Article: WIZARDRY IN WOOD.(LIVING)

Ben Kahn bends his 6-foot, 4-inch frame to get a better view of the redwood block spinning on his lathe. He is caressing the block as he cuts it. Wood shavings hang in the air, like the snow that hovers inside those crystal ball winter scenes.

He stops for a moment. ''That shriek you hear,'' he observes, ''is the sound of wood under stress.'' To keep the block from shattering, he strokes it with a finger while it spins at 1,000 rpm. ''You can't do that with oak,'' he remarks, ''or you'd have a handful of splinters.''

Kahn, a 23-year wood turner, began crafting artistic wooden bowls while attending Berea (Ky.) College two years ago. His woodworking ...

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