Soren Berger

In 27 years of full time studio woodturning, traveling and teaching I have come to see that woodturners are experiencing a rediscovery of a very ancient art.

Modern woodturning has some new materials and technologies which make the processes quicker and more pleasant. But when it comes to the way to get the best results from our tools and raw material then there are very few skills and disciplines that have not already been developed by the masters of many cultures hundreds of years ago.

My interest over the last eight years has been focused on teaching woodturners to understand in detail the actual turning process. This develops the ability to make sensitive and beautiful objects.

I have over many years had a fascination with the simplicity with which the Japanese woodturners work, they do with out many of the rather tight rigid tools and processes. On my first trip to the USA in 1993, I came in contact with John Fox who introduced me to the gentle ways of Japanese woodturning. They use free moving tool rests sliding on a flat table rather than a restrictive fixed bed, this freedom of movement can teach us new skills. The simplicity of both the way they work and the things they make, have had a strong influence on my work and teaching.

The Japanese had an influence on my tool making as well, they use and make their own hook tools which are their dominant tools. I have now developed a hollowing tool that has some of the features of the hook tool but is more robust and easier to use. I market it under the trade name Berger Hollowing Tool.

My latest love has been in the field of hand chased threads. For years I have watched with envy, those who can put a thread on a box with such ease. It took a visit from Fred Holder to our club last year, for me to brave it and take those tools out of their packet were they had safely lived for so many years. Fred's enthusiasm inspired me to go home that night and get a box turned and threaded before midnight. From there I became interested in finding a way of turning threads in softer woods as in New Zealand our supply of hard wood suitable for conventional threading is limited.

By using some knowledge from past skills I tried rotating the box blank 90 degrees, in other words the blank was positioned as you would a bowl blank. In this position the fibres in the wood are running in the same direction as the threads and so are not as prone to breaking or crumbling as they would with the grain in a conventional position.

This discovery has led me to find new and interesting ways of using threads in projects that I make. I will put together some project pages on this subject in the near future and of course my demos will include this subject.

The experience that I have gained in my travels throughout the USA, Sweden and NZ over the last 10 years has given me a clearer understanding of many of the common problems people encounter while learning to turn. My presentations have proved to be well received and of great interest to both beginners and experienced turners.