If you make ply and face framed cabinets, or solid wood furniture, you
find that there’s always more than one way to skin a cat, be it the
tools to make a piece, the methods of sharpening and using those tools,
or the joinery to hold things together. But the cat skinning methods
are finite - often limited to two or three alternatives. OK - maybe
five alternatives - max. And with the exception of the “rustic
furniture” makers, you play with dry wood, 6 12% moisture content, be it
ply or solid wood, “prep’d four square” to begin with. There are parts
to keep track of so there are a couple of parts marking
conventions/methods. The How You Make It is pretty well tied down. The
What You Make is up to you.

With that as a reference, turning seems to be the realm of anarchists,
and it seems it has more ways to skin a cat than there are cats. One
“expert” says “Work only with dry timber/timbre.”. Another expert says
“Only turn green wood.” Still another professes “If it’s wood - turn
it!” Then there’s the myriad of gouges, chisels and scrapers - skews,
bedans, spindle, bowl, rouging, parting and the hybrids - skewgie? And
when you get to grind profiles - well everyone seems to have a different
opinion about how a specific gouge or chisel should be ground and at
what angle(s). When you get to actually removing wood with one of these
turning tools it’s more anarachy - work towards the tail stock, except
for the last few inches on the headstock end - No, ALWAYS work towards
the headstock end, except the last inch or so on the tailstock end.
Work from the center out! No! Work from the outside towards the
center! There’s the Handle Really Low, Handle Low, Forget The Handle
Height You Just Want To Shave/Pare/Cut/Scrape Wood. Always start with a
roughing gouge! Screw that! Use a skew for everything.

You want variations? Just take a simple turning tool - my favorite -
the skew. There’s the rectangular cross section, the oval cross
section, the tear drop cross section and the rectangular cross section
with the corners eased/rounded. And the cutting edge - straight, curved
or straight near the long point and curving more as you get closer to
the heel. With bench chisels and plane irons it’s simple - parallel
sides, square end, flat back - and a bevel (some like to add a “micro
bevel”), hollow ground or not. With bench chisels, you don’t need a
book, or better yet, a video to learn to use them.

There’s a phrase that describes tools and machines as either having low
or high “congative friction”. The more obvious the relationship
between the tool/machine and its use, and the product of its use,the
less cognative its friction. The less obvious the tool/relationship
between the tool/machine and its use, and the product of its use, the
more cognative its friction.

Take making a dovetail joint for example. With a handsaw, a chisel or
two, a mallet and a pencil or marking knife, the use of the tools is
obvious - layout where to cut/chop, cut close to the line and chisel
out in between. Now like at the various dovetail jigs - 30 pages of
instructions, a special router bit, a router - with or without special
guides, the set up of the jig itself and two boards - one oriented
horizontally and one vertically. Follow the 30 pages of instructions
and you may or may not end up with what you thought you’d end up with.
One method has low cognative friction - but requires a bit of practice
to learn the skills required. The other has high cognative friction ,
requires less skill and, once set up, lets you crank out dovetails “like
a machine”.

Most turning tools have high cognative friction - their use and effect
are often not obvious. Got a “bowl gouge”? Looking at one, it’s not
obvious how to use it. Did it come with a DVD? No? Well are you just
going to poke it in some spinning wood to see what happens or are you
going to buy some books, do a web search on “Bowl AND Gouge AND How AND
To AND Use”? Perhaps a trip to WoodCraft / Rockler / Highland Hardware
on Lathe Turning Demonstration Day? Join a club? Take private lessons?

“Riding the bevel” seems to be a universal goal, but what about a hollow
ground bevel. Do “facets” in a bevel really make much difference? What
about a slightly curved ”bevel”? Do you ride the entire bevel - or just
the last 1/16th of an inch?

Want to hold a piece of wood so you can turn it? Well there’s a hundred
ways to do that, some EXPENSIVE and some DIY. Tool rests? Pick one of
the dozen types available - or make one?

How do you know when you’re finished with a piece? Well that’s up to
you since just about anything turned can be called “finished”. If it
warps and deforms later - It’s Natural! If a bowl or “hollow form” has
holes in it - no problem - “Negative Space” - “Organic” - a “Feature” -
“That’s Character!” Don’t like, or can’t get a nice finish on a piece?
Texture it! Patina It! Char It! Hell, you can just paint it - and
draw “horse hair” lines on it - with a felt tip pen.

Got a big slab of wood? Get it rotating and shove a big sharp curved
tool up to it. Oh, by the way - wear a face shield! You might also
want to don your chest protector - and maybe a cup! If you still don’t
feel safe well there’s always body armor. Cut/scrape/pare away what
doesn’t look like something you like and keep it up ‘til what you see
looks “done”.

Don’t have a big enough piece of wood around? Why not glue a bunch of
scraps together and turn the results. Better yet, spend hours or days
planning a “segmented piece” then hours or days making the segments, to
a precision several steps above what’s required for cabinet or furniture
making.

