On Tue, 10 May 2005 07:59:35 GMT, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:

Woodturning can be like a competive sport, if you want it to be, where you
get your enjoyment from outdoing other turners, and winning blue ribbons.
Or it can be a fun activity, where you just do what you enjoy, and maybe
give the pieces away to family and friends. Or it can be a part of a more
general shop activity, where you use the lathe to make things round, for
purposes of construction or repair.

I'd second that. My lathe was purchased for making accessories like
knobs and spindles to use in larger furniture projects, and things
like chessmen turned between centers to go with nice chessboards
(where the chessboard was the centerpiece, not the men)

When I make something like a lamp or a vase, it's just a fun little
side project, and doing my best generally means just getting a glassy
surface on some nice looking wood. I could care less what the bottom
looks like, or how thin the walls are, but that's just my take on it.
Most of those projects end up as gifts, and the people who get them
seem to really like the stuff, so that's good enough for me.

On the other hand, if I make a table and one leg is 1/32" longer than
the other three, or if a hidden joint has a 1/64" gap in it, I get
pretty upset about it. Guess it just depends on where your focus
is...

And of course, I may change my mind about some of that as I develop
greater skill with the lathe- but for now it's a welcome relief from
the stress I put on myself when it comes to cabinetry, and it'd be
nice to keep it that way!
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam