OT Websites

Ornamental Turning Groups and Informational Websites

Professional Ornamental Turners

Turning Organizations

National Turning Organizations

OT Publications

Ornamental Turning Online Publications

OT Forums

Ornamental Turning Forums

OT Equipment

Vendors of Ornamental Turning Equipment


Where can I see OT machines?

  • Science Museum (South Kensington, London, UK) – Hayes Annex machine tool collection houses various items including a Holtzapffel rosette forming machine.
  • Science Museum reserve collection at Blythe House (West Kensington, London, UK) – Numerous rose engine and ornamental turning lathes. Tours on Wednesday afternoons only.
  • Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (Birmingham, UK) – Various items related to the city's manufacturing history, such as early wooden treadle lathes.
  • The Hermitage (Amsterdam, Netherlands) – Eleven lathes of Peter the Great (1682-1725).
  • Birmingham Museum Collections Centre (Birmingham, UK) – Collection of rose engine, straightline engine, engraving machines, medallion and ornamental lathes. Viewing by appointment only.

OT Books

Books Related to Ornamental Turning Equipment

  • “The Lathe & Its Uses” by James Lukin - Read online at this link or reprint available - Online Book
  • "Simple Decorative Lathe Work" by James Lukin - ISBN 1-85761-092X - Amazon Link
  • “Ornamental Turning” by T D Walshaw (1990) - ISBN 0-85242-826X - Amazon Link
  • "The Turner's Manual" by L.E. Bergeron - Click here for the online .pdf version
  • "Index to the Geometric Chuck - A Treatise Upon the Description, In the Lathe, of Simple and Compund Epitrochoidal or 'Geometric' Curves" by Sebastian Bazley - Click here for the online .pdf version
  • "Ornamental Turnery" by Frank M. Knox - ISBN 0-671-61369-3 - Amazon Link
  • "The Spherical Sliderest" by J. H. Evans
  • "Geometric Turning" by H. S. Savory
  • "Woodwork, My First Seventy Years" by Bob Lynn - ISBN 0-473-01525-0 (New Zealand)
  • “Ornamental Turning” by J H Evans (1903-4)

OT Museums

Where can I see ornamental turnings?

Museums and Dealers showing ornamental turnings from the 17th through 19th centuries:

Fabergé eggs and objects created by the House of Fabergé are often on display:

Museums and galleries showing contemporary ornamental turning work: