Home - Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild

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Recent Updates:
* Turnfest is almost here - Saturday September19 at the Learning Center.
* October Monthly Meeting - join us to meet national demonstrator/instructor Michael Kehs. Pro classes available.
* Make a rose or wreath using offset turning on a platter - only a few spots left…Making a Rose with Offset Turning
* Monthly Meeting Highlights from the prior 2025 & 2026 season are now on their own summary pages - less scrolling!
* Member news items are now archived on the Member News Highlights page (see link in Member News section)
* Rookie Night - 2nd Thursday of each month. Great way to connect and learn with fellow members.
* New Open Shop during the day - every Wednesday from 1-4 pm….
* New Classes & Skill Building Sessions added including birdhouse ornaments and custom tool handles…. Check out the calendar!
* Sell your items at the Holiday Art Market and support the Kennedy Heights Art Center.

TURNFEST

OVWG kicks off their 2026-2027 season with the annual Turnfest event on September 19 from 9am - 12:30pm in the Learning Center. In our first monthly meeting, watch any or all of the eight 90-minute demonstrations from home-grown members as they display their talents with a variety of turning demos in the Learning Center.

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Milford Art Affaire

OVWG will have a booth for demonstrations and selling at the Milford Art Affaire on September 26, 2026 from 11am-5pm in downtown Milford, OH. The event includes a juried fine art and craft show, live music, and food. At the OVWG booth, visit with Dave Kratzer, David Wright, and Jack Gormley as they demonstrate woodturning. You can also see members John Shannon and Tom Dresch at their booths, as well as over 134 artists at the event.

View the event details here.

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NEW EVENT! Rookie Night

Have you been a OVWG member for less than a year? Then get to know your fellow ‘rookies’ for an evening of education, information, and connections. Each month (second Thursdays), there will be a short demonstration, relevant information, snacks, and a Q&A session.

Rookie Night - 6-9pm - 10/8/2026

October Monthly Meeting

Michael Kehs

Join us for the October monthly meeting and experience a demonstration from national turner and instructor Michael Kehs. Michael is from Bucks County, Pennsylvania and has exhibited in several U.S. shows and has a piece in the permanent collection of the Museum for Art in Wood in Philadelphia. He has written for American Woodturner, the journal of the American Association of Woodturners, and Woodcraft Magazine. He turned an ornament for the Clinton White House during the Year of the Craft. Michael has won awards in many art and craft shows locally and nationally, including several Best of Show awards.

Active in both local and national turning and carving clubs, he also demonstrates and teaches both woodcarving and woodturning in his studio and at the Marc Adam’s School of Woodworking. Michael has been turning and carving since 1980 and has studied anatomy sculpture under Eugene Daubs through the Tyler School of Art.

One of Michael's greatest enjoyments is inspiring others to be creative. As a spelunker, he likes to discover the hidden beauty of bats and explore new techniques in embellishments using texturing, pyrography, fire sanding, and coloring.

Michael will be demonstrating at the Mid Atlantic Woodturners Symposium in September, but you can sign up for one of his classes at the Learning Center and learn directly from the pro.

* Register for his class on Lidded boxes with pyrography, micro carving, and color embellishments at:

Michael Kehs Class -Embellished Lidded Box - 10/18/2026

* Register for the class on embellishing a sphere with wood burning, coloring, and carving at:
Michael Kehs Class - Embellishment of a Sphere - 10/19/2026

Examples of Michael’s artistry….

Volunteers Needed

The Guild is seeking volunteers to help lead key areas of the 2027 Woodturning Symposium. These coordinator positions provide an opportunity to work with a team of dedicated volunteers while helping create an outstanding educational experience for woodturners from across the region. Each coordinator is supported by committee members, volunteers, and prior coordinators as a resource.

Auction Coordinator
Lead the planning and operation of the Live Auction and Silent Auction. Responsibilities include securing donations, organizing auction items, coordinating volunteers, supporting auction presentations, and managing auction setup, bidding activities, and checkout.

Interested in Helping?

The position is ideal for members who enjoy organizing projects, working with people, and contributing to the success of one of the premier regional woodturning events. Training, guidance, and volunteer support are available. Contact Doug Glessner or Dean Devin if interested or to learn more about any of the symposium opportunities.

