Traditional Turning

During the past 20 years Robin Wood has produced and sold over 30,000 wooden plates and bowls from his small workshop nestled into a Peak District hillside. Creating items for everyday use and making a living from his work as a craftsman is a fundamental principle underpinning Robin's working lifestyle. He seems very happy with the path he has chosen but his activities are not restricted to wood turning.
Robin is also Chairman of the Heritage Craft Association heritagecrafts.org.uk, is featured in many television craft programmes, and shares his skills and knowledge with others by running classes in bowl turning and spoon carving. He also writes a very interesting and informative craft blog. greenwood-carving.blogspot.co.uk
Dave and Lynwen went along to see him turn a bowl. artisanco.com
Robin Wood's website: robin-wood.co.uk

[@mikefelber5129]

It’s easy to make something more complicated, but not to make it more simple. I have utmost respect for the simplicity of your craft (even the description)!

[@MasterNameless77]

Without a doubt the coolest name ever, Robin Wood. Great piece!

[@ossu.entertainment5761]

Watching this just made my day better and left me happy! Thank you!

[@raneanubis]

To me, this man has obtained one of the most precious and RARE gifts ever- contentment.

[@TheDoodla]

What a superb watch, fascinating! Thank you 🌟

[@29jug11]

Good to see that you are still turning Robin..... .... it’s a long time since I won a treasured copy of your book during a knockout round of Conkers... ... The Toy-Maker

[@thetourk]

what a wonderful way to spend a life, such a place to live and work. its nice to see that their is still a place for natural products. when I was a potter I used a foot powered wheel you have a lot more feel for the material. I'm a wood turner now and use an old eclectic powered lathe its got a nice feel to it but like the thought of using a lathe like yours but I'm disabled now and have to sit down to turn, use what you can and as long as your doing something

[@ewalddamey]

Greetings from Austria! Looks like good!

[@danthomas9474]

that is incredible. Very uplifting and empowering. I am inspired.

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very interesting and very nice! I like what and how your doing it! Thanks for sharing.

[@johnsegota1398]

Beautiful work !

[@CenturyPorchPost]

Absolutely brilliant. Hats off to ya!

[@MMorgan09876]

Thanks a million. I'll be setting mine up next weekend.

[@000jaypettitt000]

That's a good point. Woodies like me have a pro wood bias so when we find something that says nice things about our material we latch on to it. The best info I can find after quite a bit of digging including meta studies is that plastic is likely better in a commercial setting where stuff is in constant use and gets thrown once it's scratched (scratches in plastic are bad). In a domestic setting where things dry and rest between uses and plastic doesn't get thrown out, wood is very very good.

[@xKillerxSmurfx]

Love the name Robin Wood. Reminds me of The Once and Future King.

[@thelighthouseband]

great video- nice birch bark basket too j-

[@danyelnicholas]

Fantastic, thank you, may he live to turn at 89!

[@Justmyopinionlol]

I've seen those footpowered/handpowered tools in Pakistan/Turkey (no electricity)...and they make knives, tools, and even guns using them. Amazing.

[@Zavorio]

Well played sir!

[@WoodToolsSheffield]

I would love to have multiple sources but in 15 years looking for serious research Professor Cliver's is the only objective scientific study that I have found along with the research of Professor Philip Class into Salmonella which found that California residents using wooden cutting boards were half as likely to contract salmonellosis as those using plastic boards. This research is backed up by recommendations from USDA in the US and the UK Food Standards Agency both are happy with wood boards.

[@Manny1222]

This is pretty cool.

[@WoodToolsSheffield]

basic answer here "disease bacteria ... were not recoverable from wooden surfaces in a short time after they were applied, unless very large numbers were used. Wooden boards that had been used and had many knife cuts acted almost the same as new wood, whereas plastic surfaces that were knife-scarred were impossible to clean and disinfect manually ..." more detail and link to academic research here at robin-wood.co.uk/using-woodware.htm

[@killerpollocgm]

es una inspiración y tu trabajo es magnifico

[@TheFluteArts]

Amazing!!!

