Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning. Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted. The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

Darrell Feltmate wrote:
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning. Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted. The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

My response depends on what I am charging for it. Seriously though, I
usually explain to them about the whole process the bowl goes through.
I explain how long roughing takes; how long the drying process takes;
the finish turning; and the finishing which I usually do when I have a
large number of bowls to do. I try to give them an approximate time of
actual work over the calendar time it takes from beginning to end.

Or, it takes a couple of hours, but first you practice for five years.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

I give much the same spiel, but you know those people are always doing the
numbers in their head to figure your hourly wage so I always add a bit
about how I would make pretty good money if I could keep it all, but the
gallery takes half, there are show fees, equipment expense, paying my own
insurance, self-employment taxes, etc, until what's left to pay for my
time isn't a lot.

Another favorite answer is that it is like asking an accomplished pianist
how long it took him to learn a Scott Joplin tune. The answer might be
"few hours and 15 years of practice," and that's how it is for me, too.

-mike paulson, fort collins, co



My response depends on what I am charging for it. Seriously though, I
usually explain to them about the whole process the bowl goes through.
I explain how long roughing takes; how long the drying process takes;
the finish turning; and the finishing which I usually do when I have a
large number of bowls to do. I try to give them an approximate time of
actual work over the calendar time it takes from beginning to end.

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote:

Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it
take to turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give?
A couple of hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may
take a couple of months and some a couple of years until I get around
to finish turning. Have they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank
was brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the
extra pieces were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw
chuck was mounted. The piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning
each piece was coated with anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and
bagged for the compost pile.Tools were sharpened frequently and at one
point I remade the stop blocks for the sharpening jig because the
wheel was worn and the angles were off. So how did it take to rough
the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each? What do you enlightened folks
say?


How old was the tree?

"Mike Paulson" wrote in message
...
I give much the same spiel, but you know those people are always doing the
numbers in their head to figure your hourly wage so I always add a bit
about how I would make pretty good money if I could keep it all, but the
gallery takes half, there are show fees, equipment expense, paying my own
insurance, self-employment taxes, etc, until what's left to pay for my
time isn't a lot.

Personally, I wouldn't feel obligated to justify anything.
It's art.
There's talent involved.
How can you price that?

If someone wants to buy a piece, they'll pay what you ask.
If not, they won't.

Why price an object using time as a standard?

Just explain:

You turned it green and it took and hour or so.

It sat on your shelf for several months to dry.

Then you final turned and finished it and it took 2-3 hours.

God worked on the tree for a hundred years or so.

Raise your price and donate some to the pastor.

RonB

RonB wrote
Raise your price and donate some to the pastor.

Sounds good to me Ron, I am the pastor :-)

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

Sounds good to me Ron, I am the pastor :-)

Well there you go. A plan!!

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:aveyf.82154$AP5.10406@edtnps84...
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take
to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple
of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning.
Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted.
The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for
the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com



Don't know what to tell you but................if you use baltic birch I
have about an hours worth of grinding per bowl + 2-3 hours turning. No
waiting for drying though (that is a plus). I think I would starve trying to
sell these bowls. Remember Robert Sorby says in a catalog I have from them:
"The only way to make a small fortune woodturning, is to start out with a
large one."
Unless the person buying an item has a lathe and the skills to create what
you do..........the item should be a bargain at any price (within reason)
regardless of time spent turning it.
Good Luck Lyndell

"Lobby Dosser" wrote: How old was the tree?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ha-ha. That question is valid only if you were the one who planted it.

Seriously, though, try to put yourself in the customer's place. It's a
valid question, stemming from interest and curiosity, probably, rather than
haggling strategy. A reasonable answer would be, "It varies a lot,
depending on the bowl, and a lot of factors--could go from half a day to a
week, sometimes."

Hi Darrell,

I heard a good line about that very subject at a meeting today. My answer
would be (52 yrs)

Feel free to insert your own number here.

Best wishes,
Dave



David Peebles
Lyons, Ohio
Revolutions Woodturning
www.bowlturner.com

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:aveyf.82154$AP5.10406@edtnps84...
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take
to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple
of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning.
Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted.
The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for
the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

"Leo Lichtman" wrote:


"Lobby Dosser" wrote: How old was the tree?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ha-ha. That question is valid only if you were the one who planted
it.

Seriously, though, try to put yourself in the customer's place. It's
a valid question, stemming from interest and curiosity, probably,
rather than haggling strategy. A reasonable answer would be, "It
varies a lot, depending on the bowl, and a lot of factors--could go
from half a day to a week, sometimes."




