The Story

For 30 years, my world has been logic, data, and digital precision. I've built systems, solved problems, and worked at the intersection of technology and business. It's a world I've loved — but it's intangible. It lives behind a screen.

The Lathe in the Box

In 2022, I bought my first lathe on impulse after spotting an offer from Axminster Tools. A few days later, a fairly large box arrived. I didn't really know what to do with it. It sat in my shed, unopened, for two and a half years.

Every now and then I'd think: I really must do something about that lathe.

The Priory

Towards the end of 2024, after a tough six months of work, I set myself the goal of finding something fun. Between Christmas and New Year, the idea of turning came back.

I found Kent Woodturners — amazingly, a club meeting just minutes from my home, in the grounds of Aylesford Priory, founded in 1242 by Carmelite monks. I arrived on a cold, dark, wet January evening in 2025 feeling like a bit of a lemon on my own. Despite being in my fifties, I felt like a whipper snapper.

But the members were incredibly friendly. A chap called Mike took me under his wing and gave me my first try on a lathe. That first piece — some scrap pine — was incredibly rough. But I knew immediately this was something I wanted to do more of.

The Learning Curve

Several bowls followed, each slightly better than the last as I gradually got the hang of the bowl gouge. Then came my next nemesis: the skew chisel — apparently one of the least forgiving tools in woodturning. Every v-cut attempt resulted in the skew skating off sideways, leaving a massive scratch.

Once again, the club came to the rescue. An experienced member watched me for a few seconds and fixed the problem instantly — I was pushing the tool instead of pivoting it.

The Workshop

With the help of my great friend Jim, I gutted three garden sheds and rebuilt them as a single, plywood-lined, insulated workshop. It's become my sanctuary — a high-spec space powered by an Axminster Professional AP406WL lathe, with tools organised on a French cleat system.

The First Sale

In autumn 2025, I put seven bowls and some light pulls into the Kent Woodturners exhibition. I can vividly remember the embarrassment of placing price stickers on them — full-on imposter syndrome.

Five of those bowls sold. Seeing someone queue up to pay their own money for something that had come out of my imagination was a real buzz. The first to sell was a 14-inch Turkey Oak bowl that had christened my new lathe.

Code & Grain

There is no "undo" command on a lathe and no algorithm for reading the grain.

One of the unexpected delights of turning has been the mistakes. The most common problem is a "catch", where the tool either jams against the wood or spins off, damaging your work.

These mistakes, while sometimes a little heartbreaking, can often lead to an interesting outcome. Several times the end piece has ended up looking more interesting, despite me knowing it happened purely due to my error.

But I guess my inner engineer kicks in at these points — seeking to solve a problem, even if it's one of my own making!

Every piece I make is a celebration of that balance. It's a piece of "offline" in a digital world.