I know that many of you are teachers as am I. "Teach in order to learn" is my gospel as a teacher. We're never done learning, eh? My 'grail quest" as I called it last summer was to learn the perfect curve, and how to make smoother, more intentional cuts using the classic techniques, but always gradually advancing. I try to refine a developing design element or try a new technique every time I step in my shop. For example, I have been playing around with spirit stains, india ink and other surface embellishments, but suddenly, just today-I want to burn a bowl. I have seen some stunning work in this area, and I'm a pyro anyway. Experimentation involves (carefully controlled, ideally) risk.
Anyway, I had the poor timing to take up turning literally during the covid shutdown, and mostly learned from bad a basic Woodcraft turning class, bad YouTube videos (and some awesome ones, like any from Kent from turnawoodbowl.com!). I learned a lot on that Laguna 12/16, mostly from trial and error. Along the way, I became obsessed (like I do with every hobby, basically), upgraded to "The Beast" (my PM 3520C whose ways I keep obsessively waxed with my dwindling can of Johnson Paste Wax-I am thinking of starting a cult haha), and I also became a wood hoarder (sort of like one of those cat ladies, but with wood lol). Thanks, Mom for starting me down this path and seeing it to the end, but really the beginning (she knows even though she is gone, but that's a story for another day). I am really trying to steer all of this being turning being my retirement gig that supplements my pension and 401k's so I can continue buying more turning stuff. Now I want a OneWay coring setup and probably a vacum chuck-it never ends!
I am also learning that "learning wood" in every sense of the phrase will be a lifetime's fascinating work. Every turn teaches me something important, like the 12'-inch maple square platter on the chuck right now that is literally trying to fly apart on me. I am trying to save it with colored epoxy, Minwax Wood Hardener and some creative cussing even as it shrinks and dries. Ebay seller advertised it as ambrosia, but it is mostly unstable branch piths that go all the way through; oh, the vagaries of wood. That lesson only cost maybe $5 worth of epoxy and some cleanup to learn. But still, love the focus and discipline required by larger squares; lazer sharpness, presentation and good bevel support are the only way to prevent the chips that ruin your flats. And then I'll have to turn in very fat and clunky to dry before finishing with razor-sharp scrapers.
Anyway, I have lately read a lot on the many ways trees "communicate" with each other. The longer I live, the more I think animals and plants are smarter than most people I know-as a linguistics nerd, I am transfixed at anything about animal
(and increasingly, plant) cognition, communication-call it what you will. And I have made some amazing friends in this hobby. I've been in more hobbies than we have time for here today, but turners are the best people, seriously (although my straight razor friends were very solid, too).
As I was telling one of my mentors, there are dozens if not hundreds of little ancillary skills you have to learn at the same time you're learning to turn, sharpening probably being the most important. Second is probably sawing stock. I am slowly learning the bandsaw that I did some dangerous stuff on before I just paused, watched some videos and learned to do good pm's on my Rikon 14 and keep good blades well-adjusted and in good shape That said, the more I see and can manipulate my grinds to match the ways I'm turning the more my forms show it, and consciously but not at the same time think of turning as sculpting with bevel support, the better and more mature, more intentional, my work gets.
Anyway, this summer's "grail quest" is fine tool control and classic form and execution, so I have booked the week at Arrowmont in June with Matt Monaco. I took his skew class at our CMW Turning Learning Center, and his tool control at the lathe is just spell-binding, and he makes it seem so effortless to get finishes off a skew ground to 46 on a ceramic wheel that are more glass-smooth than I can even get with sandpaper! He had to end up making it mostly an introductory skew class (I've never heard so many terrifying catches!), but I still took many phone videos that I still study some times even now-it was just a revelation, really. So that will be a turning bucket list class for me!
This will be my 1st time at Arrowmont. The turning shop looks like Disney World for turners, and I love trying other lathes in classes (Robusts, Jets, OneWays, etc.). I still haven't turned on a VicMark or Stubby, though hopefully I will get a chance. I also hope I can bring my (growing) tool-bag with my favorite tools, honing box and personal gear if I can get it all labeled permanently-my gut tells me I don't need to worry about theft on that campus. I really want to leave this one with my shoulders aching, mind blown, and ready to spend the rest of my life continuing to refine techniques I learned from it, just like I did last year. (Plus my awesome classmates from David's class @steveforrest, @Kalia Kliban and Pete (last name? from Texas) really made it even better. In fact, I just spent the last couple of weeks talking Steve through a move and set-up of the 75th Anniversary PM3520C that he got an awesome deal on on this forum. I might have been more excited than he was!
