Joining the RPT

Introduction

The Register or Professional Turners requires all new applicants to undertake an assessment of their work and their professional attitude towards woodturning. The Register works towards supporting its membership, promoting their expertise, professionalism, the expansion and growth of woodturning and the public awareness of the craft and we expect all potential applicants to echo these values.

We welcome turners from any and all aspects of woodturning to apply; whether your specialism is in architectural, functional, treen or artistic woodturning. The Register comprises skilled wood turners who have a professional approach to all areas of their work. This could be making, selling and/or marketing to public, trade, galleries and museums, teaching or demonstrating. The key factor being that wherever their expertise may lie, they will be offering work and a service of professional-quality.

The most important element is that you have a professional outlook to producing quality work; therefore, you will be a highly competent wood turner in your particular field of woodturning, always adhering to the highest standards of work and complying with the health and safety guidelines as set out in HSE website.

International Applicants

When the Register was first formed it was initially exclusive for UK based woodturners. However, the last few years have seen the RPT extend our membership overseas with our first international Registrant being from Ireland, and our second from Canada.

International membership includes all the benefits of domestic membership with the one exception of voting rights which are limited to UK based turners only. To ensure representation of international members within the Register, a permanent seat on the committee has been established with the principle aim of looking after the interests of those members.

Costs

The initial application process is free of charge. We only require payment on being invited to formally apply (once you have passed our preliminary assessment). This payment is either £30.00 for UK applicants or £50.00 for international applicants and is non-refundable no matter the outcome of your application. If you need to apply again for any reason, you will need to pay this fee for each subsequent formal application.

On being admitted to the Register of Professional Turners, you will be expected to pay the pro rata amount of the annual subscription. This annual subscription of £60.00 is to be paid on 1st June each year for standard Registrants; or £25.00 for retired Registrants. You can resign from the RPT at any time but you will not receive any refund of your annual subscription on doing so.

The Application Process

There are five stages to the application process:

1. The first stage is a self-assessment using guidelines we have set out to ensure your work is up to the high standards we aim to uphold. If you are happy you feel you meet the criteria laid out, then you can move on to the next stage.

2. Submit your Application Form, including high quality photographs of your best work for a pre-assessment by our Enrolment Committee*. We require photographs of FOUR pieces of work, taken from different angles and showing any detail you feel needs highlighting. PLEASE DO NOT send in photographs with clutter that detracts from your pieces and take heed of how your work is displayed. If it is in the photograph, it will be assessed.

*This stage is free of charge and will allow our Enrolment Committee to give you brief feedback on whether they feel you are ready to continue with your application (by which time there is a cost involved of £30 for UK applicants, and £50 for international).

3. Stage three comprises of a full assessment of your work. At this stage you are required to pay the assessment fee (£30 for UK Applicants; £50 for International Applicants). This stage may require you to send some physical pieces of work to be looked at, though the majority of the time if your photographs are satisfactory we will not need to see your work at this time.

4. The final stage is a workshop assessment. Where we can, we will arrange a visit from a Registrant of the RPT* to look at your workshop and watch you demonstrate your competence at turning (and view further pieces of work, if required). They will complete an assessment form and feed back to the Enrolment Committee.

*If a physical visit cannot be arranged, we will arrange a Zoom interview with you where you will be expected to answer the questions we require and to provide us with a tour of your workshop and a demonstration of your turning skill.

5. All the information gathered will then be looked at, and each Enrolment Officer will complete a quantitative form scoring you from 1-5 in the different areas of criteria. The scores will be added together and an average score determined which will decide whether or not you have been successful. The score sheets will be fed back to you on request with commentary, should you require it.

Self Assessment Criteria

Before submitting any of your work, please read through this section which serves as a checklist and explains some of the criteria we look at when critiquing the photographs of your work. We have included a non-exhaustive list of examples of poor workmanship below so you can cross-check your own work before sending us your photographs

Tear-out
Poorly finished chucking points
Tool marks
Sanding lines
Heat Checks
Poor finishing (patchy/orange peel/overspray/colour bleed)
Glue marks
Ensure beads and coves are cut sharply and cleanly

Photograph Submission Criteria

Multiple photographs of 4 individual pieces of your BEST work. Usually, we suggest 4 images of all 4 pieces of work (totalling 16 images).
Ensure your work is in focus (or a specific area you are highlighting is in focus)
Good lighting
We recommend you use a plain background wherever possible and certainly no clutter in the image

If you are happy that your work meets these minimum requirements, then submit your application by clicking the button below

Successful Applicants

Successful applicants, once payment of the current annual subscription fee has been received (pro rata for the first year), will be accorded the benefits of inclusion on to the roll of the Register of Professional Turners. These include a personal entry on the RPT website and the right to display the RPT logo, the shield of the Worshipful Company of Turners and to use the post nominal RPT. A welcome pack, to include your certificate and badges will be dispatched.

Unsuccessful Applicants

Though we have tried to streamline our application process to be as helpful as possible to applicants, we still find on occasion that some people are declined. In this instance, the applicant will receive feedback at whatever stage they find themselves declined membership along with advice on how to hopefully improve before considering applying again.

Application Form