Mark Gardner, from the mountains of Western North Carolina, will be showing us how he uses green wood and makes his 'Shrink Boxes'. Note that he will follow the demonstration with an all-day demo and also an all-day hand-on workshop.
I was born and grew up in Cincinnati, OH. Woodworking was my father’s hobby and I was introduced to it through him and I feel lucky to have started learning woodworking as a teenager. Dad had a lathe and I fooled around on it from time to time but it wasn’t until I attended a two week woodturning class at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in 1996 that I was “hooked” on the turning process. I moved to Saluda, NC in 2000 and have been able to focus on my woodworking since opening my own studio there. In addition to making my work, I teach and demonstrate woodturning around the country for woodturning clubs and craft schools.
Shrink boxes are turned on a lathe from green wood. The box is essentially a tube with a groove turned inside one end. A dry piece of wood is then carved to fit the shape of the inside of the box and placed in the groove. When the box dries it shrinks and locks the bottom in place.
Mark Gardner, from the mountains of Western North Carolina, will be doing an all-day demo on hollowing and embellishment at Dale Larson's shop on April 18, 2025.
1. Turn hollow forms without the hollowing. Cut it in half.
Hollow forms turned through a small opening were always a challenge for me to turn. In this demo I'll show how I make hollow forms, using green wood, much like you make lidded boxes only I'll glue the lid back on. Not only is there less risk of turning through the side of your vessel but it is also easier to gauge the wall thickness as well as remove the shavings from the inside. I will focus on techniques for making a precise joint to help ensure that the piece stays together as it dries. Time will be spent demonstrating various ways to then hide the seam in your vessel. This vessel will also have handles.
2. Surface embellishment for your turnings.
I will demonstrate all the various techniques and methods I use for embellishing my work. I’ll start by showing how I layout geometric patterns on my turned vessels. Some of the techniques I will cover include, carving with hand and power tools, engraving, and even some textures done on the lathe. I’ll show how I use milk paints and dyes to enhance the carved patterns and lastly how I sharpen my carving tools using a simple homemade MDF strop.
Mark Gardner, from the mountains of Western North Carolina, will be teaching a hands-on class showing a less agonizing way of hollowing vessels.
About Mark
Turn hollow forms without the hollowing. Cut it in half.
Cascade Woodturners Association