Helpful Philosophy *LINK*

Re: Helpful Philosophy

mjonesrdg

Sabi is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs.

Age, as with rust on a cast iron hand pumP, browned copper, mold stain on wood, is a key element. Authenticity also plays....as such, we cannot make something truly wabi-sabi. That is, you cannot make a new something that is authenticly an old something.

Re: Helpful Philosophy

john lucas

Wayne I know your probably joking. Heck I'll just leave the chainsaw marks in mine. Oops Tod Hoyer already did that.

I personally don't think tearout fits in that description of imperfect. There are always ways to get rid of tearout. First of course is sharp tools, let them cut don't push them through the cut. cut downhill with the grain if at all possible. Shear scrape with a round nose scraper on the inside. Tearout goes a lot deeper than you think which is why you should try to get it with cutting tools as best you can. It's usually not as deep as when you use scraping tools.

Sand at slow speeds or simply turn the lathe off and sand just that torn area. Use a cabinet scraper on just that area. they sell round as well as flat cabinet scrapers. John K Jordan posted a link to Stewart-McDonald catalog for a set of 3 really small heavy duty scrapers that I intend to order one of these days. Once you get rid of the tearout sand or scrape around that area to sort of disguise the crater.

Put thin CA on 220 grit sandpaper and sand/fill the torn area. I've had fantastic success with this, especially when there are just a few scattered tearout holes here and there. Add just tiny amount of thin CA to some 22o grit paper and then sand over the area creating a sort of CA slur that fills the joint. sometimes it's helpful to sand to fill the hole, then put a little thin over that and let it soak in for a few seconds and then use the ca on sandpaper. It's easy to get run off streaks from thin CA so sometimes I'll put a layer of thinned lacquer over the piece before using the CA slurry.

Although I agree with WABI SABI I still think you should seek perfection. That being said I don't think I've ever done a piece that when looking at it weeks later wish I had done this or that to change it.

Re: Helpful Philosophy

George Balock

I agree John. We should seek perfection, but in the end, it is unattainable. I do like your tip on the CA glue and sanding though.

Re: Helpful Philosophy

Jim K from Trappe, PA

"I seek not to know the answers, but only to understand the questions"

- Kwai Chang Caine

Re: Helpful Philosophy

Wayne Kuhn

Tear out is just an example. I always seek perfection and land very close.

I think I sort of skid toward a perfection landing