What I have learned this year

Ditto!

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Mike,

I think I have to agree with just about everything you've written....and my fashion attire will surely be a testimony! Great post....thoroughly enjoyed it!

Jennifer

Re: What I have learned this year

Roger Wilder

>Mike, where you from in MD, I'm in southern near Waldorf

Re: What I have learned on WC

Chank South Jersey

>AS a group the people on WC are some of the nices people I have meet.They accept each other openly and with out limits. No question is thought to be stupid and everyone wants to help. They also know how to say please and thank you.

THANK YOU ALL

Re: What I have learned this year

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Roger, I'm about 12 miles south of the PA line/Shrewsbury heading down 83 South. Hunt Valley area.

Re: What I have learned on WC

David Galloway

>Mike, Thanks for your thoughtful post. It was helpful for me to review.

This year, I got serious by seeking out some world-class turners and sitting at their feet. My primary club, GAW, did an excellent job of bringing the best of the breed to come for some hands on demos. That was mostly due to the work of our program chair, Jim Sibley, who is one of the best human beings on the planet.

Taking advantage of the proximity of John C. Campbell Folk School allowed me to bump up against some of the masters of our craft. That is due to Doug Barnes who is unselfish in his willingness to share.

Also, I put my time in at Nickie's Clubhouse, which is a euphemism for Nick Cook's shop. Nick's friendship and willingness to share his turning wisdom is awesome. I am a lucky turner.

And finally, I learned that I really hate to sand. I mean REALLY. I would long for a day when I could hire someone like Mahoney does. But I also learned how critical the finishing is, which is a weakness that I plan on working on.

Thanks to Ellis and WC for all the good stuff I have learned here, notably Big Russ!

David Galloway

Re: What I have learned this year

Brad Adams

>Great post Mike! I'll only add one thing (which I learned from watching Wally. I now use 10 times the amount of sandpaper and spend 1/10th the amount of time sanding. My finishes have never looked better.

Thanks Wally.

Near Wldorf

Darryl Hansen

>Roger where ?? I live in Solomons. There are three of four turniers near here...Darryl

Re: What I have learned this year

Darryl Hansen

>Mike surprised you didn't mention safety. Reading about "things" one shouldn"t do has helped me considerably 'cause I'm not the safest person in a shop.

Re: What I have learned this year

Glenn Hodges

>I have learned to throw away that sandpaper that is not sharp, and yep, my sanding time is a lot less. I have also started using the skew as a scraper, it gets the bowl so smooth, and also cuts down on the dreaded sanding time. Thanks to Dave, I have started using his alcohol drying method. I seem to learn something every time I check in here on Wood Central. I just don't post much. Thanks for all the help.

Nashville, Ga.

Re: What I have learned this year

RonZ

>I'm very greatful to have such a site to visit like this. I probably learned more here in the last year than what would have normally taken 10 years on my own.

Use sandpaper and steel wool like toilet paper, only once and throw it away.

Don't give up on a piece. It's usually the ones your going to give up on that end up with the best results.

If you turn for a living, always take the time to turn a one off for yourself.

I need to have my tools sharp and fast, that's why I don't own a Tormek. Or at least I'll keep telling myself that until I can afford one. =o)

I preffer to buy anything related to wood or woodturning before I put out money for my family. Just ask my wife who's down town this very minute filing for divorce.

My goal is to produce better work in less time.

Turners are special people. Although there have been those that have tried my patience.

sorry to hear that

Mike Schwing from Md.

>I'm sure you're going through a tough time and while its hard to imagine anything positive, here's hoping there is some.

Re: St. Leonard

Charlie Anderson in Southern Maryland

>Calvert Beach to be more exact.

Robert Cox lives in this area also.

Re: What I have learned this year

Carole in VA

>Clothes? What are clothes? Do my 4 pairs of jeans, 4 sweatshirts, 5 t-shirts, a WC shirt and WC cap qualify? Hope so, cause that's all I have. :)

I could not begin to list all I have learned this year. This has been my first year of woodworking and my first month of turning. If I had to pick just one thing that I have learned as most important (excluding safety stuff) it would be the importance of sharp tools. The difference between using a sharp tool, be it a plane, a gouge, a scraper, a chisel or whatever, is the difference between night and day. I guess I can't really say this is not a safety issue either, because I have learned that a dull tool is a dangerous tool!

I also have to give all you fine folks at WC credit for a lot of what I have learned. Thanks guys and gals, and thank you, Ellis, for making it possible!

Re: What I have learned this year

Duane C.Leach

>I learned a lot this year. And last year too. And the year before that. My problem isn't learning new stuff, it's remembering what I learned.

Duane

a few more...

steve antonucci

>burning bad work is not a bad thing to do...

I'd rather had something exploded while trying than produce another average product...

just because you won a VB36 on eBay doesn't mean your going to get it...

if wood looks like it going to be nothing but problems, burn it don't turn it (you will anyway)...

power-sanding works...

