Cascade Woodturners to host Neill Seigel's multi-axis ladle demo

A multi-axis ladle with a steam-bent handle is not the kind of project that blends into a room full of standard bowls and spindles, and that is exactly what made Cascade Woodturners’ May 21 meeting at the Wild Lilac Center stand out. Neill Seigel brought a form that asked turners to think past round profiles and into the harder questions of centers, grain direction and visual rhythm.

Seigel’s background made the session more than a routine lathe demo. Cascade describes him as a lifelong woodworker whose appreciation for wood began in childhood, even though he did not find the lathe until 1996. That long path into turning showed up in the way the club framed the evening: not as a beginner walk-through, but as a chance to watch a maker who came to the lathe after years of broader shop experience.

In his demonstration, Seigel shared his process for turning a multi-axis ladle form with a steam-bent handle. That combination gave the meeting a practical edge for active turners who want to push beyond basic bowl work and into forms that demand careful layout and controlled cuts. The ladle shape itself, paired with a bent handle, made the project especially useful for members interested in how a finished piece can move from turned geometry into a more functional, sculptural object.

Cascade Woodturners has built its program around that kind of learning. The club says it is devoted to educating woodturners and the public about the art and craft of woodturning, and it backs that mission with monthly meetings, demonstrations, a newsletter, a lending library, a store, raffle wood and member discounts. The May session fit neatly into that rhythm, with a specialized form that rewarded close attention and sparked the kind of shop-floor discussion that follows a technically demanding demo.

Seigel’s teaching profile also reaches beyond Cascade. Northwest Woodturners listed a general meeting on April 3, 2025 featuring his multi-axis ladles demo, and a club video noted the complex setup required to turn the pieces. PNW Woodturner also lists a broad lineup of his classes, including Carpenter’s Mallet, Basic Skew Course, Spinning Top & Small Bowl, Subdue the Skew, Turmkreisel, Firewood Lighthouse, 3 Leg Stool and 3 Piece Candy Dish.

Cascade’s next meeting is set for June 18, when Rick Rich will demonstrate TurmKreisels and tops at the Wild Lilac Center, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. PDT. After a May session built around an unusual ladle and a steam-bent handle, the club’s calendar is keeping the focus exactly where many local turners want it: on forms and techniques that stretch what can be done at the lathe.