Numbers are important in woodturning, no doubt about it. Exs.: accurate
and repeatable grinding angles, heights of finials and depths of feet,
rules of thirds, and carets of the golden rule. No less necessary to
determine accurately are composition of finishings, length, width and
depth of flutes, percentage of cobalt, on and on. That said with an
abundance of caution, agreed with and disclaimed:


As I see it, woodturning for pleasure is mostly an intuitive endeavor.
Many of us in our working lives deal with numbers used in measuring
something, whether in sales, computers, carpentry, machining, teaching
or preaching. The freedom to turn a blank without weighing it or marking
it off or knowing its exact rpm or worrying about a classical form, not
to mention concern about a superior's opinion is a satisfying change of
pace; truly recreational without adding another problem away from work.


There is a world of difference beween a bit held rigidly in a cross
slide driven precisely by a longitudinal screw and a gouge held in a
hand and freely squeezed and waved around, in and out, up and down along
a tool rest. Likewise there's a difference in information programmed
into a CNC and the free association of mind to gouge. Who said
proprioception? Laser guides, copying devices, form tools or a felt
need to sell our work are each a bit iffy, but since they don't detract
from our satisfaction too much, they are allowed.

As I said, precise and accurate measurements are important, but I
suggested that's not always so. BTW, exactly what percentage of one
standard deviation of you guys agree with me? Come on now, 0.001% can't
be right.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


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

"Arch" wrote in message
...
There is a world of difference beween a bit held rigidly in a cross
slide driven precisely by a longitudinal screw and a gouge held in a
hand and freely squeezed and waved around, in and out, up and down along
a tool rest.

My eldest called Sunday in the second quarter. He was setting up his new
planer, and asked what kind of magnetic dial indicator gage I had. He's a
great woodworker, but he's also an engineer, so I reminded him that touch
gages as in the manual were what I had been using on that planer's
great-grandfather for as long as he could remember. "Because you can
measure it is no reason to feel obliged to report in .001 units. The rule
you're using, likely as not, is calibrated in .0625."

Bit of silence, then the reply. "Guess I can use the block setup method
after all, eh?"

"If you're curious you can use the dial, or even feeler gages to find out
how far you need to tweak the microadjusters."

"There are no microadjusters." Silence. " I get your point."

Second half featured a call as to why there were only three wires on the
motor.

Steel City planer, and he says the fit and finish, while rougher than on the
old Rockwell Invicta, were better than the Powermatic he was looking at.

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:19:56 -0400, (Arch) wrote:

I guess it depends on which end you use, Arch...

I DO use a micrometer when doing pens, but other than that I enjoy the creative
side of turning and tolerate the measurement/structured side..

I'm on the first of 3 goblets commissioned by a friend and hating it... I love
turning goblets, but want them to be whatever size/shape/style that appeals to
me at the time..
The idea of trying to make 3 identical wine glasses out of cocobolo 4x4's is NOT
fun or creative, just kind of stressful.. He knows that the only guarantee I
made was that they'd be the same height and wood, but he's really hoping that
they'll look like a "set"..
I should have known better.. I never take commission work and would rather give
things to friends than do business with them...


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

In addition to Mac's point, consider segmented turning -with-out- an
accurate measurement. I also use one for lace bobbins

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Good points and counterpoints, George, Mac and Ralph. I'll use the lame
old poor excuse. Pens and Segments are "The exceptions that prove the
rule". Actually, I do use my micrometers and I can work to a ten
thousandth.... of a yard!


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


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

On Oct 26, 11:14 am, (Arch) wrote:

Pens and Segments are "The exceptions that prove the
rule".

That's the only time I have ever used them. I bought them so I could
custom fit the barrels of the pens to the pieces in the kits. The
bushings get the barrels close, but the work can be done to near
perfection with a piece of sandpaper fitting down to that last tiny,
little bit around the trim rings on some of the larger pens.

Robert

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:01:34 -0700, "
wrote:

On Oct 26, 11:14 am, (Arch) wrote:

Pens and Segments are "The exceptions that prove the
rule".

That's the only time I have ever used them. I bought them so I could
custom fit the barrels of the pens to the pieces in the kits. The
bushings get the barrels close, but the work can be done to near
perfection with a piece of sandpaper fitting down to that last tiny,
little bit around the trim rings on some of the larger pens.

Robert

Me too... and I think that I bought mine after you suggested it in a reply to
one of my pen questions a couple of years ago..

Bushings are close enough for a $2 kit and cheap wood, but when your doing a
more expensive kit and using exotic wood, close isn't enough and I was turning
out too many pens that went in the "gift" box because I didn't feel that they
were up to selling standards..

OTOH, I do use calipers often, especially to see if my "by eye" balance between
bowl and stem of goblets, etc. is ok..

I use to use them for measuring tenons for the chucks, until I used someone's
suggestion here and made "go-no go" templates..



mac

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