# Turning something besides bowls. Making functional items on lathe.



## DW833 (Mar 31, 2013)

I've been turning off and on for about 18 months. Since that time I've discovered that woodturning is drowning in a sea of bowls. I've taken a basic class that covered tools and spindle turning. Outside of that almost all other classes are for bowls. On LJ and youtube there are more bowls and videos about turning bowls than any other type of turning. If someone is selling the bowls or giving the bowls as gifts, I can understand how it makes sense to make lots of bowls. Lidded boxes are a type of bowl I guess. But for everything else, I find little information.

After turning around 20 bowls, I've decided they are not how I want to spend my time on the weekends or at the lathe. Wanted to get more into using the lathe for furniture making or functional items. After searching online I found a couple of sites, but they represent mostly one off or "look what I made" type of items.

Recently I found some ditch wood. Maple with diameters between 4-6 inches and a length of 5-9 inches. Wanted to find something to make at the lathe with this wood, but I'm at a loss of a functional item. I'm not interested in making art or selling what I make. What do you make? Any suggestions for sites/books/videos would be helpful.


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## KelleyCrafts (May 17, 2016)

This is exactly why I don't own a lathe. I need to make about 60 screwdriver handles for gift packs coming up but my design will incorporate a draw knife, spokeshave, scraper, rasps and it will suck!! BUT, other than a bunch of handles and then a bunch of bowls…what else do I need one for? I keep asking myself that because as cool and awesome as those things are, there are LOTS of pieces to get to dive into that part of woodworking and I just don't think I can do it for a bunch of handles. Would cost too much compared to the return.

Really looking forward to the experienced lathe peeps answers.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Tool handles, lidded boxes, jewelry boxes/holders, cups/mugs, cell phone holders, desk sets, wheels and gears, game pieces, pens, cleaning parts, making parts for other things, etc… there is a ton of things you can do without ever turning a single bowl.

Cheers,
Brad

PS: Woodturning can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want. You do not need to spend a lot of money to get into turning, although you certainly can if you want.


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## Kirk650 (May 8, 2016)

Well, based on what lady coworkers wanted and needed, I guess I made a bazillion rolling pins and cooking spatulas. Then a bunch of Salt Keepers and garlic keepers. Then a few walking sticks. Then a real nice turned coat rack for the foyer, followed by coat racks for daughters and nieces. Then Finials for a 4 poster bed to replace lost ones. Legs for tables. The list goes on. And every now and then I'll turn a bowl, or a nice Mortar and Pestle for someone. And tops and whistles for kids. And wooden baby rattles have been a big hit. Mohito muddlers were a hot item for a time. Handles for my LN chisels. Handles for files. Some shop mallets of Osage Orange (for me). Candlesticks for the wife.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Carl Jacobson makes some interesting projects.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

http://www.teknatool.com/projects/
http://www.woodturningonline.com/Turning/Turning_projects.php
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/wood-turning-projects/


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

> This is exactly why I don t own a lathe. I need to make about 60 screwdriver handles for gift packs coming up but my design will incorporate a draw knife, spokeshave, scraper, rasps and it will suck!! BUT, other than a bunch of handles and then a bunch of bowls…what else do I need one for? I keep asking myself that because as cool and awesome as those things are, there are LOTS of pieces to get to dive into that part of woodworking and I just don t think I can do it for a bunch of handles. Would cost too much compared to the return….
> 
> This is why my lathe sets under my bench unused now for years. I like to make things that are not round.
> 
> - ki7hy


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Items that are turned only gets booring quick. But if you allow yourself to add a bit of joinery the possibilities expand.

A few suggestions from the modern world:
http://www.lauritz.com/da/auktion/hans-j-wegner-bakkebord-model-at-35-fra-andreas-tuck/i3115101/
http://livsstil.guide.dk/Bolig/Design/M%C3%B8bler/Designer/Trissen__en_lille_stol_med_stor_succes_2308135
http://www.pp.dk/index.php?page=collection&cat=8&id=36 (with wooden legs)
And lastly these nice shop stools by our own Shipwright: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/37814

Google Images can be a great source for inspiration, for instance like this: https://www.google.dk/search?hl=da&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1436&bih=798&q=rundt+wegner+bord&oq=rundt+wegner+bord&gs_l=img.3...870.8762.0.8857.31.23.4.0.0.0.277.1761.0j9j2.11.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..16.14.1655...0j0i30j0i8i30j0i5i30.EZibOhUQ3Xs#hl=da&tbm=isch&q=wood+turning+table&imgrc=I6j_EdpSEScWzM%3A

Hope you find inspiration!


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

Why not try your hand at a Windsor chair?


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

You can do segmented turning, stave turning, pepper mills, vases, knobs, feet, buns, columns, half columns, legs. The list goes on.

You can turn forms and then carve. Go to the AAW website and go to the regional websites and see the possibilities.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

If you want some challenges google David Springett, his books Woodturning full Circle and Woodturning 
Wizardry will get you going. Some of this is available in PDF. You can also look at Sam Shakouri's projects
here on Lumberjocks and also view the the Sydney Woodturners Guild site that he belongs to. If you can
master any of this, it will definitely keep you out of trouble and off streetcorners.


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## DW833 (Mar 31, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback. Some of the items mentioned are on my short list. But after making one, I wouldn't need them again. I do have a stool and salt cellar on the list. Items like goblets, bowls, lidded boxes I can't get interested in. The Carl Jacobson project and others like it are what I consider art. I don't have the required experience yet and don't want to spend the time on it at this point. Maybe when I'm retired.

