Segmented Woodturnings
Shortly after I began wood turning in 2005, I came across a book on the work of Ray Allen, a pioneer in the wood turning niche known as Segmented. I was fascinated with the beauty of the vessels he had produced, and intrigued by "how he did that". Thus began a wonderful journey, tapping into my right brain to release whatever creative skills I had, and into my left brain, trying to learn and to discover how to create these seemingly intricate designs without leaving any evidence of doing so.
I began with the video's produced by Curt Theobald, one of a handful of outstanding contemporary segmented turners working today, which gave me the basics of how to set up my shop and jigs necessary to create a segmented ring. After having done a few bowls with modest success, I took the next step and signed up for his class, conducted in his shop on the windswept plains of Wyoming.
Working with Curt refined my construction skills, but the major lesson I walked away with was that "good enough" isn't. If I was going to invest the kind of time required to create a segmented piece, then there is no compromise on the execution. If there is a flaw in the piece, I will be aware of it, regardless of how obvious it is to the casual observer. Join me in the journey, and we will see how good a segmented turner I can become.