Wood-Turning by William Fairham is an illustrated workshop reference in The Woodworker Series. It introduces the lathe and its tools, then develops the subject through small objects, shaped members, hollow work, and patterns for furniture and household turnery.
The foreword, signed by J. C. S. Brough, credits Fairham with writing and most of the illustrations. It describes an audience that includes home workers, practical turners, cabinetmakers, patternmakers, joiners, carpenters, and students. That range is reflected in the book’s combination of basic exercises and more elaborate designs.
Book details
- Title: Wood-Turning
- Author: William Fairham, as credited in the foreword
- Series: The Woodworker Series
- Foreword: J. C. S. Brough
- Publisher: J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia and London
- Publication year: Catalogued as 1921; the scanned title page does not print a year
- Edition: No numbered edition stated in the scanned title material
- Language: English
- Length: 166 PDF pages, including covers and preliminary material
- Format: Illustrated scanned PDF with searchable text
- File size: 8.78 MB
Learning the lathe
The opening chapter explains turning in relation to the revolving workpiece and introduces a standard treadle lathe. Drawings identify its principal parts and show an extension intended to accommodate longer work. The discussion links machine capacity with the diameter and length of the objects to be made.
Treadling, preparing a blank, gauging its center, mounting it, and roughing it down appear as connected stages. This makes the chapter useful for understanding the organization of a traditional turning exercise. It also shows how much coordination and preparation came before producing a finished shape.
Small objects, tools, and measurements
The chapter on small objects explores the chisel and gouge through hollows, rounded ends, shoulders, beads, and other elementary forms. Illustrations show stages of the cuts and the relationship between the tool and the work. The text repeatedly returns to practice and control rather than suggesting that a diagram alone supplies the skill.
Callipers and gauges receive attention as the work moves toward particular dimensions. Examples include inside and outside measurements and a home-made wooden gauge. These passages connect free shaping with the repeated sizes and fitted parts needed in useful household work.
A separate chapter discusses grinding and sharpening tools, including gouges, chisels, and the use of oilslips. The book therefore treats edge preparation as part of turning, alongside the handling of the tool at the lathe.
Supporting and holding the work
Back rests, stays, chucks, and face plates are important subjects in the middle of the volume. The contents distinguish metal and wooden chucks, split chucks, screw chucks, and face plates. Section drawings help explain the construction and purpose of several arrangements.
These chapters are valuable for studying how different shapes were held and supported. A long member, a flat disc, and a hollow vessel create different problems. Fairham’s examples make those differences visible and connect the holding method with the operation being attempted.
Decorative forms and hollow work
Split turnings and turned mouldings introduce the preparation of stock for decorative members, including Jacobean forms and bulbous shapes. Twisted and spiral turnings extend the discussion into single, double, and separate-strand twists, with cabriole legs also included among the subjects.
Hollowing a vase receives its own chapter, together with supporting collars, discs, gap lathes, and related work. Additional chapters consider balls, wooden rings, square turning, and quasi-square turning. The variety helps readers see turning as a family of methods rather than only the production of straight spindles.
Finishing and patterns for useful objects
The finishing chapter covers staining and polishing turnings. Miscellaneous hints include the grouping of shaped members, a table of speeds, and a short account of the lathe’s development. These subjects connect the workshop operation with the appearance and proportion of the completed piece.
A substantial patterns section includes table legs, columns, posts, spindles, chair legs, newel posts, household turnery, and chessmen. The contents note that many full-sized details are included. Read any scale-dependent drawing against the printed dimensions: a PDF viewer or printer can resize a page.
Who this book is for
This reference suits readers studying traditional woodworking, furniture details, hand-tool skills, and treadle-lathe practice. It complements Ardbark’s homesteading collection and self-sufficiency references. Its combination of explanatory drawings and pattern ideas is especially useful for recognizing the forms used in older furniture.
About this scanned volume
The PDF preserves the original brown cover, printed illustrations, and library markings. The foreword supplies the author attribution; the title page carries the publisher and series but no printed year. Searchable text includes recognition errors, so consult the page images for measurements and technical details.
The machinery, workholding arrangements, and finishing materials reflect the period. Use current equipment instructions and suitable training for actual lathe work, rather than assuming every historical arrangement meets present workshop practice.
Read Wood-Turning
The complete illustrated reference is available in the 8.78 MB PDF below.
