Segmented bowls and vessels are made up of dozens or hundreds of small wooden blocks. Segmented woodturners glue these often very tiny pieces into rings which become part of a stack. The process is exacting and critical. But it’s not hard to get good results if you follow the proper steps. In this quick video tutorial, guest artisan, Don Leman will show you first, how to properly prepare and sand the cut segments and then, how to apply the glue for maximum strength in the joints. You’ll also learn how to maintain perfectly flat glue-ups on each ring and on the entire ring stack. Mr. Leman guides you step-by-step through the process. (10.5 Minute Video)

Award winning artisan, Don Leman, shares his thoughts on the specialized art of segmented woodturning. Mr. Leman is a formally trained industrial designer who has also spent years restoring antique clocks and their mechanisms. With “segmenting”, Mr. Leman has found the perfect outlet for his talents and inclinations – a pursuit that requires an extraordinary capacity for the fine details in things. The conception of the final object must be precisely planned before the first piece of wood is cut. This suits Mr. Leman, whose technical knowledge of geometry and angles is complimented by his ability to artfully fuse sweeping curves and tones into the objects he shapes. (5.5 Minute Video)

Open any book on segmented turning and you’re likely to see at least one chapter filled with numbers, angles, and formulas. But you don’t have to be a mathematician to calculate the angles, lengths, widths and depths of the building blocks that make up a segmented glue-up. Some simple multiplication or division is all that’s needed. In this clip, I’m pleased to present segmented woodturner, Don Leman, who demonstrates the easy way to figure out how to calculate the dimensions of each individual segment, no matter how complicated your project may be. It all comes down to some very simple rules. It’s easier than you think. (4.5 Minute Video)