M. Saban-Smith Woodturning

Here we are on Clapham Common. Thousands here with their bikes!

Headed out for a little spin this morning before the London to Brighton tomorrow! V. excited. I'd love to hit my fundraising target of £1000 for the British Heart Foundation before the end of the ride tomorrow and I'm at £600 so far, which is awesome! Thank you so much if you have donated already. There's still time to donate a couple of pounds to the BHF via my Just Giving page to help the BHF with their vital and life saving work. Just click the link to visit and donate. Thank you. :-) www.justgiving.com/fundraising/msabansmit h

Hi Everyone! There's only a few days left before I ride from London to Brighton raising money for the British Heart Foundation. I'm really looking forward to it despite getting hit by a car a couple of weeks ago! Thank you so much if you have made a donation towards the ride and pushing me towards my thousand pound target. Your donations will make a big difference to the lifesaving research the foundation undertake. I'd be incredibly grateful if you could donate a couple of p...ounds to this amazing charity through my Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ms abansmith The ride will be a challenge for me having not been on a bike much for 27 years and your donations will help to spur me on! Thank You. :-)
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New video is up and available now. In this video, I explain part of my finishing process including how I achieve a glass-like finish using lacquer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90DmD3YUg QE

Finished! Video will be up after the weekend on the processes used for this glass-like piece. So pleased it's done now. . . . #woodturning #woodturner #dowoodworking #madeinengland #woodart #woodporn #hampshiresheen #intrinsiccolours

Dipped in glass look? I think so. One last job to do on this is film a bit and turn the tenon off. 10 coats of Hampshire Sheen Clear Gloss lacquer polished to a T with our friend Yorkshire Grit. So far, it's a happy birthday! . . . #woodturning #woodart #dowoodworking #finefinishing #lacquer #hampshiresheen #yorkshiregrit

Anyone up for this giveaway/contest to win a cool Intrinsic Colour workshop clock?

Hollowing out the bowl watching the shavings fly. I know what @roper_woodturning means about these Sorby Excelsior Gouges. Awesome tools. . . . #woodturning #dowoodworking #lathe #shavings

Feeling better now the piece for the video has been re-done. Just got to get it off the lathe without dropping it now. . .And then doing the inside.

Full house in the workshop today for a Graceful Bowl Turning Course. John, Michael and Gwyn had a fun day turning their first ever bowls. New turner's to the craft? We'll see, but these three chaps have made are a very fine start indeed. . . . #woodturning #teach #learn #imadethis #madeinengland #lathe #dowoodworking #hampshiresheen @ M. Saban-Smith Woodturning

Joe had a fantastic day today learning colouring with the Intrinsic Collection and getting used to turning a bowl with a gouge. His efforts were rewarded with this fantastic bowl with a glorious Hampshire Sheen High Gloss finish. . . . #woodturning #learn #teach #dowoodworking #imadethis #hampshiresheen @ M. Saban-Smith Woodturning

*** DINK!! *** This is how it happened...you take your eye off the ball for half a second. Very easy to do, but I wouldn't suggest trying it. . . . #woodturning #whoops #dinkedit

Damnit. This week's video piece is soooo finely finished, it slipped out my hands as I was reverse mounting it to turn the inside and it dropped on to the lathe bed. Only one thing for it.... Turn it all off and start again. . .... . #whoops #woodturning #accidentshappen
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Very happy with how this piece is turning out. Glass dipped? We'll see tomorrow when it's polished.

Kate came back to the workshop for a sharpening and tool presentation skill refresher and experiential texturing day. She turned and textured a bowl à la Jeff Hornung and then tried her hand at using a rotary cutting tool with embellishing waxes. A good days work. . . . #woodturning #workshop #dowoodworking #woodart #learn #teach #hampshiresheen @ M. Saban-Smith Woodturning

So today, I took Natalja and Xander down to my old stomping ground and the iconic hill, Ditchling Beacon that will feature on the London to Brighton Ride in 3 weeks time. This was a great opportunity to see the hill again. (First time for them, first time in 27 years for me!). Starting from the top, we enjoyed the swift decent to the bottom before embarking on an 18 mile round trip through Plumpton, Ditchling, Hassocks, a bit of Hurstpierpoint and then along Underhill Lane be...fore taking on the beacon climb. Almost exactly half way up, my right arm was clobbered by a VW overtaking me which knocked its wing mirror off resulting in nothing more than a nasty graze and a bit of a cut. Bike was untouched. The driver stopped straight away to see if I was OK and then met me at the top and bought me an ice-cream. No need for details-swapping. Accidents happen. If there had been damage to the bike, it would have been a different story, of course. All good, and it was a great ride....Natalja and Xander made it up in one hit. I had to stop a few times, though! Still, I'm confident enough to complete the London to Brighton in 3 weeks time!! Could you sponsor me a couple of pounds? I'd be very grateful if you would. See my Jist Giving page here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/msabansmit h. Thanks. :-)🤗 @ Ditchling Beacon
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Really fun audience at Axminster Tools in Cardiff today. Thanks for coming, and thanks for making me so welcome. . . . #woodturning #hampshiresheen #intrinsiccolours @axminstertools