Seri Robinson fell in love with spalting and woodturning in high school shop class, and earned a bachelor’s degree in woodworking art and design, and a master’s and doctorate in wood science. Seri is an associate professor of renewable material anatomy at Oregon State University, where they teach turning, sculpture, and wood identification, and research spalting fungi and their effects on wood.
Seri is the author of The Lindquist Legacy, a scholarly look at the U.S. studio woodturning movement; Living with Wood, a practical guide to wood science; and Spalting 101, a guide to DIY wood spalting, among other works.
Demonstrations
All of Seri’s demonstrations will be in room “I”
ROTATIONS 1 and 8:
Wood Mythbusters – Ask a Wood Scientist!
What exactly is ambrosia maple? Are some woods really dangerous to use? Does pouring beer on wood make good spalting? Does putting a finish on wood actually make more bacteria grow? Join Dr. Robinson for a (usually hilarious) Q&A session on wood. No question is too basic, no question is too silly. Bust myths, tear urban legends apart, and learn about the structure and science of wood as it relates to woodturning. Come with an open mind, too, because you’ll be shocked to learn just how much of what you ‘know’ is actually not based in science at all!
ROTATION 3:
Spalting 101: From Ancient Art to Modern Marvel
This talk will cover the history and modern use of spalted wood, beginning with its discovery in 1400s Western Europe, through its rise to fame in marquetry, to its modern use in woodturning and scientific applications. A sizable portion of time will be spent on how to induce spalting into wood, both with live fungi and with extracted pigments.
ROTATION 4 and 9:
Turning Spalted Wood
Tired of tear out and stabilizers? You can get a smooth finish no matter how spalted the wood with a bit of patience—sandpaper not needed! Dr. Robinson will discuss the importance of supported, bevel riding cuts, grinds of gouges and skew chisels, and the importance of angles in turning spalted wood. This demo will also cover when wood is ‘too’ spalted to turn, how to match technique to the different spalting types, and if you must stabilize, which work the best.
ROTATION 6:
Turning Figured and Tropical Woods – Skill and Science
Not all wood is created equal. Take a deep dive into woods with a little something extra in this interactive turning demonstration. Learn about how figure forms in wood, the extra color and smells in tropical woods, and how all this affects tool use , wood strength, and end use. Expect to spend a fair bit of time out of your seat touching and smelling the samples, comparing shavings, and discussing the importance of tool angle and bevel riding.
