About Kev

More about what I do and how I do it

Wood turning videos for beginners

When you search for wood turning content online, you almost exclusively find high skilled turners creating amazing pieces. This can be inspiring for those of us starting out. It can also be intimidating and a big leap forward from the skills we actually have. Rimu Ridge wood turning will provide a series of content that document the beginner perspective including the failures, making do with the small number of tools you actually have and how skills are built over time through a commitment to practice.

The full story

Rimu Ridge wood turning pieces are tracked right from the start through to the finished piece you now have. You’ll find out exactly where the original piece of wood was sourced, watch a video of how it was turned on the lathe, sanded and oiled. Stories will be available for pieces sold.

Ethical wood sourcing

As a dedicated conservationist Kev salvages wood that has been cut for other reasons. It might be clearing a road verge or a bush track, trimming trees around power lines or pieces that have fallen from a tree through either storm damage or natural death.

More about Kev

I have lived on the beautiful Stewart Island/Rakiura since 2015. I initially traveled down from the Coromandel with my soon to be wife. We were coming down to place identification bands on a highly threatened bird species. Before we knew it, we were in full time conservation roles, bought a house, got married, had a child, got a dog, chickens and a vegetable garden. We love our life here.

I have many interests including star gazing/astronomy, fishing, tramping, the outdoors in general, history, conservation, web and graphic design, photography and more. I never considered wood turning until the day I needed to hollow out a piece of wood to make a pen case as a gift. That’s where it all started. I asked to borrow a lathe and ended up being gifted one instead. From there, I was hooked. Perhaps in some ways it’s not surprising as woodworking runs in the family.