Wednesday's Wisdom For Woodturners March 13, 2024

[lew]

A little early with Wednesday's post. 71° outside and I've just been informed I'll be cooking supper on the grill tonight

 

 

Our Patriot Turners-

@John Hechel posted in our Ringmaster Sub-Forum showing us an awesome bowl he fabricated from a neat glue-up.

 

Check out his post for more information-

 

We had activity on both our continuing posts about projects on and off the lathe!

From "On" the lathe-

From @calabrese55, @RustyFN, @Pauley  and @kreisdorph  showed us these beautiful pieces!

 

 

 

 

 

Catch up on all the action and comments beginning here-

 

 

From "Off" the lathe-

Both @RustyFN and @Gerald shared their fantastic projects-

 

 

More here with comments from our group-

 

 

What’s Coming Up-

Click on the images for links to more information and registration-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For The Newbies-

I always struggle with the concept of "Form vs. Function". Lyle Jamieson gives us his thoughts in this short video-

 

 

Richard Raffan adds another chucking idea for hard to hold pieces-

 

 

We sometimes post links to the Woodturners Wonders site for their products/sales. I found this link with videos about many of their products. (Full Disclosure- I am not affiliated with Woodturners Wonders. I do purchase some sanding supplies from them from time to time).

 

https://woodturnerswonders.com/pages/videos?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQGZ2p91Dzyb6Hq8u86HRP26F2J3AVp8xSSqd_hTF8cT.VJvU8R

 

 

Expand Your Horizons-

If you do the Craft Show circuit, Carl Jacobson shows us a project that might be an addition to your product line.

 

 

This project from Mike Peace would make an awesome gift and could also be a craft show article. It lends itself to design customization-

 

 

When I saw this from Alan Stratton, I thought of some of the embellishments done by @Gerald. 

 

 

 

New Turning Items-

Couldn't find anything this week

 

 

Everything Else-

Something I need to learn more about, from Rom Brown's Newsletter-

 

Technical Skills or Wisdom and Discernment?

 

When you see a finished piece that is visually stunning, do you ever wonder what made it that way? Perhaps the end result was because the maker has superior technical skills with lathe chisels. It is much more likely they got the proportions just right, presented a balanced form, and knew when to stop and call it done.

 

A great form can make even a bland piece of wood appear pleasing. If the material is ordinary, that is an opportunity to add embellishment such as painting, carving, or texturing to the great shape. Out of balance shapes, non-fair curves, sloppy transitions, deep sanding scratches, tool marks, and torn grain all contribute to a less pleasing finished piece. 

 

While technical skills go a long way toward reducing the time and energy needed to complete a project, I’ve seen many beautiful pieces completed by much less skilled turners who developed an eye for forms, paid attention to details and worked on the finish until they got it right. That means having the wisdom to know what shapes go together to make a pleasing finished item. 

 

A prime example where discernment is key might be a lidded hollow form, lidded small box, or Christmas ornament. Getting the finial in balance relative to the piece, or a lid and knob combination that compliments the box can be challenging. Discernment is knowing when to stop and move on to the next step. 

 

Those of us who have a loving partner will benefit mightily by asking their opinion on how a project can be improved. Ask for their honest observations and tell them you can only learn by seeing through someone else’s eyes. They won’t want to hurt your feelings, but this is a time for brutal honesty if you really want to improve.

 

“Technical skills are important, but a discerning eye is importanter.”

 

I would encourage you to develop your understanding for the things that result in a pleasing form along with your technical expertise. I studied shapes in other media including pottery and ancient vessels that survived the ages and it really helped. Don’t forget how important the Fibonacci formula is throughout nature.

 

Safe turning

 

[RustyFN]

Thanks Lew. Another great one.

 

[Gerald]

Thanks Lew , picked ups a couple ideas

[HandyDan]

Thanks Lew.  I will enjoy the videos.

[Grandpadave52]

Thanks Lew. Another top notch post.

[lew]

@RustyFN  Thank you!

 

@Gerald  Thanks!

 

@HandyDan  Thank you!

 

@Grandpadave52  Thanks!