# South Wales club.....?



## VikingAl (29 Oct 2012)

Hi all,
Names Al & I live in a little place called Neath, just outside of Swansea. Quite often people will find me wielding my trusty chainsaws around & carrying out various aspects of tree work which leads me onto my questions for you guys which I hope someone may possibly be able to help me out with???.
I have access to a bit of timber on a daily basis, various species, various sizes. Quite often it just gets turned into firewood which I think in some cases is a terrible waste and want to learn the dark art of wood turning!.
I think I've read so much on here already that I feel like I know everything already & I haven't even touched a lathe yet!. So, does any body know of any clubs or perhaps an individual that may be in/around the Swansea area that I could perhaps visit so that I could get a feel of it, watch it being done & generally ask questions, maybe even somebody will let me have a go?. 
As I said, I don't have a lathe but am searching the Internet, looking at this site, checking free ads etc etc & comparing & so far losing out on bids on eBay ( the long haired general has set me a budget of £150 but I'm sure some flowers could extend that!! ). I'll keep on looking until I find one that is relatively closer to me than Essex or Scotland as I think the cost of diesel to collect could perhaps outweigh the cost of the lathe!!!!.
I can see by looking at these forums that it can turn into a fairly expensive hobby but I figure that I don't need to go crazy initially, I just need the lathe & basic tools initially to get started.
Well I'm sorry I've waffled on, I have a mountain of questions to ask but I'll keep it to the one I've asked already for the moment!.
Thanks for reading and I appreciate any help/pointers/info that you may be able to give me,
Cheers all....


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## EnErY (29 Oct 2012)

Hi im in South wales Email sent to you
regards
Bill


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## nev (29 Oct 2012)

Hi Al,
Welcome. 
There is a club in Tycroes near Ammanford (about 5 mins from Pont Abram services at the end of the M4) if thats not too far for you. They meet at 7pm each Friday in the scout hall . I did hear mention of a club in Llanelli too but I don't know the particulars.
I went along to Tycroes a couple of times, they're a friendly bunch and you can have a go at hands on if and when you feel the need, but me being a unsociable, miserable old so and so, didn't find it was right for me, but well worth a visit to see if it is the type of thing you're looking for.
One of the forum members, Adam, also recently started a woodturning course somewhere in or near Swansea, maybe he'll be along to give you the particulars?
HTH
nev


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## henton49er (29 Oct 2012)

Hi Al,

Welcome to the forum

Always good to have another member from Wales!!


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## =Adam= (29 Oct 2012)

Hi al!

I'm from Swansea (well almost llanelli)! Nice to get some more locals on here! 

There aren't many clubs around from what I have gathered, there is one in Llanelli however I'm not sure if it is still running. I am actually doing a course in Llanelli college for basic wood turning and I highly recommend it as the lecturers are great and the show you how to use the equipment efficiently and safely! 

Turning is very satisfying when you get into it however it can be a bit disheartening to start as it looks easier than it is.

With regards to a lathe, your best bet is to look on eBay to see what comes up. I have a record power cl1 36 and it is a good starter lathe, I may be looking to part with it in the near future but I'm not sure what I will upgrade to.


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## Groggs (29 Oct 2012)

I live in Neath Al, well Rhos.
If you've got too much timber I'll help you out lol


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## VikingAl (29 Oct 2012)

Hi fellas, thanks for the replies, really appreciate it. I had a little peruse of Swansea evening post earlier, 2 lathes up for sale in it with tools etc, may enquire I think. Hey Groggs, I'm in Longford and go thru rhos quite often, be careful, you may find me on your doorstep!. Seriously though, thanks for the replies, hopefully we will all keep in touch via the forum, who knows, maybe we should start a welsh club!!!. Enery, I'm just trying to figure out how to pm you but definitely interested.


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## Mark Hancock (30 Oct 2012)

There is also the South and West Wales Woodturning Club based at Pontardawe near Swansea


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## VikingAl (30 Oct 2012)

Pontardawe?, 5 minutes from me!, do you have any more details?.


