Meet the Maker - Jack Havelock Bailey

In this edition of Meet the Maker, we meet Jack Havelock Bailey. He is a designer, maker and artist specialising in functional art and tableware. We explore how he started his craft journey, his inspirations, favourite tools and more.

How did your craft journey begin?

I was fortunate to have been brought up surrounded by a small woodland. As a young child, I would mostly be found outside carving sticks to sharp points, making arrows, spears, or other implements that would eventually be confiscated due to their potential lethality. This pursuit was perhaps not that uncommon for a young boy.

My obsession for carving grew. I began hacking at blocks of wood with my Grandad's chisels, not really making anything at first, but just enjoying the feeling of sharp tools gliding through the material. Certainly an upgrade from carving knives.

However, probably the most influential event which really hooked me, was visiting a local craft fair. I came across a woodturner who made some beautifully simple pieces from a variety of English hardwoods. Upon seeing his work, something clicked in my head. I could suddenly see a way to use some of the raw material that I had access to in our woodland. From that point, I felt something ignite inside of me. I believe I was 14 at the time. Later that year, I asked to go on a woodturning course for my Christmas present. I realised that was pretty uncommon for a teenager.

I remember my tutor was reluctant to teach me at first as he'd only ever taught adults, but I was insistent I wanted to learn. Over three days I had an introduction to the craft. I made a variety of projects, from bowls, to platters and boxes. Returning home with the new knowledge, I felt invigorated to start making. I just needed to get a lathe and some tools. After managing to acquire some very basic second-hand equipment as an early birthday present, but with no shed or workshop space, I setup outside the front door of our house. Fair weather turning limited me, but I didn't let that stop me. I set about exploring forms whilst practicing and consolidating the skills I'd learnt previously, albeit on a very tricky lathe that I had to weigh down with sandbags.

From 14-18, I mostly made things for family and friends, but also sold work in some local fairs. In that time, we built a small shed which became my workshop. I then studied architecture at University for the next 5 years. However, after a brief period working in practice, decided to quit and set up my own business. Woodturning for me at this point was a skill I took forward to make components of furniture. It also enabled me to prototype and then make cast concrete objects such as my lighting and homeware designs.

Of the 21 years of being a woodturner, it's really in the last 4-5 years I've tried to push my artistic creations in wood. I won a scholarship with Glenn Lucas Woodturning earlier this year for professional development. It was incredible to go back to school again. The new skills and efficiencies I've learnt have been truly eye opening.

What inspires you when you are making?

I think my background in Architecture has been hugely influential in what I make now and through that I tend toward simplicity in my forms. I was always a fan of minimalist styles using fundamental raw materials like wood, stone and glass. The understanding of materials and how to manipulate them to create space is at the forefront of all successful buildings. I create objects with this idea in mind. Rarely will I impose a predetermined design onto a piece of wood.

The material itself often inspires and guides me to create a form through a conversation. The conversation starts when cutting into a log with a chainsaw and seeing what is inside. I then ask myself what is the best thing or things I can make from this, which both does the wood justice and is a beautiful form in, and of itself. The answer varies all the time and therein comes my catalogue of shapes which show off the different beautiful intricacies of the wood. That all comes from a place of fully understanding the material; being inspired by it and revealing its beauty in the best possible way through form.

What do you enjoy the most about woodturning?

Turning for me is a brilliant way to access a state of flow. I've been fascinated by this concept after first understanding the topic through the lens of sports psychology. Often referred to as 'the zone' where the player/participant describes a feeling of almost effortless intuitive performance, unencumbered by external thoughts, focusing intently on what is happening in the moment right in front of them. Flow happens when the challenge level is appropriately high. It must be high enough to force you to have to concentrate, but not so high that the skill level is beyond you. Equally, if it's too low then your brain doesn't have to concentrate and the mind can easily wander.

When turning I spend a lot of time in this state. I lose track of time and can even forget to eat, such is the level of engrossment in the task in front of me. It's quite a blissful and satisfying place. You're not worrying about your problems or anxious about issues in the world. You're totally present because you have to be.

