Kathleen will share what she calls “Soft Hands” needed to be successful in this endeavor. She will also discuss and demonstrate the small tools that work well for these spindle projects as well as some simple but essential jigs called “string steadies”.

Born and raised in Tennessee, Elizabeth first specialized in engineering, earning an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 2015 she began woodworking with her first creations including several pieces of furniture in the Arts and Crafts style, but she eventually turned to smaller objects and now specializes in bowls, spoons, and boxes. Her skills range from natural finish and simple forms to highly carved and painted forms that emulate natural motifs. She was awarded the American Association of Woodturner’s 2023 Professional Outreach Program’s Artist Showcase and teaches woodturning and carving across the country.

Always entertaining, Doug is a reliable Member Demonstrator SPSW. His past contributions include Wood Stabilization (June 2022) and Chucks, Chucks and More Chucks (May 2024). Both of which may be found in the members only portion of our SPSW website under demonstration videos. In his latest rendition coming to the SPSW stage on February 19, 2026, Doug will share key insights for making a John Beaver type Wave Bowl. One of his goals is to demonstrate less involved techniques most of us could deploy in our own shops to safely cut a round object in half… You don’t want to miss this one, there might even be a golden reward at the end of the rainbow.

Rick Rich is a professional woodturner from Clark County, Washington. He is proud to be a founding member, and current president, of the SW Washington Woodturners. Rick is also a member the Cascade Woodturners Association in Portland, OR, the Northwest Woodturners of Tualatin, OR and the American Association of Woodturners. His strong preference is spindle turning, but he includes faceplate turning, bowls, small tabletops, dishes, and like items in his repertoire.

Rick’s description says, ‘This unique desk toy has a top which eventually tips over and stays on the tower, ready for the next spin.’ On Jan 15th, 2026, he will also demonstrate making a traditional spinning top with a small bowl to spin it in. This demo focuses on tool use techniques and exploring precision turning. No specialized tools are used—just the standard equipment most turners already have. Get ready to enjoy a fun and unique toy turning demo!

In the beginning, sharpening is a mystery for all of us turners. For some, it remains a mystery for much longer than need be. Learning to sharpen your tools is as critical as learning to ride the bevel.

Fortunately for South Puget Sound Woodturners members who attend our November meeting, our own Director of Mentoring, Mike Poirier, will be on stage to de-mystify sharpening. He will fill the evening with information and key insights on different sharpening systems, jigs and techniques. He will show how he uses these tools to produce a sharp edge. Bring your questions.

This is a fun and simple project to experiment with multi-axis turning. These weed pots are miniature versions of the large vases I show in my multi-axis vase and spout off vase demos. They are turned using many of the same concepts, without the complexity of having to hollow out a vessel. As an added plus, they can be done on almost any size lathe. Optionally, this demo can also cover regular weed pots, which are a great exercise for those new to turning as a practice in spindle work and help in creating shapes and forms that are pleasing to the eye.

You can download the demo handout here.