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TAW 2027 Woodturning Symposium

The Tennessee Association of Woodturners is proud to present our 38th Annual Woodturning Symposium on January 29th and 30th, 2027.

We are excited to return to the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Franklin, TN.

Event Highlights

World-Class Demonstrators: Featuring live presentations from Kirk DeHeer, Stewart Furini, Sammy Long, and Elizabeth Weber.
Instant Gallery: Display your own work and view incredible pieces from fellow participants and featured demonstrators.
People’s Choice Awards & Banquet: Vote for your favorites and join us for our popular Saturday night banquet and live auction.
Massive Vendor Area: Stocked to the brim with a wide variety of woodturning equipment, tools, specialized finishes, and premium wood. Note - the 2027 vendor area is 50% bigger than previous years, come ready to visit our vendors.

Tired of watching Zoom and IRD presentations? Nothing beats the real thing. Register for the TAW 2027 Symposium to watch live, in-person woodturning, ask questions face-to-face, connect with the community, and get your hands on the latest tools and materials.

Location

Marriott Hotel and Convention Center 700 Cool Springs Blvd Franklin, TN 37067

REGISTRATION OPENS SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

TAW 2026 Woodturning Symposium

ON-LINE REGISTRATION: Online registration is easy and secure

		SYMPOSIUM FEES:

	Registration Fee	After 12/31/26	Walk-in Registration
Full 2-Day Symposium	$195.00*	$210.00*	$250.00*
One-Day Symposium	$150.00*	$165.00*	$200.00*
Spouse Registration	$120.00*	$135.00*	$150.00*
Youth(under 16)	Free**	Still Free**	Really! It's Free**
Banquet Only	$50.00	$50.00	$50.00

*Includes banquet/auction.
**Must be accompanied by Adult Full two day

There is a $3.00 Transaction fee for non-members

Cancellation Policy:
After December 31, 2026 a $75.00 processing fee will be deducted if registration is cancelled.
After January 15, 2027 the registration fee is not refundable.

Each year we have people who cannot attend the banquet ask us for a lower cost to offset the implied cost of them not attending the Banquet. The TAW is responsible for guaranteeing the Marriott a certain amount of revenue, room nights and for renting the space required to put on this event. The registration fee is the amount we have to have to cover the event based on our years of experience putting on this event. We do sell banquet tickets to guests who would like to join us for the Banquet/Auction and the ticket price covers the incremental cost of that meal. We hope that everyone would join us for the banquet but do understand that there are other obligations that some of our attendees have.

Kirk DeHeer

Kirk DeHeer, a devoted artisan, draws inspiration from the masters as he has refined his woodturning expertise.

The unique position he held at the Dale L Nish School of Woodturning 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.

Kirk DeHeer will do the following 4 rotations:

Tool techniques for turning a Calabash bowl:

This demo shows the tools and techniques used to turn a green wood round bottom bowl. This demo has a lot of tool techniques and tips and tricks that will help every turner regardless of skill level. In this demo I like to show the tool techniques used to cut the wood in a way that is pleasing to the wood. This also shows the efficiency of the lathe.
Topics covered:

Woodturning safety.
Calabash bowl design.
Tools used and the grinds.
Mounting the wood to the lathe.
Cuts used to rough out the shape.
Cuts used to refine the shape.
Cuts used on the inside of an undercut shape.
Removing the evidence of how the bowl was held on the lathe.

Bowls 101:

This is a demo to help woodturners/ makers create bowls that maximize the available time. By turning a bowl that is aesthetically pleasing thus being more desirable to you.
Topics covered:

Safely.
Elements of good design.
Tool selection..
Proper tooling techniques.
Chucking methods.
Turn a bowl that is designed to feel good in the hand.

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 endgrain 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.

Bowl Coring:

I core out multiple bowls in this demo using the McNaughton coring system and the Oneway Easy-core. This demo helps turners compare different coring systems and how to use each the most effectively.

Stewart Furini

Stewart began turning about 15 years ago as a hobby and a way of relaxing from his teaching job in a high school. Having developed his skills and understanding of woodturning techniques, he began to produce work for sale in 2017. Alongside this he produced some videos for YouTube to publicise his work. This led to requests from UK clubs and events for him to demonstrate, where he showed his uses of colour and texture and provided encouragement for other turners to be creative and playful in their approach to woodturning. He believes that experimentation and the willingness to take risks is a vital part of the creative process and he uses his demonstrations to reinforce this and help other turners overcome that inner voice that often gets in the way of trying new things. In 2020 to 2021 he wrote a year long series of articles for Woodturning magazine on colouring and texturing, and continued to produce videos on YouTube showing a wide range of embellishment techniques.