It's also an Odd question and, it seems to me, somewhat rude. Say you
were buying a hand knit scarf, would you ask how long it took to make it?
How long did it take to make that sandwich? Etc. I might ask someone How
they did something and not be bothered if they didn't want to discuss it

"Bob Becker" wrote in message
...

Personally, I wouldn't feel obligated to justify anything.
It's art.
There's talent involved.

Lucky you.

Bjarte

I think Fred Styler - the lathe-meister has the answer in his poem:

How Long Does It Take To Turn One of Those?
Do you mean…
not plant the tree, but find the wood,
just 'see' the piece, (as if I could)?
to find a highly figured burl,
a crotch, an eye, or pearly curl?
And once I spy it, perhaps buy it,
inventory, store, and dry it?
Then saw or cut it, possibly I kiln it'
glue, imbue with fill, or drill it?
You mean, that once I'm satisfied
it's stopped the warps, checks, cracks, once dried?
And mounted on the lathe, to turn it,
(which takes much practice, just to learn it;
and then employ a gouge, or two,
or use a skew, which I don't eschew,
to mold it, shape it (what's your pleasure?)
by all means, I'm sure to measure,
then sand it smooth, please wear your mitts,
from coarse to fine, 10,000 grits,
then braze, or burnish, paint, or polish,
(the goal: enhance, and don't demolish)?
Is that your question, start to end,
how long's that path, its way to wend?
Or do you merely want to know how long it turned?
Ten minutes, or so.

John A. Styer, The Lathe-meister


On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:59:34 GMT, "Darrell Feltmate"
wrote:

Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning. Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted. The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

"Lobby Dosser" wrote in message
news:eknyf.907$MG1.668@trnddc05...
"Leo Lichtman" wrote:


"Lobby Dosser" wrote: How old was the tree?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ha-ha. That question is valid only if you were the one who planted
it.

Seriously, though, try to put yourself in the customer's place. It's
a valid question, stemming from interest and curiosity, probably,
rather than haggling strategy. A reasonable answer would be, "It
varies a lot, depending on the bowl, and a lot of factors--could go
from half a day to a week, sometimes."




It's also an Odd question and, it seems to me, somewhat rude. Say you
were buying a hand knit scarf, would you ask how long it took to make it?
How long did it take to make that sandwich? Etc. I might ask someone How
they did something and not be bothered if they didn't want to discuss it

Honor the customer. Give a straight answer. I generally give a close
estimate, followed by "but I have been doing them for twenty years." Give
them credit for something, after all, they're looking at stuff in your
booth, aren't they? Must have good taste....

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:aveyf.82154$AP5.10406@edtnps84...
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take
to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple
of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning.
Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted.
The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for
the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?

I'd say just tell them what your gut feeling is and don't bother analyzing
the whole thing. They're either looking for a measure of how much to be
impressed, or wondering if they can compete with you. Then let them go back
and try it themselves if they're a woodturner. Next time they'll be back
knowing how long it took THEM to try. Whenever I ask that question I
already know I'd starve if I had to make a living at it.

- Owen -

Darrell Feltmate wrote:
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give?

To some extent it depends on who is asking. Some people I just want to
go away and leave me alone, so a glib answer like x hours will suffice,
where x = price / modest hourly rate. It may not be accurate, but then
it's a pretty lame question. I wonder how many people walk into a car
dealership and ask the same question? One could of course counter by
asking why they want to know.

However, it is not always easy to judge a persons motive, desire to make
a purchase, or their credit card limit. More importantly you don't know
who they are going to talk to about your work, so a more educational
approach is generally called for, along lines that have already been
dicussed. But I usually start by telling them how long it took to do the
main turning, since most people can see how a block of wood could be
shaped to make the object they are looking at. Then I tell them that
that is but a small part of the story, and ask if they have a few
minutes for me to explain the whole process in more detail. That gives
them an opportunity to bail out if they aren't really interested.
Otherwise I start with where the wood comes from, how it is cut up,
dried (if appropriate), turned (ie outside, inside and bottom of a
bowl), sanded, embellised, finished and made ready to sell. All the time
I try to concentrate on the benefits they gain from me lavishing so much
time and attention on my work, like why it is important to get nice
clean finishing cuts and spending time properly sanding the work.

If they really push and want to know how many hours go into making a
something like a salad bowl, I usually reply with a guesstimate and say
that I honestly don't know, and that is pretty much the truth.


