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October is almost in the books! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald was busy turning out some really neat projects- He posted these in "Friday's Weekend" thread. See his post for some other colorful items- He even managed to score some beautiful cherry over the weekend- There are more pictures at- And he managed to get at least one piece underway- Our resident Christmas ornament professional, @Ron Altier, posted some beautiful maple items. I think he used his patented epoxy finish on them. Check out his post for more about where he got the wood- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- New turners typically have difficulty getting proficient with the skew. I still haven't mastered it! Watch Richard Raffan make it look easy- Mike Peace demonstrated how to do some tool "makeovers" Woodturning Monthly was published by the Woodworker's Journal. Some nice projects and articles- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton is always coming up with unusual turning ideas and this one is no exception- Wish you had a Genie? Well Carl Jacobson has turned a Genie Bottle in case you ever find one New Turning Items- Niles Bottle Stoppers has added a couple of new items- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/artisan-coffee-scoop-kit/ https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/artisan-rasp-grater-kit/ Woodturners Wonders is having a sale on their lathe "Track System". Check their website at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/lathe-track?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- Side Gig – Sage Advice I had a long visit with a friend who will be retiring in 5-6 years and is thinking about starting a woodworking business to keep busy and generate some extra income. I have been hearing from more folks than usual about generating a little cash from a side hustle in view of the current economic situation with a dollar buying less every day. I’ve made extra income from my side hustle for the last 55 years. Even when I was in the corporate world, I still made and sold wooden items on the side. Sometimes for pocket change, sometimes as a second income when the first one wasn’t enough. I’ve picked up a few things along the way that you might be interested in or passing along to a friend. 1) Demand – don’t just make and try to sell what you love, make and sell what they want to buy (even if you don’t particularly like it). I tell my family that I would sell dried cow patties if that was what the demand called for. a. In general woodworking the good sellers might be cutting boards, stove top covers, 2x4 basic bunk beds, etc. b. For woodturners it could be pens, tops, pepper mills, salad bowls, etc. I’ve learned from experience that just because I’m wild about something, doesn’t mean it will sell. 2) If an item is in high demand and everyone else is doing it, don’t be afraid to make them also. a. A prime example of this is metal tumblers like the Yeti. In the laser engraving world, there are thousands of people making laser engraved tumblers, wrapped tumblers, or personalized tumblers. I know, my kids have given me several every Christmas for the past bunch of years. My church even gave me a pair. b. Hamburgers are another great example. If people were afraid of making something someone else made, there would only be one place to get a hamburger instead of a hamburger joint on every corner. 3) Don’t be the cheapest guy on the block. Find out what the market price is and be somewhere around there. You might have to be creative to make a profit. 4) If no one is doing it, there is probably a good reason. No demand, impossible to make a decent profit due to the material cost or excessive labor. Before you bring something totally new to the market, get half a dozen regular items well established and selling consistently before you attempt to blaze a totally new trail. 5) You might be a perfectionist, but your customers won’t pay for perfection. They will pay for great or even good, but perfect is in the eye of the beholder. You can be perfect if you don’t mind making $2/hr. But that is not how you make a profit in the real world. 6) Listen to your wife. She loves you and wants you to succeed. She will tell you things your friends won’t. There are many more tidbits of advice, based on years of experience, but these are some of the important ones. Safe turning
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Hard to believe that March is half over already! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker posted some handles he turned for a friend! Steve says he did not use a duplicator but you sure could have fooled me! Check out Steve's post for more about this project- We continue to have more posts in our thread "What's On Your Lathe"! Check out what @forty_caliber is doing- @Smallpatch gave us a look at his setup for duplicating piece on the lathe. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Carl Jacobson put together a short video on aligning the head and tail stock. From Kent Weakley "Turn A Wood Bowl", a checklist of things to do for lathe maintenance (click on the image)- Expand Your Horizons- If you don't have a steady rest, here's an instructional video where the author builds one patterned after one built by Mike Waldt Jim Rodgers makes a really interesting segmented vase- Alan Stratton turns a cool toothpick holder. Might make a nice craft show item- Easter is not far away and Mike Peace demonstrates how to turn some Bunnies! At the end of Mike's video, are some other Easter oriented turning ideas/links. New Turning Items- Not really a new item but some mods on an older device to hold odd shaped pieces- Available at- https://woodturningtoolstore.com/product/elio-dr-safe-drive-2-5/?receiptful=923&receiptfultype=reviewsadminfb&fbclid=IwAR0bWspnfZ-Tx5be43_wuR3mi0wfVQA1OB1GAg6HkS29Mx2qziuyjg9PFXY Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter It Works For Me When you work up the courage to demonstrate in front of your club or the public, someone will always ask, “Why do you do it that way?” The short answer is “it works for me.” Turning, apart from most other forms of woodworking, relies heavily on the skills of the turner. Cabinet-making, for example, relies more on design, careful measurements, and the ability to cut relatively large pieces of sheet goods perfectly square. Ask five woodturners the right way to do something, and you will likely get ten different answers. Do what works for you until it doesn’t, then do it another way until it does. Everyone’s shop is different; different lathes, sharpening setups, lathe chisels, people are different heights, ages, strengths, lighting, some are left-handed, etc. Yes, there are generally accepted “Best Practices”, but my encouragement is to use the method that works for you as long as it is safe. However, keep an open mind to different approaches. As I view different turners making shavings, I still notice little things that might just be a better way to do something I have been doing for many years. I try their way and sometimes it works better, sometimes not. Most of my shop time these days is spent making accessories for turners and for that we are very grateful. My production shop would make most woodturners see double. I have the quintessential 5-pounds of stuff in a 3-pound sack. I wouldn’t recommend anyone set up their shop like mine. But it works for me, for what I do with the equipment and space I have. And I love it! In case you’ve seen some of my YouTube videos filmed in a nice clean uncluttered perfectly lit woodturning shop, that is a purpose-built film studio in a whole separate building set up just for making videos. I never actually make shavings in that area. Why? Because it works for me. When it doesn’t, I’ll do something else. For now, remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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- mike peace
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