Fully Equipped Professional

Woodturning School

in Hampshire

Handwritten text in purple that reads, 'I Made This'.

Helping You Achieve that

Feeling

Step into the wonderful world of woodturning and experience the joy of learning in a welcoming, relaxed setting with professional guidance.

Join seasoned professional Martin Saban-Smith, who brings passion, skill, and years of experience to every class, making your time with us fun and inspiring.

Spend a fantastic day at our workshop, building new skills, creating beautiful handcrafted items, and walking away with that unbeatable “I made this!” feeling.

Are You Ready to Get The ‘I Made This Feeling’?

At The Woodturning School, we’re ready to guide you on an exciting journey of craftsmanship. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced woodturner, our professional instructors provide hands-on training tailored to your skill level.

What We Offer

  • Two smiling men posing together, one with arms crossed, in a storage or warehouse setting.

    Expert Tutors

    Professionally guided group and individual classes.

  • Two men wearing protective helmets and glasses, working together on a woodworking project in a workshop. One man is guiding the other's hands on a lathe machine.

    Variety

    Choose from a range of classes designed to cater from beginners through to advanced turners.

  • Four metal chisels with different blade shapes and sizes standing upright on a surface.

    All-Inclusive

    We provide everything you need for a successful day of learning.

  • A collage of four images: a plate with a sandwich, potato salad, and purple and white coleslaw; a cup of frothy cappuccino with a saucer; an empty dining area with wooden tables and chairs; a plate of beef stew with mashed potatoes and greens.

    Lunch

    Lunch at the on-site coffee shop is include on most of our day-long classes.

Group of four people in a woodworking workshop watching a man operate a wood lathe, while wearing safety helmets and observing wood shavings and tools around.

Our workshop features a full camera set-up to give students an incredible view of the woodturning techniques they are learning.

Woodturning Experience Days at The Woodturning School

The group classes below have been designed to provide a fun, interesting, and safe introduction to different aspects of woodturning and the craft in general for complete novices and those trying out turning for the first time.

One of these classes make ideal gifts for Christmas, Birthdays, Special Occasions, or ‘just because’!

  • Five men wearing safety glasses and protective clothing are gathered around a wood lathe in a woodworking workshop. One man is operating the lathe, while the others observe.

    Woodturning Experience Day

    Our Woodturning Experience Day offers an unmatched, hands-on adventure that’s both thrilling and engaging.
    Guided by professional turner Martin Saban-Smith, you’ll get to grips with woodturning and start creating shavings in no time. By the end of the day, you’ll proudly take home three masterpieces crafted by your own hands.

    Experience Woodturning
  • Close-up of a wooden and metal pen with the cap off, resting on an open notebook. In the background, a calendar for September 2024 is visible.

    Pen Turning Experience

    This short Sunday morning course is suitable even if you have no experience at all; you will turn a stunning rollerball pen designed in the UK.
    Join Martin as he demonstrates and guides you through the craft of turning gorgeous wooden pens on a Sunday morning, and you’ll be home in time for lunch!

    Turn a Pen
  • A man wearing a purple jacket and black gloves is using a tool to carve a spherical object, likely wood, with a reddish-orange finish. In the background, another man with white hair and a beige jacket appears to be working at a different station in a workshop setting.

    Bowl Turning Experience

    This one-day woodturning course for beginners isn’t just something wonderful to do; it’s an incredibly fulfilling experience!
    By the end of the course, you’ll proudly take home what could be your very first lathe-made bowl to cherish for years to come! Let the joy of woodturning ignite your creativity!

    Make a Bowl
Beginners Woodturning Classes

Woodturning is an incredibly satisfying and rewarding craft.
Whether you’re just dipping your toes in or diving into the craft, our Hampshire-based workshop offers courses and lessons perfect for all levels of turners.

Discover our beginners group courses below, specifically designed to empower beginners or those with a bit of experience who need a friendly nudge towards turning safely and confidently.

  • Two men wearing protective helmets and glasses working together on a woodturning project, with one man instructing the other, in a woodworking shop.

    Two Day Beginners Woodturning

    Our two-day woodturning course offers beginners an incredible opportunity to dive into the enriching craft of woodturning.
    Starting your journey in this craft in a professional setting gives you access to the best tools, techniques, and expert guidance, greatly boosting your ability to develop your skills safely and efficiently.