--
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

On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:59:34 GMT, "Darrell Feltmate"
wrote:

Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning. Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted. The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

I did a fairly large (for my 14" lathe) ash bowl a few weeks ago for my wife...
as I was buffing it, I was kind of adding up the time spent on cutting the
blank, rough turning it, final turning, etc... I was REALLY glad that I wasn't
making this one to sell, because I hit about 5 or 6 hours BEFORE I added the
sanding, oiling and buffing time, which was at least 2 more hours...

I'd say that the "average" bowl has to take me about 3 or 4 hours from start to
finish, and I think that I work fairly fast... (at least a lot faster than I did
a few years ago)



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On 14 Jan 2006 22:43:54 GMT, (Mike Paulson) wrote:

I give much the same spiel, but you know those people are always doing the
numbers in their head to figure your hourly wage so I always add a bit
about how I would make pretty good money if I could keep it all, but the
gallery takes half, there are show fees, equipment expense, paying my own
insurance, self-employment taxes, etc, until what's left to pay for my
time isn't a lot.

Another favorite answer is that it is like asking an accomplished pianist
how long it took him to learn a Scott Joplin tune. The answer might be
"few hours and 15 years of practice," and that's how it is for me, too.

-mike paulson, fort collins, co


Yeah.. I can relate to that....
I was kidding my chiropractor about getting "$45 a crack" one time and he told
me "You're not paying me for the time I work on you, you're paying me for the 8
years of college and the expense of running an office"..

Since my best month selling bowls so far was about $600, I figure that about a
year and a half of months like that would pay for my tools...
Now, if wood was free and I didn't charge for labor, I could do this for a
living!
Of course, that would require the tools to last forever without expensive
maintenance or replacement.. *g*


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 08:02:18 GMT, Lobby Dosser
wrote:

"Leo Lichtman" wrote:


"Lobby Dosser" wrote: How old was the tree?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ha-ha. That question is valid only if you were the one who planted
it.

Seriously, though, try to put yourself in the customer's place. It's
a valid question, stemming from interest and curiosity, probably,
rather than haggling strategy. A reasonable answer would be, "It
varies a lot, depending on the bowl, and a lot of factors--could go
from half a day to a week, sometimes."




It's also an Odd question and, it seems to me, somewhat rude. Say you
were buying a hand knit scarf, would you ask how long it took to make it?
How long did it take to make that sandwich? Etc. I might ask someone How
they did something and not be bothered if they didn't want to discuss it

I actually did ask just that question last week!

We were in Baja and went to the local swap meet and there was a lady there
selling hats woven out of plastic walmart bags.... She seemed to sell a few in
the 20 minutes that we talked to her, at $25 each...

Maybe it's because I'm hoping to make a little money down there selling wood
stuff, but one of the first things that popped out was something like "wow,
those are really different, how long does it take you to make one?"

She didn't react as if I was being rude, so I hope I wasn't... she said
something like "4 hours to a week, depending on how much I feel like making
them"...


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

I start by telling them that I core all of my bowls. A 4 bowl set from
a 14 by 6 inch blank takes about an hour and a quarter from the time I
get it on the lathe, to ready to sand time. By coring the bowls, I save
a lot of time, not so much on the first bowl, but on the cores because
80% of the shaping is already done. A 7 by 2 inch personal sized bowl
used to take me 45 minutes plus, but I have turned a lot of bowls since
then, and have gotten a lot faster, and will get faster yet, if for no
other reason, it isbecause my tecnique is getting better, and I will be
doing less sanding. The sanding and finishing seems to take as much
time as turning the bowls.
Some time in the future, I will have a photo album that will show the
process (from tree to bowl), to go along with my portfolio.
Also, I want to get a swatch book of all of the different woods that I
have worked with so all of the woodworkers who come into my booth, can
test their knowlege. After all, at least half of the people who come
into my booth are other woodworkers. Some are professional, most are "I
do some woodworking, but nothing like this" and "I am just starting".
Another question that I get asked a lot is what kind on wood do you
turn, and what is your favorite kind of wood to turn. My usual answer
is 'firewood'. Most people get this one right away.
robo hippy

Nicely Printed, Framed and Credited, this is a good addition to any Craft
Stall, Brings a smile to everyone who reads it but not necessarily a sale.

