Woodturning is much more than grinding out some table legs or a bowl with a lathe - "it's an art form," says Dakota Woodturner president Pat Schweitzer.

This weekend, the Dakota Woodturners are holding the seventh annual hands-on woodturning symposium at the Mandan High School Vo-Tech Department. Three master woodturners hailing from Colorado will be sharing their skills through demonstrations and giving participants guidance with hands-on direction.

Bryce Hill is a charter member of the woodturners group that formed in the Bismarck-Mandan area in 1998. The group started with about 20 woodturning enthusiasts and now has more than 70 members. The Dakota Woodturners meet the second Saturday of every month at the Mandan High School Vo-Tech Department.

"The hands-on element of the symposium is really the key to it," Hill says. "At a lot of other symposiums you'll pay a lot more money and all you get to do is sit in a chair and listen to a lecture. You may learn something or you may not. When you're actually able to put what you learn to use, there's a much better chance you'll retain it."

Schweitzer expects to see about 40 participants in the symposium. Each will pay about $85, and most will provide their own mini-lathe. The event is also free of charge to spectators, and there will be a gallery of Dakota Woodturner works. The symposium begins with a get-acquainted session beginning at 7 p.m. today. Demonstrations will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Demonstrators include:

3 Trent Bosch, a professional woodturner for the past 15 years, who has sculptural woodturnings displayed in many art galleries, museums and craft centers.

3 Pete Holtus, a woodturning instructor at his woodcraft store in Denver, specializing in small turnings such as boxes, ornaments, birdhouses, small bowls and hollow forms.

3 Allen Jensen, who focuses on turning salad bowls and platters from green wood, provides instruction on improving participants' tool techniques.

Schweitzer notes that the Dakota Woodturners has members ranging in age from 8 to 80.

"Duncan Warren, the founder of our club, is 84 and still active," Schweitzer says. "You can get into the hobby for about as cheap as you want. A good mini-lathe will cost about $300, and for $500 you can do just about anything anybody else does. I'd suggest that a person join the club and find out what they want to do so they wouldn't buy a lot of unnecessary things."

Hill, a retired law enforcement instructor, says he's made "a jillion little things" since he started about 10 years ago. He has both a mini-lathe which weighs in at about 70 pounds and a power-matic, coming in at more than 800 pounds.

"I learned about turning when I was in high school and really enjoyed it. When I read in the paper they were going to start a group here, I said 'that's what I'm going to do,'" Hill says. "We're diligently trying to bring young people into the woodturners."

Participants in the symposium will rotate between the demonstrators throughout the day, with each session lasting about two and a half hours. Meals are part of the package.

Schweitzer, a plumber, says he's been turning for about 20 years, his interest growing from his father who was a cabinet maker.

He explains that turning differs from carving because of the power lathe that's used, instead of a carver's hand tools. Many of those involved in turning also are skilled carvers.

"Compared to when I got started, there's a lot of help out there," Schweitzer says. "I didn't have the Internet to call upon; it was years of learning through trial and error. Now there are a lot of resources available. Our organization is affiliated with the national woodturning club, which has over 12,000 members."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)