1. Between centres, turn to the round a piece of hardwood 70 x 70 x 60mm. box/yew/cherry/maple etc.

2. On each end turn a small spigot to fit your chuck. Mine is a C jaw on an Axminster chuck, so the spigots are turned to 56mm diameter.

3. Mount on your chuck and draw up your tailstock for added support.

4. Mark the centre of the wood and with a parting tool, at this mark, turn down to 25mm. Then either with a thin parting tool or saw, part off. This should leave a thin section showing the 25mm diameter.

5. Put the right hand side piece to one side to make a second chuck at a later date. Turn in a sweeping concave curve from maximum diameter down to 25mm.

6. With point tool, or the point of a skew mark centre of wood and drill hole 2.5mm or 3mm through the chuck. This can be done with a Jacob's chuck or by hand.

7. Slightly dish the chuck with spindle gouge or half round scraper.

8. Remove from lathe. Take a 4 x 50mm screw and fully screw in from the back.

9. Partly withdraw the screw. Put medium Super glue, or similar, on back threads of screw and screw in fully.

10. Make the other one for a spare. A thin leather washer will protect the apple when turning.

1. A block of wood 70mm x 70mm x 60mm is ideal. The prettier the better. If you have a bandsaw cut the corners off.

2. Find centre and drill 3mm hole just short of the depth of the screw in your chuck, in one side.

3. Mount on wooden chuck, and bring up tailstock. This is a good time to check that your headstock and tailstock are properly aligned.

4. Turn to round.

5. Mark maximum diameter - 20mm in from chuck end with pencil line. (Notice this obeys the 1/3rd rule.)

6. With spindle gouge turn top of apple almost to 25mm chuck - try to retain the pencil line.

7. Turn bottom half of apple down to tail centre, trying to maintain apple shape in a continuous curve.

8. Remove tailstock and drill 3mm hole.

9. Using spindle gouge shape the end of the apple from centre outwards. You need this to take a clove (for the calyx).

10. Slow the lathe speed and abrade from about 120 - 400 grit.

11. Reverse the apple and carefully finish top to take stalk and abrade.

12. Before adding a clove at the base and a twig from the garden for the stalk I use sanding sealer and polishing mops to get a tactile finish.