PERSONALITY PROFILE
How to turn wood into art
By Leon Louw
For woodturner Carel van der Merwe, every piece of wood tells a different story.
Carel was introduced to woodwork in school, and it
has, since then, become a lifelong passion.
Carel, how did you become involved in woodturning and
creating these fantastic pieces of art?
I am a trained electronic engineer and lived in Pretoria all my life.
This is where I met At Smit who is one of the pioneers of
woodturning in South Africa. My first training in woodturning was
with At, who started to plant the seeds of artistic woodturning. I
was fascinated by the natural beauty and flaws in the wood and
by creating something unique and different every time. One of the
highlights for me was certainly training with Nick Agar of the UK,
who is one of the leading artistic woodturners in the world.
What role does wood play in your life and where did your
passion for wood begin?
I grew up on a farm where I was introduced to, and learnt to, identify
the different types of trees by my father. Another big influence in my
life was the well-known woodturner Butch Smuts. He taught me to
always look for the unique elements in pieces of wood, which may not
be visible at first. These surprises that you find in wood, together with
the possibilities of what you can create with these unique elements,
almost became an addiction. Every piece of wood tells a story and
can be used. I have even used firewood on the lathe before.
What is your favourite wood to use in turning and how and
why does it differ from other types of wood and timber?
Wood with natural defects, or wood with ‘burl’ growth is what I
normally look for. ‘Burl’ growth is when the grain of the wood has
grown into a deformity. I prefer using indigenous South African
trees, and normally use what is left after a fire or a big storm.
Root ‘burls’ from burnt trees are of particular interest as
they have natural defects, which can be used to create
stunning pieces.
Up to about ten or fifteen years ago, these were the main items
produced on a lathe. In the past few years there has been a major
drive towards creating non-functional artistic pieces and in many
cases, it is substantially enhanced with carving, texturing, piercing,
colouring and even resin and metal inlays.
How important is the lathe that you use, and what should
potential buyers of lathes be aware of before buying a
new piece of equipment?
Starting out, one should be aware that the lathe should suit the
needs of what you want to turn, but a set of good quality chisels
is also required. It is further important to be able to sharpen the
chisels yourself. While turning an item, it may be necessary to
sharpen your chisels a few times.
In many cases I turn large items which are also unbalanced when I start
turning them. I therefore have a very heavy lathe with a large capacity
and electronic variable speed. For safety reasons it is important to
easily adjust the speed to suit the item that you are turning.
WHICH TECHNICAL ASPECTS of the lathe is important?
A cast iron lathe bed is heavier and more stable. The wood is fixed
on the lathe by means of a self-centering chuck. A good quality
chuck is therefore very important to ensure the wood will not
come loose while turning. Electronic speed control is another
What is the big secret of turning deformed
wood into a piece of art?
The defects in the wood all tell a story. The secret is to
find a way to let the wood talk for itself. It sometimes
takes weeks of exploring different options before putting a
piece on the lathe. One has to be patient and at some stage
the idea will take shape.
How many different techniques
can one use on the lathe?
The great thing about woodturning is
that there are so many possibilities
that you will always find something
that will interest you. Many
woodturners prefer to make utilitarian
items like pens, salad bowls, pepper
mills, table legs and so on. Although
these items can also be enhanced
with artistic elements, it is normally
not the main purpose.
www.timberiq.co.za // OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020 29