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Examples | Methods | Woods

Classical Bowl © 2010. #21. Argentinian osage orange. Tung oil.	Bold Bowl © 2010. #25. Zebra wood with yellowheart trim. Tung oil.	White Canister © 2011. #29. White sugar maple, greenwood. Polyurethane.	Modular Top © 2011. #31. Yellowheart and purpleheart. Tung oil.
Modular Bottom © 2011. #30. Yellowheart and purpleheart. Tung oil.	Sewing Thread Chest © 2014. Cherry. Red cherry stain. Polyurethane.	Platter 2 © 2012. White pine. Polyurethane.	Eternal © 2014. Rosewood. Inset shaped copper wire. Polyurethane.
Twin Rim © 2010. #26. Purpleheart. Polyurethane.	Clean Lines © 2010. #17. Zapote wood. Tung oil.	Simple Classical © 2011. Bocote wood. Tung oil.	Apple For The Teacher © 2010. #16. White pine. Tung oil.
Micro-Teacup © 2011. Purpleheart and Zebra wood. Tung oil.	Goblet Twins © 2010. Brazilian rosewood. Polyurethane.	Button Top Modern Bowl © 2009. #14. Brazilian rosewood. Polyurethane.	Classical Morter And Pestle © 2013. #32. Argentinian osage orange. Polyurethane.
Rounded Bowl © 2010. Maple. Tung oil.	Salad Bowl With Two Spoons © 2008. Red oak and poplar. Polyurethane.	Pie Platter © 2008. Cherry, greenwood. Polyurethane.	Inverted Bowl © 2010. Padauk wood. Polyurethane.
Media Cabinet © 2013. Paduak and red oak. Polyurethane.	Chess Table © 2008. Red oak. Polyurethane.	South American Influences © 2009. #11. Ebony. Tung oil.	Modern Lines © 2009. #9. Zebra wood. Tung oil.
Classical Urn © 2009. #10. Aged ponderosa pine. Polyurethane.	Double Stepped Brim © 2009. #7. Zebra wood. Olive oil and tung oil.	Simply Bowl © 2010. #20. Bocate. Tung oil.	Mushroom © 2010. #22. Yellowheart. Tung oil.
Round With Inset © 2010. #18. Marblewood. Polyurethane.	Art Deco Lines © 2009. #8. Purpleheart. Tung oil.	Cheese And Crackers Tray With Knife © 2010. #19. Poplar. Polyurethane.

Examples | Methods | Woods

Every woodworker has their favorite tools. My favorite is the Shopsmith MARK V, by the Shopsmith company. It can be reconfigured quickly into many tools. It can also be configured as a lathe and grinder at the same time, thus allowing quick periodic tool sharpening during lathe turning projects. And, the addition of a NOVA type chuck makes mounting and unmounting the wood quick and easy.

• Glue. Gluing different woods together before lathe turning can result in some really nice finished pieces. But, using the correct glue is critical. Always use TightBond III. And, always completely coat the contact surfaces, and use clamps until the glue hardens.


• Joinery. Joinery is a skill that requires much practice, and can be very frustrating. Personally, I use a "biscuit" cutter (a.k.a. a plate joiner), and find it results in acceptable joins in nearly every circumstance.


• Lathe Turning. For safety reasons I recomend using a bandsaw to cut off or round off the corners of any block off wood prior to lathe turning

Examples | Methods | Woods

A part of the enjoyment and satisfaction from woodworking comes from the experience of creating works from different types of wood, especially exotic woods. But, exotic woods can be hard to find. A supplier of exotic woods that I recommend is a company named Cormark, located in Weaverville, North Carolina. They have an immense selection and knowledgeable, friendly, professional staff. Actually choosing an exotic wood out of all the choices can be a task since each wood has different characteristics. Below are some of my notes about different woods, which may help with the choice of selecting wood.

• Bocate. A favorite. Dense grain and dramatic veining. Sands to a gloss. Takes any kind of finish. Turns on the lathe smoothly but slowly due to wood hardness.


• Cherry. Dense grain with beautiful muted veining. Sands to a gloss with extra effort. Takes any kind of finish. Ages from a light pink to a deep reddish-brown. Turns on the lathe smoothly but somewhat slowly due to wood hardness.


• Ebony. Ultra dense grain and ranges from solid black to black and brown striped veining. Sands acceptably but requires extra effort and sometimes, use of metals grade sandpaper. Takes any kind of finish. Turns on the lathe smoothly but very slowly and only with very sharp hardened steel tools. The wood is nearly as as strong and hard as some metals.


• Marblewood. Courser grain and dramatic veining patterns. Sands moderately well. Takes any kind of finish. But, not as easy to turn on the lathe, and has a tendency to develop cracks or splits.


• Osage Orange. An all time favorite. Very fine grain with subtle veining. Sands to a gloss. Takes any kind of finish. Ages from a light orange to a deep brownish-orange with hints of depth and shimmer. Turns smoothly and easily on the lathe.


• Paduak. Dense grain and muted dramatic veining with a deep reddish color. Sands well and to a gloss, but the sanding dust is very fine and infiltrates everywhere. Use of a dust collection system and a high efficiency respirator are advisable when working with this wood. Takes any kind of finish.


• Poplar. Moderately dense grain and minimal veining. A softer easier to work hardwood. Works equally well for furniture or lathe turning. Ultra smooth and cuts quickly on the lathe. Sands easily. Results with darker stains are often dissappointing but works well with all finishes.


• Purpleheart. A favorite. Dense grain and a uniform deep purple color with no veining. Turns on the lathe smoothly and quickly. Sands easily to a gloss. Takes any kind of finish. Only downside is the sanding dust is very fine and infiltrates everywhere. Use of a dust collection system and a high efficiency respirator are advisable when working with this wood.


• Red Oak. Very dense but some courseness in the veining pattern. Sands well with effort. Best for furniture uses. When lathe turning the wood van require randomly uneven cutting pressure. Takes any kind of finish.


• Rosewood. Dense grain and muted dramatic veining. Sands to a gloss. A very oily wood that doesn't take finishes well. Water based polyurethane produces acceptable results but requires much longer drying times. Turns on the lathe smoothly but slowly due to wood hardness.


• Sugar Maple. Moderately dense grain and minimal veining. A softwood. Cuts like butter on a lathe. Sands easily.


• White Pine. Moderately dense grain and muted veining. A softwood. Cuts like butter on a lathe. Sands easily. Takes any kind of finish.


• Yellowheart. A favorite. Dense grain and a uniform bright yellow color with no veining. Turns on the lathe smoothly and quickly. Sands easily to a gloss. Takes any kind of finish. Only downside is the sanding dust is very fine and infiltrates everywhere. Use of a dust collection system and a high efficiency respirator are advisable when working with this wood.


• Zapote. A favorite. Ultra dense grain, no visible veining, and a uniform deep brownish-black color. Sands very well and to high gloss. Takes any kind of finish. Turns on the lathe smoothly but slowly due to wood hardness.


• Zebrawood. A favorite. Medium dense grain and highly dramatic veining. Sands to a gloss. Takes any kind of finish. Turns on the lathe mostly smoothly but encountering some less dense areas in the wood.