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What is woodturning?
Woodturning is a process whereby a piece of wood is spun on a lathe, and shaped with various cutting tools. These tools are traditionally hand-held, and the results depend on the skill and artisitic abilities of the woodturner. Mass production techniques use machinery like duplicators and shaper blades to cut the wood.
Most people have examples of woodturning in their home in the form of table legs, pepper mills or wooden bowls. The woodturning process can be used to create everything from simple kitchen ware to purely decorative woorks of art.
There has been a great surge in interest in woodturning over the past few decades, and it is now practised by hobbyists, professional woodturners and artists throughout the world.
Most people have examples of woodturning in their home in the form of table legs, pepper mills or wooden bowls. The woodturning process can be used to create everything from simple kitchen ware to purely decorative woorks of art.
There has been a great surge in interest in woodturning over the past few decades, and it is now practised by hobbyists, professional woodturners and artists throughout the world.
What is made by woodturning?
It's not just about bowls!
Take a look at some of the different work being made by woodturners.
- Translucent bowls
- by Ron Kent, Hawaii, USA.
- Wooden hats
- by JoHannes Michelsen, Vermont, USA.
- Boxes
- by Steven Kennard, Nova Scotia, Canada.
- Sculpture
- by Alain Mailland, France.
- Architectural turning
- by Martin Thompson-Oram, Yorkshire, England.
- Kinetic Objects
- by Siegfried Schreiber, Germany
Contemporary art
New Masters of Woodturning: Expanding the Boundaries of Wood Art
This is a unique collection of contemporary art that redefines the limits of shaped wood. Showcasing 31 leading wood artists who share their personal motivations, thought processes, and the studio techniques employed to bring out the breath-taking beauty of wood.
"The portraits of these wood artists and the glimpses into their lives make this wonderful publication the most beautiful book on turning in recent years." -Drechsler Magazin (Germany)
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 11/23/2009) 
Woodturning Collections and Galleries
More inspiring examples of the art
- del Mano Gallery
- This gallery shows many exhibits of woodturning.
- The Daniel Collection
- A private collectin of fine turned wood in the UK. Includes work from the worlds best woodturners along with highlights from the AWGB symposiums.
- Wood Turning Center gallery
- A gallery of Lathe Turned Objects from their permanent collection, Challenge exhibits, International Turning Exchange and other shows.
Woodturning blog posts
Check back frequently for all the latest stories, ideas, techniques and lots more woodturning content from the blogosphere.
David Ellsworth is to receive a Masters of the Medium award on April 26 from the James Renwick Alliance of the Smithsonian Institution. (April 11, 2009)
Is colouring wood a travesty? Does woodturning need to develop to survive? (March 23, 2009)
Blair Davis gets some free walnut and plans to turn bowls and djembe drums.
I posted some links about Inspiration from nature
Philip Streeting reports on plans to start a UK Chapter of the American Asociation of Woodturners
Is colouring wood a travesty? Does woodturning need to develop to survive? (March 23, 2009)
Blair Davis gets some free walnut and plans to turn bowls and djembe drums.
I posted some links about Inspiration from nature
Philip Streeting reports on plans to start a UK Chapter of the American Asociation of Woodturners
Great Stuff for woodturners on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Online woodturning communities
- rec.crafts.woodturning @ Google Groups
- A Usenet group which is still mostly civil and a great place to go and ask questions about woodturning.
- Turning and Talking
- A Yahoo! Group for anyone interested in the art of woodturning, beginners and advanced alike.
Woodturning Organisations
- Worshipful Company of Turners of London
- The Worshipful Company of Turners is a Livery Company of the City of London. Like most of the 105 City Livery Companies, the Turners sprang from the medieval craft guilds. Although there was a Guild of Turners in 1295, the Royal Charter was granted by King James I in 1604.
- The Wood Turning Center
- The Wood Turning Center is a not-for-profit institution which supports and develops the field of lathe-turned art through education, acquisition of collections, preservation and promotion. The website includes a gallery of some absolutely stunning examples of woodturning.
Learn more about the art of woodturning
Want to learn more about woodturning. Check out Amazon for books, tools and DVD's on the subject.
Masters: Woodturning: Major Works by Leading Artists
The lathe used to be a purely utilitarian tool, but in the hands of today's artists woodturning has undergone a transformation. This international collection showcases the work of pioneering woodturners who have expanded the possibilities of the medium. Each master's multi-page gallery is introduced by an insightful overview, and the creators themselves offer their thoughts on wood, nature, and art.
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 11/23/2009)
Related Lenses
- Woodturning techniques
- Want to learn the craft of woodturning? This lens will show you the way.
- Woodturners from around the Globe
- If you want to see the work of some individual woodturners, this lens highlights some of the best websites I can find from around the world.
- Woodturning Guilds, Clubs and Associations
- Woodturners get together to organise themselves both locally and nationally. Local meetings, symposiums, magazines....
Links to websites about woodturning
- Early Wood Lathes
- Historic, non-motorized, wood lathes and related machines from ancient Egypt to the 19th century. Includes some interesting information gleaned from the writings of a woodturner in seventeenth century London.
- Ornamental Turning Center
- Describes the art and craft of highly decorative surface ornamentation on turned objects.
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by seafoam
I live in rural Nova Scotia, Canada where I make my living as a woodturner. I have an interest in internet marketing and using new internet technologi... (more)
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