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## Mark Hancock (31 Oct 2012)

VikingAl":1kx8se7u said:


> Pontardawe?, 5 minutes from me!, do you have any more details?.



PM sent


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## Retire2004 (31 Oct 2012)

Yes Al, as Mark says there is a club in Pontardawe. We meet every Monday at 7.00 PM. in the old Alltwen School. You can come along for a trial run and ask some questions. If you like it, membership is £15/yr (I think) and 50p each visit. We have members from Neath and Port Talbot as well as Swansea Valley etc. Sometimes there are lathes etc. advertised on our notice board. I will send you a PM with contact details.
Regards, 
Tudor


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## VikingAl (2 Nov 2012)

Hi fellas, well pm sent to you Tudor, hopefully I'm going to embark on a very slippery slope on Monday evening when I visit the club in Pontardawe!. Many thanks for the info everyone, really amazed with all the info & offers from you all. From what I've seen this is a fantastic site with an amazing wealth of knowledge & info, as the big man says, I'll be back!.

Cheers all....!!!


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## Gwilym68 (21 Feb 2013)

Hi all,
I'm a newbie on this site to who enjoys all types of woodwork, i have a lathe but to be honest not really using it to its full potential, looking for local clubs etc


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## =Adam= (21 Feb 2013)

Hi Gwilym,

I am from gorseinon too! how funny is that haha!

I go to the college in llanelli and take part in the wood turning course there! I cannot reccomend it enough! It runs from september each year for 35 weeks and costs £93, it is worth it, trust me!

I am pretty sure that there is a turning club in llanelli too however I am not too sure where! There are a few local turners that I have only come to know recently, we are a friendly bunch haha!

Out of interest, what lathe do you have?

Kind regards

Adam


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## EnErY (23 Feb 2013)

There More taffs Ere than In The National staduim
Regards
Bill


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## spinks (23 Feb 2013)

Heres another one....bit further west than you lot though....Pembroke Dock to be exact....does haverfordwest college do woodturning courses??


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## paul johnson (23 Feb 2013)

Hi Spinks, are you a member of pembokeshire woodturners.


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## tekno.mage (24 Feb 2013)

Hi there - we are probably to far away to be useful, but Mid Wales Woodturners meeting monthly on (usually) 3rd Sunday of the mopnth in Carno (near Newtown). If you want to PM me your email address I'll send you our latest newsletter and programme.


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## spinks (24 Feb 2013)

paul johnson":1436mup4 said:


> Hi Spinks, are you a member of pembokeshire woodturners.




Hi Paul.....I have not joined the club yet but am thinking of going to foundry house on one of their meets just to get the lay of the land....are you a member??


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## graduate_owner (24 Feb 2013)

Hi Viking Al,
Yet another Welshman on the forum - Pob hwyl i chi i gyd.
I mentioned in an earlier posting that I went on a 2-day course at the Botanic Gardens recently and I really enjoyed it. It cost £75 for the 2 days, tea/coffee included. The course tutor was Les Bryan from Picus crafts (take a look at his web site http://www.picuscrafts.co.uk/). I think Adam's comments make the Llanelli college course look like good value, and he seems pretty impressed with the tuition there. To my mind, for a beginner there's no better way to build up confidence than to attend a course. I also think the beginner's worst enemy is poorly sharpened tools - you end up blaming yourself when it's not your fault. I know the Tycroes club have 3 lathes, plus a Sorby pro edge sharpener and a bench grinder, so if you have bought some second hand kit you could benefit from taking your gouges etc to one of their meetings. 
Don't struggle away on your own - there's help available not too far away, and then you can really enjoy woodturning instead of working hard and getting nowhere fast. I did that for too long.

K


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## dilwyn (25 Feb 2013)

hi i am only learning myself would like any info if there any clubs in or arond the rhondda valley area. as for al from neath youre more than welcome to come and try my lathe anytime got a friend who is learning me the ropes as to speak . i dont have any luck either buying chisels on the net.so posted a wanted ad. cheers guys dilwyn


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## N.james1 (29 Dec 2013)

There's one in Gorseinon, well Loughor to be exact. 7pm til 9 on Tues & Thurs in the welfare hall


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## boysie39 (29 Dec 2013)

Well !!! a right little Dragons Den has come to light here has it not . :shock: :mrgreen: .

