Ornamental Turning
The online resource for "OT" enthusiasts
Related topics
- Venders of wood and other turning materials
- Vendors of precious metals, enameling, and metalworking supplies
Dry wood quickly with a vacuum kiln
Start your woodworking project in a few days instead of waiting months or years for your wood to dry!
Whether you make furniture, carvings, inlays, turnings, or other wood art and crafts, this book will show you how to assemble and use your own vacuum kiln for quickly drying small batches of wood.
Exotic Wood Pictures
Hundreds of exotic woods are pictured along with descriptions and additional information. The aim is to provide accurate color and detail of every species of exotic wood.
Toxic Woods List
What are your chances of a reaction to wood? Statistics say that only 2% to 5% of all people develop an allergic sensitivity to one or more compounds found in wood. But if you handle a lot of potentially toxic species, and work with them long enough, you increase your chances of an allergic reaction. And with sufficient exposure, some woods bother almost everyone.
- Descriptive Catalogue of the Woods Commonly Employed in this Country for the Mechanical and Ornamental Arts, by Charles Holtzapffel, 1843. (An extract from Turning and Mechanical Manipulation, Vol. 1.) View on Google Books
- Turning and Mechanical Manipulation, Vol. 1 - Materials, Their Choice, Preparation and Various Modes of Working Them, by Charles Holtzapffel, 1843. (Reprint currently available). View on Google Books
The Mpingo Conservation Project
Founded in 1995, the Mpingo Conservation Project aims to conserve the endangered East African Blackwood tree by promoting sustainable and socially equitable harvesting. The Mpingo Conservation Project
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Ornamental Turning Craft
How long has this been going on?
How are ornamental turnings made?
What materials are best for ornamental turning?
The following list provides a starting point when sourcing materials for your projects:
- Wood
– Of the following list, African Blackwood provides the very best material for ornamental turning in wood. Cocus, Mopani, Lignum Vitae, as well as the various members of the rosewood family — including Pink Ivory, Cocobolo, Tulipwood, Blackwood, Kingwood, and others — are also especially good.
Lignum is the best wood for fixed tool cutting on the rose engine lathe due to its high natural oil content. Ebony causes dulling of tools due to the common presence of silica. It is also prone to splintering and is therefore not well suited for ornamental turning. However, with the proper tools and technique, good results can be achieved.
Provides clean cut endgrain or sidegrain:
African Blackwood
Boxwood
Brown Ebony
Bulletwood/Beefwood
Cocobolo
Cocus
Ebony
Ironwood
Juniper
Kingwood (Para Kingwood)
Lignum Vitae
Mopani
Osage Orange
Pernambuco
Pink Ivory
Rosewood (Madagascar)
Satinwood
Tamboti
Tulipwood
VeraProvides clean cut endgrain:
Apple
Bloodwood
Bubinga
Cherry
Holly
Jarrah
Madrone
Maple
Olive
Padauk
Partridge
Pear
Plum
Purpleheart
Red Bark Eucalyptus
White Ivorywood
Yellowheart
Yew - Metals & Alloys
Non-ferrous Metals (gold, silver, nickel silver are most common for jewelry)
Non-ferrous Metals (brass, copper and aluminum are sometimes used)
Ferrous Metals (sometimes used for automotive, firearm bolts and barrels) - Synthetics
Acrylics (cast acrylic is best)
Alternative Ivory
Cast Polyester Resin
Corian
Celluloid
Dymondwood
Stabilized Wood - Plant
Nut and Seed Pods
Vegetable Ivory
Coconut Shell - Animal
Tusk (Ivory)
Horn
Bone
Shell - Stone