I know of very few woodturners who make all of their livelihoods from just their turning production. Most supplement their income with teaching, tool and equipment sales, demonstrating and instructional media sales.
For a period in the 1970s I made my living part time from my craft, but decided with a small family to raise and the capacity to ern much more from my other work that earning a fulltime living from my craft wasn't a viable option for me , so my craft stopped being an occupation and became more of a preoccupation that didn't have to support me and my family.
As it subsequently worked out my preoccupation became self funding, generating more income than it has ever cost me, but never enough surplus to raise a family on. Fortunately my income generating occupations have always been interesting, albeit demanding timewise in the latter part of my career when I was in more senior positions. However, the balance between occupation and preoccupation worked out well for me. Financially I didn't have to turn but did so whenever I could because I enjoy doing that.
Fortunately for me almost everything I take to the gallery has sold, eventually. My wife sees the money coming into our bank each month from the gallery so there has never been any issues with me just buying whatever piece of equipment that I fancy for the workshop.
Since retiring from my primary income occupations some decades ago I have received invitations to have work in exhibitions and also to undertake commissions. There is some satisfaction in receiving such invitations, but not always in undertaking them, so eventually I stopped accepting those and nowadays I just go into the workshop and do whatever takes my fancy. And, anything that I make that I'm satisfied with goes to the gallery and will be sold. Luck me!