Holiday Art Market

The Kennedy Heights Art Center is currently taking applications for local vendors to sell their unique, handmade items at the annual Holiday Art Market at Kennedy Heights Arts Center! The Holiday Art Market will be open from November 7 through December 23, 2026. The Market provides an opportunity for talented makers throughout the Greater Cincinnati region to exhibit and sell their original wares in a curated gallery setting.

Commission rate is 75% to the artist and 25% to KHAC. All items are on consignment, and vendors are responsible for their own inventory. There is no fee to apply or table fee. KHAC staff and volunteers will conduct all the sales and handle sales tax.
Application Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026 (by 11:59 pm).

View details and application here: https://kennedyarts.org/event/call-to-vendors-for-holiday-art-market/

Wood Processing & Loading Dock Clean-up

Need wood? Ambrosia Maple, spalted maple and firewood available on the loading dock!

Special thanks to all who participated in the Wood Processing and loading dock clean-up Tuesday evening (August 4).

Jack Gormley and Andrew McQuilkin processed blanks on the band saw to resupply the Learning Center. John Richey provided a pick up truck load of freshly cut white oak. Members were able to take home wood for their own projects.

Stop by the loading dock and help yourself to logs cut up for blanks (includes ambrosia maple and spalted maple) on the right side, and a wall full of firewood on the left side.

Turning with Physical Limitations

Turning wood is a fun hobby and physical issues need not prevent us from making shavings. If you have difficulty standing or using a lathe long enough to turn, consider the use of the sit down lathe.

At the OVWG Learning Center, the Oneway Sit Down Lathe has been re-engaged and moved to the front of the room. Members can now utilize the ability to sit while turning.

The lathe can be lowered to achieve a comfortable turning height with the center line at or close to elbow height.
The lathe can be tilted 90 degrees and use a banjo extension to place the toolrest in a conventional position in relation to the work.

When you use a seat or wheelchair, there are a number of techniques that can compensate for any inability to move sideways which you would typically do when standing.

For turning tips and lathe info, see the Turning with Limitations resource page at:
Turning with Physical Limitations

Monthly Meeting Highlights

2026 Monthly Meeting Highlights

View the 2026 Monthly Meeting (January - June) highlights and Show & Tell Photos

2026 Monthly Meeting Highlights

2025 Monthly Meeting Highlights

View the 2025 Monthly Meeting (January - December) highlights and Show & Tell Photos

2025 Monthly Meeting Highlights

New to turning or undecided about which lathe to get? Sign up for an “Introduction to Turning” session held each month, attend skill-building sessions, or join in on one or several of the many Open Shops each week at the Learning Center. See the Calendar for events or view the new member sign up information here.

SAVE THE DATES

We have a great lineup of demonstrations for the monthly meetings - save the dates and register early for the upcoming events and classes:

September 19, 2026: TURNFEST kicks off our next season.

December 12, 2026: Annual Member Appreciation Luncheon

October 29 - 31, 2027: OVWG Turning 2027 Symposium

Class Photos

Traditional Pepper Mills

KC Kendall demonstrated the creation of traditional pepper mills. Turning a pepper mill is a rewarding woodworking project that combines functionality with creativity. It involves shaping wood into a cylindrical form and installing a grinding mechanism. The design of a pepper mill impacts its functionality by influencing user comfort, grinding efficiency, and the ability to adjust grind size. Ergonomic handles and balanced weight enhance ease of use, while high-quality grinding mechanisms ensure consistent results and better flavor extraction from the peppercorns.

Wet Bowls

Jerry Warner demonstrated the basics of green bowl turning. Green bowl turning involves using freshly cut wood that still contains moisture, allowing for easier shaping and carving. It requires specific tools and techniques to manage the wood's natural changes as it dries, which can include warping or cracking.

Basic Platters

Bob Henrickson demonstrated the basics of platter turning. Methods of mounting on the lathe for turning the face and finishing the base were reviewed for members to apply on their work piece. Design options were discussed to provide opportunities for various types of later embellishment.

Peppermills

KC Kendall demonstrated how to make a peppermill from layout, shaping, drilling and assembly.

