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some of my turned work
some of my turned work (post #160091)
sid works on Thu, 12/16/2010 - 17:52 (updated 12/17/10 - 12:55)
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ron
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Very impressive! (post #160091, reply #1 of 16)
Ron,
Quite an amazing collection of turnings! How many years does it represent, or did you do all of them last weekend?
I was particularly intrigued by the hollow turnings with the small openings. Seems impossible, but there it is.
I enjoy wood turning. I probably have about 20 pieces scattered around the house. I should gather them up and photograph them.
I liked the porcupine bowls as a novelty.
Thanks for sharing, Bret
years (post #160091, reply #2 of 16)
it covers a span of 30 years.
the porcupine bowl as you call it. I don't think of as a novelty.
ron
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...
Elite craftsmanship (post #160091, reply #3 of 16)
Ron,
You are a craftsman and artist of the very highest caliber. I meant nothing disrespectful with my "novelty" comment. I appreciate the skill required to create the "porcupine" bowl, but as I looked through the photos you posted I had a little chuckle when I came to that one. That's the response your piece caused me to have. I think that's a good thing and does not mean it's not a very well crafted piece.
What do you think of it as if not novel?
Bret
just as a piece (post #160091, reply #4 of 16)
of my work.
actually I am working on another one, but this it will be full circle. I have been on it now for about 5 years and it was a mathematical problem that has curtailed it. the problem is that it will take twice as many japanese t/picks( which are a gift from the Woodturning Centre in Philly when you pay your dues every year) as it will be twice the surface, but I want the points to be all equadistance apart; so no axis point. the one in my photos has an axis point and the circle diminishes the closer that it gets to the axis. My feeling is that if it is a full sphere then no matter how you look at it all of the points should be the same. easier said then done. I was making this for an exhibition and the opening came and went and I was still scratching my ass as to how I was to accomplish this, and I tried many different ways.
I did talk to quite a few experts in matters who said no problem. Do you know what ; i never heard from them again. one of my old customers (has a home here,but was residing in Philly when I first met him15-16 years ago and now reside in arizona came in for a visit about 2 1/2 years ago and we talked about it. I didn't see him again until this last summer when he came in and he inquired about it, to which he said that he had asked acouple of his friends about it and that one was still thinking about it.
that night due to his inspiration I sat down and I think that I have finally solved the equation and laid it out on another sphere roughly. I now just have to lay out the sphere that I am going to use and get on with the procedure.
the sphere that i have made for it is 5" dia. 1/8" wall thickness(no holes) and was calculated at .0226" out of round. it is made out of swiss pear and will be dyed black (the black one in my photos is actually ceylon ebony). all of those t/picks are a press in fit at .093" though the new t/picks are slighty thinner than that, so I have to make a smaller hole.
"elaborate is easy, simple is hard. C.F.Voysey" .
now how is that for novel.
ron
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...
A hollow sphere? (post #160091, reply #5 of 16)
Ron,
I'm intrigued. How did you get a hollow sphere? Did you glue two halves together? .022 out of round sounds perfect to me.
I live in orchard country. I've dabble with various orchard woods begotten locally, apple, cherry, apricot, peach, nectarine, but I haven't tried pear. Is Swiss pear special as compared to what I might find in a local pear orchard? I also wanted to try some plum wood. The apricot is my favorite of what I've tried so far. It has a pronounced grain pattern and smell quite fruity.
You referred your bowl as "another piece of my work". As beautiful as it is, I would think that you might be more emotionally involved in your work. How do you stay motivated.
As a professional woodworker, I do a lot of mundane, practical type of work such as household cabinets, closets, staircases. decks, etc. When I get a chance to do some finer work it's a real treat and I get emotionally involved in the work. Not very productive, because sometimes when I'm building a piece of furniture I'll just stare at it for a long time. If I did work like yours I'd be giddy.
Bret
how do I put this? (post #160091, reply #7 of 16)
Bret;
Pretty well on any given day I do what I want to do for the last 35 years. some days you wake and this is what I am going to do today. unfortunately this has never enabled me to be in that upper middle class that Mel aspires to . it doesn't bother me to just be me and enjoy life as it comes.
I do turning as you see and architectual stuff; build furniture and do restoration work. do hand caning and natural rush work. I have never been out of work. had 3 employees and went work 1 day in 1980 and dispersed with all 3 and have never regretted it. I do all of my work to satisfy myself. I have had the opportunities over the years to do production work which would have provided a more stable income, but that is how life is. I work out of a commercial outlet and when the dog needs to go for a walk, I just lock the door and go.
