Wood turning has become part of the woodworking craze in most parts of the world. At one time it was understood that wood turning was one of the necessities of life in the community. Most reasonably sized cities would have a turner just as they would have a black smith. As a result, in some telephone books today one can find as many Turners as Smiths.
Mass production, along with inexpensive bowls and cups of materials such as plastic and metal, ended the need for the craftsmanship of wood turning, although the beauty of wood and the imperative to create both art and crafts have kept the Wood turning skills of completely disappearing. In fact, today there seems to be a renaissance in the world of wood turning. However, there is now the question for many turners where to get wood turning ideas.
The easiest place to start on wood turning ideas is to walk around the house and say “what could I do?” or maybe “what would I have done three hundred years ago?” Obviously, we wouldn’t convert wood-burning pots for the stove, but what about food prep?
In the old days, all kitchens had a large wooden bowl, the bread bowl for mixing the bread dough. These days we are more likely to see it as a salad bowl. Of course, that leads to all kinds of serving bowls, each distinctive in grain and color. For a very decorative touch, wooden trenchers can be made and used. In medieval times, slabs of bread were used as plates and food was served on them. Later the bread was eaten, which absorbed the sauce or gravy. The richest people were served the bread on a wooden slab, often turned and decorated, and the food was placed on the bread in turn. Bread soaked in sauce was sometimes given to the poor as alms. Today, a trencher can be turned square or round with a wide edge to show grain and an inserted center to hold a plate.
The cups are, of course, a variation on a bowl. Firm-grained woods, such as maple or cherry, retain fluid very well. A proper finish with fine wet sanding will prevent the grain from lifting and no other interior finish is really needed, nor was it used in medieval times when many of the poor carried their own wooden cup with them.
Spatulas, jets and spoons for serving and stirring are often found in kitchens. With the immediate use of today’s Teflon-coated cookware, wooden mixing utensils and potato mashers are made to order.
Chandeliers are an obvious resource for the wood turner, but so are simple and elegant table lamps. Today, wood turning suppliers make all kinds of kits with lamp parts available at a very nominal cost.
Speaking of kits, it’s easy for the turner to find parts for pens, pencils, letter openers, pillboxes, and a wide variety of other small items that require more parts than one piece of wood.
Basically, if it is round or could be round it can be done on the lathe. Ideas surround us if we only take the time to look. In addition to that, there is the double bonus awarded. Not only is there the pleasure of the anticipation of spinning, there is also the enjoyment of delighting in everything around us. Useful, or just decorative, making it out of wood makes it more special, at least for some of us.