For several years I had wanted to visit some of the beauty spots in the western part of the United States, such as Yosemite Park , the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon,etc, and combine all this with the annual woodturning symposium in Utah. This year I managed to do just that. I found the Internet most useful in locating and planning suitable accomodation.

I flew to Salt Lake City and drove the 40 miles to my hotel in Provo. The following day I nearly didn’t get to see the symposium at all as my booking fee hadn’t arrived . My American friends took me on trust however and I was admitted. Phew! After a general introduction to the demonstrators we were to free to chose whom to watch. My first beeline was to see Johan Michelsen who turned a magnifcent cowboy hat weighing only 7.5 ounces. He must be one of the best demonstrators and one of the most gifted turners I have ever seen. He showed how to curl the brim and how to elongate the crown to fit comfortably on the head. He decorated the band by friction burning some colouful exotics: the band picked out the colours of the burnishing sticks.

Since I am interested in the application of colour and other decorations to turnings I watched Carol Montgomery from New Zealand and a chap from Wales talking about pyrography and different ways of colouring wood. Alan Lacer, whom I first met I Kilkenny I 1993, gave a very knowledgeable talk on finishes and how to make your own Danish Oil.

All in all a varied and well organised symposium but lacking the craic and friendly faces that I am used to meeting at the our own national seminar. I look forward to Gort in October.
Peter Mulvaney

(Editor’s note : I hope Peter will tell us about the rest of his American trip in a future newsletter, maybe let us know if those redwoods are any good for turning. )