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Regular attention to a few simple procedures will keep you turning smoothly. A lathe, like any other piece of woodworking equipment, is exposed to wood shavings, dust and other substances as well [...]

If you spend any time in the turning community, you’ve probably seen this style of ornament before. The hollow urchin shells are available online (and in various species—the smoother ones are [...]

A little bit of carving and gilding on the rim of this bowl transforms it from a nice piece to an extraordinary one.  A step away from your ordinary bowl, this cherry bowl with a carved rim is [...]

Learn how to turn a classic wooden baseball bat. This timeless project is a great opportunity to practice your turning skills.

Get clean cuts and a nice finish from a challenging piece of material. A live edge (or natural-edge) bowl is one of the iconic forms of modern woodturning, and it is still a great way to show off [...]

I can’t stand throwing away good wood. When I’m turning a goblet or any other object, I don’t leave the waste areas blank. I pick up a gouge or a skew and use the waste to perfect my turning [...]

Create a Soda-Shop Classic  In simpler days, soda jerks quickly and efficiently dished perfect servings of ice cream with sturdy wooden-handled scoops. Once you’ve collected the metal parts [...]

I’m happy to announce a new, online woodturning symposium that’s going to be taking place March 19th & 20th. Tickets for Meet the Woodturner Live are available here. Here’s [...]

The price of good turning tools can be pretty steep. Since most of the better lathe tools can be purchased without a handle, put your money where it counts—in the steel, not the handle. After [...]

An Exercise in Mastering the Skew Do you like a challenge? Want to develop your woodturning skills? Can you learn from mistakes? If your answer is “yes”, you’re ready to tackle the rolling cut [...]

Master this most basic turning tool. When I introduce someone to woodturning, I choose the spindle roughing gouge. When I work with kids, it’s the first tool I place in their hands. Why? [...]

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in American Woodwork #142, June/July 2009. I stumbled onto pen making seven years ago, as I was scouring through my husband Jerry’s [...]