Byron Young – Woodturner Charleston, West Virginia
Amidst the lodges, cottages, ponds and swimming pool, picnic shelters, fields, trails, campfires, chapel, meeting and dining halls, and a covered bridge all surrounded by West Virginia mountains sits the Craft House at Cedar Lakes in Ripley. Since 1959 this building has welcomed and celebrated the rich history of mountain crafts. One resident group currently occupying a room is the Mountaineer Woodturners.
This group of 60 members meets once per month in a room full of lathes for demonstrations and “to talk shop” according to president, Byron Young. “We are a chapter of the national American Association of Woodturners (AAW),” he says. “There are 400 chapters with some 14,000 members worldwide.”
Young has been turning wood as a hobby for 50 years. “I was a medic in the Air Force back in the 1960s, and now I’m telling my age,” he says with a laugh. “It seems like I’ve always worked with wood, and I’ve really gotten into it in the last 20 years or so.” In addition to creating his own art, Young also teaches 10, week-long classes throughout the year. “The students are mostly retired folks, and people assume it’s all men,” he continues. “But women take the classes, too. They’re generally easier to teach; and it doesn’t take any particular physical strength like some people might think.”
Cherry, walnut, and maple are Young’s favorite woods to use. “They’re plentiful, and they’re pretty,” he says. “You can fall into a trap with some of your specialty wood due to the high costs. So we harvest locally. There are always fallen trees from storm damage. And we help folks by chopping them up, and clearing them away. Most of my pieces are made from local wood.” He adds, “I also like holly—it’s a beautiful blonde wood with a little gray to it. And, box elder (a maple species) can have a lot of bright red, which makes good looking pieces.”
In addition to wood choices, woodturners also have their own preferences of finishing styles. “Galleries are asking for a mixture of natural wood grain and color these days. So I like to use stains, dyes, and iridescent paints on my work,” says Young. He sells at shows, events, and several brick and mortar locations. “I’m a juried artist at Tamarack [arts center in Beckley], and I also sell in a little gallery in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.” Young makes platters, vases, ornaments, trinket boxes, duck calls, toys, and a variety of other items. “Functional bowls and all kinds of natural edge items are trending now.”
Young’s work was also chosen as an ornament for the Governor’s tree in Charleston, West Virginia. “We don’t get paid. But it goes in the collection, and you get to have lunch with the Governor,” he states with a grin.
While looking at his creations, Young suddenly asked if I knew about the Golden Ratio. Well, I’m never ready for a math quiz, so all that came to mind was the Fibonacci sequence (because it was once explained to me using a nautilus shell). When he said, “Yes, it’s there also” I was certain he was just being generous. (I Googled it later, and was shocked to see that they are related!) “The multi-layered piece I call ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is my signature favorite because I was experimenting with the Golden Ratio, 1.618. It’s everywhere in the universe—in nature, architecture, the human body, windows, books and even the shape of our credit cards. So even though the sizes are different within the piece, they follow this ratio. It took me quite a while to make, and it’s probably one of the most difficult and rewarding of my pieces.”
Back in the workshop, Young starts the lathes and says, “Safety is very important in wood turning.” He then gives a five-minute demonstration on how to make a vintage child’s toy top. “Some people think that using a lathe isn’t really wood carving. But, all the machine does is spin the wood. Hands do all the carving. The woodturner is driving the tools and creating the forms.”
The entire Cedar Lakes Conference Center facility is renowned for its craft programs, classes, events and mission to preserve and promote handcrafting and native artisan skills. The Mountaineer Woodturners participate in art fairs and offer a ‘make-and-take’ interactive workshop for anyone 14 years old and up. “Not everybody wants to be a CEO,” laughs Young. “They’ve done away with shop classes in most high schools; and I think they’re realizing that’s a mistake. We need trade schools, and maybe our event can inspire a young person to pursue woodturning,” he concludes.
Looking ahead: Before electricity, lathes were spun like a treadle sewing machine—foot power and belts. “These antique lathes are now hot items to reclaim or make. Once I don’t have so many irons in the fire, I might just make one!”
Mountaineerwoodturners.com | Tamarack Foundation for the Arts – tamarackroundation.org/byron-young | American Association of Woodturners (Mountaineer Woodturners chapter) – woodturner.org | West Virginia Art and Craft Guild – wvartcraftguild.com | Cedarlakes.com
Starter Kit/Insider Tips from Byron Young
Find and join a local chapter of the AAW in the local area. Some states have multiple chapters. Also, join the national organization for journals and networking.
Work with an experienced turner to learn about the eight main turning tools, and what specialty tools are available.
The M2 high speed steel (HSS Steel) turning tools are traditional and well-made.
Watch online videos, read lots of books and take classes.
“Decide what type of items you want to create before buying a bunch of tools. This includes waiting to purchase a lathe only after you’ve worked with several different machines under supervision.” (The prices for the latter range from $600 to $4,500.)
Visit the Mountaineer Woodturners website for a thorough primer on the Basic Spindle Set of five tools, and the Basic Bowl Set of three tools.
“If you don’t have the knack right away, the more you practice, the better you get.”
The story above is from our November/December 2019 issue.