And of course, 5 minute spheres (I have a bowl full, Dom :-)

Happy New Year.

Steve

Re: What I have learned this year

David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA

>Great summary of some of the same stuff I've been learning Mike.

Couple of things that have been very helpful to me:

Light. And no, not just lots of it, just plenty of incadescent light, in the right place. I bought several floor lamps with goosneck heads, and it's been awhile since I've bought anything that helpful to my turning.

Along the same lines: placing the light so that it cast itself around the curve of the bowl, inside or out, has totally changed my turning. An incandescent buld throwing light around a curve will show up every imperfection in the curve - very helpfull, cause I can't take out the bumps and ridges if I can't seem them.

The sandpaper thing can't be reiteratted enough. An overcautious, clean, very picky approach to sanding is much more desirable than a hap-hazard one.

My turning style is also one that has been, and continues to be under much metamorphosis (sp?). Watching the video Live In Pasedena, with Mike Mahoney and Stuart Batty has really helped me in understanding the bowl gouge and how it is used - I now much favor Stuart's approach, and am trying to emulate it as much as possible.

Thanks for the post Mike.

David Hammond

My Dad & Me, Inc.

Re: What I have learned this year

Spence in Rhode Island

>Have to come out of my cave(Shop) for this one. What have I learned? So much stuff that I'm not even sure where to begin. Sanding, finishing, tool use and tool making, selling, photographing,and thats just scratching the surface. But I can say this. Just about everything that I have learned this past year has come from this board and the people here that share so freely of their knowledge and experiense. Way too many people to list so the best that I can do is say a big Thank You to everyone. One of my main New Years resolutions is to start participating more here. Hope to be posting pictures of my work soon.

Thanks again

Spence

Re: What I have learned this year

Carol Reed, Strawberry, AZ

>Perhaps I learned a dangerous thing - at least to my wallet.

I learned that I wanted to learn how to turn.

I am working on it.

Re: sorry to hear that

RonZ

>My apologies or as they say in the venacualr, my bad!

I think you're reffering to my wife divorcing me, it was said in jest! I do thank you for your concern!

Thank God my wife is supportive in what I do! My woodturning business has taken up a large enclosed porch and three rooms of our apartment. I don't know too many women that would let their husband get away with that.

On one site we use TIC = toungue in cheek, I apologize again.

Good things . . .

Fred in NC

>I have learned that:

There are good people out there.

A lot of them are woodturners or woodworkers.

They are very willing to help and share knowledge.

Quite a few of them are regulars here.

I am learning a lot from their postings in this Woodcentral forum ! THANK YOU !!!

Re: What I have learned this year

Bob Hackett

>I learned to slow down,alot,and not by choice.There is a silver lining here though.

I`ve had 3 surgeries this year in an effort to correct work related nerve and tendon damage in my arm and shoulder.Before these injuries became a problem I was always looking for the quickest way to do something(I`ll blame it on my manufacturing background).

Now I think about what the best and most efficient way to do something might be as I only have a limited time each day to work before the pain takes over.

I`ve found that;

1-Sharper tools are far more important than high HP.

2-Because I`ve slowed down I wear my respirator and faceshield out of habit habit now.I even made a hanger to place them ON the lathe.You can also get safety glasses that have a predetermined focal length(the distance from your eye to the spindle)and these work FAR better than bifocals for turning,like reading glasses for the lathe.

3-When your time is limited,you plan more and the work is better for it.

4-Chasing things like small vibrations and making things rock solid and stable pays off in the end.

5-I am far more safety minded now as any over exertion or small slip can put me out of the shop for days.If in doubt I turn the lathe off and run thru the cut using hand power first.

6-there is no such thing as too much light

I also learned to teach more effectively.I`m involved in a woodturning program at a local art center and we just got done teaching a run of introductory courses.

I learned that you need to do whatever it takes to get the students to relax and have fun if you want them to come back.My approach seems to work because I am now incapable of turning with more than what others consider a moderate grip at best.

I also learned that other WWers are more than willing to learn from my injuries and are happy to hear about the research and info I have in regards to the warning signs I ignored and the ways they can turn thier early injuries around.

I know at least 3 who have gone to better safety equipment and more ergonomic tools,all it took was a look at the scars to convince them.This is perhaps the best part of the silver lining,helping to keep others healthy and working.

Mainely,Bob

Re: What I have learned this year

Ron in Drums PA

>Excellent Post Mike.

You couldn't have said it any better.

Thanks You Everyone. I learned allot this year because of this board.

I like to add a quote from Bob Rosand "I sharpen my tools not because they are dull but because they can be sharper"

another sucker

Shawn - in ID

>Guess I'm a sucker too. I went straight to my wife and told her your terrible story. I thought about you all evening and felt horrible for you. And I don't even know you! I'm very glad to hear that things are good with your family.

Re: What I have learned this year

Mike Schwing from Md.

>I'd like to add one more that I've learned.

"If you think your tool might need sharpening, it did some time ago."