Following an initial career as Archæologist, which established his interest of functional wooden designs in ancient kitchenware, Dan joined Yandles around 2015 and after seven years of training there, he became an AWGB approved woodturning tutor in 2024 with a particular interest in sponsoring the Emerging Turners Programme.
With this in mind, Dan prefers to demonstrate turning small practical pieces from off-cuts that are ideal for Improved Beginners, but could also be sold at local markets.

He warned that such turning is not realistic for a regular income and shared his viewpoint that Market Prices can be split into 3 groups :
Up to £30 - are bought by those as a gift for themselves/family/friends so will often buy more than one item;
£100 or more - are bought by people not concerned about price; whereas
£30 to £100 - are the hardest to find a buyer because they are stringently examined for faults/value for money.

His demonstration tonight was a Bud Vase out of figured Sycamore & a Light-Pull Knob of Padauk.  Basic processes were used for each of the items and good workshop practice discussions/advice were made throughout.  Dan recognised that our Club had a significant proportion of experienced turners but despite being simple pieces to turn, he hoped that everyone would find at least one technique that if not new, at least recalled an overlooked memory.

  Bud Vase

Dan suggested that one needed something special to accentuate your design over others and his eye-catching feature was a bead which he took care to enhance with Sanding Sealer followed by Friction Polish in order to draw ones eye to the top.
He also advocated that any hand-held piece should only be sanded to 180 grit because a colleague who made extremely sharp knives for Professional Chefs had told him that finer grits will reduce one's safe hand grip while 180 maintains an ideal finger hold.  Consequently, despite leaving an exemplary tool finished surface, he proceeded to treat the piece from 80 grit through to 180.

  Light-Pull Knob

Dan had approached Planet Tools to ask them to produce a 2-step drill bit to allow a single drill action that would leave a 3mm hole through the blank together with a 6mm end hole to accommodate a knotted drawstring. They supplied him with such but Planet Plus Ltd don't currently list any on their website.
For mass production, he demonstrated his 3 Step Lathe Buffing System.

The final photo is of an example Light-Pull &
his demonstration one at back right.

(click for close up view)