Mike specialises in teaching the basics. Only about 10% of those who own woodturning lathes are competent woodturners. This is a tragedy because with good tuition and disciplined practice competence can be achieved after a total of only 30 to 40 hours. Only when you have thus cleared the technique hurdle and are confident that what you design you can turn, will you truly progress and enjoy your turning.
English turner Stuart King has discovered that wood has been turned for about 4,000 years. The optimal turning techniques are known, but some who teach woodturning have not bothered to adopt them, and instead teach the techniques they use. Obviously these suboptimal techniques work, but if you wouldn’t knowingly allow a surgeon who used inferior techniques to operate on you, why would you accept inferior woodturning tuition?.
Mike is a stimulating demonstrator, and an outstanding teacher, in part because he is able to explain the merits of the techniques he teaches. Delegates at the American Association of Woodturners 2006 symposium confirmed this by giving him full marks in every category on their demonstrator appraisal forms.
If you’d like Mike to demonstrate and/or teach at your club or a woodturning event email him on mike@mikedarlow.com, telephone him in Exeter, Australia on (61) 24883 4455, or write to: Mike Darlow, 21 Wilsons Lane, Exeter, NSW 2579, Australia.