Nor‑Cal Woodturners Ash Bowl Class Features Shou Sugi Ban Torching Feb. 28

Noele DeSafey led a hands-on Ash wood bowl workshop on Feb. 28, 2026, that combined bowl turning with an exterior shou sugi ban torching process and an optional dye stain for the interior. The Nor‑Cal Woodturners listing titled "Ash Wood Bowl and Japanese Torching Process" scheduled two sessions for the day, at 9:30 and 1:30 pm, and noted there were four spaces available in each session.

The club posting spells out the class plan in plain terms: "Join Noele DeSafey in another great hands-on class at her home. We will be turning an ash wood bowl then applying a shou sugi ban (Japanese torching process) to the outside and possibly a dye stain to the inside. There will be 2 sessions – 9:30 and 1:30 pm. There are 4 spaces available in each session. We'll meet in Roseville near Pleasant Grove and Fairway. Please contact Noele DeSafey at noele@noeledodson.com to register. Hope you can join us!"

The listing appeared on the Nor‑Cal Woodturners website as a hands-on member workshop entry and was posted within the club's member-facing pages, which include login options such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple sign-in. The post identifies the venue only as DeSafey's home in Roseville, near Pleasant Grove and Fairway; it provides no street address, no fee information, and no list of supplies or required personal protective equipment.

Nor‑Cal's announcement and the accompanying schedule make the teaching focus clear: turning ash blanks into bowls, then treating the exterior with shou sugi ban, the Japanese torching technique. The listing does not state whether each participant would torch their own bowl or whether torches, blanks, dyes, and PPE would be supplied; it also does not specify skill level, age limits, payment methods, or a registration deadline. The posting does, however, give a direct contact for registration: noele@noeledodson.com.

For a process like shou sugi ban that involves open flame and surface-char techniques, the four-person session limit the listing cites suggests an intentionally small class size that suits close supervision and hands-on practice. The Nor‑Cal listing itself stops short of logistics on materials and safety, so anyone seeking to reproduce the class experience or attend similar workshops should confirm whether tools, blanks, torches, and safety gear will be provided or whether attendees must bring them.

Nor‑Cal Woodturners hosted the Feb. 28 sessions at DeSafey's Roseville location and asked interested turners to register by emailing noele@noeledodson.com. The listing ended on a familiar note to club members: "Hope you can join us!