Finials/yes or no

Re: Finials/yes or no

keith zimmerman, Normal IL

>I am fortunate to own one of Cindy's finial boxes and she is a master of the finial. So graceful.

I think a finial should definitely flow into the form of a box and care should be taken to ensure this. To me, if it doesn't flow, it looks stuck on and out of place. It then becomes a distraction rather than a decoration

I have yet to have one work out for me, but I keep trying. Someday, I will succeed.

Re: Finials/yes or no

Eduardo Sarmiento Hall-Lima Peru

>Usaually I dont put them on the vessels just trow them in when they sell as bonus it sure makes peaple happy,same with bases

Re: Finials/yes or no

RonZ

>Well, first off your consumer would have to want finials. Then if you can't do them right, don't make them. Finials probably sell better in places like the UK that has a long history of woodworking. I'm curious as to how many C.D. has sold and to whom.

I could see a funeral urn that will sit on a mantle with a thin delicate long finial and a functional vessel with a medium size finial.

The funny thing is is that Oxford defines finial as an ornamental top, i.e. look but don't touch. Ho functional is a trembleur box? =o)

Re: Finials/yes or no

Verne

>While I am not a "professional turner", I do have an extensive background in fine art and design. In my opinion, finials have to add to, or augment the fundamental design of the piece in order to justify their inclusion. So often, finials have that "stuck on" look, or are out of place with the lines of the basic piece. It's really sad to see the clean lines of a well done piece "botched up" with a garish finial. On the other hand, there are classicly styled pieces that almost call out for a finial. As for the public, I think it comes down to whether sales, or design is your ultimate turning criteria. When I was making my living as a fine artist, I was told that there was a buyer for anything and everything I did . . . and so I worked to please myself. Unfortunately, that particular buyer often lived thousands of miles from where I was showing . . .

Re: Finials/yes or no

Michael Stadulis, in Gloucester County, NJ

>John,

I'm not an accomplishd turner but I have a trained eye for design and I see so many very well done boxes and vessels that in my opinion are devalued by the addition of a finial whose proportions just don't compliment the vessel on which it's placed. Understated is always better IMO.

my 2 cents.......

-Mike

Re: Finials/yes or no

Wally Dickerman in Az.

>I've turned and sold a number of vessels with finials. Some lidded and some not. I've done a few where the finial didn't work for that piece and I've discarded it. It took me a while to realize that many of my finials were too large. I re-did several. It must be slim and even delicate.

Wally

Re: Finials/yes or no

keith tompkins

>Good post, John. I like finials, I like to turn them.

I think the reason finials don't "sell" is because most of them are frankly not well done, from conception to the execution. One reason is that most of us are bowl turners, and have given little thought to what makes a good finial. A good finial takes a great deal of skill, lots of eye-hand coordination, and lots of practice.

To me, a finial is the epitome of spindle turning; balance, proportion, and a sense of delicacy are critical to the success of a finial. Beads and coves......they have endured for thousands of years for a reason: if well done, they are a joy to behold. I see lots of finials with "V" notches as decorations, very seldom with well-turned bead and cove details.

My suggestion is to turn a small spindle or finial each time you turn. You will gain proficieny very quickly,so when you NEED to make a finial, you can consistantly produce great results.

Re: Finials/yes or no

John Lucas

>Vern

Apparently my buyers live thousands of miles away and can't find me. That's funny.

Re: Finials/yes or no

John Lucas

>Good thought kieth. I toured Washington DC afew years ago and spent more time in the old hotel lobbies looking at furniture and making sketches than in the museums. One thing I noticed on all really nice finials and turned spindles was the inclusion of what I'll call shadow lines. It's harpd to describe but basically its some sort of sharp detail such as a flat step between a bead and a cove or between an ogee and a flat area. This little bitty detail helps emphasize the shape of the 2 designs next to it.

Re: Finials/yes or no

John Trant (Baltimore/WashDC)

>Like everyone else has said, too often the finials I see are horrible. Even here, I have seen posts by very good WC turners that have made me shake my head in disbelief. A turned finial is an art piece in and of itself but it should not appear so. I must blend in with the theme of the vessel (its lines, its artistic function). If you put the wrong finial on a vessel, every one will instantly know it (although the turner may be the last to catch on). Personally, I think a finial adds to the piece only if it is done right. Of course, this can be said about any aspect of turning or off-lathe decorations.

My last point I want to make is that a finial is not defined to be any particular size or shape. A short knob to a long, spiraling needle are all finials. And each type have their place.

John

Re: Finials/yes or no

F. Drybread

>I like finials. I think they add to the piece. When I turn lidded boxes I try to put a finial on it. Some turn out good, some don't. I also think that if you put a finial on anything it should be as delicate looking as possible and make the piece look completed. I haven't had a whole lot of luck selling anything so I can't comment on which sell the best. I just think that most boxes look incomplete without some sort of finial. Just my opinion. It ultimately rests with the eye of the beholder.

good spindles

tek-Brunswick, Ohio

>Those little flat "Shadow Lines" as you call them are called fillets. I agree that they make a spindle turning look better.Mike Darlow in his DVD "The Practice of Woodturning" talks about their use and significance. It's a 7 Hr DVD it contains a wealth of information. It is a little slow going in spots, and parts of it were filmed before our modern scroll chucks were available. But, good turning techniques and design don't lose value.

Re: good spindles

John Lucas

>I love Mike Darlow's books but I fall asleep when watching even the best turning video's. I don't know what it is about the sound on those things. I could get some really good naps out of a 7 hour DVD.

naps

tek-Brunswick, Ohio

>At least with a DVD you can pick which part you fall asleep to. LOL I usually try to watch the whole DVD the first time through. I usually watch a chapter or two. Then do something else and come back to it later. After the first viewing, I just go to the parts I'm trying to pick up a particular technique from. I haven't watched a Turning video yet that I didn't learn something from. I'll watch tapes on the VCR also but it's much harder to repeat sections or jump to a certain place in the video.