Earings, brooches and rings can be turned and made look very effective. No special tools are required; just a little more care and good sharp tools. You may find it an advantage to have a small tool rest 50 - 60 mm wide to help you get in close to the work. The diagrams below will help with a suggested method.
They may be turned one at a time or in pairs. I find it best to make one at a time and then I can part off at the bottom end, sand and polish while it is still on the lathe.
To start, cut a blank 80mm long (this allows for wastage at each end) and 20 mm wide. To mount on the lathe, screw a piece of timber say 75 x 50 mm on a face plate and drill a 13 mm hole in the face. Do this on the lathe so that the hole is true. Turn down your blank between centres to 13 mm to make a good tight fit in the face plate.
Alternatively, put it in a Jacobs chuck..
For variety, try laminating contrasting timber or inlay some copper wire. It is best to use hard and dense wood. Some timbers that come to mind are Amarello, Boxwood (they come up yellow), Osage Orange (yellow and brown), Padauk (orange, red, purple and brown) and Tulip Wood (red and yellow). Kingwood and Purple heart both come up purple and Acacia is white or cream. Blackwood and Ebony are also good woods.
Jewellery findings - the metal hooks and clips - can be bought from jewellers, rather expensive, or locally from "Beadifferent" in Cumberland Drive Seaford.
The next step is the hard one - make the second earing to match the first.