I suppose this brings to light exactly what this forum was set out to do , help bring a community together and help fit them in . =D> 
What does slightly worry me is there are so many of you :roll: next thing will be practice at Cardiff Arms Park followed choir practice in Tiger Bay . :lol: :lol: What a lovely thought . =D> =D> 

What I am trying to say is what a great group . =D> =D>


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## SVB (29 Dec 2013)

Hi there. 

Probably a bit far for a regular club but worth looking at the avon n Bristol club, or more specifically the workshop run under the 'Max Carey woodturning foundation' in portishead. They offer tuition, though you have options on locally it seems, but they also have some 20+ lathes of all makes and budgets in their workshop together with all the other gumph (don't forget tools, chuck(?), sharpening and dust protection also will be needed not just the lathe). Worth a phone call and maybe a day out I suggest. 

Simon


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## johnny5 (16 Jan 2014)

N.james1":22b155bu said:


> There's one in Gorseinon, well Loughor to be exact. 7pm til 9 on Tues & Thurs in the welfare hall



Hi I live close to Gorseinon Any further details or info on this club please.

regards
John


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## =Edward= (28 Jan 2014)

Hi there,
My son bought me a wood turning lathe for Christmas! How lucky am I? I have been searching on line for any courses or clubs in Swansea, without any luck until I came across the UKworkshop site where I read with great interest of the 'South and West Wales Wood Turning club' in Pontardawe. I would be grateful if Tudor could give me contact details.
I have tried to find details of the club on line but without any success.

I must say how great it is to have access to this website and hope to be talking to many of you in the future.
Ed


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## =Edward= (29 Jan 2014)

Retire2004":15zdjbot said:


> Yes Al, as Mark says there is a club in Pontardawe. We meet every Monday at 7.00 PM. in the old Alltwen School. You can come along for a trial run and ask some questions. If you like it, membership is £15/yr (I think) and 50p each visit. We have members from Neath and Port Talbot as well as Swansea Valley etc. Sometimes there are lathes etc. advertised on our notice board. I will send you a PM with contact details.
> Regards,
> Tudor



Hi Tudor,
I'm a newbie, I have written a general letter, but have had no reply, therefore am dropping you a note directly.
Very interested in the Pontardawe - 'South and West Wales Wood Turning Club' and would be very grateful if you could let me have contact details.
My son gave me a lathe for Christmas and after searching the web was lucky enough to find this website, I live in Swansea and it would be great if I could make contact with like minded people.
I look forward to hearing from you or any other that could give me any information.
regards 
Ed


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## nev (29 Jan 2014)

Hi Edward
Welcome to the forum. 
If you do not get a reply from Tudor, or anyone else, it may be worth dropping Les Bryan an email. He is a professional woodturner based in Ammanford that does demonstrations ,so he will probably be on first name terms with any of the local clubs. He also offers tuition if thats the route you decide to go down.
As i mentioned in a previous post The Tycroes lot are a friendly bunch and only 5 mins from Pont Abraham.
hope that helps
nev


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## eleanorjane1 (28 Feb 2014)

Hello,

I am also a [fairly] newbie to the world of wood working. I currently attend a club in Loughor if anyone is looking for one in that direction, it runs on a tuesday and thursday from 6:30 and is £2 a session. But am looking for something a little closer and see that there is one in Pontardawe, could anyone give me any more information on it please??


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## Retire2004 (28 Feb 2014)

Hi, Eleanorjane 1, Edward and Nev.
Apologies, but just logged on tonight and saw your messages.
The Pontardawe club meet every Monday at 7.00pm (barring bank hols. etc.) Membership is £15 per year and 50p per Monday visit. We are also open on one Friday and one Saturday per month (not sure of exact dates).
WE are in the Community Centre (old school) on Duffryn Road, Alltwen. Take the A474 from Pontardawe to Neath. Duffryn Road is half way up the long straight hill (sharp RH to the right) the school is about 200 yards on the right. We are looking for new members so you are mast welcome. PM me if you have any queries. (Still waiting for Viking Al to show up !!!)
Thanks Nev for your input.

