Uploaded June 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
It happens to every woodturner eventually. A nearly-finished lacquered bowl came off the lathe and hit the floor. This is what I did.
In this film I show the damage, talk through the options, and work through the repair: addressing chips in the lacquer surface, sanding back to a clean base, and rebuilding the finish to a point where the bowl was good enough to present. I also talk through why it happened and how to prevent it.
If you've had a piece come off the lathe and want to know how to recover it — or if you just want to feel better about the same thing happening to you — this one's worth watching.
🎓 Want to learn in person? I run woodturning courses at my school in Hampshire for all levels — from complete beginners through to more advanced techniques. Details at www.thewoodturning.school 🛢️ My Finishes: yandles.co.uk/shop/?manufacturer=martin-saban-smith-woodturning 📘 Design and proportion in woodturning — I wrote the book: msabansmith.com/shop 📍 Based at Garthowen Garden Centre, Four Marks, Hampshire — next to the South Downs National Park. 🌐 msabansmith.com Facebook — Me: facebook.com/msabansmith Facebook — Woodturning School: facebook.com/thewoodturningschool Instagram — Me: instagram.com/msabansmith Instagram — School: instagram.com/thewoodturningschool The visual video content (including my voice), any text and any graphics in the video are Copyright © Woodturning Online Ltd 2015–2026. All rights reserved.
It happens to every woodturner eventually. A nearly-finished lacquered bowl came off the lathe and hit the floor. This is what I did.
In this film I show the damage, talk through the options, and work through the repair: addressing chips in the lacquer surface, sanding back to a clean base, and rebuilding the finish to a point where the bowl was good enough to present. I also talk through why it happened and how to prevent it.
If you've had a piece come off the lathe and want to know how to recover it — or if you just want to feel better about the same thing happening to you — this one's worth watching.
🎓 Want to learn in person? I run woodturning courses at my school in Hampshire for all levels — from complete beginners through to more advanced techniques. Details at www.thewoodturning.school 🛢️ My Finishes: yandles.co.uk/shop/?manufacturer=martin-saban-smith-woodturning 📘 Design and proportion in woodturning — I wrote the book: msabansmith.com/shop 📍 Based at Garthowen Garden Centre, Four Marks, Hampshire — next to the South Downs National Park. 🌐 msabansmith.com Facebook — Me: facebook.com/msabansmith Facebook — Woodturning School: facebook.com/thewoodturningschool Instagram — Me: instagram.com/msabansmith Instagram — School: instagram.com/thewoodturningschool The visual video content (including my voice), any text and any graphics in the video are Copyright © Woodturning Online Ltd 2015–2026. All rights reserved.