Turning is the woodworking realm of anarchists - no rules or
conventions, no bounds as to what is a nice turned piece. Symetry? OK
if you want it, but not necessary, though easier to obtain. Opinions?
Everyone one has one - what’s yours?

Other than not having the entire piece, or a piece of the entire piece,
fly off the lathe and not cutting yourself with any sharp tools, turning
is the Wild Wild West of woodworking - and a lot of fun.

charlie b wrote:

the only true definition of wood turning I've ever read!
Anarchist...... I like it.:-)
You forgot the million what ifs that are required when wielding the
chainsaw to harvest the log that you put in the lathe that you turn to
a toothpick and start all over again! :-)

"charlie b" wrote in message
...
If you make ply and face framed cabinets, or solid wood furniture, you
find that there's always more than one way to skin a cat, be it the
tools to make a piece, the methods of sharpening and using those tools,
or the joinery to hold things together. But the cat skinning methods
are finite - often limited to two or three alternatives. OK - maybe
five alternatives - max. And with the exception of the "rustic
furniture" makers, you play with dry wood, 6 12% moisture content, be it
ply or solid wood, "prep'd four square" to begin with. There are parts
to keep track of so there are a couple of parts marking
conventions/methods. The How You Make It is pretty well tied down. The
What You Make is up to you.

With that as a reference, turning seems to be the realm of anarchists,
and it seems it has more ways to skin a cat than there are cats. One
"expert" says "Work only with dry timber/timbre.". Another expert says
"Only turn green wood." Still another professes "If it's wood - turn
it!" Then there's the myriad of gouges, chisels and scrapers - skews,
bedans, spindle, bowl, rouging, parting and the hybrids - skewgie? And
when you get to grind profiles - well everyone seems to have a different
opinion about how a specific gouge or chisel should be ground and at
what angle(s). When you get to actually removing wood with one of these
turning tools it's more anarachy - work towards the tail stock, except
for the last few inches on the headstock end - No, ALWAYS work towards
the headstock end, except the last inch or so on the tailstock end.
Work from the center out! No! Work from the outside towards the
center!

There is only one real rule as to the direction in which to work and that is
RESPECT THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD and work with it not against it.

There's the Handle Really Low, Handle Low, Forget The Handle
Height You Just Want To Shave/Pare/Cut/Scrape Wood. Always start with a
roughing gouge! Screw that! Use a skew for everything.

AS FOR THIS Use the bevel and work at a height which is comfortable for YOU
as long as the CUTTING EDGD AND BEVIL form a tangent with the work surface
(AND THIS IS IMPORTANT) it does not matter if it is at 6 O'Clock 12 O'Clock
or anywhere inbetween in either directions AS LONG AS YOU are comfortable
AND THE TOOL is properly supported.

Think about this the surface is round and turning on its axis so a TANGENT
is a TANGENT no matter where.


You want variations? Just take a simple turning tool - my favorite -
the skew. There's the rectangular cross section, the oval cross
section, the tear drop cross section and the rectangular cross section
with the corners eased/rounded. And the cutting edge - straight, curved
or straight near the long point and curving more as you get closer to
the heel. With bench chisels and plane irons it's simple - parallel
sides, square end, flat back - and a bevel (some like to add a "micro
bevel"), hollow ground or not. With bench chisels, you don't need a
book, or better yet, a video to learn to use them.

Any tool is a cutting edge and no matter which tool at its point of contact
and thus the active part of the tool it is the same no matter what shape so
again where I may be comfortable roughing dowm with an axe that is fine for
me but if you are only comfortable roughing down with a roughing gouge that
is the right tool for you. For a person who turns for a living time is of
the essence so they do not waste time changing tools so they rough down with
the skew, but we all have one thing in common we use the cutting edge and as
I said the cutting edge where it comes in contact is the same no matter
which too we use with the possible exception of "scrapers" which even in the
flat world have their onw existance.



There's a phrase that describes tools and machines as either having low
or high "congative friction". The more obvious the relationship
between the tool/machine and its use, and the product of its use,the
less cognative its friction. The less obvious the tool/relationship
between the tool/machine and its use, and the product of its use, the
more cognative its friction.

Take making a dovetail joint for example. With a handsaw, a chisel or
two, a mallet and a pencil or marking knife, the use of the tools is
obvious - layout where to cut/chop, cut close to the line and chisel
out in between. Now like at the various dovetail jigs - 30 pages of
instructions, a special router bit, a router - with or without special
guides, the set up of the jig itself and two boards - one oriented
horizontally and one vertically. Follow the 30 pages of instructions
and you may or may not end up with what you thought you'd end up with.
One method has low cognative friction - but requires a bit of practice
to learn the skills required. The other has high cognative friction ,
requires less skill and, once set up, lets you crank out dovetails "like
a machine".

