The early lawn bowls or woods were typically made of wood, and the process for making them round was done by skilled craftsmen using a lathe.
A lathe is a machine that rotates a workpiece against a cutting tool, allowing the craftsman to shape and smooth the wood into a desired shape. The craftsman would first select a piece of suitable wood, such as boxwood or lignum vitae, and then rough shape it using saws and chisels. The wood was then mounted onto the lathe, and the craftsman would carefully turn the wood while using tools to shave away excess material and shape it into a round ball.
The process of making a perfectly round bowl or wood required a great deal of skill and precision, and the finished product would be carefully inspected to ensure that it met the desired specifications. With the development of new materials and technologies, the manufacturing process for lawn bowls or woods has evolved, and modern bowls or woods are now made from a variety of materials, including composite materials and plastics, using a range of different manufacturing processes.