Anyway, too much of my rambling this evening. What are your turning and learning goals? Please share if you're a mind. Aaron
Anyway, I had the poor timing to take up turning literally during the covid shutdown, and mostly learned from bad a basic Woodcraft turning class, bad YouTube videos (and some awesome ones, like any from Kent from turnawoodbowl.com!). I learned a lot on that Laguna 12/16, mostly from trial and error. Along the way, I became obsessed (like I do with every hobby, basically), upgraded to "The Beast" (my PM 3520C whose ways I keep obsessively waxed with my dwindling can of Johnson Paste Wax-I am thinking of starting a cult haha), and I also became a wood hoarder (sort of like one of those cat ladies, but with wood lol). Thanks, Mom for starting me down this path and seeing it to the end, but really the beginning (she knows even though she is gone, but that's a story for another day). I am really trying to steer all of this being turning being my retirement gig that supplements my pension and 401k's so I can continue buying more turning stuff. Now I want a OneWay coring setup and probably a vacum chuck-it never ends!
I am also learning that "learning wood" in every sense of the phrase will be a lifetime's fascinating work. Every turn teaches me something important, like the 12'-inch maple square platter on the chuck right now that is literally trying to fly apart on me. I am trying to save it with colored epoxy, Minwax Wood Hardener and some creative cussing even as it shrinks and dries. Ebay seller advertised it as ambrosia, but it is mostly unstable branch piths that go all the way through; oh, the vagaries of wood. That lesson only cost maybe $5 worth of epoxy and some cleanup to learn. But still, love the focus and discipline required by larger squares; lazer sharpness, presentation and good bevel support are the only way to prevent the chips that ruin your flats. And then I'll have to turn in very fat and clunky to dry before finishing with razor-sharp scrapers.
Anyway, I have lately read a lot on the many ways trees "communicate" with each other. The longer I live, the more I think animals and plants are smarter than most people I know-as a linguistics nerd, I am transfixed at anything about animal
(and increasingly, plant) cognition, communication-call it what you will. And I have made some amazing friends in this hobby. I've been in more hobbies than we have time for here today, but turners are the best people, seriously (although my straight razor friends were very solid, too).
As I was telling one of my mentors, there are dozens if not hundreds of little ancillary skills you have to learn at the same time you're learning to turn, sharpening probably being the most important. Second is probably sawing stock. I am slowly learning the bandsaw that I did some dangerous stuff on before I just paused, watched some videos and learned to do good pm's on my Rikon 14 and keep good blades well-adjusted and in good shape That said, the more I see and can manipulate my grinds to match the ways I'm turning the more my forms show it, and consciously but not at the same time think of turning as sculpting with bevel support, the better and more mature, more intentional, my work gets.
Anyway, this summer's "grail quest" is fine tool control and classic form and execution, so I have booked the week at Arrowmont in June with Matt Monaco. I took his skew class at our CMW Turning Learning Center, and his tool control at the lathe is just spell-binding, and he makes it seem so effortless to get finishes off a skew ground to 46 on a ceramic wheel that are more glass-smooth than I can even get with sandpaper! He had to end up making it mostly an introductory skew class (I've never heard so many terrifying catches!), but I still took many phone videos that I still study some times even now-it was just a revelation, really. So that will be a turning bucket list class for me!
This will be my 1st time at Arrowmont. The turning shop looks like Disney World for turners, and I love trying other lathes in classes (Robusts, Jets, OneWays, etc.). I still haven't turned on a VicMark or Stubby, though hopefully I will get a chance. I also hope I can bring my (growing) tool-bag with my favorite tools, honing box and personal gear if I can get it all labeled permanently-my gut tells me I don't need to worry about theft on that campus. I really want to leave this one with my shoulders aching, mind blown, and ready to spend the rest of my life continuing to refine techniques I learned from it, just like I did last year. (Plus my awesome classmates from David's class @steveforrest, @Kalia Kliban and Pete (last name? from Texas) really made it even better. In fact, I just spent the last couple of weeks talking Steve through a move and set-up of the 75th Anniversary PM3520C that he got an awesome deal on on this forum. I might have been more excited than he was!
Anyway, too much of my rambling this evening. What are your turning and learning goals? Please share if you're a mind. Aaron
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