Fully Equipped Professional
Woodturning School
in Hampshire
Helping You Achieve that
Feeling
Discover Your Craft: Turn Timber into Beautiful Objects
At The Woodturning School, you make it happen!
Taking sawn wood to finished pieces, we guide beginners and experienced woodturners alike with hands-on, expert tuition.
Join us at our Hampshire workshop, where you’ll learn lathe techniques, tool control, finishing, and design in our friendly, relaxed sschool. You’ll leave with your own handcrafted items and the confidence to keep turning.
Explore group classes, one-to-one tuition, or online learning all led by professional tutors who love sharing the craft.
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
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Expert Tutors
Professionally guided group and individual classes.
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Variety
Choose from a range of classes designed to cater from beginners through to advanced turners.
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All-Inclusive
We provide everything you need for a successful day of learning.
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Lunch
Lunch at the on-site coffee shop is include on most of our day-long classes.
Our workshop features a full camera set-up to give students an incredible view of the woodturning techniques they are learning.
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’!
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![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. -
![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! -
![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!
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.
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![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. -
![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!
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..
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![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.
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![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
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![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 -
![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
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![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 -
![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.
The Sunday Studio Sessions are designed for turners who already know their way around a lathe, The sort of turners who want time, space, and subtle guidance to practise, explore, and grow.
It’s not a class.
This is your studio time with Martin (or Les) nearby to offer advice, troubleshoot, and guide when you need a second pair of eyes or a quiet nudge in the right direction.
These sessions bring together a small group of capable turners for focused, mentored practice in a calm, creative studio environment.
Who The Sessions are For
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Safety
Turners who can safely mount work on the lathe, turn a simple bowl, and work independently.
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Experience
People who’ve completed a beginner or intermediate turning course and are ready to practise on their own.
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Skill Building
Makers who want to keep building skill and confidence through regular, guided practice.
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Creative Time
Hobbyists or retired turners who value calm, purposeful creative time with likeminded company.
Other Learning Opportunities
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One to One Woodturning Tuition
Book Martin or Les for a one to one woodturning lesson tailored to your specific requirements.
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e-Learning Woodturning Lessons
We have prepared a growing range of online e-learning opportunities with full video content and written instructions
