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Kirk DeHeer, a devoted artisan, draws inspiration from the masters as he has refined his woodturning expertise.
The unique position he held at; Craft Supplies USA has granted him the opportunity to as he likes to say- “stand on the shoulders of giants.” Learning from the masters. Having gleaned invaluable lessons from these luminaries, Kirk generously imparts his own journey of learning to the eager students under his tutelage.
Guiding beginners from the basic dilemma of discerning which end of the tool faces the wood to molding them into skilled craftspeople, Kirk’s efficiency and finesse have been honed to a razor-sharp precision. Leaving a legacy of refined Woodturners in his own wake.
Whether processing bowl blanks on a massive fine-tuned scale of efficiency and form, or delicately crafting intricate threaded boxes, his mastery is evident.
Kirk’s profound love for the craft extends to his students, creating a nurturing environment where passion and skill intertwine, elevating woodturning to the status of a fine art at his highly skilled fingertips. Kirk’s sense of humor and limitless commitment to honoring the past is unsurpassed by his many achievements in paying it forward.
Demystifying cuts and catches
This is a comprehensive discussion of spindle turning tools and their catches. Once you understand what a catch looks like you will be able to take action to correct it.
Topics Covered:
- Lathe safety
- Mounting the wood
- Spindle Roughing gouge
- Skew
- Milled Spindle gouges
Bowls 101
By turning a bowl that is aesthetically pleasing thus being more desirable to you.
Topics covered:
- Safety
- Elements of good design
- Tool selection
- Proper tooling techniques
- Chucking methods
- Turn a bowl that is designed to feel good in the hand
Demystifying Hand thread chasing:
We discuss the tools and materials needed for hand thread chasing, With an easy to follow explanation of how to Hand chase threads. Along with turning a heirloom threaded box.
Techniques covered:
- Safety
- Mounting the blank
- Thread chasing speed
- Thread chasing tools
- Wood suitable for thread chasing. Both inexpensive practice wood and heirloom boxes
- Hollowing endgrain
- Thread chasing
- Matching the grain
Turning a Platter: With or without Airbrush
Turning a platter is different from turning a bowl. Because it is thin and wide. That means that most cuts we use are going directly into the end-grain of the blank.
Techniques covered:
- Platter turning safety
- Platter design
- Platter turning efficacy AKA sequencing
- Mounting the blank
- Getting a safe hold on your blank
- Tool selection
- Where and when to switch from a bowl gouge to a scraper
- Sanding a Platter
Kirk’s 2026 FWS YouTube video intro:
Kirk’s 2026 FWS photo gallery:
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