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Ornamental woodturning is a woodworking method that produces high complexity and detail designs on wood and metal. It can be done with specialized or standard equipment. The final products are ornamental objects, and the craft can be learned through apprenticeships or carpentry classes.
Ornamental woodturning is a woodworking method used to produce turned designs of high complexity and detail. Woodworkers can get the best finished products with the use of specialized lathes and accessories, but it is also possible to use standard equipment for some projects. This craft appears to have its origins in the early Renaissance and can be applied to both metal and wood. Examples of ornamental woodturning can be seen in museums in some regions and also in exhibits curated by organizations that focus on woodworking and traditional crafts.
With conventional woodworking on a lathe, objects are turned at high speeds to cut into precise lines and other patterns. In ornamental woodturning, objects are often fixed in place as the craftsman rotates a tool around them, or objects are periodically adjusted as the carpenter creates a pattern. This allows for asymmetry and other design variations. Additionally, the carpenter may create pieces that are not necessarily made on a cylindrical or rounded base.
A wide variety of complex designs can be cut into finished products with the use of ornamental turning, including roses, diamonds and so on. Historically, this required the carpenter to operate by hand, precisely controlling the tools to achieve the desired effects. Computer-controlled systems can automate the process to varying degrees, from storing basic patterns in electronic woodworking equipment to completing whole pieces on an assembly line with full automation.
As the name suggests, the final products are designed to be ornamental and can include bowls, lamps, carvings for beds and other furnishings, sculptures and other objects. Ornamental turning professionals can produce custom designs upon customer request, including replicas of historic pieces. Some also use historic methods for added authenticity, to produce pieces in a way that may have been familiar to previous generations of carpenters. Such pieces are sometimes used in film and television productions as well as historical reenactments where the makers desire a sense of authenticity in the objects that people can interact with.
People can learn ornamental turning through a variety of resources. One option is to study or apprentice with a craftsman skilled in this technique, who can provide instruction and mentorship. In the case of people with an established record such as artists and carpenters, this can also create a generational legacy as students bring their mentors’ signature techniques to other regions. It is also possible to take carpentry classes that offer instruction in ornamental woodturning.
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