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? Your method for form scrutiny?

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? Your method for form scrutiny?

#1

? Your method for form scrutiny?

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>Mine is evolving, of course, as my skills do, too.

I was struck this morning by the profile of a piece (the "collar or finial post below) when I put it up on a shelf against a white background. That form that looked so pleasing when photographed has an extremely obvious fat spot in it on the bottom curve.

It got me thinking about how to improve my forms while they're still on the lathe, and me wonder how you all addressed the same issue.

I do frequently remove the work from the lathe, still in the chuck, and examine it closely for form, tooling, defects, etc. before final shearing cuts and sanding, and before hollowing. I did the same on this one, too but I missed the flaw in the profile. I think my background wasn't plain enough, or didn't provide enough of a contrast against which to judge the form.

I used to just critique it against the wall behind the lathe, while still going round and round. I think this is helpful because my eye can't focus on the grain, eliminating it from my evaluation, but it needs more than that. I'm continually amazed at how what looks great on the lathe does not when removed.

The other thing I do / have done is photograph it with the chuck attached and submit it to a web forum for critique and design help. This is IMMENSELY helpful and I would definitely urge folks to do this.

I'm sure some of you guys have been doing this for so long your eyes can see the form properly on the lathe. Mine can't. Please share your ideas and practices. Thanks!

Re: ? Your method for form scrutiny?

#2

you can feel it when you can't see it.?

TDaniel

>

Re: ? Your method for form scrutiny?

#3

Re: ? Your method for form scrutiny?

Whit

>Mike,

I agree with looking at the piece spinning on the lathe. When I do this I prop up a piece of white posterboard behind it and look at it from across the shop (about 15 feet away). One other thing to try is, while still on the chuck, look at it rightside up and upside down while blocking out the chuck with a piece of paper, or something. Does it look equally good both ways? This has helped me spot fat/flat spots and judge overall form.

Whit

Re: ? Your method for form scrutiny?

#4

Re: ? Your method for form scrutiny?

Dinyar Chavda

>Hi Mike:

I find that I can usually see how obvious a "defect" is after someone has pointed it out to me! :-)

So, I often ask my wife to come look at the piece. There are 2 additional advantages to this---she has a better, more critical eye than I do. And, she is NOT a turner, which, with all due respect to my fellow-turners, makes her opinion much more important than that expressed by almost anyuone on this board---no offence intended, but the buying audience is different from us. Having said that, I do not always listen to what she says (I can see all the women reading this going, "Men---they never listen!"), because she does have her biases, and I take them into account.

Dinyar

Re: ? Your method for form scrutiny?

#5

I`ll second that,the hand is quicker than the eye

Bob Hackett

>I`ve found that running your hand over the form while spinning will detect deviations far better than your eye will,especially after a long day of turning.Just watch out for sharp edges, voids,natural edges,etc.

Someone once told me that an educated eye can tell a deviation as small as 1/32 in 24",your hand can tell if it`s a few thousands off.

Why do you thing autobody techs use thier hands to feel for the small stuff.

If you do look to evaluate,bright raking lite helps.

Mainely,Bob

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