Woodturning Clubs

[edbanger]

Some time ago I asked how many woodturners are there in the UK or where I could find this out, but nobody knows.

Leading on from Dave Atkinson post about the seminar I've been chatting with him via email about the number of woodturners and the number of woodturning clubs that there are in the UK.

So I have a question do you have woodturning clubs in your area that have nothing to do with the AWGB? In Kent we have three clubs that have nothing to do with the AWGB and one that is.

Are other areas similar or is Kent just one of those places where woodturning is booming 

Thanks

Ed

[David Buskell]

Hi Ed,

The best conservative estimate of the number of turners is around 12,000. This is based on the AWGB members, plus the old Northern Fed people and a guestimate of those who don't fall into either of the previous categories.

We don't (yet) have any clubs in our area who have nothing to do with the AWGB but we do see a lot of woodturners who do not want to be part of any club, not even ours! We reckon there are as many who do not want to be in a club as there are in our club, based on what we see when we are at shows etc.

There is no consolidated list of woodturners - again, I think a lot of people would not want to be on that list - I can think of 3 local turners who would not, for example. They are happy doing their own thing in their own way.

Woodturning is booming all around but in our area, they don't have the same profile as your 3 non-AWGB clubs in Kent.

David

[Mark Sanger]

Hi Ed

Not sure about the numbers exactly, to date this year I have taught just short of 70 students and few are club members, doing the maths from my perspective it is less than 5 % are club members, read or were aware of woodturning magazine, the AWGB, RPT etc, of course they were aware after coming to me for a lesson and went away with details of all.

This perspective is very clipped of course and local to me so I doubt it is universal across the country, most of my students are beginners so it goes without saying that they would not have yet found a club or be aware of magazines and other organisations.

Last year I intended to stop demonstrating and do more making but due to still being contacted to re-book I have done over 20 demos this year, from the local ones I can say that quite a few people do not subscribe to woodturning magazine and only get it every now and then, on top of this a lot are not members of the AWGB nor are the clubs. I mention this as a cross over from the seminar thread and the comments of advertising and promotion, very few of them would get to read about what is open to them.

There are also quite a few woodturners living near to me that have not joined a club and prefer to turn in isolation.

Again going further a field, I know several ceramicists, jewelers, sculptors and other makers who are not members of a club in their own crafts, so it is similar across the board I guess. 

I have opened up the topic a bit wider than just clubs here and I apologies if I have gone off track from your topic, just tell me to shut up if you like  but I think and I may be wrong that many crafts struggle with membership/promotion etc.

[edbanger]

Hi Mark

No I agree with you, I think that the AWGB and woodturning clubs only show a small percentage of woodturners and therefore if we are to have seminars that can help woodturners and promote woodturning we need to somehow find a way of get the AWGB seminar in front of this audience.

I've had a few ideas which I've passed on to Dave.

I can't believe with a bit of marketing the seminars can't be more successful, the effort the AWGB & you guys that do the demoing put in deserves better support I for one would not like to see the seminars disappear.

All the best

Ed

     

[burywoodturners]

I started my interest in wood turning over 20 years ago when on holiday in Corfu. General wood working was and still is, my hobby and I had not thought of woodturning until I saw shops in Corfu full of turned items made from local olive wood, (Corfu seemed to be 90% olive groves and tourist accommodation took up the rest!)
When I got home I went in to a travel agent to ask about woodturning courses, as I wanted to try before I by if you follow me.
They found me one and after three days I was hooked and still am. I read a magazine in the tea break and realised there such things!
Six years ago I was roped into being Secretary of what was then a non existent club. We got it going and I doubt that we would have survived the first year or so without the support of the AWGB, support from the local rep, Brian Partridge, and the demo grant and the insurance.
We thrive now and I collect a fair number of AWGB subs each year, and still look to them occasionally for support.
We meet in a tool suppliers demo area, and one member in particular is the best recruiting sergeant you will find any where.
Hw many woodturners in our area? well I don't know but I have 120 filled in membership forms and still we are getting new recruits. We get around35 to 40 members attend club nights and they even turn up for the AGM!
Ron

[Steve Jones]