Most turning tools have high cognative friction - their use and effect
are often not obvious. Got a "bowl gouge"? Looking at one, it's not
obvious how to use it.

No real difference to a Skew " Rub the Bevel"


Did it come with a DVD? No? Well are you just
going to poke it in some spinning wood to see what happens or are you
going to buy some books, do a web search on "Bowl AND Gouge AND How AND
To AND Use"? Perhaps a trip to WoodCraft / Rockler / Highland Hardware
on Lathe Turning Demonstration Day? Join a club? Take private lessons?

"Riding the bevel" seems to be a universal goal, but what about a hollow
ground bevel. Do "facets" in a bevel really make much difference? What
about a slightly curved "bevel"? Do you ride the entire bevel - or just
the last 1/16th of an inch?

Want to hold a piece of wood so you can turn it? Well there's a hundred
ways to do that, some EXPENSIVE and some DIY. Tool rests? Pick one of
the dozen types available - or make one?

How do you know when you're finished with a piece? Well that's up to
you since just about anything turned can be called "finished". If it
warps and deforms later - It's Natural! If a bowl or "hollow form" has
holes in it - no problem - "Negative Space" - "Organic" - a "Feature" -
"That's Character!" Don't like, or can't get a nice finish on a piece?
Texture it! Patina It! Char It! Hell, you can just paint it - and
draw "horse hair" lines on it - with a felt tip pen.

Got a big slab of wood? Get it rotating and shove a big sharp curved
tool up to it. Oh, by the way - wear a face shield! You might also
want to don your chest protector - and maybe a cup! If you still don't
feel safe well there's always body armor. Cut/scrape/pare away what
doesn't look like something you like and keep it up 'til what you see
looks "done".

Don't have a big enough piece of wood around? Why not glue a bunch of
scraps together and turn the results. Better yet, spend hours or days
planning a "segmented piece" then hours or days making the segments, to
a precision several steps above what's required for cabinet or furniture
making.

If it is real ANARCHY what is with this thing called PLANNING



Turning is the woodworking realm of anarchists - no rules or
conventions, no bounds as to what is a nice turned piece. Symetry? OK
if you want it, but not necessary, though easier to obtain. Opinions?
Everyone one has one - what's yours?

There are definite designe rules as to what looks good (and blanced) to the
human eye and while you may not be aware of them turners of all kinds (and
that includes potters) have been using them for centuries if you don't
believe me look up the golden rules then check all your old turnings both
those you like and those you have rejected and I think you will find that
the ones you liked follow the rules some what and the rejected ones do not.


Other than not having the entire piece, or a piece of the entire piece,
fly off the lathe and not cutting yourself with any sharp tools, turning
is the Wild Wild West of woodworking - and a lot of fun.

"Not for publication" wrote in message
...

There is only one real rule as to the direction in which to work and that
is
RESPECT THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD and work with it not against it.


I love it. "Cut the wood as it wishes to be cut." Beat it to death at your
own risk.

Add support the tool as close as possible.

These two, not to ruffle Darrell with a paraphrase, are the laws, regardless
the prophets.

"George" wrote in message
. ..

"Not for publication" wrote in message
...

There is only one real rule as to the direction in which to work and that
is
RESPECT THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD and work with it not against it.


I love it. "Cut the wood as it wishes to be cut." Beat it to death at
your own risk.

Add support the tool as close as possible.

These two, not to ruffle Darrell with a paraphrase, are the laws,
regardless the prophets.
So now we have LAWS so Anarchy is out as by definition Anarchy has no laws
rules or any other planning! :-))

"Not for publication" wrote in message
...

"George" wrote in message
. ..

"Not for publication" wrote in message
...

There is only one real rule as to the direction in which to work and
that is
RESPECT THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD and work with it not against it.


I love it. "Cut the wood as it wishes to be cut." Beat it to death at
your own risk.

Add support the tool as close as possible.

These two, not to ruffle Darrell with a paraphrase, are the laws,
regardless the prophets.
So now we have LAWS so Anarchy is out as by definition Anarchy has no laws
rules or any other planning! :-))

Those who watched Roy on the national feed this Saturday expounding on the
David Pye book and demonstrating certain basic truths, like turning tools as
self-jigging will recognize that natural law(s) will trump wishful effort
every time.

Think you will admit that the true Anarchist is an idiot who fails to
understand that s/he is not the master of all things, nor can ever be.
After all, they will have to deal with others who will attempt to master
them as well.

Charlie B, hope you don't mind but I would like to put that in our next
newsletter. It's priceless.

Pat Salter wrote:

Charlie B, hope you don't mind but I would like to put that in our next
newsletter. It's priceless.

Go ahead on. And if it causes folks discussing any of the subjects
I ragged on - mo' bettah.

charlie b