Just 2 weeks left is our fundraising drive. Please consider donating and taking a chance on wining one of our sponsors' awesome prizes!

 

 

Our Patriot Turners-

@Steve Krumanaker continues to supply his unique turnings for a local "Bee" business-

 

Steve's post has more images of some of the custom things he makes!

 

 

 

@RustyFN scored some Bradford pear and showed us his blank preparation. Looks like some awesome bowls in his future

 

Check out Rust's post-

 

 

@Gerald has been busy replenishing his craft show stock-

 

Check out his post to see what these are!

 

 

@PostalTom updated us on the chess set he made. 

 

Tom included a closeup of the turned chess pieces, in his post

 

Tom also posted some kitchen utensil items in our "What's On Your Workbench" forum-

 

 

 

Our "What's On Your Lathe" continues to showcase our turners' projects!

@nevinc, @forty_caliber and @Gerald all shared images of what's happening

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s Coming Up-

Click on the images for links-

 

 

 

 

For The Newbies-

A variety of topics from around the web-

 

From Tim Yoder, a couple of short video tips-

 

 

 

From Mike Waldt, help for using my old nemesis- the Skew! This is a live demo so it is really long-

 

 

Have you ever tried to cut a round blank on the bandsaw? Not a bowl blank, but rather an end off of a cylinder shape. If not secured properly, the blade can grab the piece and even break the blade. Mike Peace cautions about this and shares a video on making it safer.

 

 

 

 

 

Expand Your Horizons-

Craft Supplies USA created a video demonstrating the use of the  Easy Core One Way Coring System. This is a rather long video but does demonstrate using the system. In the description, the presentation is broken down so the viewer can select sections to view.

 

 

 

 

We've noticed several discussions about finishing, on other Patriot forums, and the subject of shellac pops up frequently. This link, from Kent Weakley, is to an article on making and using shellac as a bowl finish.

https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/

 

 

 

I think everyone here knows my love of carbide turning tools. @smitty10101 posted about using Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) to turn a bowl. The video is from Craft Supplies USA

 

 

 

New Turning Items-

Ron Brown has been creating and posting videos, on his YouTube channel, discussing his hollowing stabilizer. You can check them out at- https://www.youtube.com/@Ronbrownsbest/videos

 

With SWAT happening this weekend, there will probably be some new products shown. Be sure to check out the Vendor showcase listed above for live feeds of some of the products.

 

 

Everything Else-

From Ron Brown's Newsletter, something I think we all have struggled with from time to time-

 

What Is It Worth?

 

I’ve had lots of questions about pricing one or two special pieces. For the vast majority of woodturners, it is a hobby, they never intend to sell anything they make. Some folks are interested in turning as a side gig but have no idea how to price their work. As someone who has experience in just about every conceivable selling venue, I would like to pass along what I have learned.

 

Any object is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

When I’m considering how to price anything I’ve made or plan on making, there is a formula I use:

 

Cost of material + Time @ desired labor rate = Hard Cost
Hard Cost X 4 = Suggested Retail Selling Price
Hard Cost X 2 = Wholesale Selling Price
Average Market Price For Similar Items; Am I Close?

 

This is only a starting point. Determine the “Market Price” for similar items depending on the selling venue, are you in the ballpark? The Market Price in an Arts & Crafts Gallery is very different from the Market Price at a street craft fair and those prices are different on Etsy, eBay, your own website, or Amazon. Don’t forget about the associated cost for each venue.

 

The last measure is a selling price that I feel good about. In other words, it is a Win-Win; the customer is happy at that price and I was happy to make it for them. An absolute fact of life is that everybody loves a bargain. (See the scripture below). Your “Retail Price” should be some amount above the price you hope to sell it for. Every retail store on the planet understands this and so should you. If you are selling one-on-one, you can comfortably offer a deal if they take it now and still earn what you needed in the first place. If you are selling online, this is the perfect scenario for a sale with either free shipping or a percentage discount.

 

You must also consider why you want to sell at least some of your work. Perhaps you want to fund additional tool purchases. In that case, forget the time you put in and consider the amount of profit dollars such a sale will contribute to your “new widget” fund. If the income is important as a supplement to other household income, it needs to be worth your time. If you are thinking of this as a main income stream, you need to maximize the return on your capital and your time and this will require counsel and careful consideration. Try to pick items that are fast, easy, and cheap to make that you can sell tons of i.e. pens, bottle stoppers, pepper mills, spinning tops, utility bowls, cutting boards, kitchen utensils, etc.

 

The bottom line is complicated depending on your specific situation. Only you can make that determination. I recommend setting your initial asking price higher than you think you should. Often someone else thinks your widget is worth more than you do. You can always lower the asking price, but it is difficult to raise it. As I said before, something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

 

Here is a true quick story. I used to sell fancy laser-cut Christmas ornament kits and made finished samples for display at The Woodworking Shows. I got many inquiries from folks wanting to buy the finished ornaments that I really didn’t want to sell. I finally put a price of $150 on each one figuring that would stop all of the questions because nobody would pay that much for a Christmas Ornament. The first year we sold 12! Don’t sell yourself short

 

 

 

Safe turning

Edited August 23, 20232 yr by lew

Wow!  Lots going on in everyone's shop this week.  I like using a wrench for tenons too.  Works very well in my opinion.

Thanks for mention  Lew. I read Ron Browns post on pricking and can see it on some pieces . But I have one that costs $2 and minimal wood sells well at $16. Another cost at 3 sells for $22. So there is no hard and fast formula.

@HandyDan  Thank you!

 

@Gerald  Thank you! Another thing that I see around here is the rural location deflates prices compared to more urban areas.