Barry Dima

This is an excerpt from Fine Woodworking #14, Jan/Feb 1979 Click here to read the full digitized issue. Bolection turning is the inlaying of a narrow wooden strip into a groove around a turned object. The word bolection means a fillet or molding with part of its section set into a groove and part proud.

[Content from FWW #14, p. 66] See the PDF for higher-quality photos. Carving incised lettering is a valuable skill in the repertoire of a professional woodworker and also an instructive practice for the beginner. Its decorative effect has many applications, and its visual appeal is universal. Incised letters are the opposite of relief and are cut directly into the wood without using a router; it’s actually a form of chip carving.

[Originally from FWW Issue #13] Bowls can be turned from seasoned wood, green wood, or laminated wood. The results from seasoned or unseasoned stock are similar, but the bowls produced from laminated wood are quite different. I wanted to turn some bowls, but since I don’t have a chainsaw or a drying room, using green wood seemed beyond my capability. And I couldn’t afford to purchase a large slab of seasoned hardwood either. Therefore, I turned to making bowls from glued-up wood.