Bill Smith is a woodturner living in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

Here, in his own words, is how he creates one-of-a-kind, functional wood art...

I like to use solid wood from the native New Brunswick trees. Yellow and white birch, maple, oak, ash, black cherry and cedar are the choices for me and I like to find wood large enough to turn objects from 12 to 20 inches. Even larger blocks can be made into tables with the addition of a glass top and a wrought iron base.

Burls, those gnarly swellings on some trees provide spectacular grain and colour. They are scarce and more difficult to turn and thus command a premium price. The journey to a finished object often starts with a trip to the woods. A truck with a lift is needed for the large stuff!

The chunk of wood needed for a 24 inch bowl weighs more than you can lift without help. With the lift they can be managed. The logs or blocks can be sorted for some time if kept in the shad and treating the raw ends with a special wax to retard drying. Preparing the blank requires some skill with a chain saw. The block is cut down the middle and the excess wood trimmed off with the saw.

The blank is mounted on the lathe for the roughing out process. This is best done with green wood and is quite exciting as long curls of wood are peeled from the block to establish the shape desired by the turner. The shop fills with the distinctive smell of the wood being turned. The first turning leaves the walls of the turning about three times thicker than it will be when finished. These rough turnings are put aside to dry for 6 to 12 months. Although round when first turned, the wood can warp dramatically during the drying process. In spite of every attempt to control the process, some turnings will crack and must be discarded.

~ Bill Smith