I borrowed access to a friend's lathe and turned a 13.5" plate out of hard maple, around the perimeter of which I carved the names of the family members. The center of the plate was left flat so it could be used as a cutting surface, and the plate was finished with a food-safe oil.

It occurred to me that bread plates like this can be carved for decorative, rather than functional purposes. Over the years I designed a number of plates, two of which are pictured here, containing text around the perimeter and a picture carved in the center. I found this design to be particularly attractive and easy to make. Since the carving is small, it fits well into even the tiniest of homes where space is a premium.

I developed a cross-section for the plate (see cross-section, above) which places the text at an angle around the edge of the plate, separated from the center area and the outside by three grooves and two rounded beads. The outside edge of the plate is undercut slightly to give it a more elegant profile.

The circular center of the panel allows for all sorts of images to be carved. You can use relief modelling, simple incise carving or a combination of the two to render the subject. The beads can be left plain or carved in a repeating pattern, as illustrated in the photos.

Perhaps the most interesting part of these plates is the text area. Here you can carve words in any style of text that will fit into a 1-1/8" tall space. The letters will end up raised above the stamped background, but that only makes them look more beautiful. The two grooves on either side of the text band, cut on the lathe, make it easier to carve the letters.

Lettering itself is difficult to draw, so I make use of my computer to produce letters the proper height and combined length to fit the text band precisely. I then carefully measure the length of the text, center it on the carving, and trace it onto the wood with carbon paper. Stamping is used behind the letter in order to leave the background tidy and to set the background apart from the smooth-tooled letters. You will note from the photo that the stamped areas appear darker and less reflective than the letters or the carved relief.

Construct the panel, using two or more widths of 2" hardwood like maple, cherry, birch or walnut. The panel should measure 14" in diameter. This is about the largest size that the standard Delta-type wood lathe can handle.

Do not attempt to turn the plate from a single piece of wood. A laminated panel is stronger and more stable than a panel from one width of wood.

Take care to ensure the laminations are precise and well glued so they do not separate while being turned. The boards that make up the panel should be arranged so their wood grain rises in the same direction, otherwise you will experience problems carving across the seams.

Arrange for the panel to be turned according to the profile in the cross-section. The text band, the three grooves and the two beads need to be accurate in size. While the flat interior of the plate can vary slightly without seriously affecting your carving pattern, the text band should be 1-1/8" wide to accommodate your lettering, the grooves should be 1/4" wide and the beads should be 3/8" wide. Have the plate finished smooth as possible without having any finish applied.

Then you can transfer your prepared pattern to the panel with carbon paper. Take care to align the vertical axis of the pattern so it is parallel to the joints in the panel. This makes for the most attractive finished product.

When the carving is completed, finish it with a basecoat of clear sanding sealer and a topcoat of paste wax, according to the SSW method detailed in an article in this collection.