Rick, I've see the site at wwonline. It does have several items I'm thinking about. I recall seeing the teknatool site before. But haven't seen it lately. Has some interesting items. I'll have to review it again.

Jeremy, a windsor is way out of my skill level. 
Gus, I've looked at the woodturning full circle book. It covers a lot of skills and projects I'm not interested in.

Thanks,
david


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

All my friends have very nice file handles (copper pipe ferrels). Many of them have ornaments too. I made some rattles I'll horse trade to the local tribe members. I made a five foot walking stick with my fourteen inch lathe using hefty tenons. It's actually pretty stout. I've made a lot of wine stoppers and uses dowel bolts or inset the cork. On a whim, I tried turning a cork. That works too. My wood working friends have nice mallets now. I have several.

With all the concern about zombies, there has to be real concern for vampires too. As such, I figured I could go for a niche market on very fancy stakes disguised as ornaments. In short, options, with a lathe and other tools, are pretty endless.

I belong to a turners club with some world class turners (literally) and all seem focused on bowls more than anything. Much of the work members put out is beautiful. I've just never been inclined to put a lot of work into what everyone else is doing.

As with the file handles, I, generally, tend to prefer functional items, then like to dress them up. Too, I, often, find myself firing up the lathe for instant gratification, when I just want to get away from a "bonafide" project.

When I get some time, I'm going to incorporate my caver into a lathe project, just because I can.

I will say, I have a lot of very nice commercial quality equipment and wish I'd gotten at least a mini lathe years ago. I find all manner of uses for it and it sure beats trying to use my drill press to make a brace or leg for a customer's sample desk or chair.


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## Mtwoodwrkr (Mar 17, 2016)

Like you, bowls, platters and the like don't interest me much beyond practicing technique. I was trying to figure out what I could do on the lathe that would peak my interest when I ran across "segmented" turning. Now this ignited some creative juices in my head, and I will spend a great deal of my lathe time on this pursuit. Your imagination may very well be your only limitation in this type of turning. Good luck.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

You are limited by your imagination. Turning can be the first or the last step in the process. This wouldn't have happened without a lathe, at least for me.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/81475


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## mpax356 (Jul 30, 2011)

I turn lots of stuff, some useful and some not. Have fun so if turning doesn't get you there do something else. I have over a 100 woodturning tutorial videos on my YT channel here https://www.youtube.com/user/mpax356/videos Maybe you might see something you would be interested in turning.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

> Tool handles, lidded boxes, jewelry boxes/holders, cups/mugs, cell phone holders, desk sets, wheels and gears, game pieces, pens, cleaning parts, making parts for other things, etc… there is a ton of things you can do without ever turning a single bowl.
> 
> Cheers,
> Brad
> ...


Good point and many good ideas! I use my lathe to make all kinds of odds and ends because I have that ability in the shop. When I need a dowel a certain size, the lathe is ready. Need a door handle mechanism for a 3 1/2 inch thick door, the lathe can turn that. Or custom door handles, file handles.


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## Jeff2016 (Jan 13, 2016)

Being a very avid fisherman, I use my lathe to turn bobbers, pencil plugs (used for hand line fishing), and even ice fishing rod handles.


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## Underdog (Oct 29, 2012)

I consider myself a creative individual, and the lathe is such an inspirational tool to me. The list of things I can do with it, and my "to do" list is nearly endless… Yeah, a lathe is good for bowls and tool handles, but if you think that's all it's good for, you're just not giving it a chance…

If you can't find something useful to do with your lathe, then you just haven't thought this through.

I've turned not a few legs for cabinetry and furniture items for work and home. Rice Legs for a four poster bed. island legs, table legs, bunn feet, spindles for chairs…
I've turned door stops.
Handles for my files and turning tools, and dustpans, also door handles for my shop. 
Treenware: spatulas, wok stirrers, spoons, coffee scoops, spirtles, measuring scoops.
YEP: LOTS AND LOTS of bowls, plates, platters and goblets, vases, and weed pots.
Lidded boxes: I love these! So many inspirational boxes made by so many great turners!
Toys: finger tops, throw tops, string pull tops, magic wands.
Pens and pencils: the variations on these alone will boggle the mind. Just go to the International Pen Turners Association website.
Miniature birdhouse ornaments, christmas ornaments, ornament stands, mice, and kaleidoscopes.
I even have a lighthouse on my desk that I turned.

I've repaired all kinds of things I couldn't otherwise repair without my lathe. I helped a friend by turning him a new plastic washer for otherwise unusable patio umbrella. 
I've fixed lamps, and made lamps, and lamp bases for a friend. A base for a bell jar.

You can turn plastic, brass, aluminum, copper. You can spin sheet metal onto forms. 
You can do oval turnings, and eccentric turning, and ornamental turning with the right accessories.
You can make really complex, "how-he-do-dat" stuff like David Springett, or Hans Weisflogg, or Malcom Tibbetts.

I wouldn't want to be without my lathe. EVER.


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## DW833 (Mar 31, 2013)

As an update to my original post, I decided to sell the lathe and invest in other tools for the workshop.
Even though it was interesting to learn about the lathe, it is a low priority for me. Sold to make room for a new router table. As a side note, I sold the lathe and related accessories on craigslist and ebay. It all sold quickly.


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## CrimsonKeel (Feb 20, 2013)

I turned a viking stool. basically a big platter to sit on with three legs. But 80% of the fun was figuring out how to do that and make it useful. how about using carving, woodburning, paint, texture, etc. to expand your bowls.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

never mind….


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