A brief history of the origins of the ornamental (OT) lathe will be followed with how it operates to ornament wood, precious and non-precious metal and other materials including wax. Discussed in detail will be the many different motions available to ornament your workpiece along with the many varied cutting frames, chucks and accessories. The paper also includes a look at current uses of the OT lathe and examples in different shops around the world.

Author: G. Phil Poirier