Welcome To Carl Jacobson’s World

By Doug Loyer September 21, 2023

Welcome To Carl Jacobson’s World

Well-known Woodturner Carl Jacobson, host of TheWoodshop.TV on YouTube and a Woodcraft partner and influencer, truly has a passion for turning projects on the lathe and enjoys getting others excited about woodturning.

Carl Jacobson likes being creative on the lathe such as making this amazing resin sphere.

Carl’s world has become an exciting and rewarding woodworking journey that includes traveling the country turning creations, giving demonstrations, teaching classes and sharing his woodworking passion.

Carl is shown turning resin here and says that it is easy to work with even though it looks wild.

Woodworking entered Carl’s life at an early age when he spent quality time with his grandfather. That rich experience with him had a lasting impact on Carl.

“My grandfather was a woodworker, and I was always out in the shop with him,” shared Carl. “He taught me all of the basics. That’s how I got started and got the woodworking bug. Later, as an adult, I discovered that I had a passion for woodturning.”

This Maple and Walnut urn made by Carl is beautiful!

Carl has always enjoyed making things, and did a little woodworking in high school. Then in his mid-twenties, he watched his buddy turning on his lathe and it sparked something within him that stuck. He’s been turning ever since.

“I always liked to do stuff with my hands,” admitted Jacobson. “It makes you feel good whenever you make something yourself!”

Woodturning Passion Transitions to a Profession

Years of honing his woodturning skills led Carl to a newfound career eight years ago. He quit his job after 20 years and began pursuing woodworking full-time. A year later, Carl’s wife Robin also quit her job and joined Carl in the venture.

Together, the couple manage TheWoodshop.TV website and YouTube channel. They brainstorm each week to select a project which Carl makes and Robin films. They try to put out a project video each week and enjoy the freedom of not being confined and not knowing what’s around the corner or what the next project will be.

“We work really well together,” commented Carl. “Half the time, Robin comes up with an idea, and half the time, I come up with an idea. We hash out how we want to do it and then jump in.”

Carl made this Star Wars Mellennium Falcon out of Maple and Walnut. Everything is custom fit.

It’s refreshing and entertaining for viewers to see the Jacobsons’ videos, as you can tell that they genuinely have a great time being together.

“I really have so much fun with it that I want to teach as many people as I can what you can do with turning,” said Carl. “Some of the project videos that I do are meant to spark interest in someone that is not necessarily a woodturner. I want them to think, “I didn’t know you could do that with a lathe. What’s great about YouTube is that it doesn’t matter where you are nowadays – you can reach out someone across the planet!”

Carl and Robin Go Mobile

Robin and Carl Jacobson in front of their mobile shop.

Two years ago, the Jacobsons built a mobile shop and hit the road, traveling around the country so Carl could do demonstrations and teach classes. They also produce videos on location and stop by cool places so Carl can do some turning while sharing his passion for woodturning. Wherever he goes, Carl focuses on getting people inspired and interested in turning.

“I love doing this! I would never have imagined that I would be doing this for a living,” Jacobson shared. “I get to do videos, travel around in a woodworking trailer and teach turning classes!”

The Jacobsons aim to take their mobile shop out once a month. Their travels have taken them to many places, including Crater Lake, OR, Phoenix, AZ, Oklahoma City, OK and Cadillac Ranch, TX.

“What I like about creating on the lathe is that as you are working, the piece comes to life,” Carl explained. “As you are cutting, it takes shape!”

This Walnut bathroom sink that Carl made is 14 inches across and 5 in tall.

Another thing that attracted him to woodturning is that you can put a block of wood on the lathe and in an hour or two, you can come out of the shop with a finished project unlike other woodworking projects that can take weeks or months, like building a hutch.

Turning can be a little intimidating for some beginners, so Carl said he always advises them to start out with something simple like a handle. He explained that it’s important to learn how the tools cut and what the tools can do. Once you master those skills, you get more comfortable turning.

Resins Now Part of Carl’s Turning Adventures

Carl turns a little bit of everything. Recently, resins have opened up a whole new world in turning that interests Carl. “You can put about anything in resin and turn it. It’s really cool and has unlimited possibilities,” he said.

He created the beautiful 5-1/2” sphere that appears on June 2020 Woodcraft catalog cover. This eye-opening, “under the sea” looking project began as a piece of Maple Burl that was placed in a mold and cast with resin.

Woodcraft June 2020 Catalog.

“For a project like the sphere, I was looking for something a little bit like an ocean floor with all of those little spikes coming up rather than just a flat piece of wood,” Jacobson explained. “Something with a natural edge, or piece of bark, can add a little spice to your project as well. In this case it was a burl cap, cut into a circle and cast in resin.”

Because Carl wanted a bubble-free casting but did not own a pressure pot, he asked Jake Thompson of Northside Custom Crafts to do the casting. Jake put the burl into a PVC tube, poured in some Alumilite Clear Slow Casting Resin with blue coloring, and placed it into a pressure pot. (When items such as wood are included in a resin casting, use of a pressure pot is required to ensure it is bubble-free.)

Carl then turned and shaped the piece on the lathe. “It is not difficult to turn resin on a lathe,” Carl explained. “It turns very well, is actually cleaner than wood, and negative rake cutters don’t seem to catch or chip it.”

When you watch videos of Carl turning a resin casting, it looks like a complete disaster, but he says all the excess material seems to stay right around the lathe, within a couple of feet, whereas wood shavings can go maybe 20 feet away.

Watch For Carl’s New Projects On YouTube

Carl is always trying something new and inspiring for woodworkers of all levels. To discover what his latest project is, visit his TheWoodshop.TV website and YouTube channel.