Yes, I can turn more than just bowls! It seemed necessary to branch out (pun intended!) and learn to turn many other useful things.

So I learned to turn balls in the last two weeks. Here is my first family of authentic, West Texas-turned wooden balls. Three are mesquite (the smaller ones), the two light ones are an unknown wood salvaged from an old pallet, and the segmented balls are walnut and oak, which are about 3″ in diameter.

Turning balls is fun and not that hard once a few steps are learned. I’ll have to post some information on my jam chucking techniques in the future! I’m a completely self-taught turner so many of my techniques come from, “Hmm, I wonder if that will work.” Ok, I say self-taught. I have read a few books and watched a few videos, but as of today I have never actually seen anyone else turn wood live.

Turning Tip of the Day: If you make a mistake turning a ball, and it comes out anything but spherical, make sure you have a two year-old in the house (or in the neighborhood). Give it to them. They don’t care if it is round or not!

Additional Note: My wife, being a licensed school teacher, is quick to point out that balls are NOT ROUND. They are SPHERICAL. She is right. So remember, fellow wood turners, that our work is three dimensional, not flat!