    Get Started Woodturning
  • Two men working on a pottery bowl, one in the foreground and one in the background, in a pottery workshop. The man in the foreground is using a tool to paint or decorate a round pottery piece, while the man in the background is focused on his work at a separate station.

    Bowl Turning Experience

    This one-day woodturning course for beginners isn’t just something wonderful to do; it’s an incredibly fulfilling experience!
    By the end of the course, you’ll proudly take home what could be your very first lathe-made bowl to cherish for years to come! Let the joy of woodturning ignite your creativity!

    Learn to Turn a Bowl
  • Decorative round wooden plate with painted grass and butterflies, displayed on a stand.

    Airbrushed Platter


    You can unleash your creativity in this exciting woodturning course at the workshop by crafting a stunning wide-rim platter measuring about 12″ (300mm).
    Martin will be there to guide and inspire you, demonstrating top-notch techniques for turning and finishing the platter to a perfect standard for airbrushing.

    Get Me AirBrushing!
  • A ceramic bowl with a gradient of colors from yellow to reddish-brown, placed on a black surface in front of an industrial kiln.

    Beginners Plus+ Day

    Our new ‘Beginners Plus‘ woodturning course is the perfect opportunity to elevate the skills you’ve developed and take them to the next level by incorporating new techniques.
    Create a beautifully decorated ogee bowl to refresh your bowl-turning abilities, and master your precision and hollowing skills with an elegant goblet or chalice. Additionally, you’ll discover some advanced finishing techniques like lacquering a piece and mixing types of finish for stunning results.

    Make Me Better
  • Close-up photo of a round wooden bowl with a dark rim, showing natural wood grain patterns.

    Decorated Platter

    This hands-on class is designed for intermediate woodturners, though beginners with some lathe experience are welcome.
    You’ll start by turning the outside of a gorgeous blank and learn essential techniques for turning it into a smooth and balanced platter. Once the basic shape is achieved, we'll dive into decorative techniques to elevate your piece, including texturing, colouring, and/or embellishment with colours and finishes.

    Book Here
Logo for The Woodturning School with the words "Intermediate + Glazers" handwritten above.

With some woodturning experience, advancing your skills and exploring new ones is an exciting journey for every turner.

To help you elevate your craft to the next level, we offer a variety of intermediate courses tailored to specific projects.

Each course introduces new techniques and enhances existing skills, ensuring your continuous growth and enjoyment in the art of woodturning..

  • A man woodworking with a chisel and a lathe, shaping a piece of wood. Close-up of hands carving wood shavings from a cylindrical wooden piece.

    Les Thorne Skew and Spindle Gouge

    This class is designed to teach students the fundamental techniques and best practices for effectively using the skew chisel in their woodturning. The skew chisel, a versatile and sometimes challenging tool, is essential for achieving smooth, precise cuts and creating fine details on turned wood projects.

    Learn the Skew with Les
  • Decorative wooden plate with painted grass and butterfly design, displayed on a stand.

    Airbrushed Platter


    You can unleash your creativity in this exciting woodturning course at the workshop by crafting a stunning wide-rim platter measuring about 12″ (300mm).
    Martin will be there to guide and inspire you, demonstrating top-notch techniques for turning and finishing the platter to a perfect standard for airbrushing.

    Get Me AirBrushing!
  • Black and red gradient ceramic bowl with gold Chinese characters on the front.

    Japanese Style Rice Bowl

    Join Martin on a Sunday as he guides you through the turning and decorating of a Japanese-inspired rice bowl. The piece is roughly 4x2.5”
    Using principles of exquisite form, you will learn about elegant lines, proportions and turning thin-walled end-grain pieces.

    Sunday Studio Class: Two Students Only

    Book a Rice Bowl
  • Two men in a woodworking shop, one wearing a black helmet with face shield and the other with a tan cap, working on a lathe. The man with the cap is shaping a piece of wood. The shop has various woodworking tools and materials in the background.

