On Oct 24, 1:19 pm, (Arch) wrote:

SNIP

Here's to entertaining demos and being impressed and enthused, but in no way should anyone be intimidated. Everyone of us knows something that someone else doesn't or can do something that someone else can't.
That's the way I see it, but YMMV.

Here, here. Nicely said, Arch. I have worked in construction now for
about 35 years. Most of those I have been self employed as a
contractor doing anything from framing to finishing, commercial and
residential. There is nothing that will stump me as far as
woodworking goes, yet I don't know how to do many of the things my
guys do.

I cannot wire one of these new sophistcated AC thermostats, nor can I
cut and finish granite for counters. I can paint walls and trim with
the best of them (although I am slower unless spraying), but my sheet
rock patchwork stinks. I can do small brick repairs, but couldn't do
a whole house of brick. The list goes on...

I think the better you get at what you do, the more you realize how
much is out there that you cannot do. You really realize the limits
of your skills when you finally get good enough at something to
realize how much more of it there is to get that last 10% to get to
perfect. It doesn't happen.

We had a nationally known turner come to our club, and while he was a
little snobby and a bit arrogant about his skills turning smaller
objects (square bowls, lidded containers, etc.), he bent my ear off
about his bathroom remodel. How high is the shower head supposed to
be? How about the tub spout? What kind of fixtures do you like? He
was a lost soul in the remodeling end of things, but a real king of
the lathe.

It makes you point that everyone has their strong areas where they are
good at doing something, whether it is their job or even their hobby.

We have a couple of retired guys in our local club that are pretty
well heeled, and they go to any and every demo they can if they are
interested in the turner. I learned from them that many of today's
nationally know demo guys do a certain type of piece; the five minute
bowl, the square bowl, the small hollowed vessel, the finial, etc.
That is the part of woodturning they enjoy, and the one they are good
at. So these guys go see them, knowing that they are going to learn
ONE thing, ONE aspect of woodturning.

One of our members travelled to see a pyrography demo, so he could
learn that. They did no turning that day, it was all about decorating
your turning. He also went to see painting/staining/dyeing/finsihing
demo, and again no turning. From what I see, woodturing is getting
so highly specialized that many pros don't even turn more than one or
two shapes or style. But that is their claim to fame.

I feel like you in the respect that I don't have to hold my hat in my
hand to too much of anyone anymore, especially not someone that is a
paid shill for a tool group or manufacturer. Besides, when we were
voting on who came to the demos, if IIRC, we paid all of them to come,
so I would expect them to have a little sense of decorum.

And for heaven's sakes, I think it is important to remember that this
is just woodturning, not open heart surgery where these demo guys are
the chief surgeons.

As always, just my 0.02.

Robert