Author Archives: Ed Pretty

About Ed Pretty

I am a professional woodturner, specializing in gallery work, commercial work, teaching and demonstrating. I have been turning since 1958, so... a long time. I use this site to present my work to the public at large and to let people know that I am available for teaching private lessons in woodturning. Wood turning is one of my passions (the other is motorcycle touring). It is my desire to pass on everything that I have learned over the years to others so that the craft of woodturning will grow.

Preparing Bowl Blanks

Originally written by Ed for Craftsy as “All About Turning Blanks: The Starting Point for Every Woodturning Project” Anything turned on a lathe started out as a “blank.” Turning blanks come in various forms, but either way you cut the … Continue reading

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A Small Woodturning Project

Originally written for Craftsy by Ed titled: A Small Woodturning Project you Can Whip Up This Weekend. When describing woodturning to someone “browsing around” for a new hobby, one of the first points I like to make is that it … Continue reading

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Vacuum Chucking on the Lathe

Originally written for Craftsy by Ed, titled: “Working Under Pressure: Vacuum Chucking on the Lathe.” Chucks are commonly regarded in the woodworking world as the go-to method of holding work on a lathe when creating a bowl or platter. Typically … Continue reading

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Creating Beautiful Art From Junk Wood

Originally written for Craftsy by Ed, titled “How to Make Amazing Scrap Art: Turning a Multi Axis Vessel” Typically things turned on a lathe are round because they are shaped while they rotate around a single center. While I always … Continue reading

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How do I sign into a demonstration?

It’s safe to say that all woodturning Interactive Remote Demonstrations (IRD) are carried out using  Zoom “Meeting” or “Webinar” formats (see www.zoom.us). When presenting my demonstrations, I do so via Zoom in their Meeting format. When I schedule a Zoom … Continue reading

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Butterfly Crack Repair – IRD

This type of repair is also referred to as a “Dutchman”, “Bow Tie”, “Dovetail” or “Pewa”. The method demonstrated involves using a router to make both the recess and the patch but also includes an alternate method of creating patches … Continue reading

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Replication Made Simple – IRD

This demo focuses on turning between centres, showing traditional techniques that make replication much easier than most turners believe. I presented this demo at the AAW 2018 symposium in Portland, Oregon. My woodturning roots are in spindle turning, learned from … Continue reading

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Colouring Wood – IRD

I’ve applied colour in various forms to my work since the early 1990’s.  I discuss surface preparation, use of wood-compatible dyes, ebonizing, bleaching, ebonizing, fuming, liming – using both traditional lime wax and acrylic paint – and faux painting techniques. … Continue reading

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Beyond ABC – IRD

The focus of this demo is on improving tool control in bowl turning, however is relevant to most between-center techniques. In anything, I believe that to know the “how” you must understand the “why”. It is an in-depth explanation of … Continue reading

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Making handles for your turning tools 2

Here is the second in a three part series showing how to make inexpensive, high quality turning handles. Again, there are a few random tips unrelated to turning handles because the video is part of a “tips” presentation to the … Continue reading

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