Woodturning Class: Intro to Pen Turning - Marrickville

Recent reviews of Woodturning Class: Intro to Pen Turning - Marrickville

• 5/5 from Nic Bishara, attended Aug 2026: Well done Dan! Great session. Excellent process of showing us how, doing it with us and then letting us do it for ourselves. I’d highly recommend this workshop for all. Thanks again Regards Nic
• 5/5 from Tony Mangioni, attended Aug 2026: I’ve just officially kicked off my woodturning journey, starting with a course on crafting pens from Australian timber. The structure was spot on: David demonstrated each step first, then let us loose on the lathes under his watchful eye. Whenever a step was critical—or potentially project-ruining—he made sure to repeat it a couple of times, which my nervous hands deeply appreciated. The vibe was super relaxed, shared with a small group of folks from all walks of life, all united by a sudden, intense desire to make sharp tools turn wood into shiny cylinders. By the end of the day, we didn't just leave with shiny new pens; we actually walked away with the confidence and know-how to keep going on our own. David was an absolute gem of an instructor. Learning the craft from a master who has made over 25, 000 pens is equal parts inspiring and intimidating—mostly because it means he’s made 24, 999 more mistakes than I have, and survived them all! It was a fantastic day, and I'm officially hooked.
• 5/5 from Paul Royal, attended Aug 2026: David was great, explained the process well and was very friendly. Would recommend this course.
• 5/5 from Paula Fuentes, attended Feb 2026: We really enjoyed the class, the instructor was friendly and generous, we were not rushed and we walked out with far more than we had hoped for. Would highly recommend, and we will be back for more classes. Thank you.
• 5/5 from Wade Robins, attended Feb 2026: The class setup was excellent and well organised. The teacher explained everything in clear, simple terms, making it easy to follow along. The project was broken down into a step-by-step process, which made learning both enjoyable and achievable.
• 5/5 from Timo Schmechel, attended Feb 2025: Simon and Josh did a fantastic intro to Pen making. In the end it was much easier than I thought. I had worked with wood before and it is a very forgiving material. The explanation and step by step introduction to the tools and lathe was very good. Overall a very fun activity and I am proud of my results. :-) Thank you Jürgen
• 5/5 from Nick Vertes, attended Feb 2025: The small class size was perfect as we could get questions answered immediately not that there were that many questions as the course structure and tuition was very very well done. The instructors were knowledgeable and gave a lot of useful info. Finished the day with 4x awesome pens and can highly recommend this course to even someone who has never turned wood before! Thank you
• 5/5 from Nicole Duinker, attended Feb 2025: Excellent work shop! Both Simon and Josh were super helpful and very knowledgeable about turning. I can only recommend this class. A couple of people were there as they received this class as a gift. What a wonderful present! I had no prior knowledge of wood turning and I managed to complete 3 lovely pens! Thank you, I really enjoyed the work shop.
• 5/5 from Chloe Grech, attended Feb 2025: The pen turning class was great! Perfect for anyone who has barely even touched a drill before (like me) or wants to learn more about turning. Simon was so knowledgeable and friendly. You could work at your own pace and had the freedom to experiment. The smaller class size meant you could get that one on one time with the instructors. As a complete rookie to anything woodwork, I came away with more confidence with the tools as well as three pens that I'm proud of. Would highly recommend!
• 5/5 from John Steel, attended Oct 2024: Took the intro to pen turning course. Darren carefully and patiently took the class through the process of turning a pen. Darren is a wonderful teacher and very giving of his experience and knowledge. All materials for the class were supplied and students had plenty of time to turn a number pens. Walked away at the end of the class with some confidence and skills to continue this activity on my own now.
• 5/5 from Daniel Yeung, attended Oct 2024: Very practical. Teacher is very patient and helpful. I leaned a lot on one day.
• 5/5 from Rob Lee Tet, attended Aug 2024: y main purpose in being at the course was to learn (refine) new techniques. I had previously attempted to make pens, but with a 25% success rate. The course showed my the 'how to' that will make all the difference. Simon and David are well versed in their craft and their instruction was easy to understand. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them and the other participants. Highly recommended.
• 5/5 from Steven Brown, attended Aug 2024: Excellent presenters, both David & Simon and a great deal was learnt on the day, which is largely hands on. Equipment was first class and a great day!
• 5/5 from Stephen Meehan, attended Aug 2024: The class was throughly enjoyable. Lots of fun. Definitely would recommend
• 5/5 from Alexandra McCarthy, attended Aug 2024: Excellent course that was just what I was looking for. Well set up learning environment with content pitched at the right level. Really great instruction, good amount of in class support and great final results. Two fantastic teachers and there was a nice group of fellow students as well. Very enjoyable day. Now time for some new tools for the workshop to allow for more pen making!
• 5/5 from Harry Melkonian, attended Aug 2024: I never used a wood lathe before and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The teachers were patient and knowledgeable. For those with greater skills, they took those students to a higher level. We all had a nice experience
• 5/5 from Farid Silwanis, attended May 2024: Quite enjoyable. Exceeded expectation. Excellent preparation. A big thank you for David and Simon. Farid
• 5/5 from Rob Luttrell, attended May 2024: A well paced introduction to pen turning. Excellent quality equipment and resources provided. Advice and mentoring flexible and tailored to your skill level. You are guaranteed to take home a professional standard pen.
• 5/5 from Annette Hallewell, attended Feb 2024: Simon and David were very generous with their knowledge and clearly know their stuff! Great way to learn a new skill and techniques in a nice small class. The small class size made it easy to ask questions and get assistance when needed. Came away having made 4 pens!
• 5/5 from Annalise Burgess, attended Feb 2024: A very welcoming and open environment, instructors were happy to teach all levels and abilities. Lots of time to play and practise on the lathe and make multiple pens!
• 5/5 from Vladimir Gligorovski, attended Feb 2024: Didn’t attend because I was busy and couldn’t get there for the class