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About This Site

Nothing will ever please me, no matter how excellent or beneficial, if I must retain the knowledge of it to myself. And if wisdom were given me under the express condition that it must be kept hidden and not uttered, I should refuse it. No good thing is pleasant to possess, without friends to share it.

From Seneca the Younger's "Moral Letters" to Lucilius, Letter 6, "On Sharing Knowledge"

Ornamental turning is a bit of a niche in the woodturning community, and can be exasperating when trying to get started. I know I found it to be that way.

This website was started to document things along the way for myself, and to present information in a way that enables the new ornamental turner to get started easily. It was expanded later to also be a starting point for cataloging where to find more information about selected topics (like the old library card catalog).

I hope you find this information useful. And, thank you to all those who have provided information and images for use on this site.

Notes that could help make this site better would be greatly appreciated (and will probably be added). And, if you don't agree with what is presented here, kindly send me a note and I'll consider your thoughts. I can be contacted at OTBookOfKnowledge @ Gmail.com.

This is to be a free, web-based reference tool for those who are new to ornamental turning. I don't like sites with pop-ups, or which track the user for whatever nefarious reasons, so you won't find that here.

The information presented here is given without any commercial gain. The Ornamental Turners Int'l choose to fund this and provide it free to all.

The site uses wiki format so that others can maintain it also. If you are interested, please contact me at OTBookOfKnowledge @ Gmail.com.

If you are seeking information about the history of this truly wonderful craft, there are some other, great online resources which include:

If this site helped you get started, and you enjoy it, then my goal has been achieved.

With kindest regards,
Rich Colvin
Initial author

The legal stuff:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

To the extent that material may appear to be infringed, I assert that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe material has been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact me at the eMail listed above.

And please remember: The process of woodturning involves the use of tools, machinery and materials which could cause injury or be a health hazard unless proper precautions are taken, including the wearing of appropriate protective equipment. Safety measures should be followed to protect yourself and those in your shop. Be sure to read and follow all instructions from the manufacturer, and and utilize proper safety equipment. Never consume alcohol or anything that could impair your judgement before using tools.