Winesses to failure
 

Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks

More proficient you get, the more you figure you can get away with, so count
on your collection growing.

One of the joys of heating with wood. Firewood it was to have been,
firewood it becomes....

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most
enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in
the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves.

Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can
only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 16:31:27 -0500, "Kevin"
wrote:

Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks

yep, I have my "rouges gallery".. reminds me of what NOT to try
again.. but you only fail if you give up..
I don't know if this is true, but I've read that when they asked
Edison how he managed to continue with his light bulb idea after over
1,000 failures, he said "I never failed, but I did find over 1,000
ways that it didn't work"

I added one to the collection a few nights ago... turning some walnut
the a neighbor had cut down, planning on a jar..
I guess I didn't cut enough off the end to get rid of the cracks, and
after most of the basic shape and hollowing were done, I noticed that
cracks were appearing on the faceplate end... tried to modify the
shape to avoid the new crack and cut the outside just a little too
close... it's sitting on the shelf now, with about a 3/4" hole in the
bottom..lol

"Kevin" wrote in message ...
Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks


I've been turning for almost 70 years. I wouldn't have room in my shop
for all of the bummers.

"Kevin" wrote in message

Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most
enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in
the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I
learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on
the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can
only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks


Firewood. Initially I kept a few of the disasters which took soooo long to
turn, but ultimately they, too, found their way into the tinder box. It has
become somewhat of a ritual to gently place a turning mistake on top of
glowing embers and watch it reach kindling temp and flame into oblivion.

That and the fact that my wife will burn them if I don't.

Max

Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop?

I have what would have been a *beautiful* bowl made of gum-vein eucalyptus
above my lathe. It was literally done, ready to be finished. I thought "I
want to take just one more light pass over the surface to smooth it up." I
ever-so-gently just *touched* the bowl, and foom - pieces flew all over. I
gathered them up, and fitted them together. I have no idea how I got the
bowl to a 3/16" wall thickness to begin with, about half of the bowl's
material was supported by nothing more than three tiny slivers because of
the voids!

steve

Kevin,

I agree with (and do) all that has been said with a couple of
additions. When I get one that I don't like I usually do 1 of 2
things. I might keep turning to see how far I can push it (technique
development & finding limits) or I cut it in half through the center
to get a complete look at the way the wall thickness runs
(evaluation).

I make prototypes from pine & scraps before I use expensive exotics on
a new style that I'm developing. I want to be sure how it's going to
look and feel. I usually end up doing 3-5, each with a slightly
different shape. I usually keep those and use them in my shop to hold
parts, scraps of sandpaper, small tools, etc. Beside being useful,
the prototypes provide a convienent set of measurements and something
to compare to when I'm making something similar for a customer.

Larry

Hi Kevin.

I looked it up. In the dictionary asymptotic lies between asylum and
asynergy. They sure fit my shop and my turning style. Even a silicon
carbide '30 grit gouge' can't save my work from my 'waving skew' and my
'one last cut'.

Failures are not art and I've given up my lame attempts to make them so.
Oh well, I have my failures to keep me warm.

BTW, Sympathy lies between s..t and syphilis, so expect no compassion.
:)


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



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

Kevin, Have you ever wondered why so many wood shops (turning & otherwise)
have wood stoves. For heat in Winter, you say? Well yeah, that too.

Let's just say I have some of the nicest firewood around. And my wife
thinks I hardly ever mess up a piece of wood. Heck, I just get rid of the
evidence!

Barry

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most
enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in
the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I
learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on
the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can
only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks

Some of my failures I have found relatives or friends that like them anyways
so they end up going to them. Some end up as firewood and some I keep for
storage of this and that.
:)
"Kevin" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most
enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in
the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I
learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on
the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can
only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks

Hi Kevin,
I keep failures in my shop but for a different reason. I use them as
practice pieces for woodburning, carving and coloring. Even after their
second life they usually stay for quite a while.
Tony Manella
ndd1"at"prolog.net (remove "at")
http://home.ptd.net/~ndd1/
Lehigh Valley Woodturners
http://www.lehighvalleywoodturners.com/

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most
enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in
the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I
learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on
the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can
only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks

On Mon, 6 Dec 2004 08:03:51 -0500, "Steven Raphael"
wrote:

Some of my failures I have found relatives or friends that like them anyways
so they end up going to them. Some end up as firewood and some I keep for
storage of this and that.
:)

good point!
As we all know, mistakes on our stuff are glow in the dark and
flashing neon to us, but not that noticeable to non-turners...

I was going to reject a box last night because I couldn't get a groove
out of the bottom of a wall without smaller chisels (another story)
but my wife said that it looked like it was "supposed to be there"
like a trim line or something...
she loved it.. wish I would of known that before I spent all that time
trying to get rid of the damn line!

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most
enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in
the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I
learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on
the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can
only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks

I have kept a hollow vessel, out of beautiful lace redwood burl, that a hole
magically appeared upon parting it after having finished hollowing and
turning. Someday, I keep saying that, I will somehow laminate a foot to it,
add a collar, and salvage this beautiful piece of burl. That was 5 years
ago, I guess it will probably never get done, however; it is a good reminder
to be more careful in the hollowing process.......Ralph

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I've been turning now for a bit over a year and it has been a most
enjoyable
passtime. Last night I started to clean up the shop a bit and and as in
the
past when cleaning up, decided to hang on to the failed turnings on my
shelves. I really should call them errors rather then failures as I
learned
a bit from each of them. There are the ones where the wood was a bit on
the
punky side and the tennon tore loose; the ones where bark inclusions
magically appeared and decided on their own that I didn't want the bowl to
be as high as I'd planned, not too mention the ones I've just set aside as
the end grain just proved too darn stubborn to just go away.
Does anyone else keep reminders of this sort around their shop? I can
only
hope that the distribution of the number of the bowls when plotted across
time will show a marked bias to the early days and then taper off
assymptotically as time and turning goes on.
Thanks