Lead Demonstrators for SWAT 2024
Stuart Batty
Stuart is a third-generation woodturner, being a full-time production turner and teacher in his father’s studio at age 16. At 19, he started working for Craft Supplies in England, at the time the world’s largest supplier to woodturners. During his 6 years at Craft Supplies, he was the in-house woodturning teacher and demonstrator.
During the past 34 years, Stuart has taught more
than 3,000 amateur and professional woodturners. He has demonstrated and taught in 12 countries and for more than 180 AAW chapters throughout the US.
Stuart’s style of work is greatly influenced by his background as a spindle turner with precise cuts and sharp detail. He uses very simple tools and tool shapes to create his pieces. His work is pure lathe work, with no carving or surface texturing.
Jason Breach
Kirk DeHeer
Kirk DeHeer, a devoted artisan, draws inspiration from the masters as he has refined his woodturning expertise.
His unique position 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. Having forgotten more than most of his students hope to learn in a lifetime.
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.
Kurt Hertzog
Retiring after 35+ years as a computer and automotive engineer, Kurt now enjoys being a professional woodturner. Woodturning since 2000, he enjoys the continuum of woodturning from making his own turning tools to photographing his finished turnings. As frequent demonstrator and instructor on all facets of woodturning, he particularly enjoys teaching tool sharpening, workholding, and advanced penmaking.
SWAT Demo Topics:
Penmaking – The basics and beyond
Learn the basics starting at the very beginning covering materials, tools and equipment, adhesives and finishes, and processing. You’ll learn material and kit selection, blank cutting drilling and gluing, facing, workholding, turning to size, sanding, finishing, and assembly. Bring your problem pens and other issues for the question-and-answer session.
Penmaking – Next Steps
Building on the “basics and beyond”, we’ll continue with the finer points of all of the penmaking covered building on each. Learn the finer points of creating perfection in your pens. Additional topics will include display ideas, tips and tricks, repairs/error corrections, pricing, marketing, and more. Bring problem pens and other issues for the question-and-answer session.
Beth Ireland
Beth Ireland earned an undergraduate degree from the State University College at Buffalo, and an MFA in sculpture from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has been running her company, Beth Ireland Woodworking, since 1983. Her business provides woodworking with a specialization in architectural and artistic woodturning and carving. Ireland has been involved in two traveling art/craft project, Turning Around America, and the Sanctuary Trailer project. She has received 3 Windgate Fellowships, teaches the 2-month Professional Woodturning Intensive at The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, and writes articles for professional journals. Beth lives and works in Saint Petersburg Florida\
Sammy Long
Sammy Long is a native of Greenville, Mississippi and a resident of Brandon, Mississippi. He is happily retired from many years of work in the gas pipeline industry. He began his career as a machinist and learned to turn on a metal lathe. He began turning as a hobby and is now known for his unique hollow forms with leaf carvings, piercings and spiraling. He is a member of the Craftsman’s Guild of Mississippi and Magnolia Woodturners. He has taught and demonstrated at the Appalachian Center for Crafts, John C. Campbell Folk School, Arrowmont School of Arts, for local and regional woodturning clubs and regional symposiums as well as the AAW Symposium. Those who have directly influenced Sammy’s work have been John Jordon, Binh Pho and Dixie Biggs.
Laurent Niclot
Originally from Southern France, now living in Colorado Laurent has always loved wood. While working on a degree in woodworking and furniture design, he discovered woodturning and knew it was his passion. At age 20, he participated in the six-month long woodturning class at the Escoulen School in Aiguines, France. After the class, Laurent was hired and worked as the studio coordinator for 3 years. Today, he continues to make work and teach woodturning. His interests include traditional woodturning, texturing, coloring, multi-axis turning, carving and hollowing. He has taught his techniques around the world, including Belgium, France, Canada and the US. Laurent considers his work experimental and his aim is to make pieces that are sculptural, decorative, and designed with a strong message or a story to tell.
SWAT demo topics:
Mini Hollow Forms (+teapot)
In this demo, I will go through the process of creating a miniature hollow form. I will use different tools for the outside shape focusing on getting a nice cut. We will talk about how to hollow out and gauge the thickness of such a small form. I will then discuss the possible outcomes and show how I make the miniature form into a teapot. I will show the turning of the lid and the spout and coloring using Indian ink and gilding
Ploc!: Multi-Axis Drop
Turning and turning off-center of a drop using a spindle gouge. Then carving of the top of the drop using gouges and rasps to make it thinner and have two different curves on the back and the front giving it an illusion of movement. And finally, discussing surface treatment options, including coloring using Indian ink and gilding wax.
SWAT 2024
SWAT 2024