    Bowl Turning Improvers

    On this advanced woodturning course for seasoned bowl turners, seize the opportunity to master the art of bowl turning under the expert mentorship of Martin Saban-Smith.
    Throughout the course, Martin will delve into a comprehensive range of topics designed to perfect your bowl-turning skills.
    Sunday Studio Class: Two Students Only

    Improve My Bowl Skills
  • A polished wooden bowl with a pedestal base on a plain background.

    Pedestal Bowl

    On this woodturning course, Martin will guide you through the entire process, from selecting the perfect wood to mastering advanced techniques, empowering you to create stunning masterpieces right at home.

    Sunday Studio Class: Two Students Only

    Click Here
  • A collection of wooden containers and lids on a workbench, with woodworking tools hanging in the background.

    Learn to Turn Boxes

    Woodturning boxes on a lathe is an absolute joy for those with a bit of turning experience. On these Sunday classes, you will learn the process of making attractive pieces from 3” timber.
    Martin will guide you through proper tool selection for turning boxes, ensuring that all the necessary parts are turned. Back-hollowing and Male jam-chucking techniques.
    Sunday Studio Class: Two Students Only

    Teach Me Box Turning
  • Three wooden clocks with round faces and gold-colored rims, designed like teardrop shapes, placed on a flat surface.

    Droplet Clock

    For intermediate turners, focus on spindle turning techniques to create a stunning Droplet Clock.

    The droplet shaped piece boasts a 2″ clock face with a gold bezel set on a beautifully mount. The thoughtfully designed piece is crafted from a single piece of wood on this course hosted by Martin Saban-Smith.

    Drop In to Turn a Clock
Logo for Sunday Studio Woodturning School with the initials 'WS' in a purple square and the text 'Sunday Studio' in purple script above.

Here is a collection of woodturning courses running 10am till 4pm on Sundays hosting a maximum of just TWO intermediate to advanced students.

These classes are generally quite technical, and maintaining a minimum number of spaces available ensures Martin can provide the best one-to-one attention where needed.

This has proved to be very beneficial to the students!

Lunch is not included on Sunday Studio Classes

  • A collection of wooden and metal containers, with some slightly open, placed on a wooden surface with several axes hanging in the background.

    Learn to Turn Boxes

    Woodturning boxes on a lathe is an absolute joy for those with a bit of turning experience. On these Sunday classes, you will learn the process of making attractive pieces from 3” timber.
    Martin will guide you through proper tool selection for turning boxes, turning all the parts required for your box. Back-hollowing and Male jam-chucking techniques.

    Teach Me Box Turning
  • A black and red lacquered bowl with gold Chinese characters on the front, positioned against a plain gray background.

    Japanese Style Rice Bowl

    Join Martin on a Sunday as he guides you through the turning and decorating of a Japanese-inspired rice bowl. The piece is roughly 4x2.5”
    Using principles of exquisite form, you will learn about elegant lines, proportions and turning thin-walled end-grain pieces.Description goes here

    Book a Rice Bowl
  • A wooden bowl with a polished dark reddish-brown exterior and a light inner surface, sitting on a small round dark wooden stand against a light gray background.

    Pedestal Bowl

    On this woodturning course, Martin will guide you through the entire process, from selecting the perfect wood to mastering advanced techniques, empowering you to create stunning masterpieces right at home.

    Turn a Pedestal Bowl
  • Two men working in a woodworking shop, one is using a lathe while the other observes, both wearing safety gear.

    Bowl Turning Improvers

    On this advanced woodturning course for seasoned bowl turners, seize the opportunity to master the art of bowl turning under the expert mentorship of Martin Saban-Smith.
    Throughout the course, Martin will delve into a comprehensive range of topics designed to perfect your bowl-turning skills.
    Sunday Studio Class: Bring a Packed Lunch

    Improve My Bowl Skills

Other Learning Opportunities

  • One to One Woodturning Tuition

    One to One Woodturning Tuition

    Book Martin or Les for a one to one woodturning lesson tailored to your specific requirements.

    Request Availability
  • e-Learning Woodturning Lessons

    e-Learning Woodturning Lessons

    We have prepared a growing range of online e-learning opportunities with full video content and written instructions

    View Collection
A woodworking workshop with various machinery, workbenches, tools, and wood pieces, inside a garage-like space with windows and wooden walls.

What Our Students Say . . .