Turned wood hats

Keim Lumber had a demonstrator at their Charm Days sale this past weekend. Powermatic Lathes sponsored the appearance of JoHannes Michelson.
My brother, Ronnie, was visiting from Texas and we went to see what turned out to be the last half hour of a three hour demonstration. JoHannes turned a hat made of red maple and added a decorated band using ebony and to color the banding.
Michelson's website contains an extensive photo gallery of the steps he uses to turn a complete hat. He uses some unique adaptations (a fluorescent bulb attached through the head stock to illuminate the interior of the hat while he makes the finishing cuts on the top of the hat. He is certainly an accomplished turner who can easily turn while answering questions from the audience. He enjoyed poking fun at some of the mistakes he has made while he has been hat-making. It was an enjoyable and inspiring experience for me. I appreciated seeing him in action and was challenged by his skills to try more on my own turning.