Having taken early retirement from school teaching, he has been free to develop his woodturning demonstrations in the UK and abroad at international woodturning events in Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Austria and Greece, as well as online with an increasing number of international IRDs the United States and Austrilia. Stewart was accepted on to the Register of Professional Turners in 2024 and is an accredited tutor with the AWGB. In 2025 he was a demonstrator at the AAW Symposium and was also invited to exhibit in The Master’s Exhibition at the prestigious Wizardry in Wood event in London. While he enjoys creating his own pieces of decorative or artistic woodturning, he derives enormous satisfaction from helping other woodturners move into new territory with their own uses of colour and texture.

Stewart Furini will do the following 4 rotations:

Airbrushing and Woodturning

An introduction to using an airbrush on a wide rimmed bowl
* How an airbrush works and basic strokes
* Using templates, stencils and masking to create a range of effects and patterns

A Crochet Effect Bowl

How to turn a simple wide-rimmed bowl and add texture and colour to create a "crocheted" effect on wood

Get started with power texturing

* Mini-angle grinder textures and patterns using a range of cutters and rasps
* Rotary tool textures using a range of cutters and burrs

Spin, Dab and Splatter!

Get started with colour on your woodturning with some simple effects using acrylic paints.
This demo will cover a range of ways of adding paint to your woodturning to create decorative patterns and effects. No special equipent needed, artistic talent is not required!

Sammy Long

Sammy Long is a native of Greenville, Mississippi and a resident of Brandon, Mississippi. He is 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 of Jackson, Mississippi. He has been an instructor and demonstrated at the Appalachian Center for Crafts, John C. Campbell Folk School, Arrowmont School of Arts, for local and regional woodturning clubs, and at the Tennessee Association of Woodturners Symposium, the Southwestern Turners Association and the AAW Symposium. Sammy enjoys turning and treasures the friendships he has made since becoming a wood turner. His neighbors know how to get him out of the house or shop if they need him. All anyone must do is engage a chain saw and he
comes running to see what kind of wood might be up for grabs. If he gets lucky, Sammy visits again in a few weeks with a beautiful vase or bowl to offer in return. He turns with people from all walks of life. Some enjoy the fellowship and others enjoy learning and being inspired by their fellow turners. Most are interested in learning something new. Those who have directly influenced Sammy’s work have been John Jordon, Binh Pho, Clay Foster and Dixie Biggs.

Sammy Long will do the following 4 rotations:

Creative Relief Carving

The demonstration will include the fundamentals of relief carving using rotary carvers for embellishing lathe-turned work. A review of the different types of carvers and their uses will be shown. Participants will be introduced to transferring patterns onto their work. Removal of negative space with flex shaft carver will be demonstrated. The demonstration will include information on selecting burs for each step in the process as the demonstrator carves a leaf design onto a vessel using the Micro Carver.

Adding Spirals to Your Work

Spirals add beauty to your work whether it be pens, bowls or hollow forms. Carving them the same size, evenly shaped, and spaced just right can be easier said than done. Sammy will demonstrate the use of the indexing wheel and just a little geometry to lay out your spirals. He will show you how to carve using a power carver and the burs needed for your desired embellishment. For the final touch, Sammy will demonstrate a few texturing techniques to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

Turning a Thin Bowl – Step I Turning a Parasol

Parasols are light and delicate with the canopy being very thin so sunlight can filter through. Turning a wooden parasol and piercing it requires a canopy that is 3/32” wall thickness or less. Sammy will demonstrate the method he uses to turn a very thin bowl that will be designed and pierced, becoming the delicate top or canopy. For the parasol, he will demonstrate the use of a light to measure wall thickness as he turns. The creation of the parasol is a 2-step process and step 1 will be covered in this demonstration.

Creating a Pierced Parasol – Step 2

Beginning the demonstration with a thin bowl, Sammy will use an indexing wheel to lay out a piercing pattern with veins for structure and support of the canopy. He will pierce with a pneumatic dental tool and dental burs creating a beautiful, delicate canopy for the parasol. He will add a turned handle and finial to complete the parasol. The demonstration will include tips for making sure the fragile parasol is structurally sound.

