Knothead's Custom Woodworking

01/17/2026

I don't bite. 😏

65 likes, 2 comments. “Me? Scary? Sweet little ol' me? ”

01/17/2026

Turnings can be twisted. The Constitution shouldn't be.

Fight fascism. Defend democracy. Abolish ICE.

(If this message offends you, please do feel free to unfollow this page.)

Turnings can be twisted, but the Constitution shouldn't be.

12/18/2025

Who needs an elf on a shelf when you could have some gnome in your home?

02/14/2025

09/20/2024

I turned on the lathe this week for the first time in over a year. It's not the most beautiful or the fanciest thing I've ever made, but it was a nice little project to get back to making shavings, and it fills a need.

Pencil cup, sycamore, 5" h x 4" w, finished with friction polish.

12/02/2023

Come see us tomorrow at the Holiday Craft Fair at Saint Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, 2111 Millersville Pike! We'll be Booth #27 in the gym from 8:30 am til 2:30 pm. Bowls, boxes, vases, pens, and of course, Christmas ornaments will be available at special Craft Fair prices!

03/20/2023

After years of making mini birdhouses, I got a request for some "maxi" birdhouses, i.e., sized for real birds. The roofs are removable for cleaning, and the paint and hardware are selected for weatherproof durability. I may be biased, but I think they're kinda cute.

Birdhouses, solid pine, 4" diameter by various lengths.

02/24/2023

A word about safety: like a lot of turners, early on, I got into the very bad habit of touching the spinning wood to feel how smooth a particular cut was. This photo shows why that is a very bad idea. This piece of walnut had a serious of small bark inclusions and overgrown knots that were completely invisible from the outside. If I had reached across the tool rest to feel this tenon, I would almost certainly have violated the First Commandment of Woodworking:

"Thou shalt not get blood on the wood."

I then would have had to experience the truth of Knothead's 1st and 2nd Laws of Woodturning:

1. The safe way only takes longer if you don't count waiting time at the ER; and

2. It's much harder to turn with stitches than without.

Bottom line, young turners: It only takes a few seconds to stop the lathe, and it's a whole lot safer. Don't put any body parts you want to keep forward of the tool rest.

02/24/2023

Comparing my six year old Robert Sorby spindle and bowl gouges (left of each photo) to their brand new replacements (right of each photo). I'd say I got my money's worth out of them.

02/24/2023

Newly listed in the Etsy shop: five brand new keepsake boxes. Sycamore, butternut and bloodwood, spalted maple burl, cherry and padauk, Rosewood and yellowheart. Find them in the Keepsake Boxes section!

Which one is your favorite?