You can be pulled into and out of flow for various reasons. For me, it comes about by intently focusing on the shape I'm trying to cut and coordinating my movements, as ribbons of wood being sliced by a razor sharp tool, fly across the workshop.

What are your favourite tools to use and how do they enhance your process?

I have many favourites so it'll be hard to list everything. I'll stick to talking about the tools that are real difference makers.

Woodcut Max 4 Bowlsaver

At the forefront is the Woodcut Max 4 Bowlsaver. I increased the capacity of my old Union Graduate lathe so I can now turn pieces up to 21 inch in diameter. Woodturning is inherently quite a wasteful process. The vast majority of a blank is turned to shavings, but employing this tool has reduced that waste hugely. From a green blank around 42cm diameter and 18cm deep, I can make at least three extra bowls. When the wood is beautiful and or expensive and scarce, then this tool really comes into its own.

The wood I use for my work comes from storm fallen or condemned trees deemed to be unsafe, sourced from the woodland I grew up in. We have a big problem with Ash Diebeck and had to fell many trees for public safety. If the estimations are correct, we will loose 90% of our Ash, a once abundant species will become rare. Ash is very prominent in my work. I feel I really need to make the most of it whilst we have it. For this reason, I'm very fond of the Max 4.

Axminster Woodturning SK114 Chuck

To safely core a large bowl, it's very important to have a set of large diameter jaws and a solid chuck that can grip the tenon. The Axminster Woodturning Evolution SK114 Chuck is a fantastic piece of precision engineering. Paired with the Colossus Gripper Jaws, I can core out bowls to the maximum capacity of the Max 4. I love that the chuck, and jaws are made from stainless steel. It's such a difference maker for the longevity of the tool especially working with a lot of wet wood. The left and right twin thread system is also so useful for me with the Union Graduate, being able to mount it on the outboard side as well.

Tormek Sharpening System

One of the biggest difference makers was investing in a Tormek Sharpening System. Beforehand I would freehand grind my tools on a very cheap high speed stone grinder. Whilst this did work, you cannot beat the sharpness or repeatability achievable on the Tormek. I use the Diamond coated wheels in both the 600 and 1200 grit together with the SVD-186 R Gouge Jig. The 1200 grit will quickly resharpen lightly dulled tools. The 600 will easily bring back a very dulled or damaged edge. I then hone the gouge with the LA-120 Profiled Leather Honing Wheel and the CW-220 Composite Honing Wheel. The result being a razor sharp edge without a burr, capable of very fine cuts leaving a surface requiring minimal sanding.

What materials and techniques do you use?

I work with the raw material available to me in our small Kentish Woodland. This mostly comprises of Ash, Beech, Sycamore, Oak, Sweet Chestnut, Field Maple and Hornbeam. There is a particular glut of Ash at the moment, so this is what I have been primarily focused on using. It's also just such a beautiful wood. Due to its open grain structure it's a brilliant candidate for a Yakisugi finish, which I'll talk about later on.

Beech is another real favourite. We had to fell a huge tree 4 years ago due to being unsafe. Beech is a species which ‘spalts’ incredibly well, essentially a process by which fungi inhabit the wood, staining as they go. Fungi compete for territory and put up barriers, causing these marks or 'zone lines' to ensure they can feed on the wood. I’ve become rather obsessed with this process over the last 10 years and I will deliberately try to induce the spalting in the wood, harvesting it on a cycle of every 3-4 years. The art here is catching it just at the right time. If you leave it too long, the wood will be rotten, cut it too soon and there won't be many patterns. With my last batch I was delighted to find the highest quality spalting I have ever seen, highly patterned with zero rot.

I use a twice-turned method for all my work and I do this because I want the final piece to be stable and true to form. I turn the wood first in its green state. Anyone who has done this knows what a pleasurable experience it can be, making aggressive cuts sending ribbons of wood flying across the workshop. Then depending on the size of the piece, I will either save the core with the Max 4 or cut a bowl leaving a thickness of around one tenth of the diameter. The end grain is sealed with PVA and when I’ve built up enough stock the part-turned bowls are dried in my homemade kiln.

