Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

There are many reasons why we pursue woodturning so avidly. Some of the
best reasons don't apply to me and my reasons may not be typical. I
don't turn for money to support myself nor my hobby. I am satisfied not
to be in demand for demos, or gallery showings. I haven't had a book
published. I enjoy the camaraderie and give & take of this ng, but admit
that I like its anonymity, options to (or not to) socialize, and the
diversity, comfort and convenience of the internet. Surely it's my age,
but I seldom drive long distances thru heavy traffic to enjoy thirty
minutes of talking woodturning and suffer ninety minutes of 'business',
shushing murmurs and Robert's rules of order. I've held office in
several other organizations, and believe that "I've paid my dues". I am
no longer interested in 'going thru the chairs'. Actually, I didn't
_pay_ any dues. Some will protest, but leadership is much more a
satisfaction than an effort. Lots of us turn wood to relax from a trying
working life, but some make their turning efforts more competitive than
their jobs. Many of us who have suffered bruised egos on retirement from
'important' jobs need the oh's & ah's that a turned piece brings. Our
work may be mediocre, but not in our own neighborhood. We go to trouble
to make angular pieces on the perfect machine for making circular
objects. We twist & turn to get the best grain then paint over it. We
skew and buff only to punch holes. We smooth and caress the wood then we
inflict torture with special tools that rupture the surface. We go to
pains to conserve scaley bark. We deplore the tool holders, cross slides
and leadscrews that so restrict our metalworking friends. and then we
rapture about the joy and freedom of sliding hand held tools along a
tool rest. We see no anachronism in using jigs, lasers, copy aids,
lamination software, hollowing systems, gates and so on. Sort of like
another addicting yet strange endeavor; golf, where the lowest score
wins and after finding a ball that we hit into the bushes, we hit it
again into sand or even water. Then there are the everloving rules,
rules, and more rules.

Sorry. I sure jumped off the track. I started out wondering why we love
to turn wood and ended up with inane prattle. I don't mind if it
aggravates somebody, but I hope it isn't divisive.;) Anyway, why did
_you decide to take up woodturning, and why do you think our craft so
endures as a satisfying and sharing hobby, even for our full time
professionals? Arch

Fortiter,

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

I do it for instant gratification. With a table or cabinet, what begins with
great enthusiasm and proceeds with care always ends up a week or weeks later
with an "I'll be d*mned if I'm going to put another minute in this thing"
attitude.

While the furnace cement was curing this morning I took a scrap of cherry
and a chunk of birch firewood and whipped out another Christmas ornament.
While it has probably another five minutes of shellac rubbing left in it,
there's no doubt that it's hollowed enough to be light, and curly enough to
shimmer on someone's tree for years to come.

Now to get the filthy fire door with the new gasket mounted back on the
furnace so we can have heat tonight. Don't really want to put another
d*mned minute into the annual clean/oil/adjust on that thing.

"Arch" wrote in message
...
There are many reasons why we pursue woodturning so avidly. Some of the
best reasons don't apply to me and my reasons may not be typical.

Anyway, why did
_you decide to take up woodturning, and why do you think our craft so
endures as a satisfying and sharing hobby, even for our full time
professionals? Arch

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

Arch wrote:
Anyway, why did
_you decide to take up woodturning, and why do you think our craft so
endures as a satisfying and sharing hobby, even for our full time
professionals? Arch

I got sucked in. About a dozen years ago i whacked my back (l4-5) and
was trying to find something that would stop the "discomfort". After
the operation (didn't work) I tried chiro (did help) but wanted
something to help between expensive treatments. I got one of the back
rollers, for WAY too much money, but it didn't fit properly. I picked
up a HF lathe for not much more than the roller and figured out how to
make a roller that fits a specific person rather than
one-size-fits-all. After I'd given rollers to all the nurses, family
and friends I still had a lathe, and the desire to do faceplate rather
than spindle work. TaDa.
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net

Very long musing about why we turn wood, or why I turned to turning
 

Why did I turn to turning wood? For years I have made square things.
Cabinets, armoires, dressing tables etc... I have literally built every
piece of furniture in my house, except for the sofa and that big soft
discolored lump of material that is called "my chair". I've even went so
far as to replace the TV cabinet because it wasn't "real" wood.

So why did I turn to turning? I already had the addiction, I already had
all the "requests" from family and friends I could handle, so why did I turn
to turning?

It's simple. I turned to turning because all of the things I built had
something in common that irritated me. Everything was very predictable with
its square or 45 degree corners. No matter how you embellish it, a desk is
simply a square thing to sit at. I yearned for diversity, a different
challenge I guess.

Oh yeah, it also let me buy a whole bunch of new tools, that's probably a
big a reason as any!