Regards, Tudor


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## VikingAl (5 Mar 2014)

Hey Tudor!, I'm still waiting to bl###y turn up as well!, ha ha, the joys of working opposite shifts to the wife & having 
2 kids, ah well. I will be coming down though, hopefully this year!.


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## wayne curie (25 Mar 2014)

EnErY":2da8gqqn said:


> Hi im in South wales Email sent to you
> regards
> Bill


hi there im looking to turn wood but cant find any coarses near me, i live in maerdy rct, do you have any knoledge of any coarses


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## nev (26 Mar 2014)

wayne curie":3awl00mf said:


> EnErY":3awl00mf said:
> 
> 
> > Hi im in South wales Email sent to you
> ...



Hello and welcome,
A valley or two over, I don't know if the Bridgend woodturners are still going but may be worth a call or email.


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## BigBob55 (27 Dec 2015)

Hi there Al or anyone else who can help!
I am looking at moving to Wales after many years in New Zealand where I lezarned my wood turning skills and made reasonable income from them. I've kept my lathe and equipment and would like to crank the old girl up again and get in touch with other active turners. I am keen to know how you are getting on Al with your turning as I have been through a similar process and I am also looking for honest advice on areas that are good to move to. I would like a rural spot that is a manageable distance from a small town, etc and where the community will not want to burn a non local on the wood pile (had this experience before somewhere else!) I'm also into riding and fixing vintage motorbikes so any contacts re this good too. Hope some fine people out there can give me their tuppence worth.
cheers
Robert


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## WoodMangler (27 Dec 2015)

BigBob55":24xzolrd said:


> I am looking at moving to Wales after many years in New Zealand


PM sent


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## BigBob55 (27 Dec 2015)

Many thanks for those who have replied already with very useful advice and information. I'm trying to work out how to use this forum so apologies if my replies are not getting through to you. Me and the boss lady are coming to have a look in Pembroke shire mid January so if anyone knows of any meets i can come along to and meet some local folk that would be great. 
Cheers and thanks
Robert


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## Phill joiner (27 Dec 2015)

I may pop along to one of these. Will I be thrown out for being a Segmented lover.


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## Retire2004 (6 Jan 2016)

Hi Phill joiner and Big Bob 55
I am a member of the Pontardawe Woodturning Club (details given earlier in this thread)
Phill, we are always looking for new members and you would be most welcome. We have a resident "Guru" on segmenting.

Big Bob,
Apart from the Pontardawe club, there is one in Ammanford and Pontardulais I think. Not sure if there are any further west but will try to find out.
There is a "Woodcraft Weekend" at the Botanic gardens of Wales on the 16/17 of January (admission £3.00), and on the Monday evening we have a Woodturning demo. at the Pontardawe Club which you are most welcome to attend. (PM me if either of you need more Info.)
In any event, Big Bob, hope you enjoy your trip to Pembrokshire.
Kind regards,
Tudor


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## Darryl22 (12 Apr 2016)

Hi all is there any info on clubs near me Carmarthen area i dont mind travelling just not to far


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## Dalboy (12 Apr 2016)

Darryl22":7cfhx6xm said:


> Hi all is there any info on clubs near me Carmarthen area i dont mind travelling just not to far



Roughly 1/2hr drive away try the Llanelli Woodturning Club. Sorry no web page that I can find


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## Darryl22 (14 Apr 2016)

thanks very much


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## bouch1792 (23 Jun 2016)

This dragons den is getting bigger,Caerphilly i'm from myself been learning on my partners uncle's lathe before i get my own up and running,ive been told that there is a club that runs down in llanishen,not sure if it is true or not,also found a local supplier in tredegar house which i think is the closest to me.

kind regards
tom


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