Born and lives in Devon, England. Jason was introduced to the woodturning lathe at the age of twelve, through schooling and with the support of his parents this interest developed. At the age of 15 he attended a woodturning course with Cecil Jordan held at Parnham House in Dorset; this week long course covered a wide range of items, but also introduced him to the simple art of the turned wooden box. On finishing school, he attended college studying Furniture Design and Management, obtaining a BA (Hons). He then worked for a number of years making bespoke kitchens and furniture allowing him to develop and hone his skills. As much as he enjoys making furniture, his real enjoyment and enthusiasm has always been working upon the wood lathe, even though like most turners Jason can turn his hand to most projects and disciplines, his flair for making and developing ideas for turned wooden boxes is his main interest.
His development of ideas for turned wooden boxes pushes his creative skills and has led him to create a number of boxes that have won competitions within the UK. The “Orbital Arc box“ series is his main design focus at present.
Pushing these creative skills and develop new ideas is only limited within Jason eyes by the fact that wood as the material is unique, the natural colour and grain pattern should always play a part within this, and not be hidden.
He has demonstrated throughout the UK, Australia, Europe, and America, he enjoys demonstrating but is also in demand as a woodturning tutor passing on these skills. His enthusiasm for turning is a major creative force in his demonstrations and teaching.
Currently Jason spends much of his time tutoring these hand skills and techniques. This has enabled him to develop his teaching skills, allowing him to explain and educate the learners within classes or at club demonstrations with clear verbal descriptions explaining these skills, over the years he has realizes that there are a lot of hobby turners looking to learn and progress, and understands how important it is to be translate his skill with clear verbal description.
Session 1: Box with flowing Curves.
Learn the techniques and sequence of making a simple but elegant box from start to finish. This is the basis of my box making skills, allowing me to cover the design, wood selection, a range of tool techniques, reverse chucking, sanding and finishing the completed box. These aspects come together to create a simple looking box with flowing curves
As much as the shape of this box is based on a box with flowing curves, and is similar to turn, this is a challenge to create as it pushes the skill level to turn this square edge box. An explanation of how to achieve a freestanding pagoda style box with raised four footed square base and lid. Starting with timber selection, and preparation of the materials, explaining the methods of mounting the timber, covering the safety aspects of turning of square edge materials. A wide range of tool techniques will be demonstrated from using gouges through to shear scraping, with the techniques described as required to shape and hollow to the finished box.
Session 3: Orbital Arc, the beginning.
This simple art deco style box was the start point of a series of boxes which I call Orbital Arc’s, this series of boxes growing in complexity started with this simple shape. Looking at where and how to start this style of box, explaining the making of templates, answering the puzzle of how to mount the work piece upon the lathe, explaining the methods used on how to measure and layout the profile shape, the selections of basic tools used to shape materials. An explanation of the assembly process and overall construction, which go into making this simple looking box
