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Spinning metal on a lathe

Metal spinning latherBronze age folk turned metal on a lathe. The early Greeks also did it, the Romans were experts at it and the Anglo Saxons were doing it in the Dark Ages.

For this short video Stuart King has filmed a 19th century lathe whilst it was being used to spin flat sheet metal discs. These metal discs would then be shaped into pans and containers.

Stuart would like to thank the craftsmen of Ballarat in Australia, where this video was filmed. (more…)

Tunbridge ware

Tunbridge ware

Segmented turned work has had its devotees amongst woodturners both amateur and professional since the 1930s (who remembers those two toned, brick-like biscuit barrels and fruit bowls?). In recent years some remarkable three-dimensional work has been produced, much of it pushing the boundaries of what would seem possible, some of it appearing in the pages of ‘Woodturning’. I wish to introduce you to some of the most exquisite ‘segmented’ turned work ever, and it was created with tools and equipment seen almost exclusively in museums today! I am referring to ‘Tunbridge ware’. (more…)