New Hampshire wood turner Peter Bloch found his niche in woodworking about 10 years ago when he began turning thin-walled translucent lampshades.

Bloch fell into this niche after years of experimenting with techniques for turning hollow vessels from various species. His work transformed from a hobby to a business when he discovered aspen, a junk wood with virtually no beneficial properties except for being translucent when turned thin.

In this video biography, Bloch discusses the system he developed to turn a 200-lb. greenwood aspen log into a 12-ounce lampshade with a 1/10-in.-thick wall. From cutting blanks to turning on the lathe with a variety of gouges and specialty cutting tools, see what it takes to make these functional works of art. 

For more information, visit Bloch online at www.woodshades.com.