West Michigan Woodturners: John Petro Demonstrates Power Carving for Turned Forms

West Michigan Woodturners brought power carving into the spotlight at its February 14 meeting when demonstrator John Petro ran a session on using power carving to embellish turned forms, and the club posted a recap of that demonstration on its website. The announcement identifies Petro by name and the topic clearly, noting the club has documented the session online.

The club’s mission and structure provide context for Petro’s visit. West Michigan Woodturners is a club in the Kalamazoo and Portage area for woodturners of all levels. The site describes the organization as "an association of woodturners of all skill levels from beginners to advanced turners" and says "the club is focused on education and advancing the art and science of turning all forms on lathes." Monthly meetings, the site notes, feature "demonstrations by either club members or invited speakers" to help members advance their skills.

A posted account includes a clipped line from the demonstration description: "John Petro’s demonstration focused on taking a near-finished lathe form, commo" (the sentence fragment as supplied in the posted recap stops at that point). Beyond that fragment, the available materials confirm only that the club recorded the event and made a recap available on its website; no step-by-step demonstration text, quotes from Petro, or photos were included in the supplied excerpt.

The club’s public meeting page also illustrates how West Michigan Woodturners runs its programs. The March 14, 2026 meeting page lists logistics in detail: "The meeting starts at 9:30AM sharp, arrival time starts at 8:30 AM in person and 9:00AM via Zoom." That page gives the meeting place as "the Community Room of the Big Rock Community Church, 3140 N. 3rd St., Kalamazoo (Oshtemo) MI 49009" and promises "lots of coffee, some sweet treats and many of your friends to chat with." Members are encouraged to support the club raffle table: "Remember, your donations for the Raffle table are much appreciated! They also are a source of supplies and turning wood for many of our members. Please take the time and effort to keep your donations coming. A BIG THANK YOU."

Looking ahead on the club calendar, the March 14 demonstration is titled "Tips, Tricks and Jigs." The page describes it as: "It is an interactive event where several members share some of their ways to save time, effort and cost when turning wood at the lathe." The site adds that "It has been over a year since the last time we did this demonstration" and that "They always prove to have great ideas and ways to make 'turning' simpler and even more fun." With Petro’s Feb. 14 session and the March 14 lineup, the club continues its stated focus on education and practical demonstrations for turners across the Kalamazoo and Portage area.