Bruce
"Arch" wrote in message
...
There are many reasons why we pursue woodturning so avidly. Some of the
best reasons don't apply to me and my reasons may not be typical. I
don't turn for money to support myself nor my hobby. I am satisfied not
to be in demand for demos, or gallery showings. I haven't had a book
published. I enjoy the camaraderie and give & take of this ng, but admit
that I like its anonymity, options to (or not to) socialize, and the
diversity, comfort and convenience of the internet. Surely it's my age,
but I seldom drive long distances thru heavy traffic to enjoy thirty
minutes of talking woodturning and suffer ninety minutes of 'business',
shushing murmurs and Robert's rules of order. I've held office in
several other organizations, and believe that "I've paid my dues". I am
no longer interested in 'going thru the chairs'. Actually, I didn't
_pay_ any dues. Some will protest, but leadership is much more a
satisfaction than an effort. Lots of us turn wood to relax from a trying
working life, but some make their turning efforts more competitive than
their jobs. Many of us who have suffered bruised egos on retirement from
'important' jobs need the oh's & ah's that a turned piece brings. Our
work may be mediocre, but not in our own neighborhood. We go to trouble
to make angular pieces on the perfect machine for making circular
objects. We twist & turn to get the best grain then paint over it. We
skew and buff only to punch holes. We smooth and caress the wood then we
inflict torture with special tools that rupture the surface. We go to
pains to conserve scaley bark. We deplore the tool holders, cross slides
and leadscrews that so restrict our metalworking friends. and then we
rapture about the joy and freedom of sliding hand held tools along a
tool rest. We see no anachronism in using jigs, lasers, copy aids,
lamination software, hollowing systems, gates and so on. Sort of like
another addicting yet strange endeavor; golf, where the lowest score
wins and after finding a ball that we hit into the bushes, we hit it
again into sand or even water. Then there are the everloving rules,
rules, and more rules.

Sorry. I sure jumped off the track. I started out wondering why we love
to turn wood and ended up with inane prattle. I don't mind if it
aggravates somebody, but I hope it isn't divisive.;) Anyway, why did
_you decide to take up woodturning, and why do you think our craft so
endures as a satisfying and sharing hobby, even for our full time
professionals? Arch

Fortiter,

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

Arch wrote:

"Anyway, why did you decide to take up woodturning,..."

About 10 years ago, my wife and kids came to an impass as to what to buy the
"old man" for Christmas. I had everything for my extra-curricular
endeavors-fishing and golf, so they decided on woodworking tools. I had done
some relatively small projects over 25 years, but was pretty much clueless.
They went to Woodworkers Warehouse and bought a bandsaw, dove tail jig, Boss
sander and a Delta lathe - the inexpensive model. I had never SEEN a lathe
before, but I knew a guy, who knew a guy, who knew a guy! That guy showed me
how to turn a simpple baseball bat. I was smart enought to know that I knew
just enough to kill (or seriously maim) myself, so I have since taken about 15
courses at Wodcraft Supply and Homestead Woodworking School in New Hampshire. I
am now able to work at one of my three (!) lathes with confidence that the only
damage I will do is to the piece of wood that I am attacking. I have turned
the entire spectrum of projects, but prefer turning bowls. All projects are
either given as gifts of, to the wife's dismay, kept in our home. (What the
hell, she created the monster!!)
I really enjoy the (up to now) relatively small amounts of time spent at the
lathe and I call them my AA (attitude adjustment) meetings! The idea of
instant gratification is paramount to me compared to other forms of
woodworking. I'm very fortunate to be able to go to New Brunswick, Canada, 3
b-4 times a uear to fish for atlantic salmon and return home with a Tahoe full
of birch and/or maple burls. Doesn't get mch better.
Now, at this stage of my life, I expect to be able to spend more time at the
lathe(s) and get more proficient and produce more volume.
After 10 years, if I never turned another piece of wood, it's been a great
run!!

Jay Sweeney in New Hampshire

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 04:06:07 GMT, Ecnerwal
wrote:

(Arch) wrote:
aggravates somebody, but I hope it isn't divisive.;) Anyway, why did
_you decide to take up woodturning, and why do you think our craft so
endures as a satisfying and sharing hobby, even for our full time
professionals? Arch

Opportunity - in 1976 or so my grandfather moved, and his Shopsmith
moved from his house to our house, since it was a bit much for his new
apartment.

Sheer magic - the enduring wonder of making something smooth and
symmetric from any old hunk of firewood (or a more intentional blank).
The grain patterns that come out. The "neato" factor.


I'ver been in lawn Maintenance for 15 years and rarely do I get a
"gee, everything looks great, sure am glad we hired you". Most of the
time it's "the weeds are too many, or shrubs need trimming or I just
got a quote for half etc...." I turn one thing on the 3520a and
everyone can't stop oohing and ahhing...music to my ears. Why do I
turn? I feel great doing things that make people feel good...

moyo

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

Reading all these responses is like reading poetry. Woodturning is good
BECAUSE IT'S THERE!!

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

Ron Robinson sniped:
Woodturning is the sports section of wood working. Flat work is what gives
woodworking its name. Turning should be called Woodplaying.

And you're wasting your time on RCW why? Aw hell, DFTT.
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

Woodturning is the sports section of wood working. Flat work is what gives
woodworking its name. Turning should be called Woodplaying.

Ron Robinson
East Texas

Very long musing about why we turn wood
 

I agree with Ron.

You, on the other hand, need more sleep.

wrote in message ...
Ron Robinson sniped:
Woodturning is the sports section of wood working. Flat work is what
gives
woodworking its name. Turning should be called Woodplaying.

And you're wasting your time on RCW why? Aw hell, DFTT.
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net