Elizabeth Weber

Born and raised in Tennessee, Elizabeth she first specialized in engineering, earning an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 2015 she began woodworking with her first creations including several pieces of furniture in the Arts and Crafts style, but she eventually turned to smaller objects and now specializes in bowls, spoons, and boxes. Her skills range from natural finish and simple forms to highly carved and painted forms that emulate natural motifs. She was awarded the American Association of Woodturner’s 2023 Professional Outreach Program’s Artist Showcase and teaches woodturning and carving across the country.

Elizabeth Weber will do the following 4 rotations:

Flow and Form: Carving a Wave/Leaf Motif

In this presentation, I will share the story behind this piece. We'll explore how to interpret natural elements and incorporate those motifs into your turned objects. I'll walk you through the tools, tips, and techniques for creating these designs, including layout strategies and methods. We’ll cover the use of rotary carvers for surface embellishment. Finally, we’ll look at different ways to bring color into your work using milk paint, and explore the finishing options available to complete and protect your piece.

From Green Wood to Turned and Embellish ed Boxes

In this demonstration, I’ll show how I start with green wood to rough-turn endgrain box blanks using a back hollowing technique, including tips for drying. I’ll guide you through turning a finished box from a pre-dried, hollowed out box blank, highlighting key details such as thickness, lid fit, and grain orientation. I’ll also demonstrate how I lay out designs for a barnacle box/and or lemon box and the
tools I use for carving and adding texture to each piece.

The Lidded Vessel: Form, Fit, and Surface

This demo focuses on creating a small side-grain lidded vessel made of contrasting woods. I’ll begin by turning the base. The form will be refined with attention to proportion, wall thickness, and interior shaping to create a functional yet elegant vessel. The lid becomes the design focal point as we’ll explore using different woods for the lid to introduce contrast in color. We’ll also look at surface options for the lid: different finials, subtle texturing, and carving treatments that enhance the natural character of the wood without overpowering the form. The result is a versatile, box-like form that blends utility, craftsmanship, and creative surface design.

Turn a Live Edge Bowl with Three Feet

Discover the art of creating stunning live edge bowls that showcase the natural beauty and character of wood. In this live demonstration, I’ll show you how to transform a log into a smooth, functional piece of art while preserving the wood’s unique natural edge. I’ll discuss techniques for mounting, turning, hollowing, and finishing to reveal the rich grain and organic shapes of live edge bowls. We’ll conclude
the demo by carving three feet into the base.

Symposium Auction

2026 will see Jay Ehrlbacher return as our auctioneer! You are assured an enjoyable, laugh-filled evening. The auction will include donations of turned pieces, tools, supplies and wood donated by our attendees, Vendors and TAW members. In addition there will be demo pieces from each demonstrator in the auction. All proceeds from the auction support continuing education in woodturning through the TAW scholarship program and TAW outreach programs. Each attendee coming to the symposium is encouraged to donation a turned piece (or anything you choose) to the auction. Jeff Brockett will be the auction caller.

Please take time to review the Auction Pieces in the Instant Gallery room and on the front tables prior to the Auction at the Banquet.

This will give you an idea of size and color as the image on the screen at the Auction can be deceiving

TAW will accept Cash, Credit Card, Venmo and PayPal as forms of payment. The TAW is a 501 c(3) so all donations are tax deductible!

The TAW and Women In Turning

Women In Turning (WIT) is a committee of the AAW, bringing together women worldwide who share a passion for woodturning. WIT is dedicated to encouraging and assisting women in their pursuit of turning, to share ideas and processes to further member's skills and creativity, and to increase participation of women in the field of woodturning. The TAW is a proud supporter of WIT. The Slideshow to the left highlights some of the work of our WIT Members. The WIT is also helping the TAW to support the Wig Stand Project! TAW members turn wig stands which are donated to cancer victims in partnership with local hospitals.

Women In Turning Meeting

There will be a WIT luncheon meeting (bring your lunch) in the Arabian Room on Friday, January 29th.

Symposium Contacts

Have question about the symposium? Please contact the following for help:

General symposium questions - Bill Mauzy symposium@tnwoodturners.org

Vendor information - Grant Hitt vendorinfo@tnwoodturners.org

Registration Questions - Gretchen Nieb webmaster@tnwoodturners.org