Ornamental lathe work was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Because of the complexity and expense of the highly specialized machines, ornamental lathe work was often the hobby of nobility. Most ornamental lathe work was done with ivory (no longer an option today). Very few of the original machines are in service today. Most of the surviving machines are in museums (see photo on left).

Today, there is a renewed interest in ornamental lathe work. With the newer materials available to us today, one can build a simple machine that can make high quality work at a reasonable cost.

I built my first machine in 2008, and it gave me a foundation in the required skills to make a precision machine. Now I'm using my second machine which I started in 2009 and I continue to make modifications and refinements.

In general, the work is held in a chuck and rotated at fairly slow speeds (less than 3 rpm). The patterns are cut with a high speed cutter that is mounted on a stage that can be precisely positioned. Although the machine rotates the work, it is the artist that determines where the cuts are to be made to make a pleasing pattern.

Ornamental work is very time consuming, and most pieces are small. A single mistake can ruin an entire piece. Often, one must make many "trial" pieces to develop a pleasing pattern. Only certain very dense hardwoods can be used for ornamental turning.