Drehkoite (= turning trough) was the name given to a living room in which the ancient lathe was embedded in the floor.
The turners from Girkhausen are considered pioneers for efficient bowl turning: With their special turning iron and foot-powered lathe, the Wittgensteiners were able to produce up to five bowls of different sizes from a single wooden blank.
The refinement of old techniques and the transition to the use of machine tools is also depicted. On the upper floor there are other tools and lathes for woodworking, including an original woodturning workshop (about 100 years old), which belonged to the famous master wood turner, sculptor and painter Ludwig Florin.
In addition, a reconstructed fiddle bench from the time of 500 BC is also presented.
As a secondary activity to bowl turning, spoon carving developed, so the waste wood could also be utilized.
Various woodturning products, wooden goods and wooden gifts are offered for sale.
The demonstration of the art of woodturning and the tour of the exhibition lasts about an hour.