[@andrewmaddams2013]

Awesome . Enough said.

[@keithbeef]

first time in a long time I've wanted to live back in England

[@massimilianomanetta4190]

Fenomeno!

[@WoodToolsSheffield]

oh and the birch bark basket was made by Jarrod Stone Dahl I love it.

[@WoodToolsSheffield]

thanks for the nice comments and to Artisan Media for the lovely film. To find out more about my work google "robin wood" to find my website

[@teeteearrr]

Amazing. Would love to try building one with gears and which turns in one direction. This way the gears could be used to make it go faster and keep spinning with the least effort possible.

[@markp8295]

If you mean simply taking the hub and cassette off an old mountain bike and adding a fly wheel. I'm sure this could be done cheaply. Gearing and ratchet provided by the bike parts. Could then be run like and old singer sewing machine. If you're going to that effort and want it traditional, you may want to look at old grinding stones.

[@WoodToolsSheffield]

I post on the green woodworkers forum and there are pics of lathes being built there I can't post full links here but google "bodgers forum" then go to the bowl section

[@mikeabbott]

Lovely film, Rob - first time I've seen it. Just been directed by a friend to the Seiffen turners - absolutely amazing, so then I showed her how it could perhaps be done on a pole lathe. Ever tried?

[@LiamMitts]

Thank you

[@kickpublishing]

The video tool manufacturers DONT want you to see. Seems most ancient tools cut with a burr instead of a blade.

[@ConfusionWood]

very nice

[@williamstafford6419]

The lathe looks extremely simplistic, thought effective. How long does the apparatus last? Since the rod providing the tension is made out of wood, does it break down over time? Really cool work!

[@PeterLada]

For a minute I thought it was shot in Brooklyn.

[@morneb2000]

hi Robin this is such an inspiring video. this leaves me in the mood to put the lathe on. if I may ask : what do you use to make the bowls food safe ? great job you have. regards morne

[@eoinoconnell1139]

lovely work, do you have pedals on your bandsaw?

[@anamurluke33]

Dear Master Can you introduce us to a traditional lathe tools? Especially chisels

[@WoodToolsSheffield]

the pole lasts 2-3 years, wood retains it's spring well, if it didn't wooden bows would not work.

[@CalHallows]

This is really nerdy but make sure you turn the stabiliser off on your lens when you're recording on sticks. It causes unnecessary wear and tear on the motor as it tries to stabilise while the shot is already steady.

[@PatrickRob82]

0:47 totally thought he was eating sawdust for a second.

[@MMorgan09876]

Do you have any links on how you built your lathe you wouldn't mind sharing?

[@massimilianomanetta4190]

Genio!

[@ArtisanMediaLtd]

Hi Kerami, In the past, turners would make their own lathe tools, and Robin does the same. I'm sure if you contact him on his website he can share more with you robin-wood.co.uk

[@rachidbensaid4665]

ممتاز

[@MichaelSmith-hg1sb]

What type of oil do you use

[@judycharvey5790]

17 dislikes come from plastic manufacturing CEOs

[@Nicolas-zb9uw]

Is Robin Wood his real name ?????

[@nilsjevivderilsje]

Not that I disagree, if it is true that's fantastic, but when it comes to science it's best if one looks at multiple sources of information as possible. I haven't looked into it any more than your comment, but if it's just from one source, it would be best if you compared the information to other studies as well. Bacterial safety's important, after all.

[@ArtisanMediaLtd]

;)

[@musicman9897]

YOU DIDN'T USE A WOODEN DISHWASHER.

[@BlasterTon]

HA! His name is Robin WOOD! HAHAHAHA!!!

[@Nhanzter]

his leg must be swole as fuck!

[@Hawk7886]

no

[@Akira.Nibbai]

Derp, and they all died from eating bacteria growing in the wood.

[@velprox1]

hipster