This oval hollow form is as simple as it can be, although the Golden Ratio (explained below) was used for every dimension.

It is made from Mahogany, one of my favorite woods. It is 6 inches tall. It is sanded to a super smooth 1200 grit, coated with paste wax, and buffed to a satin finish.

Take a close look at the wall thickness. It's thin and uniform, less than 1/8 inch thick, something most woodturners strive to accomplish. This means that not all woodturnings survive the stresses on thin walls.

The backside looks exactly the same as the front, and they should, they are made from the same piece of wood.

Ever hear of the Golden Ratio? The Greeks used it extensively in their designs, from temples to vases. If your design incorporates the Golden Ratio, it should be pleasing to the eye.

In my oval hollow forms, I use the Golden Ratio to determine the proportions for the height to width, bottom to top, bottom width to top width, every aspect of design I could measure. Over engineered? You bet!

If you've read this far, you might be wondering how it's made. My simple answer is that it is completely over-engineered. However, to help you visualize the important step in the process, consider this explanation.

Back in 1985, I had to make two Red Oak headboard extensions for my neighbor. I needed a hollow wooden cylinder 10" long with a 16" diameter that could be sliced along the axis into 4 pieces (the upper sketch) but I only needed two of the pieces. I didn't have a piece wood that large.

My solution was to use two blocks glued to two good boards and mount the assembly on a wood lathe through the centerline (the bottom sketch) and separate the pieces when finished. Years later, without knowing it, Curt Theobald told me this technique was called Therming, a very old technique.

Of course, to make my Oval Turnings, I completely over-engineered the process...making it necessary to make my own tools! This is what woodturning is all about...don't make it easy!