- Reproduced from an article in WOODWORKING WEST, July 1994 issue

Ornamental turning was once the craft of royalty. Medieval kings and princes competed to create the most elaborate works. Today, Jon Sauer of Pacifica, CA. is one of a small number of woodworkers who have learned the ways of the past and are contemplating to keep alive the artistry.

Ornamental turning is a method of decorating the surfaces of turned forms using machine capable of multiple axes of revolution. The most common machine is an "Index Lathe". with a complex system of wheels and gears. It can (1) turn a workplace against a stationary cutter (similar to traditional lathe turning except movement need not be restricted to a circular direction), (2) hold the form stationary as a rotating cutter rips small facets of the workplace before the piece is turned a few degrees for another cut, or (3) move the workplace as the cutter moves independently itself. Just like the router bits and planes, an ornamental turner has a variety of cutters, each with different profiles. The mixing of cutters and the movement of the lathe over a progression of cuts creates patterned geometric and spiral effect.

"My enjoyment comes from the act of discovery," says Jon. "There is history of the craft, along with experimenting to see what can be accomplished. It is a craft that few people are doing and I can produce something that sells!"

Unlike traditional turning wherein the form is determined on the lathe, the key to ornamental turning is the precise planning of the cuts beforehand. For example, the number of degrees the workpiece must be turned to equally space cuts around its circumference, with each row, sometimes 1/10" wide, being calculated separately as the form narrows. Miscalculations are not easily correctable, and the manual operation of the machine requires attentiveness to every small detail.

These days, the machine s of choice are still those that were manufactured by the Holtzapffel family of London in the 1800's. Of the 3,000 made, only 400 are thought to exist today and thus are highly prized.

Jon began as a traditional woodworker/turner. During the 1970's, he made turned vases, bandsaw boxes, frames, lamps and pistol grips to be sold at weekend street fairs. It was a FINE WOODWORKING article that "turned him on" to ornamental turning, and he began to learn as much as he could. He searched five years for an ornamental lathe to buy, until a broker from London called to say that one was available at an auction. Sight unseen, Jon bought it and anxiously waited months for a rusty 1868 Holtzapffel 5" screw-cutting mandrel lathe to arrive. He refurbished it, attached an electrical motor to replace the treadle energy source, and scrounge around for parts, cutters, and accessories from old tool stores and collectors. He has even commissioned tool maker Jerry Glaser to develop A11 high speed cutters, most of which are over 100 years old. "My machine is a mixture of yesterday's tooling with today's technology."

Jon uses four lathes in his work. His first turns the basic external form on a spindle lathe, properly finished since there will be no sanding later. The decorative work is done on the index lathe, which can take days and involve thousands of cuts, and internal work is done on lathe with a 4-jaw chuck. Finally, he may use a century old "Rose-engine" lathe to add "Gillette" work on the lid. "Guilloche" is a type of engraving producing wave-like pattterns of lines on a flat surface, most notably practiced by jewelers for decorating pocket watch covers.

The choice of woods are extremely important in this craft, as dense hardwoods are preferred because they are less likely to tear. Jon uses Blackwood extensively, along with several tropical exotics as Cocobolo and Bloodwood, and can enhance the wood's natural beauty by adding anilline dyes to tint or create color contrast. Some pieces are also crowned with Zaccahaeus nuts.

Most of his work are tightly-lidded boxes and perfume bottles (with glass inserts) no more than 6" tall. They are decorated by a variety spiral designs, from graceful cuts to offset steps. His lattes work is the creation of "Castle Bottles" which can be single lidded vessels to multi-tiered boxes.

During Jon's years of ornamental turning, he has perfected his skills in his off-hours from being a postal executive and raising a young family. Besides inclusion in a number of prestigious private collections, he has gained international recognition with winning the 1991 Friendship Cup from the Society of Ornamental Turners in England and selection in the Challenge IV and V International Lathe-Turned Object shows. "I might be a good contemporary ornamental turner, but I consider myself still a beginner when compared to what was done in the old days by the masters."