Collections Spanning Eras

The S.O.T. CD

Aside from the Holtzapffels' Turning and Mechanical Manipulation, the most important reference for ornamental turning and related work is the collection of the Bulletin of the Society of Ornamental Turners, considered as a whole. Fortunately, the S.O.T. has compiled this onto CD-ROM for sale to members.

The first CD was released in 1998 and includes Bulletins 1 through 98. It also includes the 1987 edition of Abell, Leggat and Ogden's A Bibliography of the Art of Turning, Grace's The Art and Craft of Ornamental Turning, and Tweddle's The Rose Engine Lathe.

This first CD has been supplemented by three others: a second CD with "high quality copies of all the known photographs from the first 60 bulletins," a third CD containing Bulletins 99 to 109, and a fourth CD with Bulletins 110-124.

If you have a serious interest in OT, you should joing the S.O.T. and buy these CDs. http://www.the-sot.com/library.html

Edwards' "Holtzapffel Volume VI"

The sixth volume of the Holtzapffels' Turning and Mechanical Manipulation, which was to have been "The Principles and Practice of Amateur Mechanical Engineering," was never completed or published.

John Edwards has published in CD-ROM format a "Compendium of rare or previously un-published material related to the art and craft of Ornamental Turning" under the title Holtzapffel Volume VI. Rather than attempting to complete the Holtzapffels' projected volume on amateur mechanical engineering, Edwards presents instead "a new volume [devoted to] the many known ornamental turning techniques and accessories that had not been included in Volume V." Edwards' CD-ROM is a splendid compilation which is indeed a fitting completion of the Holtzapffels' series on Turning and Mechanical Manipulation. For ordering information, see John Edwards' website at: http://www.ornamentalturning.co.uk/for_sale_wanted.htm