Your spouse, relative, neighbor or friend is a lathe operator and you are thinking of getting them something related to that interest. Getting them a fancy piece of wood (called “blank”) or a new tool or kit seems like an obvious choice. But before you buy that gift, here are a few things to consider before shopping for turner gifts.

What do they spin?

Most turners tend to do one type of turning more than others. For example, some prefer to do spindle turning, making things like chair legs, baseball bats, boxes, or eggs. Others prefer bowls, bowls, bowls. Some make mostly hollow shapes, such as vases, urns, and pots.

Buying a pen kit for a turner who makes pens might be ideal, but it wouldn’t work for a bowl turner. You actually need special equipment to make pens, so unless you’re sure the person has everything else they’d need and would actually convert it, it’s best to skip the pen kit.

How big is your lathe?

Lathes come in several different sizes, from mini lathes to heavy iron monstrosities. The “swing” is the measurement of the largest diameter piece of wood that any particular lathe can accommodate.

A mini lathe has a turn of about 12 inches and other larger lathes can handle 14, 16 inches or more. If you get a piece of wood for them to turn, you’ll need to know what size they can handle.

What is your skill level?

Beginner turners have many failures. My goal, as a beginner, was always “a finished piece, not a masterpiece”. So spending money on tools they wouldn’t even know what to do with is silly. The same goes for purchasing pieces of wood that will likely end up as an expensive pile of shavings.

However, if you know they can spindle and have turned a tool handle, for example, you can assume they have the skills to complete a similar project, such as a cheese knife handle or an ice cream scoop. One of those kits could make a great gift.

Are they purists?

Many turners start out working only with wood. Eventually, they can venture out to play with embellishments, such as stone or metal inlays, carving, coloring, and burning.

If you know for a fact that your turner friend does these things, you might be able to get him something related. Or introduce them to a book focused on the type of decorations they enjoy.

Believe me, nothing is more exciting for a turner than a related gift. But be sure to consider these factors, so you make gifts for turners that are a good use of their hard-earned money, and something they can actually use.