Turners Anonymous is a group of woodturning enthusiasts from the Tri-State area surrounding Pittsburgh. We love all things about woodturning… the satisfaction of a sharp clean cut; the smell of freshly sliced cherry shavings; an excuse to buy new, expensive tools; and most importantly, the chance to help others to explore and enjoy the hobby as much as we do.

Please feel free to explore these pages to learn more about Turners Anonymous, look at some photos, and consider coming to a meeting.
When -> Meetings are 9am every 3rd Saturday of the Month. Check out the Calendar for all the dates & events.
Where -> Contemporary Crafts (Timmons Studio) 5688 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, Pa 15201 [ Google Map Link ]

Summer Challenge

This year's theme will be "Something from Nature". It could be something as simple as an egg (think basket of), or a flower (think vase of), a stump box, or a gnome (yes... gnomes are legal), or mushroom, birdhouse, or.....the options are endless.

Might as well get started, you have about 5 months before the reveal in our September 19th meeting.

Next Meeting - May 9th

In hopes of providing inspiration for our Summer Challenge, Kim Romanko will demonstrate several things from nature. Kim's not sure of the final lineup, but you can expect to see mushrooms, toadstools, gnomes, acorns, and/or maybe a flower or two.

Reminder - this is not our regular third Saturday of the month which would have been May 16th.

Members, guests and visitors welcome

When -> 9am
Where -> Contemporary Crafts (Timmons Studio) 5688 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, Pa 15201 [ Google Map Link ]
What to expect
- 9:00am fellowship with coffee and donuts
- 9:45am comments from the board
- 9:50am demonstration
- 11:45am raffle and instant gallery
- Clean up

April 18th Meeting

Tom Shortall demonstrated the ins and outs of Inside-Out turning by making an ornament with a glass marble in it. As everyone knows, it's *never* too early for Christmas ornament gifts. This project is based on an article by Darin Dailey that was featured in the December 2025 edition of the AAW magazine, the American Woodturner.

Tom worked through several iterations in preparation for the demo sharing tips, mistakes, and tricks along the way not in the article along with comedy gems. Thanks Tom!

March 21st Meeting

Our demonstrator Saturday, March 21st was Tom Olichiw, who turned a Roman flask from scratch. Tom is from the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild (ovwg.org), you may know him from big bowl fame, and when we say big, we mean climb inside big. Tom did an excellent presentation that was both informative and engaging throughout, ending the presentation with encouraging words around primary tool selection doesn't need to be large (bowl gouge, spindle gouge and parting tool), repetition and making the tools and movements your own.

Take a look at the demonstration video here -> Youtube

This was also the first meeting where our new AV system was deployed. A huge improvement for both the end recording and meeting participation. Moving from 2 static video feeds to 3 with pan, tilt, zoom and real time mixing capabilities was transformative. A huge shout out to the board for making this happen, volunteers for the significant setup time and effort, CW for the expertise and guidance, and the volunteers (Nick W, Ava V, and Marie T) learning the new system for club meetings. Thank you all! For a first pass it's not bad at all, check out Toms demo for proof.

March Demo

March 2026 Instant Gallery

Events

June 4-7 - AAW 2026 Symposium - Raleigh, N.C. - Register now

Registration is now open! Join turners across the nation June 4-7 for the AAW 40th International Woodturning Symposium. On the registration site, you can also book your hotel rooms right near the Raleigh Convention Center.

Link -> 2026 Woodturning Symposium

July 2-5 - Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival - Twin Lakes

The nationally acclaimed Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival offers the best in visual and live performing arts, traditional and fine crafts, cultural heritage activities, humanities, and exciting ethnic foods, providing something for everyone’s tastes and keeping people coming back year after year. An annual summer celebration, the free Festival takes place annually near the 4th of July holiday on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Festival covers eight-plus acres of Twin Lakes Park.

Turners Anonymous will have a demonstration booth throughout the festival.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!! This is a great way to promote your passion and fellow/mentorship with other club members.

Sept 11-12 - A Fair in the Park - Mellon Park

A Fair in the Park is held in the lush surroundings of Pittsburgh’s Mellon Park. An estimated 20,000 dedicated visitors enjoy the opportunity to interact with approximately 85 regional and national artists working in a variety of mediums including clay, fiber, wood, jewelry, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, and two-dimensional art.

All members of The Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh are eligible to participate in AFIP. Each year approximately 60% of the artists at the Fair are members of The Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh. The remainder of the artists are selected by a jury from a large pool of national and international applicants.
This public event is free of charge, held rain or shine.

Turners Anonymous will have a demonstration booth throughout the festival.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!! This is a great way to promote your passion and fellow/mentorship with other club members.

Pat Carrol Demonstration & Workshops

October 25th & 26th we had guest lecturer Pat Carroll from Ireland to perform an all-day demo across three pieces on Saturday and an all-day hands-on class on Sunday. Materials were provided. If you went to the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild symposium in Cincinnati you will got a preview of his demos. You can learn more about Pat at https://www.patcarrollwoodturning.com.

Example of Pat Carroll's Work

Oct 2025 Pat Carrol Demonstration Pictures

November 2025 Instant Gallery

Summer Challenge 2025 - Embellishing

Summer Challenge 2025 Winner
Eric Johnson

Turners Anonymous is proud to be a member Chapter of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW)

Turners Anonymous is proud to be one of 350+ worldwide chapters of the American Association of Woodturners. We encourage you to join this fine organization. Benefits can be found here -> AAW Membership Benefits 2026

The American Association of Woodturners(AAW) is an international, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. AAW's mission is to provide education, information, and organization to those interested in turning wood.