I am partly a "tinker" woodturner. Down through the years I have turned
many wooden objects that were incorporated into devices. Many of these
devices were thought up to improve or make my woodturning easier or less
expensive. Others were parts of inventions that never made me rich and
famous, but thinking about them and trying to make prototypes did keep
me off the streets. Anyway, some worked, most didn't and none changed
the woodturning world as we know it.


Along the way I did turn some wooden objects that represented a unique
turning as itself, not as an integral part or subassembly or a pattern
for a device. Something with the inherent characteristics of a turned
wood object such as the timber, the beauty or the utility, as
represented by my attempts at art or craft. Most often this was some
kind of vessel, but I have ventured a short distance into free forms
from time to time.


As with my inventions, neither my turned wood art or craft has provided
a living, but together they have sustained a happy re-creative hobby for
a lifetime. That in itself is priceless. The journey has been terrific
not only in my shops, but also in observing the evolution of woodturning
as it came of age and so many of my friends grew with it.


Maybe one or two of my turnings were pretty useful and maybe a couple
were suggestive of fine art, at least in the eye of a few biased
beholders ...and that for me is what turning wood is all about.


What does it mean for you?


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


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

Woodworking - specifially solid wood furniture making for the most part
- was a nice transition from The Daily Grind Of A Job - to early
retirement. Still got to use the analytical, attention to details,
mathematical engineering knowledge and skills I'd trained in - and used
during my "career".

But it was the lathe that turned on the mostly dormant Other Half of my
brain (I never can remember which side of the brain is the analytical,
judgemental half and which is the intuitive, creative, playful half ) -
the half that loses track of time, prefers "I wonder if . . ." over "I
probably can't do that - so I won't even try", that's open to all sorts
of ideas and comes up with Wild Hare Ideas for a turning - and gets the
rest of the body to actually go for it and make some of them a reality.

Once the analytical, methodical half of the brain had worked out what
does what, and how - along with hours and hours and hours and hours of
practice - I had developed enough Muscle Memory to "see" something - and
turn it - without a whole lot of conscious thought, my brain's Other
Half was activated. The more turnings I did, the more ideas popped into
my head - and my body willingly made some of them a reality - or tried
to.

I believe that if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing at any
given time, it's fun, interesting and, most of the time, fairly easy -
and satisfying - and just feels right. The hard part is paying
attention - and recognizing when you're NOT doing what you're supposed
to be doing - and stopping.

For me, for now at least, I'm playing with wood - mainly turning it. I
got a tatoo of the Kanji pictograph for WOOD on my forearm to remind me
IT'S THE WOOD - STUPID!.

With turning I've found an outlet for the "creativity" that's been
waiting patiently for it's time to play. So far it sure has been fun -
and interesting.

So many Wild Hare Ideas - and the time to pursue them.

Fun this turning thing.

"Arch" wrote in message
...

I am partly a "tinker" woodturner. Down through the years I have turned
many wooden objects that were incorporated into devices. Many of these
devices were thought up to improve or make my woodturning easier or less
expensive. Others were parts of inventions that never made me rich and
famous, but thinking about them and trying to make prototypes did keep
me off the streets. Anyway, some worked, most didn't and none changed
the woodturning world as we know it.


Along the way I did turn some wooden objects that represented a unique
turning as itself, not as an integral part or subassembly or a pattern
for a device. Something with the inherent characteristics of a turned
wood object such as the timber, the beauty or the utility, as
represented by my attempts at art or craft. Most often this was some
kind of vessel, but I have ventured a short distance into free forms
from time to time.


As with my inventions, neither my turned wood art or craft has provided
a living, but together they have sustained a happy re-creative hobby for
a lifetime. That in itself is priceless. The journey has been terrific
not only in my shops, but also in observing the evolution of woodturning
as it came of age and so many of my friends grew with it.


Maybe one or two of my turnings were pretty useful and maybe a couple
were suggestive of fine art, at least in the eye of a few biased
beholders ...and that for me is what turning wood is all about.


What does it mean for you?

One of only two activities requiring hand/eye coordination that came
'natural' to me. Mounted a blank, picked up a roughing gouge and started
turning. No instruction. The other was shooting side arms. My shooting is a
whole lot better than my turning, but the turning came much later in life.

"charlieb" wrote in message
...
Woodworking - specifially solid wood furniture making for the most part
- was a nice transition from The Daily Grind Of A Job - to early
retirement. Still got to use the analytical, attention to details,
mathematical engineering knowledge and skills I'd trained in - and used
during my "career".

But it was the lathe that turned on the mostly dormant Other Half of my
brain (I never can remember which side of the brain is the analytical,
judgemental half and which is the intuitive, creative, playful half ) -
the half that loses track of time, prefers "I wonder if . . ." over "I

For me it's the half that tends to be asleep when it's needed ... )

Woodturning has brought so much negative into my life:
I was happy (or so I believed) thinking about carrer and
opportunities. Now its practically over - Im looking forward to
retirement and Im 20 years away! Secretly envious at those that wake,
have a nice breafast and stoll over to the ir shop.
Expenses have gone drastically up as a result of upgrading my lathe
(just recently to a Jet 16" 2HP), looking for an additional chuck,
salivating over various tools and kits, mail ordering new sand paper
types, pen blanks, finihes and carbide inserts.
My wife is considering throwing me out into the garden as a result of
my obsession for collecting wood. Every fallen limb, every far away
noise of a chain saw, every tip from a firend about an arborist n
action. I keep bringing them home, long after the need has
dissapeared. "The need months to dry" I keep telling her, "so its
better to stock up in advance".
I dont regret any of it.