The Look What I Can Do Trap

James Krenov, a cabinetmaker, determines when a piece is done when
there’s nothing more to remove in order to improve the design. His
pieces are crisp, clean and apparently simple - no trim, no molding, no
decorative overlays, no carved shells, no inlays, no fancy hardware.
Clean and simple. Easy, nothing to it right? Until you look more
closely and think about it a little. There’s no place to hide - a
mistake, an uneven edge, a straight line that isn’t, one of a dozen
dovetails that isn’t quite right. Everything has to be as close to
perfect as possible - or it shows - and detracts significantly from the
piece.

With “between centers” turning, there’s the tempation to fill the space
with details - beads, coves, grooves, ogees and so on. “Look what I can
do!” is the trap so easily caught in. The temptation is really easy to
succumb to. Set up a piece of stock between centers, turn on the lathe,
get things roughed to round and then turn everything in my shapes
repetoire that’ll fit. When I’m done I’ve got - a very decorated
dowel. Interesting, but still just a decorated dowel.

So “eccentric” turning becomes attractive. If I put the centers like
this - and then turn right here. And then if I shift the centers this
way - and turn this spot like this . . . With a bit of trial and error
some interesting/ odd pieces begin appearing. And once again, the “Look
what I can do!” trap springs shut. The results are still just decorated
dowels - asymetric - but just a crooked dowel. Perhaps interesting to
look at - but that’s it.

“I’m going to make something that actually does something. What can I
make with scraps I’ve got lying around? How about a hair stick - you
know, something to replace the pencil or ball point pen women with long
hair use to hold their wound up hair in place? “

Cut a piece of scrap into a 3/8” square, about 10 or 12 inches long,
find the centers and mount it between centers. Rough to round, taper it
almost to
a point and then do some fancy stuff on the last inch or so of the fat
end.
And somewhere about that time “Look what I can do!” kicks in. That last
inch or so ends up with four beads, five “disks” and a little “spire” on
the end.

“Hmmm - the shaft is awfully smooth. This thing will fall out if I
don’t turn some things In the shaft to hold it in place. A bunch of
little coves with a bunch of little beads should do the job. “Look what
I can do - really small!”

SNAP!

All right - how about some spatulas and spoons? A one foot piece of
cherry, 3/4” thick, six inchess wide and a foot long. - perfect for
making TWO 3” wide spatulas. A little bandsawing to get two basic
blanks, find the centers on each end and set it up between centers.
Roughing the handle to round gets a bit tricky at the handle/spatula
interface.

“I’ll just cut a bead where the spatula joins the turned handle.”

SNAP!

The handle is turned to a Feels Good In Hand shape. “I’ll just decorate
the end with a cove and ball.”
(can you hear the release mechanism moving?)

“And maybe I’ll turn in some V-grooves - just to provide some grip.”

(the jaws begin to move - ever so slightly - at first).

“Hell, three long ovals with beads between them would fit in here
nicely.”

SSSNNNNAAAAPPPPPPPP! The Look What I Can Do Trap got me again.

If or when I get a lot better on the lathe I know there’s The Because I
Can Trap waiting for me. Two foot diameter hollow form - with a dime
size opening, a cowboy hat perhaps or maybe a 2,500 piece segmented bowl
- just because I can. Now don’t get me wrong - if any of these things
is a way of getting an idea out of your head and so others can
experience at least some of what you had in mind - more power to you.
But that’s not driven by
“Because I Can”.

This man’s stuff is amazing - and amazingly complicated. But not
for complexity’s sake. Definitely worth checking out - if you haven’t
found his site yet.

http://www.tahoeturner.com/

Have you found other “traps”?

charlie b