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This project has been extracted from my book, Woodturning: Form and Formula, which explores the Golden Ratio and Rule of Thirds in much greater depth with sketching techniques, professional examples, and seven projects (including this one) designed to help you develop your eye for proportion. After purchase, you will be presented with a download link for the file.
The name says it. Golden Thirds uses both proportioning systems working in concert. The width of the main body is one third of its height. The stem is one third of the body’s height and two thirds of its diameter. The metal sheets? Their placement comes from dividing the body height by the Golden Ratio.
The curves in this piece aren’t simple arcs. Both the body and the stem follow sections of the Fibonacci Spiral, that same mathematical relationship found throughout nature. This introduces movement and elegance to what could otherwise be a static, layered stack.
You don’t need to hold all this in your head while turning. The measurements think for you. But as you work, you’ll start to see how these two systems, the thirds and golden divisions, complement rather than compete with each other.
One provides structure; the other adds grace.
Technically, this project asks you to work with precision. The timber slices and metal sheets need to align cleanly, and the curves must flow without interruption across the joins. Patience matters here. Rushing the lamination or the turning will show in the finished piece — and there’s nowhere to hide sloppy work when metal meets wood at every layer.
The result, when done well, is something that feels both ancient and modern: the warmth of turned timber set against the cool precision of polished metal, held together by proportions that have guided makers for centuries.