On Jan 22, 12:16*pm, mac davis wrote:

Ok, Robert.. The doctor is in... I can help!

Stop listening and reading on what is in and have fun...

Hi, mac. Not sure how you got the impression that I am worried about
conforming to today's current style. Maybe you skimmed a bit fast?

Personally, I like interesting shapes and don't care about them
looking like anyone else's work. Same with finishing. I have to
build to plans enough that I don't want to unless I have to.

and

Then fire up the lathe and get after
turning something THEY like. No need to conform to any style at all
if it something that they like.

I was trying to make the point that as long the turner is happy, it
doesn't matter what they turn. And as for me, I only turn what I
want, and don't care one whit about the accepted norm. I sell enough
turned projects to buy new gouges, finshing material, sandpaper, and
an occasional exotic piece of wood.

This is a hobby, and I have no one to impress. If others like my
work, of course I am pleased. But if they don't, it doesn't matter to
me unless they are a paying client. I have made my money with my
hands long enough to know you simply won't please everyone no matter
what you do.

And I have been turning long enough to see how turning styles and
shapes change over a period of time.

Being bored with turning isn't a statement that I have learned all
there is to learn on the lathe. Not at all; I could always learn new
techniques, the use of new tools and certainly how to perform certain
operations better. But I have found that if I give any of my hobbies
a rest from time to time, I enjoy them more when I come back to them.

For me there is so much to learn and enjoy, and so little time to do
it all...

Robert





I've been saying for a lot of years that if turning ever stops being fun, I'll
quit... Hasn't happened yet and I still wake up every morning thinking about
turning...

I've sold quite a few pieces and no one has ever measured wall thickness or any
of the 100's of things that folks say make "quality" turnings..
My bottom line is that turners are NOT my market so I don't try to make them
happy..
Folks buy my stuff because it makes them feel good or they think it's "pretty"..
they could care less about how it's made, whether it fits some groups
specifications, etc..





On Jan 21, 12:09*pm, mac davis wrote:

When I am bored with turning, I go to one of my other hobbies. *I cook
a lot... I mean a lot. *Everything from fancy foods to good Texas
barbecue. *I do a lot of flat (wood) work and finishing/refinishing in
my business. *All of those things take a lot of practice and work.
The buzz does indeed go away for me when I start hearing "The Wood On
The Lathe Goes Round and Round" to the tune of "The Wheels on The
Bus".

My next endeavor may be chip carving, as I have a truly gifted artist
that I know that needs some help with some casework assembly and
finish. *He does a lot of custom carving for churches, assembly halls,
etc. and his work is fantastic. *I will try to trade out some of my
time for lessons as he gets a pretty penny for his instruction time
(if he has any). *Guaranteed that the lathe will sit idle if he will
teach me his methods. *After all, I only have so much free time... and
gotta stretch those skills.

I turn all manner of things, and love to try new things. *But in the
end, all projects that come off the lathe are at least partly round if
not coencentric. * I have a low threshold of boredom, and I usually
turn like a maniac for a few months a year, then I do other things. *I
"rediscover" woodturning, and off I go again.

What sort of bothers me is that I'm starting to do a few pieces that look a
little like the stuff in turning magazines that I shunned in the past as more
carving than turning...
It's kind of like the first time that you yell at your kids and think "Oh ****,
I'm becoming my dad"....

I lose interest in turning from time to time as there has become an
accepted "norm" for appearance. *Anyone that frequents WoodCentral can
attest to that. *"Make that foot smaller" or "curve that bottom more"
or "that would have looked better buffed" are all frequent comments.
Along with the commentary of "you should pick up soandso's book as he
explains how to do just that" and "look what I did, it isn't as good
as Cindy, but I am still trying".

They WANT all of their different pieces to conform to the norm of that
group. *They turn out some really nice pieces and some excellent
work. *But it all kind of looks the same to me with just a few
exceptions.

Seems like everyone wants to turn thin. *Everyone wants to have a
finish so colored and polished that the piece looks like it belongs in
a car show, not a wood turning venue. *Most turn Ming dynasty shaped
vases, shaker style bowls, (natural edge seems to have fallen out of
favor), Egyptian or Navajo shapes. *Most oil and buff, all using the
exact same oil, the exact same method, and they are proud to write
that they conformed to the letter.

Worse, so many strive to make a piece that looks exactly like the
work of others so that they can get approval for their work.
Personally, I like interesting shapes and don't care about them
looking like anyone else's work. *Same with finishing. *I have to
build to plans enough that I don't want to unless I have to.

I have done some limited teaching in the past. *As feared, you don't
want to become your Father! *I tell my pupils to look at pottery or
basket weaving books for the shapes they like, and try to remember the
general shape and proportion. *Then fire up the lathe and get after
turning something THEY like. * No need to conform to any style at all
if it something that they like.

But then... I know I am in the minority.

Robert

mac

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