Ornamental Turning Center - Ornamental Turning Equipment

Ornamental turning requires the use of a wide variety of specialized equipment. Of course, the basic requirement is a lathe with overhead drive capability and a cross-slide capable of holding a tool in various positions. With this starting point, there is a multitude of chucks, cutting frames, drills, and cutters you can use with the lathe to create an unending variation of patterns. Finding equipment can be hard, and often requires significant restoration work. A paper from the Society of Ornamental Turner's Bulletin includes many good restoration techniques if you are lucky enough to find a lathe outfit.

Another article written in the late 1970's in the Society of Ornamental Turner's Bulletin did a good job of listing the pieces of equipment necessary for beginner's and more advanced user's OT lathe outfits, and I reproduce that article here.

I won't try to educate you in the use of any of these accessories, because the best way to learn is to study under the watchful eye of an experienced OT practitioner. The second best method would be to read the books listed in my OT Bibliography. In fact, most of the pictures of the various accessories shown are reproduced from the beginner's books recommended there. The Evan's book is particularly good at describing the type of work each accessory is capable of.

Chucks are mounted to the headstock or slide rest to hold and move the item being worked on while a separately-mmounted cutter cuts it. The ellipse chuck is probably the best place to begin if you are just starting out.

Ellipse Chuck
Eccentric Chuck
Dome (Spherical) Chuck
Rectilinear Chuck
Epicycloidal Chuck
Geometric Chuck
Rose Chuck
Oblique Chuck
Dividing (Spiral) Chuck

Cutting frames are held in the slide rest. A cutter is mounted in the cutting frame, and the frame (and cutter) are brought into the work while the work is held in a headstock chuck.

Horizontal Cutting Frame
Vertical Cutting Frame
Universal Cutting Frame
Rose Cutting Frame
Epicycloidal Cutting Frame
Ellipse Cutting Frame
Eccentric Cutting Frame
Internal Cutting Frame (Drill Frame)
Segment Cutting Frame

Other helpful equipment (not all strictly OT) includes, but is not limited to:

Curvilinear Apparatus
Spherical Slide Rest
Geometric Slide Rest
Table Saw
Grinding Machine
Goniostat
Epicycloidal Cutting Frame
Atkinson's Reciprocator
Spiral Apparatus
Compensating Index (for equal division of the ellipse)
Tool Cabinet
Rose Engine
Slender Turning Guide
Traveling Steady Rest
Traversing Mandrel and Screw-Cutting Guides

Here's a picture of a rose engine lathe owned by the Science Musuem of England:


Home What's New Want Ads Articles Search This Site Send Feedback OT AAW-Seattle OTI SOT CD Other Sites About This Site Site Map OT Section History SOT Bulletin Equipment Organizations Work Events Exchange Materials Bibliography Questions?	Ornamental Turning Equipment Ornamental turning requires the use of a wide variety of specialized equipment. Of course, the basic requirement is a lathe with overhead drive capability and a cross-slide capable of holding a tool in various positions. With this starting point, there is a multitude of chucks, cutting frames, drills, and cutters you can use with the lathe to create an unending variation of patterns. Finding equipment can be hard, and often requires significant restoration work. A paper from the Society of Ornamental Turner's Bulletin includes many good restoration techniques if you are lucky enough to find a lathe outfit. Another article written in the late 1970's in the Society of Ornamental Turner's Bulletin did a good job of listing the pieces of equipment necessary for beginner's and more advanced user's OT lathe outfits, and I reproduce that article here. I won't try to educate you in the use of any of these accessories, because the best way to learn is to study under the watchful eye of an experienced OT practitioner. The second best method would be to read the books listed in my OT Bibliography. In fact, most of the pictures of the various accessories shown are reproduced from the beginner's books recommended there. The Evan's book is particularly good at describing the type of work each accessory is capable of. Chucks are mounted to the headstock or slide rest to hold and move the item being worked on while a separately-mmounted cutter cuts it. The ellipse chuck is probably the best place to begin if you are just starting out. Ellipse Chuck Eccentric Chuck Dome (Spherical) Chuck Rectilinear Chuck Epicycloidal Chuck Geometric Chuck Rose Chuck Oblique Chuck Dividing (Spiral) Chuck Cutting frames are held in the slide rest. A cutter is mounted in the cutting frame, and the frame (and cutter) are brought into the work while the work is held in a headstock chuck. Horizontal Cutting Frame Vertical Cutting Frame Universal Cutting Frame Rose Cutting Frame Epicycloidal Cutting Frame Ellipse Cutting Frame Eccentric Cutting Frame Internal Cutting Frame (Drill Frame) Segment Cutting Frame Other helpful equipment (not all strictly OT) includes, but is not limited to: Curvilinear Apparatus Spherical Slide Rest Geometric Slide Rest Table Saw Grinding Machine Goniostat Epicycloidal Cutting Frame Atkinson's Reciprocator Spiral Apparatus Compensating Index (for equal division of the ellipse) Tool Cabinet Rose Engine Slender Turning Guide Traveling Steady Rest Traversing Mandrel and Screw-Cutting Guides Here's a picture of a rose engine lathe owned by the Science Musuem of England:
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