Turning on the Spring Pole Lathe with Matt Holden - Morning Workshops

The spring pole lathe is a foot powered lathe for turning round components. In this short workshop, participants will get an introduction to the tools and techniques of turning. We will learn about how to control the tools to make clean cuts and create a round object. Everyone has their own lathe and basic turning tools to work with.

We will start with an octagonal billet and turn it into a round, with the intention to make a wooden belay pin, like those used on the traditionally rigged boats and tall ships. Participants can choose to make a belay pin to take home or any other round object like a rolling pin, porridge spurtle, wooden mallet or garden dibber.

This workshop is brought to you as part of the 2025 Australian Wooden Boat Festival held 7-10 February, 2025.

Dates & Times: Two sessions daily 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 16:00

Workshop Duration: All workshops run for approximately 2 hours.

Location: The workshops will be run at the Festival in the Noisy Boatyard, which is located at Watermans Dock, Murray Street Carpark, Hobart Waterfront.

Capacity: Each workshop has a limited capacity of up to 5 students.

Do I need experience? No woodworking experience is required. Experienced makers, along with beginners, are welcome.

Do I need tools or equipment? All tools, equipment and materials will be provided for the workshop.

Accessibility: This is a workshop environment; please expect uneven surfaces and varying levels of access related to the use of workstations and pre-industrial tools. If you require further information about accessibility for this event please contact [email protected] or call the office on 03 6223 3375. Please note, we are a small team of staff and volunteers but we will endeavour to respond to any queries within 72 hours (excluding weekends and Public Holidays).

Ticketing Terms & Conditions: Tickets are non-refundable except in the case that the event has been cancelled by the Australian Wooden Boat Festival. By purchasing a ticket you agree to all ticketing terms and conditions found here.

Host or Publisher Australian Wooden Boat Festival