Creator guides · 2026-07-12 · Patreon guide
Patreon for woodturning creators: tiers, lathe speed SFM calculations, bowl gouge grind angles, chuck jaw selection, wood species moisture and drying, hollow forms, finishing oil vs lacquer, iOS rates, and the Apple Tax in 2026
Woodturning Patreons retain patrons because the lathe time-lapse shows a finished bowl but never delivers the engineering layer: the RPM calculation that explains why a 12-inch green walnut blank must start at 200 RPM before stepping up to 500 RPM as balance improves, the swept-back grind angle documentation that shows why the same bowl gouge produces chattering cuts on end grain at one bevel angle but clean slicing cuts at 5 degrees flatter, and the wood species moisture content log that explains why a piece cracked during drying. The patron who wants to replicate a process needs the numbers, not just the video.
Three types of woodturning creators on Patreon
Bowl turners documenting blank-to-finished-piece processes
Bowl turners deliver the speed and tool documentation layer: lathe speed calculations (surface feet per minute (SFM) = RPM × diameter (inches) × π / 12; recommended SFM ranges: roughing green wood 500–800 SFM; roughing dry wood 800–1200 SFM; finishing dry wood 1000–1600 SFM; RPM = (SFM × 3.82) / diameter in inches; a 10-inch bowl at 800 SFM roughing: (800 × 3.82) / 10 = 306 RPM; a 6-inch bowl at 1200 SFM finishing: (1200 × 3.82) / 6 = 764 RPM; always start unbalanced green blanks at the lower end regardless of calculation; increase speed in 100 RPM increments while observing vibration — a lathe that vibrates across the floor at 300 RPM needs further roughing, not a speed increase); gouge grind angle documentation (bevel angle at tool tip 45–55° for bowl gouges — lower angles (40–45°) cut more aggressively with higher catch risk; higher angles (55–65°) are scrapers rather than cutters; swept-back wing angle from tip to heel determines how much wing surface contacts the wood when cutting with the wing rather than the tip; swept-back grind creates a wing that exits the cut cleanly; traditional (shallow) grind creates a wing that tends to dig in on bowl interiors); tool rest height documentation (bowl gouge tool rest height: flute of gouge should be at or slightly above center height for a downhill cut on bowl exterior; slightly below center height for interior cuts; skew chisel tool rest: rest at exact center or 1–2 mm above, never below — skew below center reverses the cutting geometry and produces catch risk). Tier structure: Project Documentation ($9–14/month, speed log, tool selection sequence, and grain direction notes per project, Discord by form and species), Technique Deep Dive ($22–30/month, grind angle comparison with cutting result photos, monthly species spotlight with MC and drying schedule), Critique Access ($55–75/month capped 4 patrons, patron submits in-progress form photo, creator returns technique notes).
Hollow form and segmented turners sharing structural documentation
Hollow form and segmented turners share the engineering layer for advanced forms: hollow form tool selection and steady rest use (hollowing tools: swept-bent tool for entry cut near opening; side-cutting tool for broadening the interior; articulated hollowing arm (Monster Arm / Kobra system) for large deep forms where reach exceeds hand-held tool stability; wall thickness measurement: ultrasonic thickness gauge (DeFelsko or Cygnus) for closed-form measurement through the exterior wall, calibrated to the specific wood’s speed of sound (varies from 3500 m/s in balsa to 5000 m/s in maple); target wall thickness 3–6 mm for small forms under 6-inch diameter; 5–10 mm for large forms over 10-inch diameter; steady rest positioning: center of rest support on the widest section of the form, not at the center of the blank length — incorrect steady rest placement creates a fulcrum effect that amplifies vibration rather than dampening it); segmented turning ring calculations (ring segment count S determines the cut angle per segment: angle = 180/S degrees (cut each end of the segment); common counts: 8 segments (22.5° per cut), 12 segments (15° per cut), 16 segments (11.25° per cut); ring diameter calculation: outer ring diameter = (segment chord length / sin(180/S)) for tight-fit ring assembly; segment length tolerance ±0.2 mm maximum for gap-free ring assembly; grain direction documentation per ring layer — alternating grain orientation in adjacent rings reduces seasonal movement differential and prevents ring delamination); wood movement calculation (tangential shrinkage coefficient %/% MC change: oak 8.9%; walnut 7.8%; cherry 7.1%; maple 9.3%; pine 6.0%; a 10-inch walnut bowl blank at 40% MC drying to 8% MC equilibrium: diameter change = 10 × 0.078 × (40–8)/100 = 2.5 inches — this is why rough-turning to 10% over final wall thickness and allowing to dry for 6–12 months before final turning is the standard practice). iOS rates: YouTube hollow form turning 65–78% iOS; Instagram finished form photography 70–83%.
Woodturning educators covering wood species and finishing
Woodturning educators deliver the material science and finishing selection documentation: wood species properties for turning (hardness measured in Janka hardness rating: soft maple 1450 lbf; hard maple 1450 lbf; cherry 950 lbf; walnut 1010 lbf; white oak 1360 lbf; figured maple (bird’s eye, quilted, curly) has interlocked grain that produces tearout on scrapers and requires shear scraping at 45–60° to the rotation direction to slice rather than tear; burl blanks have extremely irregular grain directions — multiple tool approach angles required mid-cut; eucalyptus and some tropical hardwoods contain silica particles that rapidly dull high-speed steel (HSS) tools — documenting dulling rate per species teaches patrons when to switch to carbide or increase sharpening frequency); moisture content and drying schedules (freshly cut green wood: 40–80% MC depending on species and cut; rough-turned bowl wall at 10% over final thickness should air dry 1 week per inch of wall thickness at 18–22°C, 50–60% RH; log section drying before turning: seal end grain with wood sealer or PVA within 48 hours of cut to prevent checking; kiln drying schedule for turning blanks: 5% per day moisture reduction target, not to exceed 8°C temperature differential between surface and core); finishing selection documentation (penetrating oils: Danish oil / tung oil / linseed oil penetrate the wood fiber, enhance grain figure, provide minimal surface protection, require reapplication every 6–12 months for items in use; waterlox tung oil varnish: penetrating hybrid that polymerizes in the wood and on the surface; film finishes: lacquer sprayed in 3–5 coats with 400-grit sanding between coats for food-safe bowls (water-based acrylic lacquer food-safe after full cure 24–72 hours); wax over sealer: Briwax, Renaissance Wax for display pieces where moisture exposure is minimal; CA glue (cyanoacrylate) sealer before buffing: pen blank and small spindle technique — applies too thick for large bowl forms). iOS rates: YouTube species and finishing tutorial 65–78% iOS; Instagram finished piece photography 70–83%.
Apple Tax impact on woodturning creators
Woodturning creator iOS rates: YouTube woodturning process video 65–78% iOS; Instagram finished piece photography and blank reveal 70–83% iOS; TikTok turning process and form reveal 68–80% iOS. At $200/month with 70% iOS: Apple’s 30% fee starting November 1, 2026 costs $42.00/month ($504.00/year). At $350/month with 74% iOS: $77.70/month ($932.40/year). Enable web-only billing in Patreon Creator Settings before October 31, 2026.