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A custom tricycle outfitted with a lathe, battery and compartments for tools creates a mobile woodturning studio for Kailua artist Aaron Hammer. But he really views it as a laboratory of public engagement.
Photo Essay: Woodturner Turns Wood And Wheels
A custom tricycle outfitted with a lathe, battery and compartments for tools creates a mobile woodturning studio for Kailua artist Aaron Hammer. But he really views it as a laboratory of public engagement.
A neighbor flashes a shaka to Aaron Hammer on his custom-outfitted tricycle Wednesday in Kailua. The trike is equipped with a woodturning lathe, storage for tools, supplies and a battery making it a mobile art studio. Still image taken from video. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
On a short ride from his Kailua home to the Kailua Beach Park boat ramp, woodturner Aaron Hammer waved to numerous people, often saying, “good morning,” and greeting a frequent park guest by name.
Rain on the horizon makes Hammer turn for the covered shelters at Kailua Beach Park. Rain is less than ideal for his woodturning lathe. Still image taken from video. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Hammer spent almost a year building a custom tricycle into a mobile studio. But it took many more years to dream up and design. It had to include a platform and working area for his lathe, a rotary machine which spins wood, storage for his tools, wood blanks and battery.
“Some people think I’m selling hot dogs or shave ice,” Hammer says about his unconventional ride.
“Have you seen what they carry on bikes in India? Everything. That’s what inspired me to make a mobile studio.”
Hammer punches the center of a milo-wood blank to begin making a wooden bowl. He prefers to use felled wood, upcycling material which would have ended up in the rubbish. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Hammer places the milo-wood blank between the tail and head of his lathe. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Hammer begins to shape the foot and exterior of a soon-to-be milo-wood bowl. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Milo-wood shavings fly off the exterior of a bowl beginning to take shape in Hammer’s mobile woodturning studio. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)The interior of a bowl begins to take shape. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
“I’ve become a better woodturner working outside,” Hammer says, as he runs his fingers inside the bowl. “In the studio, I have perfect lighting and ideal conditions. But working outside, I have to use feel because the light out here changes.”
Hammer is intent as he continues to shape the bowl, seemingly oblivious to the shavings that are covering him. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Rain showers force Hammer to work under a covered shelter Wednesday at Kailua Beach Park. The history of lathes on the side of his trike begins with the ancient Egyptians around 1200 BCE and stretches through Da Vinci’s continuously powered lathe which is considered the origin of today’s lathe. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Hammer tightens a chuck for jaws to firmly grasp the foot of a wooden bowl. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Dust and wood shavings fly out of a milo-wood bowl as Hammer shapes the concave interior. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Hammer focuses on creating the bowl. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Milo-wood shavings pile up around the trike as Hammer continues his work. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Hammer says the cargo bike is made to break down to fit in the trunk of a car. He can remove the right front wheel and handlebars to make it fit.
Hammer checks the base of his newly created milo-wood bowl. The slightly concave base adds stability to his creations. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Hammer saws off the last remaining piece of the foot. This section was used to attach the tail of his lathe to the spin the bowl. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)A newly created milo-wood bowl sits atop the mobile work space. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
“I don’t sell my bowls here,” Hammer tells a passerby who asked about buying his artwork. He explains that he comes to the beach park to enjoy the outdoors, meet people, demonstrate how his bowls are made, inspire others and get inspired himself.
Hammer sands the base of a newly created bowl after removing the foot. The tail of the lathe on the left shows the point which attached the foot. The lathe’s head on the right has an attachment to shape the bowl with the square of sandpaper. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Wood shavings find their way into Hammer’s container of lathe chucks and jaws after the bowl is done. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)There’s quite a pile of wood shavings from the making of the small bowl. Later, a park volunteer with a leaf blower helped with the cleanup. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Susie Esposito admires the milo-wood bowl Hammer created in approximately an hour. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
“Curiosity rewards the curious,” Hammer says. A handful of people stopped to see what he was doing.
Hammer removes the cotter-pin from a leg after making a wood bowl. The four feet raise his work space to give Hammer’s lathe a stable platform. When not in use, the feet swing toward the center of the platform’s underside and lock in place. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)“How many woodturners can say, ‘I’m going to take my lathe out for a ride?’” Hammer jokes, as he heads home from Kailua Beach. Still image taken from video. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
The artist makes his larger bowl creations at his Big Island studio. While his mobile studio is only capable of turning bowls less than 10-inches in diameter, he finds more pleasure from the art of demonstrating and teaching.
“I get to meet some really cool and really nice people,” he says.
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