RVS
http://www.laymar-crafts.co.uk


"Paul Loseby" wrote in message
...
I think Fred Styler - the lathe-meister has the answer in his poem:

How Long Does It Take To Turn One of Those?
Do you mean.
not plant the tree, but find the wood,
just 'see' the piece, (as if I could)?
to find a highly figured burl,
a crotch, an eye, or pearly curl?
And once I spy it, perhaps buy it,
inventory, store, and dry it?
Then saw or cut it, possibly I kiln it'
glue, imbue with fill, or drill it?
You mean, that once I'm satisfied
it's stopped the warps, checks, cracks, once dried?
And mounted on the lathe, to turn it,
(which takes much practice, just to learn it;
and then employ a gouge, or two,
or use a skew, which I don't eschew,
to mold it, shape it (what's your pleasure?)
by all means, I'm sure to measure,
then sand it smooth, please wear your mitts,
from coarse to fine, 10,000 grits,
then braze, or burnish, paint, or polish,
(the goal: enhance, and don't demolish)?
Is that your question, start to end,
how long's that path, its way to wend?
Or do you merely want to know how long it turned?
Ten minutes, or so.

John A. Styer, The Lathe-meister


On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:59:34 GMT, "Darrell Feltmate"
wrote:

Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take
to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple
of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple
of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning.
Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra
pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted.
The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost
pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for
the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

On 15 Jan 2006 09:43:17 -0800, "robo hippy" wrote:

snip
Another question that I get asked a lot is what kind on wood do you
turn, and what is your favorite kind of wood to turn. My usual answer
is 'firewood'. Most people get this one right away.
robo hippy

Another response could be "usually the kind from trees" (because it's more
polite than "Here's your sign" )



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

A poster illustrating the process as you've described it would
probably go a long way toward preventing questions, and might
make people more appreciative of the value of your pieces.

Darrell Feltmate wrote:
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning. Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?
I roughed out three salad bowls from spalted birch today. Each blank was
brought inside and roughed to shape with a chain saw. All the extra pieces
were picked up and tossed in a kindling box. A screw chuck was mounted. The
piece was mounted on the lathe. After turning each piece was coated with
anchorseal. Shavings were cleaned up and bagged for the compost pile.Tools
were sharpened frequently and at one point I remade the stop blocks for the
sharpening jig because the wheel was worn and the angles were off.
So how did it take to rough the bowls? 45 minute each? An hour each?
What do you enlightened folks say?

Darrell Feltmate wrote:
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning. Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?

I'm not a turner, but isn't the price you set roughly equivalent to
your effort in making the product? So if the bowl is $200, and you
think you're worth $40/hour... I would say "It took me 5 hours to
make, but 20 years to learn how to make it".

Good question, Darrell. I have very few customers so I'm not among the
enlightened, atho my giftees almost always ask that question. I take it
as a compliment implying that such a nice object must have taken me much
time to make. Actually they are surprised at the little time it took to
turn and finish. (ok y'all, no snide remarks that it shows)

Most customers could make the same arguments re their endeavors that we
turners use re our learning period and cost of tools, supplies etc. One
or two of us may have asked questions about other's vocations/hobbies
that they considered dumb or to be laughed at.

I believe people want to know about the time taken to turn and finish an
object. They don't feel obligated to pay for our education and learning
period, nor do we for theirs. Their assessment of our skill and artistry
and of the piece itself, probably has more to do with their education
and enlightenment than ours.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

On 18 Jan 2006 11:17:55 -0800, wrote:


Darrell Feltmate wrote:
Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take to
turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give? A couple of
hours? Three or four? I turn rough and let dry so some may take a couple of
months and some a couple of years until I get around to finish turning. Have
they taken months, years, or 2-3 hours?

I'm not a turner, but isn't the price you set roughly equivalent to
your effort in making the product? So if the bowl is $200, and you
think you're worth $40/hour... I would say "It took me 5 hours to
make, but 20 years to learn how to make it".

I wish that was the case... I'd get a plasma tv for about $15... takes just a
few minutes to make, right?

I think that most people that ask how long it takes to turn a bowl are more
interested in the process or imagining them selves doing it than in using the
time it took to establish a price...
Hell, ALL my prices are negotiable... you pay my asking price or more, and you
own the piece... *g*


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:59:34 +0000, Darrell Feltmate wrote:

Now there is a question I get a lot at wood shows. "How long does it take
to turn a bowl like that?" So what kind of an answer do you give?

Darrell, I start my answer by noting that the bowl still had bark on it
when I met it. That I cut the log into bowl blanks in the woods
and lugged them out to my truck where I began the drying process by
coating the ends with a special wax emulsion. I then explain that there is
a series of mounting, turning, drying, turning and finishing that can span
several months to a year. All told, there is about a full days work
involved in each bowl.

But aint it a beaut?

Bill