I’ve long had a fascination with lathes, and wood lathes in particular. It’s amazing how a lump of wood can turn into a bowl, a candlestick, a shaving brush handle…

Buying a lathe is not cheap, so instead of spending a small pile on cash on a hobby I’ve never really tried before I mocked up a prototype lathe with an old drill and some other odds and ends. Rasps works well when working with soft wood like pine, and after a bit of hit and miss I did manage to turn out a couple of test pieces.

Yes, the two top ones are approximations of shaving brush handles. Obviously they are a long way away from anything usable – but I had fun making them and I can see myself taking up wood turning as a more permanent hobby.