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About Rich Johnson

As a self-taught turner each piece will add to my training, knowledge and growth. With my "Open Studio" and my pallet ready I am always on that search… So join with me and share the beauty of Artistic Woodturning.

My first exposure to turning was with my Shop Smith in the early 70's. I made candlesticks and other spindle projects. In the 80's I discovered Turned Bowls and even Turned Wooden Pens. I made hundreds and hundreds of pens. I only experimented with Bowls at that time until someone said, "How much do you want for that?"

It started! I was turning any kind of wood I could get my hands on. Then came the Craft Fairs! We had a ball. Selling everything I could turn.

Turnings started to get bigger and in 1992 I sold my Shop Smith, and purchased a 20" long bed Woodfast lathe. Now I could turn bigger Bowls and have complete variable speed. It didn't take very long to discover Turning Bowls is what I really wanted to do.

I sold the Woodfast and purchased a Vic Marc Bowl Lathe. I could turn (BIGGER) 24" pieces of wood. I made and sold a lot of bowls over the years using that machine. Now it is time once again to step up. I ordered a model S750 Omega Stubby Lathe. The capacity of the S750 is 30"d x 34"l. I picked up the new Lathe in June of 1999, WOW! In Dec. of '06 I gave her a facelift and had her powder coated RED!

For me this is now a whole new world of woodturning. I have come up with some of my own tools and accessories. With this new machine my turning has improved once again and has also open the doors even wider to the world of "Artistic Woodturning".

I have Sawdust sessions at my studio each WED. and have a lot of fun sharing Turning and Turning experiences. In addition, I have developed a class that is known as Rich Johnson's "Woodturners Boot Camp". This class will take the beginning Turner from Chain Saw to Polish and includes a book I have written. With my "Open Studio" join us if you can, everyone is welcome.

In the 80's a group of turners met at Shop Smith and had a small Turning club. I was President of that group for few years and during that time we joined AAW to become the "West Bay Area Woodturners". A few years later I started another group in the San Jose area. We also joined the AAW and became "Silicon Valley Woodturners".

SVW now meets once a month at my studio in San Jose. We have over 50 members and have a lot of activities going on. As a club we participate in Home & Garden shows in the Bay Area. This gives the group to get out to the public and show and sell their turnings.

Rich Johnson Group Involvements and Memberships

President Silicon Valley Woodturners, 1997 - Present

President Gallery Saratoga, 1996 - 1999

Life Member of the national registry of Who's Who

Member of the International Executive Guild