Jason Mast, Pacific Northwest wood turner

 

 

 

 

Great stock is no problem

Jason, Myrtlewood Galleries' resident turner, selects the best stock from literally tons of wood. He has the opportunity to work with world-class timber: myrtlewood, Oregon big-leaf maple, black walnut, cascara, spalted alder and madrone. His favorite woods to turn are myrtlewood and Oregon big-leaf maple, which are cut incidentally to the Douglas fir timber harvests. With its outstanding color and figure, myrtlewood is one of the most beautiful woods in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon big-leaf maple is more consistent in color and often has spectacular figure and burls. "I always try to let the wood speak for itself and attempt to bring out the potential in any given piece of turning stock," he states. "Form is essential, and having great wood to work with is a bonus."

Jason selects a block that has been roughed out on a 14" Rockwell bandsaw. He mounts the block to his Oneway lathe, using a six-hole faceplate and square drive screws. Most of the bottoms are finished with the help of a Oneway vacuum chuck. One of the main tools Jason uses in his hollow turnings is a classic Stewart System Hooker, with an arm brace he borrowed from his father. Another frequently used tool is the Jerry Glaser limited-edition 1/2" bowl gouge, obtained at the 2007 AAW turning symposium in Portland, Oregon. To finish his turnings, Jason applies two coats of Deft oil. A mixture of beeswax and mineral oil completes the project.

At present, The Myrtlewood Gallery handles all of Jason's turnings. In the future, as he develops a larger body of work, Jason plans to branch out into select galleries nationally.

You can view more of Jason's work on his Web site.

The Complete Guide to Woodturning

For more information on turning, visit the Turning Techniques section in the WOOD Store.