The Twist

“The twist is a spiral cut on a designed piece of timber. The cutting of a trough or hollow at a pre-determined angle produces a bine or bead along the length of the blank giving the appearance of a twist.

A twist can be lengthened or shortened, made thick or thin, have as many hollows and bines that the material is capable of accommodating.”

Stuart Mortimer, Techniques of Spiral Work – A Practical Guide to the Craft of Making Twist by Hand

Types of Twists

Single Twist – Has a single line of twist or bine worked from one starting point to its finishing point.

Double Twist – (Double Barley Twist) –Has a two lines of twist or bines worked from the starting point

Triple Twist – This has three lines of twist or bines worked from the starting point

Multi-start Twist – Has more than three lines of twist or bines from the starting point and is commonly referred by the number of bines, i.e. four bine twist is called a 4-Start twist.

Cable or Rope Twist – These twists have at least nine bines, which are pitched to resemble a cable or rope.

Open Twist - Hollow center

Twist Terminology

Pitch: Angle of the Bine and Hollow along the twist (typically between 10 and 60 deg)

Pitch Lines: Mark out the length of an individual pitch (distance from apex to apex of a bine)

Pitch Segment: Area of material between pitch lines

Pitch Dividing Lines: Lines marked at equal distances between the Pitch Lines, and divide the Pitch Segment equally into smaller segments to assist in controlling the marking out of the Pitch Angle and Cutting of the twist.

Start Lines: Horizontal lines that divide blank into equal sections

Cut Control Lines: Line marked diagonally, from the beginning of each Start Line to each intersection with the Pitch Lines and Pitch Dividing Lines

Bine Apex Lines: Show the location of the apex of each bine along the length of the twist

Width Control Lines: Indicate the width of the bine and hollow

Pitch Control Lines: Is the name given to the combined lines formed by the Cut Control Lines, Bine Apex Lines and the Width Control Lines.

Complete Marking Out: is the term used to indicate additional Pitch Control Lines drawn from the other Start Lines. These lines highlight the width of the Bines and Hollows.

“Golden Mean” for Twist Design

Single Twist: Pitch- 1 to 1 ¼ times the width of the material

Double Twist: Pitch- 2 times the width of the material

Triple Twist: Pitch- 2 ½ to 3 times the witdth of the material

Multi Start: Pitch- about 4 times the width of the material

Material can be any thickness down to about 1/8”.

Twist can can be cut on practiclaly any shape – straight, ball, bend, knob ,teardrop, etc.,