It is impossible to say how many woodturners there are.
I knew nothing of the AWGB before the use of the internet became essential to business and I stumbled across it.
I am not a member of a club and don't subscribe to the woodturning mag. (Think I shall start)
I have now joined the AWGB because after finding out about them I felt the work in promoting woodturning and encouraging the craft was very important so a small joining fee was the very least I could do.
I can only remember one woodturning club ever contacting me and considering I have been a full time professional (not RPT) turner for over 35 years and our company in the same unit since 1975 that's quite surprising. I was only asked to demonstrate, which I refused due to me not being a demonstrator, no info about the AWGB was submitted.
I know I'm waffling now but there must be more turners like me who have kept themselves to themselves and have no idea of the AWGB.
Maybe tool suppliers are the areas where the AWGB should target to help  advertise as everyone needs to purchase tools.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Have to say that until I poked my head over the parapet a few years ago like Steve I knew nothing about the AWGB . I never knew about all the chucks and tools that were available either as I used to make or get made a lot of my kit. Nowadays I thinhk it is wonderful and wish I had found them years ago. I never used to buy the mags (I never used to go into Smiths)so never realised what was on offer. Now it is all consuming.
        There must be others like that as you say. When I was doing the exhibition w ehad turners coming through who (in the nicest possible way) were ignorant of the association, had never heard of the Worshipful company or RPT and one chap who lives near to the church hall we use in the club never realised there was a woodturning club in the town.(despite there being some publicity over the years).
               I don't know what the answer is, how do you reach people like that ?

[TWiG]

I have never been a member of a club .. went to 2 many years ago and I was only in my early 30's and every one else seemed so ancient !! all had grey hair beards and glasses !!   ( I mean that lightheartedly ) and just did not find the scene at all stimulating ... Had a few lessons from a great bloke at Dartington  and went to a few open evening s / demos at Tobias Kayes ,also went to Yandles show and the big Axminster shows of earlier years , I used to get Woodturning magazine ,  bought a few books , and since then have pretty much done my own thing !!  I am quite happy that way and at times wonder why when people enjoy something they feel a need / desire to promote it , and hope to get others doing the same thing ?   I know it is nice to share interests with others  but it soon seems to become a club with committees , rules , subscriptions  insurances , H&S etc and clash of interests and personalities etc .... which not everyone finds appealing ! 

[PaulH]

So I have a question do you have woodturning clubs in your area that have nothing to do with the AWGB?

A difficult question to answer.
I live in SW Herts and whilst there are a few AWGB affiliated clubs within reach (1hr drive), I know of no others. An internet search doesn't find any and I've never noticed any posters or similar in any of the 'local' suppliers that offer proper woodturning kit. Maybe there are some, but how would I know ?

[edbanger]

Hi All

My question was not to promote woodturning clubs in anyway but to find out if there were clubs that the AWGB do not know about and to get a feel to see if more woodturners out there than can be counted by club membership.

With the comments so far I think that clubs account for a small number of woodturners there are many more people that do their own thing.

This was my thinking so I thought I'd ask the question for the feedback and to see if I could confirm my theory.

Thanks

Ed

[bodrighywood]

One answer to your questions Twig is that wood turning is very much a hidden art and / or craft in the UK. Compared to the states or Australia it is seen as a 2nd class thing and those of us who do it professionally are always keen to propmote it and get it accepted. Try approaching galleries with wood and you might be surprised at just how many turn up their nose at the idea. In danger of getting onto another subject so must be careful. It isn't taught in many schools any more and even colleges that teach  wood work etc often don't teach turning. We need to get the craft out to young people, to others in the public and doing it via clubs, shows, and other means is important way of promoting it. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked with surprise at shows "did you make this."

Pete

[PaulH]

to get a feel to see if more woodturners out there than can be counted by club membership.
With the comments so far I think that clubs account for a small number of woodturners there are many more people that do their own thing.

I'm sure that's correct.
Part of the issue is that there are several different groups; Production and professional turners, Art turners, hobby(enthusiast) turners and the people that just have lathes for turning the occasional part for other timber projects.
I'd guess that only the hobbyists might be interested in a club, but a significant number would also hate the idea too. Then there's the practical issue of how few clubs there are and whether they meet at times that are convenient.

[seventhdevil]

50% of turners i've met have not been club members. most of these have been met through arbtalk (another forum) so they are mostly dealing with trees rather than turning.


i'm not a member of a club anymore as i found we were doing the same thing year after year.

[TWiG]

Pete ( bodrigh )  .. I understand your comments and they are often said by many others , however it is not quite what I meant .... yes promoting turning to a wider audience  would be a positive thing , specifically the buying market is to be desired by most of us , but this is not going to happen by getting more people turning ... it is a bit like increasing manufacturing for a limited market !  ( I hope this does not come across as I want no competition for sales !!) I think there is more turned wood in galleries than ever before , just think how many turners you can think of that create wonderful stuff compared to say 20 years ago , with more good stuff being shown very frequently , I realise that being in a club is a great way to learn and become inspired to greater things , new ideas and higher standards through being competitive etc etc but encouraging others to take up turning through clubs is not the only way , perhaps people may see wonderful turned items for sale and think WOW I would like to try doing that !!