Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 9
“The tool creates
a rhythmical
whispering sound
as it shapes the bowl.
It’s very sensuous –
like a
heartbeat”
noses through the gap, drawn to the clickety-clack of
his contraption in action.
It’s in this field that Sharif leaves his timber to
season. He sources it from a local forester, picking
fallen or ailing trees, which are due to be felled, to
minimise his environmental impact. Favourite trees
are sweetly scented cherry and apple, along with
native beech and sycamore because of the rich patina
they develop over time.
After 18 months, once his timber has dried, Sharif
begins crafting a bowl by hewing a block of wood into
a crescent shape with an axe. He mounts it to his lathe,
pumps the foot treadle and, as the driveshaft spins,
rounds it using sharp-edged hooked tools, which
he forges himself with a portable forge and farrier’s
anvil. “The way you hold a turning tool has to be very
The Woodturner • Sharif Adams
ABOVE: A set of completed bowls.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Pumping the
foot treadle of his lathe to make
the driveshaft spin, Sharif shapes a
bowl, creating pretty curled shavings
in the process.
9
