 27, 2022 - Beginner


General Platter Workshops
Focus: Intermediate and advanced turners

These classes will feature turning a larger platter and includes some embellishment and finishing techniques.

Sunday October 23, 2022 - General


Monday October 24, 2022 - General


Wednesday October 26, 2022 - General


Friday October 28, 2022 - General