George wrote:
"Why" is an endlessly-debatable philosophical question. "How" can have the
same answer for everyone. Style and substance, sizzle and steak, faith and
science.

George, the 'why' questions I was thinking of seek more of a scientific
answer rather a philosophic one. Questions like why is the sharpening
angle of a skew more acute than that of a roughing gouge, or why is the
bevel so important, or why is the way we use our body during turning so
important.

Asking how a task is done is a good way of training someone to perform
that single task. When we ask why things are done in a certain way we
are opening up to a deeper understanding and the ability to use what we
have learnt in a wider range of applications.


Merchants are pretty happy to have these kind of people around, too. They
buy a lot of things to help their turning, hoping that cents will substitute
for sense.

"Tools to solve problems that don't exist" is what I call them


--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com - a blog for my customers
http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com/TheToolrest/ - a blog for woodturners