# Any Woodturning courses in East Lothian or Edinburgh area



## KeithS (7 Mar 2010)

Hi
Been looking every where but no sucess, does anyone know if there is anywhere in East Lothian or Edinburgh area that does beginners courses.


----------



## OldWood (8 Mar 2010)

I went through this a year or so ago - I'm out towards Livingston. As far as I could find the answer is No unfortunately, short of going to Jen Burhouse at Dunkeld 

If you are East Lothian it might be worth enquiring at the wood working school up behind Haddington. I don't have its details to hand but can get them if you can't find anything.

I solved the problem for myself and a friend by finding a friendly turner through a chance find on the internet and asking if he would give the two of us a taster day.

The next bit of info will possibly not suit you for the travelling distance but there is a very good wood working club in Broxburn - 8 lathes and supporting machinery, almost permanent access and only a nominal cost.

PM me if you want any further info.

Rob


----------



## KeithS (11 Mar 2010)

Hi Rob
Thanks for the reply, think the wood working school just do 30 week furniture courses but I will check. unfortunately Broxburn just a little far for traveling.Just had the Lathe for 2 or 3 weeks but doing plenty of mushrooms for practice and some not looking to bad now.If anyone lives a bit closer and could give me a couple of hours tuition please pm me.
Thanks
Keith


----------



## OldWood (11 Mar 2010)

Keith
You don't say where you are - it may well be that I may be able to turn (!) up someone in Broxburn who knows turners in your direction.

Rob


----------



## Green (11 Mar 2010)

Hi Keith

I too had a look round a while ago and came up with nothing, no college courses, clubs or anything like that.

Whereabouts are you? Not many people on here are local to me.


OldWood

When are the club meetings? I had no idea there was any clubs north of the border...


----------



## OldWood (11 Mar 2010)

Hi Green
The Broxburn Club is in the Strathbrock Centre - 

http://www.strathbrockcentre.co.uk/whatson.htm

I know the opening photo isn't all that hopeful, but I think if you look at Thursday you will see Rab working on one of his creations. Effectively the Club is open as long as the Centre is open. There are periods when there are other wood workers using the workshop but essentially the turners hold sway and although I've never tried it you could do turning at any time as long as there is a qualified member present. There are 8 lathes, 3 bandsaws, sanders and all the heavy wood working gear.

PM if you're interested and I'll give you more details.

Rob


----------



## Green (11 Mar 2010)

Rob,

PM sent.

Thanks very much.


----------



## KeithS (11 Mar 2010)

Hi guys
I,m from Haddington.


----------



## Green (12 Mar 2010)

I'm just along the road in Macmerry. Can't help with tuition as I'm new to this lathe lark too...

Where are you getting your wood from? I'm raiding the firewood pile and bringing bits home when I walk the dog. It all ends up in the fire


----------



## KeithS (15 Mar 2010)

Hi Green
Been getting some oak logs along at butterdean wood outside gladsmuir, the wood land trust just felled acouple of small trees but not much left now though :wink: .
There is a lot of fresh silver birch and i think larch but i find there is not much grain figuring to them especialy the larch.


----------



## Green (15 Mar 2010)

Thanks for the info, Keith.

I found some big lovely beech logs but they split pretty badly. How are you drying yours?


----------



## KeithS (15 Mar 2010)

Hi
The logs are still in the round ranging from 3-8inch diameter, about 4ft long, painted the ends with pva glue, will try and get some of the larger logs split but the smaller ones i'll just cut bits off as i'm useing it.


----------



## wooden punk (28 Mar 2010)

There is a brilliant woodturning class at jewel and esk valley college in dalkieth, i`m a furniture student there and am on to my second block of nite classes, the tutor ian is really good with a vast knowledge , and has tons of his stuff in the class, the next course starts in september, its a £100 for aboot 12 weeks, ye can pay for it with an ila if you earn less than £15000, i`ll try tae find oot maire info on if theres nywhere else, fae ma tutor andy, wha` is also a woodturner


----------



## Vinho (19 Jun 2017)

Hi Folks,

I see this thread is a few years old but I wonder if anyone has found out any more info regarding this?
I'm based in East Lothian and would love to give woodturning a try.


----------



## Droogs (19 Jun 2017)

Hi Vihno,
there is indeed a turning club in broxburn, so just the other side of the motorway to livingston. they are in the rear of the building. the entrance on on the same side as the back of the main car park. i went along a couple of times from Leith and applied for membership and never heard back. You may have more luck than me. Also Deans School run woodworking course in asscociation with W Lothian college ~(not sure what they cover though)

Also Leith Academy have a woodworking crafts course that starts in september but states not for the beginer:

https://www.joininedinburgh.org/activity/1816/

hth


----------



## dickm (20 Jun 2017)

Just a thought, but might it be worth trying one or more of the "Men's Sheds" that seem to be springing up around the place? Maybe find a few like-minded souls who could arrange something on a self-help basis. 
Miles away, but there are two or three active clubs up here beyond Aberdeen.


----------



## acewoodturner (25 Jun 2017)

John Milne in Glenrothes is a member of the Register of Professional Turners and is also active in the newly formed Glenrothes Men's Shed . If you are interested I could dig out his number and email address if you like.

Mike


----------



## DavidB (27 Jun 2017)

There's a wood turning club in Musselburgh- Fisherrow wood working group, although their website says they've started a waiting list for membership due to high demand. 

I visited the Broxburn club several years ago and they seemed like a good bunch, but I had the same problem as Droogs with the club not responding when I applied for membership- I guess they must have been oversubscribed too...


----------



## OldWood (27 Jun 2017)

I'm not at the sharp end of the Broxburn club as I once was but was down today filling in my membership renewal form, and was surprised at the number of the pre-printed out forms that like mine had not been completed. The AGM was 6 weeks ago and I might suspect that 6 weeks lying time for renewals is likely; I know there was a waiting list but with possibly as many as 40 renewal forms in the folder, I do wonder if now is a good time for you guys to enquire again. 

Certainly I will pass into the system that it does the club no favours if enquiries are not treated respectfully.

There is formal training available in both turning and use of wood working machinery.

Rob


----------



## OldWood (27 Jun 2017)

I got onto the Broxburn Club chairman and he was very apologetic about the failures to follow up enquiries. He reports that they had a major problem processing membership enquiries for a period and lost a lot of data on who'd applied. Something is written on the website about this apparantly, though I must admit I'm not seeing it

http://www.broxburnwoodcraftclub.org/joomla/

The Chairman suggests anyone who did apply a wee while back should apply again and of course that also applies to everyone else as well. 

Rob


----------



## DavidB (28 Jun 2017)

Thanks for the update Rob- glad to hear it was only a temporary issue and has since been sorted. I'm not really in a position to apply again at present but I might consider it again in the longer term.


----------

