Martin is a well known YouTubing woodturner with an internationally known and respected channel with around 200 turning and business oriented videos freely available.
He has recently expanded his online presence by presenting online free, and paid-for demonstrations on his YouTube channel and through Zoom. By using the technology on-hand, he was at the forefront of the rapidly growing popularity of remote demonstrations during the Coronavirus pandemic, presenting to a global audience for free regularly between March and August 2020.
Turning clubs all over the UK, USA and Canada have since enjoyed remote presentations and Martin’s entertaining and informative method of demonstrating.
In the autumn of 2015, Martin started developing the popular range of Hampshire Sheen finishes that now includes a range of waxes, oils, sealer and lacquers. From there, he began blending his own range of water based colours in shades that he prefers – the Intrinsic Colour Collection and produced by Hampshire Sheen. This range of atmospheric shades are different to the other brighter colours on the market. Now employing two further staff, Hampshire Sheen products are available all over the UK, and are exported to Europe, the US, Canada and South Africa.
During lockdown in 2020, Martin founded ‘Woodturning360’, a solely online turning club that features monthly demonstrations from professional turners from around the world and discussion meetings. The club currently enjoys a growing membership of over 160 members.
From August 2020, Martin teamed up with the well known Les Thorne and together they founded ‘The Woodturning Shop’ based next-door to Hampshire Sheen where they both teach lessons on a variety of disciplines for groups and individuals. They both present remote demonstrations from here, too.
Martin’s own turning is more artistic rather than practical. The making of many of his pieces can be found on his YouTube channel, as well as for sale on his website, or at The Woodturning Shop. A keen teacher of woodturning and creative skills, Martin’s students complete their lessons with finished items and a unique insight in the creative process. They leave encouraged and inspired to pursue their woodturning hobby to the best of their ability.
In March 2023, Hampshire Sheen launch their Finishing Academy for users of the product range. With over 3 hours of video tutorials, students can improve their finishing and knowledge of the range.
Please note the opening times below are for workshop visitors and customers. Martin is available on the phone Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 3pm and 24/7 through email and social media channels.
Chris has been a professional woodworker for 55 years, 50 of them self-employed. From his workshop within the Dartmoor National Park he creates functional, decorative and architectural turned work. He also offers tuition to individuals and small groups, and gives demonstrations at craft events and to woodworking clubs and interested groups. Combining uncomplicated balanced form with natural features, as well as the effects of fungal and insect activity, he finds that the most unlikely looking pieces of wood often produce the most striking end results. His work essentially celebrates the imperfections in wood as features of a beautiful natural material, rather than as defects. The timber he uses is sourced as locally as possible to his Dartmoor workshop. The majority of wood comes from trees that have fallen, been cut down due to damage or disease, or from licenced conservation pruning and felling. Any exotic species used will be either recycled or from sustainable FSC sources. There are examples of his work in 17 countries, on 4 continents, and he exhibits widely in galleries, exhibitions and craft events. He has a permanent gallery display area at his workshop, which you are welcome to view by appointment.
Working with wood and woodturning has always been an important part of my life and although it was not my main career it remained an integral part of my leisure time and I took every chance to increase my skills. In 2001 I decided to immerse myself in woodturning as a full time business. The woods I use are almost entirely from recycled and sustainable sources. Some have been rescued from the log pile or from local orchards, farms and gardens. Inspired by organic forms and natural surroundings I allow the beauty of the wood to suggest the shape and purpose of the piece. I take commissions for special items and offer 1 to 1 tuition at my workshop in Long Sutton, Nr Langport, Somerset. I am a Registered Professional Turner, a member of The Somerset Guild of Craftsmen and the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain.
I served in Her Majesty’s Grenadier Guards Band from the age of 15 to 25 traveling the world and making lots of noise as a tuba player. For the next couple of years I tried working in a hospital and training as a driving instructor. I then then found my true vocation when I worked for a builder friend who trained me up as a General builder at the age of 27 and I have been running my own business until the present time. I started woodturning in 2010 and found it an easy change. My practical use of timber and carpentry tools and my attention to detail from my Army days where a great help to me. I was encouraged by club members to demonstrate to my woodturning club in 2017 and finaly started demonstrating to other clubs in February 2019. I like to demonstrate things that are different to the normal things that you see and add a little fun at the same time. I also love meeting with other turners and often find that I learn as much from them as they do from me. I have had some success with turning for competition and love to make things that are out of the usual, often not knowing if they are even possible.
I have been involved with wood in some capacity for the majority of my life. I worked as a saw doctor prior to becoming Company Director of the family timber mill.
However, 1998 saw another change of direction for me, it felt like a natural progression to become a full time woodturner.
In 2001 I was accepted onto the Register of Professional Turners
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