Lathe Turnings

Isn't this Indian blanket pattern vase beautiful!! This vase was turned on the lathe using only scrap wood...so if you are a woodturner and have scrap wood, you are half way there. Check out the tutorial at the link.

Isn't this wood and epoxy globe stunning. At the link you will learn how to make this project including the base.

Are you a wood turner? If so, you could churn out these Christmas tree ornaments on the lathe. They would be perfect for gifts. Check out how this one was done at the link.

Aren't these tree and snowman earrings fun!! This project requires a lathe but would be great for gift giving. Follow along at the link and make a few pairs for friends and family.

This 3-point scrap plywood bowl is quite beautiful but you will need a lathe to make this project. Follow along at the link to see how it all comes together.

Piggy Bank...makes a neat turning project. The wood stock is maple. Feet are painted black; ears and nostrils are touched with pink. The two front legs fit holes drilled in the body; back legs are cut to conform to curve and are nailed and glued in place, as shown.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing of a finial to be used on a headboard or footboard. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

This is a project gone wild due to a lathe in the shop. What happens when you try to build what could have been a simple kitty condo in a shop with a new lathe? 18 columns, a total of 158 beads and 19 balls, among other spindle fanciness, highlight the excesses resulting from a near total lack of design control. Let is hope the cats are impressed.

Follow along and see how to turn a mallet on the lathe.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a turned darning egg. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

The Concord Table, also known as the candle stand table, is a traditional American Favorite. Our version lends itself to being a gift project because, by using a lathe duplicator, you can easily produce multiple spindles.

People like mushrooms. I am not sure why, but they are a steady seller for me at craft fairs. One of the reasons is that I turn a lot of small ones to sell at about $3.00 each.

I am not really sure what to call these figures. They are not really winged or natural edged bowls because there is not enough bowl inches in the center.

Courtesy of Hands On, Nov/Dec 1980 - For most of us, it was our first woodworking project - turning a bowl on a lathe. But afterwards we went on to bigger and better things, and forgot about that simple bowl that once had us basking in the glory of our own accomplishment.

Turn a birch vase by following along with these instructions. Be sure at the end of page 1 to click on -next- to continue to follow along.

Our house is like a cabin in the woods. We are in a commercial district on the edge of town and ten minutes from the malls, but the deer come through the back yard and there is a ruffed grouse who thinks he owns the place, especially a few female ruffed grouse. My wife decided, and rightly so, that plastic planters are out of place here so I decided to turn a couple.

Ever thought of turning your own wooden spoons? At the bottom of the page at the link, be sure to click on the NEXT button to continue the process.

Follow along and make a lazy susan on the lathe. Here is now to do it...

Brush up on your segmented turnings skills and create this beautiful party platter, time to serve up something special!

If you have a lathe and want a new project, perhaps this hat and coat rack combo is for you.

Secure the blank in your scroll chuck with the grain running parallel to the lathe bed. Use your drill chuck in your tailstock to drill a 16mm hole 1 inches deep in your blank. Next,...

Despite also owning a few high-tech yo-yos, this homemade yo-yo is the one I use most often. The size and shape are all custom fit to my hand. Most importantly, the fact that I made it incorporates a level of satisfaction to yo-yoing that a manufactured yo-yo cannot match. This is a simple and classic project that also makes a great gift, and you will not believe the functionality that you can create.

This makes a neat holder for a ball of crochet cotton. The diagram at is one-half full size, making it simple to pick off all essential dimensions.

In the old days the column was turned into the round on a lathe, then the rope design cut with wood rasps and sanded smooth a very time-consuming chore. The Revo makes the chore quick and easy, taking about an hour to complete the column. Search the page for the project.

Learn how to turn your own set of darts. Perfect for someone who loves to play the game.

Here is a different way to turn a platter. By Johnny Tolly.

Follow along at the link to see how to make a captive ring baby rattle on the lathe.

Here I will show you how to design a leg profile and then turn a prototype you can use as a template for a set of four legs.

With its tapered inner walls and expansion slots, this shop-made compression chuck will hold round pieces for finish-turning or drilling.

At the link you are taken through the step-by-step process of turning a wooden key chain.