To book me for a demo or talk, see the information below. Please note – I book two to three years out. (My wife would like me to add that if your club is in a tropical location, she can get you a much earlier date as long as she gets to come along.)
Topics
Spalting 101 (1.5-2 hrs): a general introduction to historic spalting, modern science, DIY, and tips and tricks for woodworking/woodturning
Spalted wood talk – for mycology groups (1.5-2 hrs): a general introduction to historic spalting, modern science, fungal biology, and how to find spalting fungi in the wild. Textile dyeing discussion comparing and contrasting spalting fungi to more commonly used dye fungi
Dyeing and Painting with spalting fungi demo (1.5 hours to day long workshop, depending): This demo can be made as long or short as your club has time for and covers where and how to find the fungi / pigments in the wild, how to harvest and extract them, and how to reapply them to various substrates, including glass, textiles, wood, etc.
Turning spalted wood demo (1.5 hours to day long workshop, depending): turning spalted wood takes patience and a unique tooling approach if you want to avoid stabilizers and sanding. This demo can be made as long or short as your club has time for, and covers tools, grinds, stabilizers, sanding, and how to turn spalted wood safely regardless of punky level, without the need for stabilizers or sanding
Wood Mythbusters (2 hours): By far my most popular talk, this riot of a two hour block discusses the myriad of misconceptions and urban legends in woodworking and then sets the record straight—with science!
Wood Identification (1.5 hrs to 2 day workshop, depending): Learning to ID wood can be a fun challenge. Basic macro ID (appropriate for club demos and short talks) and more in-depth micro ID (better for day long and weekends) takes participants through very basic wood anatomy, and teaches key ID elements like latewood arrangement, parenchyma groupings, rays, etc.
Turning figured wood (1.5-2hrs): one part wood anatomy, one part turning, this talk and demo combination cover the different types of figure in wood, what causes said figure, and the best tips and tricks for turning highly figured wood without tearout
Coloring with Fungi (1.5hrs – 1 day workshop, depending): appropriate across wood, textiles, and glass, learn how to extract pigments from spalting fungi and reapply them to turnings, furniture, yarns/clothes, and other objects. Depending on time, this can be a talk on the mechanics, or a hands-on workshop where participants make their own pigments and then dye items they have brought in
The Science of the Skew (variable time). This is great workshop for the beginner and anyone terrified of the skew chisel. We go over its anatomy, the wood’s anatomy, and how to gain confidence with a tool that is deep misunderstood.
Important Info
BAGGAGE
For talks in provinces / states within which I currently reside, I can bring spalted wood for demo purposes. Upon request, I can also bring typical spalting cultures and / or the items necessary to show inoculation and culturing techniques. Due to laws regarding the transportation of wet wood across state / provincial / country lines, I cannot bring such items with me if I am traveling outside of my geographic region. However, most of these items can easily be purchased locally by the group, and I am happy to work with the resources available.
ASSOCIATED COSTS
Due to the time commitment required for such presentations, I do generally ask for my travel / lodging / food expenses to be covered, as well as an honorarium to be provided. Honorariums are based upon the type of presentation / demo required and the length of the presentation, but are generally in the $250 range for a typical evening meeting. Full day demos run between $750-$1000 for up to eight hours. Cost difference depends on the ratio of lecture to woodworking involved, and distance to travel.
Costs breakdowns are as follows:
- Remote talk: $250
- Demo or talk within a 2 hour driving distance: $250
- Remote demo: $500 (I have to pay my videographer!)
- In-person evening talk or demo > 2 hour drive time, or involving a flight: $500 plus travel costs
- Multi-day events: please email
Media
Below is a media quality photo and introduction you can use to introduce me or promote a workshop or presentation at your facility.
Biography of Dr. Seri C. Robinson
Dr. Seri Robinson is a professor of wood anatomy at Oregon State University. Their research areas include wood spalting, wood turning, wood identification, and wood toxicity, especially in the home. They are well known for their research in spalted wood, as well as studies on cutting board science. Dr. Robinson is also a passionate sculptor and furniture maker, and when not in the shop can be found writing, baking, and wrangling an ever evolving number of kids and rabbits.
