How Our Products Are Made

All Woodbury bowls and other turned pieces, begin as boards of kiln dried rough sawn lumber arriving at our loading dock. After a process that utilizes 28 separate steps of handling, it emerges back on the loading dock ready to ship. Throughout the 28 steps, we do not use or employ any mechanical copy lathes, CNC machines, or any other mass-production equipment. Our wood turners do not even use templates for size and shape. We take great pride in our low-tech and time-honored approach to woodturning. Each piece that we turn out is the result of an artisan standing on the end of a lathe with a hand held bowl gouge (chisel), a sander, a tape measure, and a lot of elbow grease and creative skills. We encourage you, if possible to stop by sometime and see these wonderful craftspeople apply their gifts.

About Our Woods

All of products are made out of Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and Black Walnut (Juglans nigra). Both of these woods have been selected over the years because of their aesthetic appeal, stability, compatibility and contrast, acceptance of finishes, and durability. While both woods are indigenous to Vermont, we are no longer able to always purchase them locally and often have to go outside of our state to purchase them. While most of the Yellow Birch comes from New England, the Black Walnut largely comes from Pennsylvania.

About Our Finish

Finishing of our products is a multi-step built up finish. It begins with the application of a sanding sealer, followed by sanding and then coats of sprayed lacquer. The final step employs hand sanding followed by polishing and hand rubbing with mineral oil. This finish offers an appealing look and feel without compromising durability. It also requires a minimum amount of maintenance for the owner. With this finish applied, the recommended care is simply; hand wash, immediately towel dry, do not soak or ever use a dishwasher, and avoid the use of any abrasives.