After a few weeks or perhaps longer depending on the thickness and starting moisture content in the wood, I remove the pieces from the kiln once dried to around 8%. You can then remount these on the lathe and the final shape is cut. The result is an object that will stay as intended like a piece of fine furniture.

For the Ash pieces the journey doesn’t stop there. For the vast majority I burn the surface of these with a blowtorch and through a long and labour filled process, I scrub the piece and burnish it. This gets rid of any loose char and then lightly polishes the surface. The finish is known as Yakisugi; it’s an old Japanese technique used for wood preservation. They would use it for the external cladding of buildings which interestingly would not only be weather proof, but also protect from fire and insect infestation. I use it primarily for its visual appeal, creating a surface that catches the light in beautiful ways. 

What's the best advice you've been given?

‘Live according to your highest values’

It’s a very simple statement but has profound consequence. It was so clear to me from a young age that I loved to make and create. Wood and what I could do with it intrigued me and I needed no motivation to explore my creativity. I spent 5 years at University studying architecture which I ended up doing pretty well in, but after a short time working in practice I could no longer ignore the yearning to make with my own hands.

So I turned my back on a stable career which I had invested a lot of time and money into for the pursuit of something else. I didn’t know exactly what it was going to be, but I’m now in my 10th year of self employment and I’ve got to a place I am so happy within my own work. Days are spent making my art and getting completely absorbed in the process. I don’t regret my time at University but it is funny how one can be so easily led because you think it’s what you should do.

I now make my work available in roughly four separate collections per year and after marketing almost solely on Instagram, I send pieces off all around the world. A platform I’m incredibly grateful for, without which artists and makers like me would have a much tougher time or simply wouldn’t be able to survive, let alone thrive.

Don’t let me lull you into thinking those 10 years have been easy though. Certainly some of the most difficult years of my life. The point being, I was able to keep going despite the difficulty and striving to make things work because I didn’t want to do anything else.

What would your advice be to those in the beginning of their woodturning journey or turners in general?

It’s a hard question to answer and would vary depending on the demographic and goals of the individual, but I’ll give some general advice.

Sharp tools are utterly key. Invest in a good sharpening system. I can’t recommend the Tormek highly enough. It’s expensive but you get what you pay for. Its ease of use, repeatability and razor sharp results make it a vital asset for anyone who is serious about woodturning.

Your health and safety are also key; protective eyewear and dust mask or respirator must be worn. Don’t mess around here thinking you’ll be okay, your health is worth more than anything. I use the Axminster APF 10 Evolution Respirator and I love it. Every turner has experienced a ‘bad catch’ or sent a piece flying off the lathe, but does this keep happening to you and do you know why? If it does, and you don’t, then certainly seek some professional advice rather than ploughing on.

Play and practice! Play is huge for me. Make time to really play and be creative. Try new forms uninhibited by your preconceived ideas of what works or what looks good. There’s no wrong answers here. Play like a child and you’ll be surprised what might come of it.

Practice is rather self explanatory. You can’t get proficient unless you put in the work. 

Think critically about your work. What could you do better next time? Is the finish as good as it could be? Is your attitude that the work is ‘good enough’? Well if so maybe explore ways to be better.

‘You don’t know what you don’t know’.

Think you know everything about your craft? You couldn’t be better at what you do? Well I hate to break it to you, but that is not an achievable place to exist in. This attitude constricts many people in all walks of life. It’s far better and more accurate to assume that you don’t know everything, that way you strive to know more. You adopt a growth mindset and avoid getting stuck in your own ways. This could be both in your own designs and the ways in which you go about making them. Ways to get around this is to do research, read books, watch YouTube videos, speak to other makers. If you are a professional, then invest in your further development. Seek out other professionals and pay them for their knowledge.

More about Jack Havelock Bailey and our makers

For more about Jack and his work, visit his website www.havelockstudio.com

Read more from our Meet the Maker series on our Woodworking Wisdom blog page.