Do you worry about breakage of work

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

Dick Coers

I don't worry about it. If the customer is ever dissatisfied, by what they feel is a design flaw on my part, they get their money back. I don't depend on this income, so I would likely feel differently if we were buying groceries with that money. I lost one ornament to a broken finial at a show this year, so it does happen. I think about all that glass work I saw at SOFA. That would be a whole different story. But at the prices of some of that fragile work, the owner should have an insurance rider for damage to art work.

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

John Stegall

One broken mirror...glass only that I know about. The glue gave way.

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

Jerry Maske

I don't do this for a living either, but your point is well taken. I'm also a glass artist, and for ten years, I DID do glass work for a living. I can only remember one piece breaking and it was because someone knocked it off the kitchen counter. Clearly a fracture break but I made a new one as a courtesy.

My perspective is this. I'm learning the turning crafts to do things I want to do. I'll make pieces for me! Some of my family will see them as gifts, but mostly, I do what pleases me. If someone sees them and likes them, well, everything is for sale. But I'm going to craft something I'm happy with. And if it's fragile, I'll handle it accordingly.

If you're doing shows, that's a different story. I used to take a Tiffany reproduction lamp to shows but kept it protected. At five grand, I wasn't willing to take the chance. People would see it and come over to admire it. Down on the table were things that didn't cost that much. Never had any of that broken or stolen but I'd never done any of it with the idea of "Breakage" in mind.

Guess I'll continue making stuff I'm happy with. I like it when I go to a club meeting with something that took a lot of work and get admiring glances. That won't happen if I back off in the quality.

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

Dale Jablonski

I care and do make concessions, leaving bowls a little thicker. Most of the things I turn are purchased as functional works by my customers. That's my market. If I turned bowls super thin I could see them breaking the first time they were dropped. Then the purchaser would be upset with me for making something so fragile and I am not desirous of keeping a large cash supply at hand to simply give their money back.

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

Ric Taylor

I haven't had anything broken ... yet. Many of my pieces are taller shapes that can easily get knocked over, "tippy". I get nervous about those pieces when they are in galleries or exhibitions, especially if they are placed on a pedestal. It is very easy for someone to bump into one of those, and I have seen many people completely ignore "Please Do Not Touch" signs. I have found that a bit of museum wax will hold those pieces securely in place.

Use clear silicone caulking for your mirror glass

john lucas

I had failures early on using other glues but have not had a single failure with Clear Silicone Caulking. IN fact in a couple that had broken glass I had to dig out all the fragments it stuck so well. ONe was a relatives mirror that was almost 20 years old.

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

john lucas

Ric I did a show once locally at a restaurant that wanted to display my work. Many were boxes and I put them on wall shelves with museum wax on the bottom to keep them from falling off (there was a train near by). It also had signs saying please do not touch. I would come in every few days to find pieces rotated and the lids not on properly. Clearly do not touch means someone else, not the person viewing the work.

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

john lucas

One of the reasons I ask is that much of my work is sold to tourists and I never see them again. I worry about things not holding up and getting a bad reputation that I never know about. At one time i put little fold up cards with my work that had my name and contact info along with wood species, and special instructions if needed. Both galleries removed the cards so I quit including them.

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

John K Jordan

I turn for fun so I avoid most of the pressure. I usually don't sell or try to sell things but when I do it is direct so I tell them there is a "no questions asked" money-back or replacement policy. Never had a return. I figure if it was fun to make once it would be fun to make again!

I have had three things broken at turning club meetings, by woodturners and I'm concerned about damage to fragile things. Basswood and ERC can be damaged with a thumbnail, a wand snapped in half accidentally, and one sea urchin shell ornament was crushed between fingers.

I learned to carry fragile things around to show-and-tell rather than pass them around. Other small things I usually pass around in a shallow plastic container, usually several in the same container - less chance of getting dropped.

When I took the bowl with the carved tendril handles and feet I put a little sign on the table: "You break it, you bought it. Price on back." No one touched it!

Don't know how I'd handle consignment.

JKJ

Re: Do you worry about breakage of work

Guy Bratt

Ever think of bringing a stick into show and tell and snap it?