In issue 395 of Woodturning magazine we have lots for you to enjoy, beginning with our Guest Editor, Andy Coates, who introduces the issue; turns a bowl with insets of branches and offcuts; and talks colour, creativity and whimsy with artistic turner Tic Challis. In Projects, Les Symonds turns a hollow form with a square neck; Andrew Potocnik designs a triangular bowl with tapered feet; James Duxbury makes a bowl inspired by shark’s teeth; John Hawkswell incorporates epoxy putty in the decoration of a lidded box; Ger Vervoort makes a wooden ballpoint pen without using a pen kit; Colwin Way fi ..read more

How to Fit a Wedge into a Mortise: A special mortise-and-tenon joint sometimes called a tusk tenon, requires a wedge fit into an angled mortise to lock two workpieces together. Getting a perfect fit of the wedge into the mortise can be time-consuming. Randy Maxey shows you how to use a shooting board to trim the wedge, sneaking up on the fit ..read more

How to Make a Grolla: Andrea Zanini turns a typical Italian goblet, known as a grolla. Andrea Zanini turns a typical Italian goblet, known as a grolla In this article we will discover a typical, and a little mysterious, Italian turning: the grolla. It’s a peculiar goblet which originates in Val d’Aosta (Aosta Valley), a northern mountain region, bordering Switzerland. Its origins are very ancient and the name comes straight from the Graal. During the middle ages it was made out of silver and covered by complicated engravings. Very soon, cheaper wooden copies started to appear, which – among ..read more

Wild Rose Appliqué: Mark Ivan Fortune takes you through the steps to carve this beautiful decoration. Mark Ivan Fortune takes you through the steps to carve this beautiful decoration All things in the natural world, whether animal, plant, crystal or snowflake, have a growth pattern. They grow outward in any and all directions, depending on the inherent nature of the form. Working with this in mind will greatly assist in invoking life and character in your carving. Here I have created a strong enclosed form that, although it may appear quite delicate, is in fact robust and durable and suitabl ..read more

Tricks of the Trade – Holding Curved Parts: Ramon Valdez makes a useful workholding jig. Ramon Valdez makes a useful workholding jig Holding curved parts can sometimes be tricky, which is not really surprising given that most of our clamping devices are designed to hold flat or square components. The choice always seems to be to risk damaging the component with your clamp or risk not being able to work on it safely. So, here’s a super quick way to make  a jig using offcuts and scrap material. The jig provides support for the workpiece while leaving you with both hands free to line thing ..read more

Tree for Life – Ash: We look at a tree that is more universally useful than any other tree on the planet – the versatile ash tree. An ash tree in a typical landscape setting The ash tree is unique like all other species, but it’s uniqueness almost knows no bounds in terms of usability. It can be sawn, riven, it can form massive structures and be steam-bent; it can be safely used for cooking utensils and has a natural beauty both as a standing tree and as a cabinetmaking timber.  European or common ashThe common ash – Latin (Fraxinus excelsior) – ‘excelsior’ translates as high, elevated ..read more

Workshop Geometry: Find the Center of a Circle (Method 2) Part of our “Workshop Geometry” series for solving geometry problems in the woodworking shop using only a compass and ruler. In this video, Randy Maxey shows how to find the center of a circle by connecting the midpoints of two arbitrary chords of the circle with just a compass and straightedge ..read more

Disappearing Ball Trick: In an abridged extract taken from Turned Toys, the Mark Baker turned a toy for a disappearing ball trick. In an abridged extract taken from Turned Toys, the Mark Baker turned a toy for a disappearing ball trick This is a four-part, spindle-grain project that will test your skills in working to fine tolerances and disguising the joins. To help with this, you need to have some detail that will hide and obfuscate what is going on when various parts of the trick are lifted. The cup has a hollow interior, into which is placed a loose ball. Over this is placed a false cap ..read more

Chippendale Console: Steve Bisco carves a console bracket from Chippendale’s Director. Steve Bisco carves a console bracket from Chippendale’s Director To commemorate Thomas Chippendale’s 300th birthday I thought it would be fitting to make a carving from a design in his book The Gentleman & Cabinet Maker’s Director (see previous pages). Most of the designs in the Director are large and elaborate pieces intended for the grand mansions of the aristocracy. I don’t have a grand mansion so I picked one of the smallest items in the book. It is one of nine Brackets for Busts on plates CLX (160 ..read more

A Furniture-Quality Custom Frame: Cutting joints by hand challenges your skills. Charles Mak illustrates the technique of cutting a half-lap mitre joint that gives a rock-solid picture frame. Cutting joints by hand challenges your skills. Charles Mak illustrates the technique of cutting a half-lap mitre joint that gives a rock-solid picture frame Don’t be fooled by the simple look of a half-lap mitre. The half-lap mitre may not sound as sexy as a dovetail, but it is by no means an easier joint to cut, even for a skilled dovetailer. It requires the same kind of attention to detail and sawing ..read more