Most people learn more by watching than just reading about it. Watching and interacting with a demonstrator is a great way to learn. There are two modes of demonstration – in person or remote.
Some of the topics of my demonstration include:
- Piston Box – a no hollowing nifty little box that still develops turning fundamentals and is a great canvas for creativity.
- Hook Tool End Grain Hollowing – use of Hook tool for end grain bowls, vessels, cups and platters
- Bowl in Bowl – a demonstration the turning of a bowl with another bowl inside using off center turning techniques
- Fantastic Kitchen Utensils: Spatula & Spoon – not just an ordinary spatula or spoon but these kitchen utensils add a fantastic feature that lets them reside on the side of a pot or pan waiting for you to use
- Bowl Turning – traditional face grain or natural edge bowl turning; either way the grain features are paramount
- Wine Glass – a small wine glass with perfect proportions and scale
- Sphere Turning – a classic turning challenge but without expensive jigs, this demo utilizes practice cuts and trains the eye on shape
- Small Bud Vase – a great gift and simple to turn but has a set of features that give spindle turning the focus
- Oval Box – a simple layout and three axis turning and a little hook tool use gets a beautiful oval box.
- Small Plates – make a small plate out of face grain and one out of end grain; why?, well why not learn about both techniques
My current demonstration are
Please contact me if you are interested in an interactive remote demonstration or an in person demonstration for your club.
Bringing woodturning demonstrations electronically to club facilities or directly to members home through technology is simple, cost effective and fun.
IRDs by Tod Raines – download this flyer about “Interactive Remote Demonstrations by Tod Raines”.
I can demonstrate most any woodturning topic and display it via a video link directly to your membership using the latest technologies to provide an immersive, interactive and instructional experience. This video feed can be directly to each member (1:many) in their home or to a club facility (1:1) where your membership meets.

It is easy for your membership to join the virtual meeting and participate. Simply use a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone and click on the link to join a Zoom meeting. I have a full set of instructions for your membership.
The process works something like this. We plan for me to demonstrate to your club on a time and date you specify. A few days before the actual meeting time, we can coordinate to have your membership practice connecting to a Zoom meeting to ensure they can get connected and comfortable using the meeting tool. I will work with your Program Director or someone from your club to act as a co-host to help moderate the meeting. I have details on the tasks needed for this kind of meeting. The meeting time can include your regular program such as meet and great social time, announcements, show and tell, drawings, and then of course my demonstration. My demos typically take about 1.5 – 2 hours, but we can modify it to suit your needs.
Advantages to a club:
- The opportunity to see a demonstrator they could not get to their club meeting.
- Lower costs because there are no travel costs.
- Often, better video than a club gets with their own camera operator and equipment because the demonstrator typically has better lighting and video setup than a club might have. I use three or four different cameras for my remote demonstrations.
Advantages for the Demonstrator
- Using their own equipment with more options to show tools and have backup if there is some type of equipment failure
- No travel
- No packing and unpacking
Please feel free to call and chat about my fee and this opportunity to share woodturning with your members. Your members can still be engaged with your club if they are stuck at home because of the virus crisis or simply if they are not as mobile as they use to be. We have several members that cannot drive at night, so they never make an in-person meeting. Well now there is no reason why every member can’t participate.
Providing a detailed in-person demonstration for your club membership allows for a personal touch. In person demos allow for your membership to get up close and see the tools, techniques and ask pertinent questions before, during and after the demonstration.


I have completed many demonstration for my local clubs (four in the area) and also for several clubs around the country. I have demonstrated at four regional symposiums or turning events. I have conducted many hands on classes for groups of four to six people.
Advantages to a club:
- The opportunity to meet and work with the demonstrator in person.
- Availability to club and its members for hands on instruction (optional)
- A group based interactive demonstration where questions and answers are real time
- Ability to pass around tools, demo pieces and for members to get hands on with the demonstration items.
Please contact me if you are interested in an interactive remote demonstration or an in person demonstration for your club.