Cross Drill Ornaments with Inlays

As an intermediate class, we learned how to make a Christmas ornament using a cross-drill technique and advanced spindle turning skills. After cross-drilling a hardwood cube, the cube was turned to created a globe. Laminates (snowflakes and dog paws) were then inlayed into the cube. A cap and finial were turned to complete the ornament.

Bird House Ornaments

As the holiday season approaches, we found ourselves looking for special gifts for special people. For woodturners, small gifts that will have special meaning for others are well within reach. With a little imagination and the use of wood scraps, the class made birdhouse ornaments that relatives and friends will treasure for years to come.

Demonstrator Class: Winged Bowls

Following his demonstration at the October monthly meeting, national woodturner Jamie Donaldson guided class participants through the process of making their own Winged Square Turning and Winged Bowl. He covered the process of sharpening the tools as well.

Wood Processing and Cutting Classes

You might say we were a “cut above the rest” at the wood processing sessions. John Westrup and his Wood team had several workstations set up to allow members to try their skills at using a chainsaw to create wood blanks from the various logs outside of the Learning Center. John provided an overview of how to cut logs to remove the pith and then section the cut for bowl blanks and spindle blanks. Bowl blanks and spindle blanks were then cut with the bandsaw for members to take home and turn or serve as projects for an Open Shop visit.

As a reference, you can review the “Bowl Roughing Process” poster in the Learning Center that displays how to cut a log for bowl blanks. See the upcoming newsletter for tips on wood processing. Logs can be a source of inspiration for designs that utilize features of the timber, such as natural edge for bowls or grain patterns.

Segmented Vessel Week

It was segmented vessel week at OVWG in August. Jess Parrett led a two-part hands-on class that provided techniques for creating segments using a table saw sled, gluing segments into rings, and gluing rings on the lathe to create a rough vessel blank to finish at home. Dan Gingerich, John Peters, and Terry Elfers provided instructional support and shared various techniques in making segmented pieces.

Offset Plate:

Bob Henrickson led the group in turning a different sort of plate by creating a plate using both offsets and tilts to produce a striking effect. The domed center provided a focal point for embellishment. Using a jam chuck, the back side of the platter was shaped into an ‘ogee’ curve.

Cheese Platter:

KC Kendall provided the ingredients to create a cheese platter with a marble insert. A tasty tip to share - repurpose a mortise. A mortise on the top side is used to finish the bottom side of the platter. If the marble insert in the center is set up to be removable, the mortise can also be used to hold a similar sized bowl for chip dip.

Skill Building Session Photos

Introduction to Woodturning and the OVWG Learning Center

The latest group of new members attended the free monthly orientation to the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild and our Learning Center. They were acquainted with a brief history of the OVWG that started back in 1988 and how we've grown as a friendly group of people who love to turn wood. The operation of the Learning Center was reviewed and how this great resource can help the journey of learning to turn wood and finding out what kinds of things you can make.

Safety is a high priority for the OVWG in all of our activities. The parts of the lathe were reviewed and how to be safe when working on the lathe, as well as use of other tools in the workshop. An introduction to sharpening was provided as well.

Attendees used the lathes for spindle turning as a hands on introduction to woodturning by making a bead & cove stick, since beads and coves are the key design elements of many things around us every day.

Embellishment Tools & Techniques

As an intermediate class, attendees observed the use of a variety of embellishment tools and the associated turning techniques for each, and was then able to try each out on the lathe. Demonstrated tools included the following:

Point Tool
Knurling Tool
Chatter Tool
Spiraling Tool
Beading Tool
Teardrop Tool
Elf Tool

Intermediate Skills: Jam Chucks

In the July Intermediate Skill Building session, techniques using jam chucks to turn and shape round objects were demonstrated. Attendees created a jam chuck to hold a round work piece in place for turning and repositioning as needed to create a desired shape.

Intermediate Skills: Ball-and-Cup

It was time to have fun making a Ball-and-Cup toy in Bev Connelly’s Skill Building Session for Intermediate members. In a round about way, the session started with making a sphere and then designing a cup to fit the sphere - all from the same workpiece blank. Techniques included sphere making, hollowing with a Forster bit, caliper measure, and creating pieces that fit inside another. With Bev and Mark’s expert guidance in efficiently turning the workpieces, the biggest challenge was catching the ball in the cup.