Big Ideas. Bite Size Chunks £10.00 per month
Short, focused video lessons. Just a few minutes each to enjoy over a coffee. One idea, properly explained with no waffle, no filler, and no ads (like YouTube!).
I have over 100 videos planned to be released weekly in 2026 covering:
Sharpening and tool control
Design principles and proportion
Finishing techniques
Step-by-step projects
Workshop setup and timber knowledge
and more!
New content added weekly. All organised so you can find what you need.
What You Get
Consistent methodology
Learn from one clear approach rather than collecting contradictory tips from dozens of sources. Les Thorne and I are both Registered Professional Turners, and The Woodturning School holds Provider of Training Excellence accreditation. You're learning methods refined through thousands of hours at the lathe and hundreds of students in the workshop.
Focused learning
Each video teaches one thing properly. No rambling, no filler. Watch during a lunch break, before work, or between projects. Small, regular practice builds better skill than occasional marathons.
Organised progression
The library is structured logically from foundations, techniques, projects to troubleshooting. Find what you need quickly, or work through topics systematically. Both approaches work.
Proven teaching
These aren't techniques we tried once and filmed. They're methods tested with real students, refined based on what actually works, organised to help you understand not just what to do but why it matters.
Ad-free experience
No interruptions. No waiting through adverts. Just focused teaching when you need it.
Bite-Size Workshop
The Bite-Size Workshop is a growing library of focused video lessons for woodturners who want to learn efficiently. The videos are (mostly) around 10 minutes long (project videos are longer) and teach one specific skill or idea, neatly explained with no waffle (and no ads).
The library covers sharpening, tool technique, design principles, finishing, projects, troubleshooting, workshop setup and more. New content is added weekly, so you can learn at your own pace from Registered Professional Turners. It's ad-free, organised, and designed to respect your time.
To stay up to date with new releases, please join the Bite Size mailing list.
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In the Beginning
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Safety & Good Practice
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Lathe Basics
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A Five Minute Pre-Turning Ritual
Learn a simple but effective approach to the first five minutes before you start to turn.
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Turning Between Centres
Find out about turning between centres and how to prepare a spindle blank for turning using a live and drive centre.
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Vicmarc VL300 Overview
Overview of Martin’s Vicmarc VL300 lathe that he uses at the workshop.
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Thoughts on Lathe Speed
Having a common-sense approach to lathe speed is important! Get some advice here.
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Tool Rest Height
Martin demonstrates his practice of how he positions the tool rest for various tools.
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Tools and Accessories
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Simple Buying Guide
Not knowing an individual’s budget for turning kit, this lessons provides some advice on buying your workshop set-up.
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The Standard Set of Six Tools
Explore the standard set of six tools with Martin and learn what to look for and what to expect.
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Parts Of a Gouge
In this video, Martin explains the parts of the tools - particularly the business end!
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Sharpening
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Spindle Turning Techniques
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Spindle Roughing Gouge
Watch Les Thorne explaining the good use of a spindle roughing gouge.
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Spindle Gouge: V-Cuts
Les Thorne explains the method of turning a V-Cut with a spindle gouge.
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Spindle Gouge: Beads
Beads are a fun shape to turn. In this video, Les Thorne shows you how.
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Spindle Gouge: Coves
Coves are the mirror technique of beads. Learn from production turner Les Thorne the method.
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Spindle Gouge: Practice Piece
This practice piece is a great item to turn into a foot massager.
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Bowl Turning Techniques
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Introduction
Short introduction to the bowl turning series.
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Outside of the Bowl
Learn The Woodturning School’s method of turning the outside of a bowl.
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Inside of the Bowl
Using superb onscreen graphics, see how the inside of a bowl is turned.
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Bowl Sanding and Finishing
To complete a bowl perfectly, learn Martin’s excellent techniques for sanding and finishing.
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Beginners Projects
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Mushroom
A mushroom is a super project to play with for improving your spindle gouge work.
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Cork Bottle Stopper
To add some precision to your turning (and to make a super gift), a cork bottle stopper is an excellent choice.
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Single Tool Slimline Pen
In this video, we take a look at turning a slimline pen using just a Spindle Roughing Gouge
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Design and Proportion
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Finishes and Finishing
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Timber Types and Prep
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Troubleshooting
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Workshop Set-Up
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Les Thorne's Box Chronicles