After 39 years of turning, I haven't had one minute of instruction. All my early learning was from a few books (one in particular was a very old turning book)..........along with some of the first professional VHS videos that were available. Unfortunately, that old book, which I think was printed in the 1930s or 1940s, was lost in a move to my current home in 1996....along with some of the other turning books, some miscellaneous tools, and all the early VHS videos I had. I have no idea what happened to them.
I'll have to admit that way back then, I did want some professional instruction, but circumstances didn't allow it.
"Odie, would you change anything"?
Not on your life!
"Why?"
Because now I've learned to do a few things that, to my knowledge, nobody else is doing. (It's not about
what I do.....but
how I do it!)
"That's a pretty bold statement there, odie."
Yes, I know.
"So, tell us about what you've learned, that nobody else knows."
I've tried to explain this once before, and I don't think very many people can understand it, and some people even think I'm nuts!......It's called
"spiritual turning". It's something that can't be adequately explained, and apparently the concept can only be understood by
experiencing it for oneself......and, after experiencing it, then you have to recognize what it is you just experienced.....
with acute awareness.....only then, can you build upon that knowledge base. It is definitely a "spiritual" connection between mind, body, tools, the spinning wood, and your lathe.....it was the most significant "Ah-Ha" moment I've ever had!
"What does "spiritual turning" accomplish that is different?"
Basically, it's the ability to turn difficult bone-dry seasoned dense hardwoods, along with everything else, without the need for any power sanding at all. The only sanding needed is some very fine hand sanding as a follow-up to the tooled surface. Yes, it is possible to turn these very difficult woods,
and eliminate any tear-out, whatsoever. This gives you the ability to lathe turn multiple finely executed details.....and have them look right. They look right, specifically because there was no aggressive power sanding to achieve it.....and,
aggressive power sanding destroys perfect geometry (which is a key element to why spiritual turning is such an important thing to attune yourself to).
"Oh, I see.......................................or................................maybe not!"
-----odie-----