About me

I am Peter Hawkey, a retired Engineer living in the North East of Scotland with a passion for wood turning. I live on a farm with acres of pine and hardwood around me.

I started making African Blackwood flutes and one thing led to another and I found myself hand turning bowls and other items. I found that not only did I enjoy the process of wood turning, but people seemed to like what I did. Requests and the occasional sale fired my enthusiasm and it’s taken over as a full time hobby.

Although I get the occasional piece of exotic hardwood from my friend Paul at WP Hardwoods, I try and use local wood which I get from within about a 50 mile radius of our farm. Aberdeenshire has a lot of trees: Ash, Oak, Elm, Yew and several different species of pine abound. We also have ferocious storms which tear through the county regularly, taking down old or weak trees as well as boughs from stronger ones. A storm is no respecter of age. I have picked up pieces from 250 year old trees that have simply been unable to withstand the winds.

Any wood that I collect, I cut into blanks then leave to dry. A rule of thumb is an inch per year to get good stable wood to turn, which is problematic if I have a 5 inch thick blank, so I sometimes hurry the process along by using my home made kiln to stabilise the wood within a couple of months. Once the blank is stable enough to turn, I introduce it to the lathe and make whatever piece the blank suggest it should be – it’s not always obvious when I start, what is going to be there at the end. I then finish the bowl with one of a number of finishes – my current favourite is my own recipe of shellac and carnauba wax, which give a lovely deep lustre which is hard wearing enough to take the knocks of regular usage. If the piece is to my satisfaction, I’ll sign and date it.

I like to think I make pieces that you would treasure and be proud to have in your home. Have a look around my gallery to see what I’ve produced.