The Details

Prized for its warm reddish tones and smooth grain, cherry develops a rich, deeper color over time, making it a favorite for timeless handcrafted pieces.

Known for its strength and prominent grain pattern, red oak brings a classic character and natural warmth to functional woodworking.

A strong, fine-grained hardwood with a subtle, even appearance, American beech offers a clean and understated beauty.

Light in color with a bold, open grain, ash combines strength and elegance, creating pieces with a bright and distinctive character.

A unique turning wood with beautiful color variation, Bradford pear often displays warm tones and striking grain patterns.

Highly valued for its rich chocolate-brown color and graceful grain, walnut is a premier hardwood known for its elegance and natural beauty.

A durable, light-colored hardwood with a smooth grain, maple is prized for its clean appearance and versatility in both functional and decorative pieces.

Warm in color with a fine, interlocking grain, African mahogany offers a classic appearance and a smooth finish that highlights its natural beauty.

A rare and exceptionally dense hardwood, African blackwood is admired for its deep dark color, fine texture, and striking appearance in small, detailed pieces.

One of the whitest natural woods available, holly has a fine, even grain and is prized for its clean appearance and its ability to showcase intricate details.

A light, soft hardwood related to aspen, popple has a pale color and a subtle, understated grain, making it a good choice for lighter everyday pieces.

A dense fruitwood with a fine, tight grain, apple offers warm honey tones and occasional streaks of color, well suited to smaller turned pieces and detail work.

A strong, fine-grained hardwood with a pale golden hue, yellow birch is valued for its durability and smooth, consistent surface.

Shaped and finished in a single turning while the wood is still green, preserving the natural movement that develops as the wood dries. These bowls often take on a more organic shape as the wood shrinks and twists.

First roughed from green wood, allowed to dry for months and even years, then returned to the lathe for final shaping and finishing. This allows greater precision and a more predictable final form while still showcasing the beauty of the wood.

Retains the original outer surface of the tree along the rim, including the transition where the bark once existed, a connection to the tree's original form that gives each bowl a distinctive organic character. Natural edge bowls come in both bark-on and bark-off varieties. Natural edge bowls are most commonly once-turned.

A food-safe drying oil that enhances the natural color and grain while providing a simple, natural finish for kitchen items. The shop uses Mahoney's Walnut Oil Utility Finish; walnut oil is also available in some grocery stores.

A traditional natural oil finish that enhances the grain and warmth of the wood while providing a soft, low-luster appearance. Tried & True brand is most commonly used in the shop.

A durable natural oil that penetrates the wood, offering a warm look with good moisture resistance and a hand-rubbed feel. The shop usually uses Tung Oil from Lee Valley.

A classic finish made from natural resin that creates a smooth, elegant surface with a warm glow and excellent clarity.

A tung-oil-based finish that provides a rich, durable surface with excellent moisture resistance while maintaining the natural beauty of the wood.

A fast-curing finish often used on small turned pieces, creating a durable, glossy surface that highlights fine details and intricate shapes.

An opaque finish applied over the wood's surface rather than into it, paint allows for bold color and design while still preserving the natural shape and feel of the turned piece.

A durable, film-building finish that sits on top of the wood, polyurethane offers strong protection against water and wear, with a clear, glossy to satin appearance.

Spalting is a natural process caused by fungi beginning to break down wood, creating dark contrasting lines and streaks through the grain.

Small tunnels left behind by wood-boring insects, wormholes add unexpected texture and character.

Wood oriented so the grain runs across the axis of rotation, the typical orientation for turning bowls and platters on a faceplate.

Wood oriented so the grain runs parallel to the axis of rotation, the typical orientation for spindle work like handles and finials; it cuts more smoothly and predictably, and is often the way vases and other hollow forms are created.