Developing Advanced Skillset & Fine Form – A Professional Turning Intensive
with Matt Monaco

Full-time, in-house trade & traditional woodturner, educator, and professional craftsman Matt Monaco, will introduce you to a range of philosophy, application, and understanding while sharing the overall value in developing a skillset & cutting execution—along with sharing the finest methods of acquiring advanced tool control, and finesse in Woodturning.

Through focused, dedicated practice, using a wide range of traditional woodturning tools and techniques, students will learn to develop and refine advanced muscle memory, and mastery, as either seriously developing, or career oriented professional craftspeople in a personalized manner; to account for long term success in woodturning, within the context of traditionally turned craft as a Fine Art.

This course will emphasize, share, and encourage the incredible value in learning to sharpen & shape tools effectively, with high quality for excellent results at the lathe. By way of simple to advanced modifications corresponding to specific applications with many of woodturning’s most valuable tools, students will improve the function of broadening the depth & overall quality of items one can turn, as well as the confidence and aesthetic in one’s own process, and develop an eye for contemporary, and traditional forms at the lathe.

You will learn to easily dispel the often mystified, confuted knowledge of grain orientation to cut remarkably cleaner, to entirely tear out free exterior & interior surfaces, as well as the art of practicing for efficiency, and why the development, and continuity of one’s own expression of the craft does not require gimmicks, or woodworking dogma to account for gaining advanced insight, personal inspiration, or an inability to allow oneself to begin mastering fine craft of turning.

This course will allow you gain a fresh approach, and garner new insight to mastering the craft directly from a seasoned, time-served, qualified professional woodturner who has over 20 years, countless thousands of hours spent at the lathe, along with both wholesale, retail, interior design and in-house trade experience.
As one of the very few trained & apprenticed woodturners in both the field, trade, and industry, Matt Monaco will continue to be a leader in the craft’s foreseeable future.

Note: This course is recommended for intermediate to advanced woodturners only.

Course Outline:

Day 1: Side Grain

Cutting tear-out free exterior surfaces with gouges, alongside proper usage of, and benefits of scrapers, and right or left-handed approach.
Beginning-Advanced finer points of sharpening, and direct exterior application with green & dry stock using the bowl & spindle gouge, and scrapers:

Jig Sharpening method, philosophy, and benefits with gouges
Freehand sharpening method, philosophy, and benefits with gouges & scrapers
Turning right or left-handed correctly, using gouges & Scrapers.
Demystifying side grain orientation, gouge angles, application, finesse, and approach with gouges & scrapers on exteriors.

Class Exercise & Application Project
Tear-Out Free, Classic Open Form Bowl Exterior.

Utilize shear scraping techniques with gouges, scrapers, and learn the benefits of proper tool selection & application.

Day 2: Side Grain Turning Continued

Cutting fine detail, tear-out free interiors, seeing fine form, and using gouges with corresponding preferred shapes & angles.
Beginning-Advanced finer points of sharpening, and direct hollowing application with green & dry stock using the bowl gouge.

Jig sharpening method, philosophy, and benefits with gouges for hollowing
Freehand sharpening method, philosophy, and benefits with gouges for hollowing.
Turning right or left-handed correctly, using gouges.
Understanding side grain orientation, application, finesse, and approach with Gouges when hollowing and shaping.

Class Exercise & Application Project
Tear-Out Free, Classic Open Form Bowl Interior & finished piece
Utilize a Fine burnish with gouges, and the benefits of proper tool selection & application to complete a fine open form with tear-out free surfaces.

Day 3: End Grain Turning

Cutting tear-out free exterior surfaces with the skew chisel & spindle gouge alongside proper body mechanics, usage, and benefits of either right or left-handed approach.
Beginning-Advanced finer points of sharpening, and direct exterior application with green & dry stock using the skew chisel & spindle gouges.

Freehand sharpening method, philosophy, and benefits of using the skew chisel & spindle gouges
Turning right or left-handed correctly, using the skew & spindle gouges
Understanding end grain orientation, proper gouge & skew angles, application, finesse, and approach with the skew & gouges on exteriors.

Class Exercise & Application Project
Tear-Out Free, End Grain Box Exterior
Utilize a fine burnish, and shear cut with the skew chisel, or spindle gouge for scraping and the benefits of proper tool selection & application.

Day 4: End Grain Turning Continued

Cutting tear-out free interior surfaces with modified gouges and scrapers, alongside proper body mechanics, usage, and benefits of either right or left-handed approach.
Beginning-Advanced finer points of sharpening, and direct interior application with green & dry stock using modified gouges, and scrapers

Freehand sharpening method, philosophy, and benefits with modified gouges and scrapers
Turning right or left-handed correctly, using modified gouges, and scrapers
Understanding end grain orientation, gouge & scraper angles, application, finesse, and approach with modified gouges and scrapers on interiors

Class Exercise & Application Project
Tear-Out Free, End Grain Box interior
Utilize a fine burnish, shear cut, and scrape with modified gouges and scrapers
To turn a fine end-grain interior, and understand the benefits of proper tool selection & application.

Day 5: Individual Final Project, Evaluation, and Critique

Chosen Final project will be created by way of direction & vision student has as a maker with options to be made during initial stages of class exercises.

Students can choose one of the following for their Final Project.

Thin Walled Vessel
Ogee Vessel
Fine Open Salad Bowl
Fine End Grain Box
Fine Side Grain Box
Spindle Turned Item
Square End Bowl
Natural Edge Vessel (side or end grain)
Platter

Learn more from Matt Monaco

Matt Monaco
monacobowls.com

E-Learning & Projects with Fine Woodworking
https://courses.finewoodworking.com/turning-matt-monaco

Fine Woodworking Ambassador & Contributor
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2020/09/21/announcing-fww-ambassadors

Signature Classes

Matt Monaco Developing Advanced Skillset & Fine Form Course October 19-23, 2026

Nutcracker Master Class with Paul Anderson August 17-21, 2026

Mike Mahoney Signature Course November 30-December 4, 2026

Karl Hansen Basket Illusion Lidded Box Course June 8-12, 2026

Matt Monaco Signature Course May 18-22, 2026

Mike Jackofsky Signature Course September 14-18, 2026

Karl Hansen Basket Illusion Platter Course November 9-13, 2026