• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Forgotten bowl, bad design & the 40/40

Emiliano Achaval

Administrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Messages
3,307
Likes
4,226
Location
Maui, Hawaii
Website
hawaiiankoaturner.com
I had a repeat client, a real estate agent, stopped by the shop on Sunday. I showed her a lot of rough turned bowls. I was sort of bringing down the ones that I like. I'm up on a ladder; she's videoing me and sending the videos to the President of the Hawaiian Historical Society. They are looking for a gift to the soon to retire VP. Showed her about 15 bowls, all sizes, and shapes. She then points to one on the very top shelf. One so ugly and with so much torn grain, Koa, that I have never felt like finishing it. I bring it down; I see the date, April 2013. Some nice curly and crazy grain. She tells me this one is calling her, a very "masculine" shape, her words, not mine. The other lady also says she loves it. I can't remember what I was trying to do initially, looked like a flower pot. I was able to salvage it a bit; I gave it a round bottom. Koa is nice. One reason I love the 40/40, I can cut Koa like I never could before; it is genuinely day and night compared to my Ellsworth gouge. What is ugly to us, picky turners is beautiful to others. Another returned client finished his quarantine and came to pick up his Cook pine bowl. 2 excellent sales in 2 days; I'm a happy camper. Aloha
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
2,051
Likes
352
Location
Martinsville, VA
Pics......hopefully
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,076
Likes
9,487
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
We need some pics, Emiliano.....:D

Your story reminds me of some of my bowls that sat for years on the shelf for various reasons. Some of them are just plain ugly......and intimidating! Here's one that one day, I was feeling bold, and had the nerve to finish it.....the darn thing was so gnarly looking, and had so many voids and bark inclusions, that I wasn't sure it would hold together on the lathe.....but, it did! :) To my surprise it only lasted about a week, before someone bought it. o_O

When I listed it, I thought about putting a cheap price on it, just so it would sell, but didn't.....lucky for that! ;) Just goes to show that what you don't think is as good as a few other bowls you've made.....others will think it's a treasure! :eek:

Keep on, keepin' on, Emiliano.......you are such a great turner! :D

-----odie-----

1817 cottonwood burl (18).JPG 1817 cottonwood burl (14).JPG
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,076
Likes
9,487
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Odie whatever that bowl is ugly isnt one of them, especially after you laid hands on it and said your incantations!

Thank you, Gary......:D

You should have seen that one when it was on the shelf......All I can say is, it was.....very intimidating! :eek:

-----odie-----
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,436
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
My first attempt at an ogee shape bowl, to me was exceptionally ugly. I put it up on the shelf at a local show knowing that it would never sell. Well, a long time customer, who has a store in LA walked in to pick up some bowls, and that was the first one he put in his box.... I have had others that I really liked that just sat there.....

Emeliano, I have a couple of Koa blanks that have to be 20+ years old, that I have had for 10+ years. I didn't have the 40/40 back then. I may have to attempt them now. The one I did turn was nasty, and I think I was still using the Ellsworth gouge then. I had to wet the surface several times to at least tame the tear out so I could sand it out...

robo hippy
 

Emiliano Achaval

Administrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Messages
3,307
Likes
4,226
Location
Maui, Hawaii
Website
hawaiiankoaturner.com
We need some pics, Emiliano.....:D

Your story reminds me of some of my bowls that sat for years on the shelf for various reasons. Some of them are just plain ugly......and intimidating! Here's one that one day, I was feeling bold, and had the nerve to finish it.....the darn thing was so gnarly looking, and had so many voids and bark inclusions, that I wasn't sure it would hold together on the lathe.....but, it did! :) To my surprise it only lasted about a week, before someone bought it. o_O

When I listed it, I thought about putting a cheap price on it, just so it would sell, but didn't.....lucky for that! ;) Just goes to show that what you don't think is as good as a few other bowls you've made.....others will think it's a treasure! :eek:

Keep on, keepin' on, Emiliano.......you are such a great turner! :D

-----odie-----

View attachment 34959 View attachment 34960
Thank you Odie. I enjoyed your story! I also have some bowls that I'm afraid to finish, I do not know how I rough turned them to begin with, maybe I was braver when I was younger, LOL
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,076
Likes
9,487
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
She then points to one on the very top shelf. One so ugly and with so much torn grain, Koa, that I have never felt like finishing it. I bring it down; I see the date, April 2013. Some nice curly and crazy grain. She tells me this one is calling her
Here we go, one picture.

Like Gary was with my bowl, I'm wondering what it was that made you think that Koa bowl was ugly. It's going to end up with some terrific chatoyance, and once you apply the finish, you're going to be especially happy with it! We'll need to see what it looks like, once you give it your own brand of creative instinct! :D

Sometimes, I think some of us just get too darned critical of our own work, and that's probably a good thing overall.....because it serves to keep driving us forward to discover ways we can improve! :cool:

-----odie-----

keep on turnin'.jpg
 

Randy Anderson

Beta Tester
Beta Tester
Joined
May 25, 2019
Messages
834
Likes
1,228
Location
Eads, TN
Website
www.etsy.com
I quit trying to use just my own taste as the only gauge on what folks will want. Had them buy stuff for good money that I thought was darned ugly and not want to pay for something I think is great. I put a persimmon natural edge out on the table at a market event as a joke with my partner. A 16 year old girl bought it right away. Was just about the ugliest thing I've ever turned. My wife didn't even want it in the house.
 

odie

TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
7,076
Likes
9,487
Location
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!

Emiliano Achaval

Administrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Messages
3,307
Likes
4,226
Location
Maui, Hawaii
Website
hawaiiankoaturner.com
That "Dust Bee Gone" never worked that well for filtering dust......for me, anyway.......but, you might be wearing it for the Covid-19......?

-----odie-----
Correct, I use my 3M Versaflow most of the time. When clients come I wear the mask...
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,436
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
The dust be gone mask works for chunks, but I could still smell the wood, which means it isn't getting the fine particles. That was the main reason for designing that 55 gallon drum dust hood. I never could smell the wood when sanding when using it, and my 3 hp dust collector. Nothing seals around a beard, which is why the positive pressure dust mask set ups work so well, and even I can't fog up mine. My lung capacity is double normal, and yes, I know all the 'full of hot air' jokes...

robo hippy
 
Back
Top