I have paid a few penalties in life for how I am, but that is still my choice.
how do I stay motivated?. everything that I do is a challege I guess, just keep moving on.
the sphere was made by doing 2 halves and putting together and returning. I will post a pic of one done in m. burl.
it is pretty well the same as turning a well fitting turned lidde container and I haven't got to that inc yet in my pic album but will be there shortly.
you say that you do mundane work. I won't do any and I have struggled with this over the years as it will always pay the bills and as how I look at it is this way. It is difficult to do several different levels of work. How does one turn it off and on. when does one slide and it blends into the other and pretty soon it is all the same. all 3 of my wives couldn't understand my rationale way of thinking; they wanted me to produce more money. they would have preferred that i had entered Mel's distinction of being upper middle class. sorry, money is nice but is not everything. perhaps I should have lived at a different time.
I think that when one works at a certain level it can become emotional as you put your all into it.
ron
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...
orchard wood. (post #160091, reply #6 of 16)
most orchards woods are fairly volatile. they tend to crack readily upon drying. not saying that you can't get some nice wood from them. orchard tree are not large anymore. they are like front yard trees that go to branches early. swiiss pear is not an orchard tree as I have gotten planks that were 3"x24" x15'. forest growing trees that grow under a canopy and stretch for the sun, so that they gro tall and straight with minimal low branches like old growth fir that go up the sky.
ron
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...
Ron, You do excellent lathe (post #160091, reply #8 of 16)
Ron,
You do excellent lathe work. Very creative and nicely crafted. I don't have much lathe experience but I know what I like. I like the fact that you use a different styles. With some turners, all of their stuff looks alike.
You mentioned that I aspire to the high style. Not exactly. I keep trying to learn more and better skills so that I can make nicer and nicer work, but I don't aspire to sell it. To me, the highest level of skill in woodwork is with those who can not only make the best stuff, but they can do it fast enough to make a living at it. That is REALLY difficult, as you know.
Just because I have certain aspirations, that doesn't mean that anyone else has to have them. I belong to a woodworkers guild of about 100 people, and they have all sorts of aspirations. The nice thing about woodworking is that everyone is "right". Some are tool collectors, some like to do carpentry. Some like to do Chippendale, Some like modery. WhiteDog likes to make things out of reclaimed wood. Some focus on buying more tools. Some focus on skills.
I am just a hobbyist who is lucky enough to do woodworking every day now that I am retired.
I am disappointed that only one other person has looked at your photos in this thread. Your work should be seen by more people.
Tell me, are you interested in selling your work, or do you just give it away, like I do? (to family and friends.
I will respond to your posts or anyone's posts as long as they don't get nasty. Life is too short to get into that stuff.
Keep on turning. You are good.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
thank you Mel (post #160091, reply #9 of 16)
I never get nasty, just usually ask question and sometimes make a little statement.. usually rather direct.
this is how I make my living Mel. most of the objects that you see are sold.
ron
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...
Ron, Wow. You have picked (post #160091, reply #10 of 16)
Ron,
Wow. You have picked a very tough row to hoe. Professional woodworking is not an easy life. I wish you good luck.
The biggest problems is finding people who will pay for good work, as you know. You will never get any competition from me. So tell me, where do you find customers? Do you advertise locally? Do you advertise on the Web? How about EBay? Do you do any shows?
We have a lot of shows around here. Some are very high end, but not many. Most of the woodwork in most of the shows is simple.
There are more turners around here than any other type of woodworker. I am going to join the Turners guild next year and get started with some learning. I don't have room for a lathe, but I'd like to learn to do some simple stuff. There are lathes around here that I can use. I am interested in doing some carving on turnings.
I will look for your postings of photos in the future.
Mel
In the local Guild, there are a handful of professionals. Some do remodelling. Some so furniture. The guy who has the head of the guild for a few years had his own shop for a few years, but I don't think he ever sold anything. Se he went out and got a job which doesn't have anything to do with woodworking
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
more and more difficult (post #160091, reply #11 of 16)
to sell the smaller stuff as there are so many hobbiests working under the table that are out there selling ( most of them are good union men to; who's ethics only belong to themselves.)I have been in quite a few exhibitions over the years, here , in your country, Japan and china. just had a call recently from our goverment about a piece of mine trhat has been in our embassy in Beijing since 92. someone remembers you once in awhile
I do have a storefront. I do commissions , commercial work. furniture and restoration work(repeating myself from above). selling this stuff is like fishing, if you don't have the bait out there , you are not going to catch much
I get jobs like this 15' flagpole that was for a customer out of texas
think that maybe I have shown this before.
ron
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...
Ron, I was able to see the (post #160091, reply #12 of 16)
Ron,
I was able to see the flagpole shot in front of your shop. Awesome. Nice lathe extension.
I dont know if the following will be useful to you. I have read about it, but haven't worked with it. Do you know that Rockler has a system for helping woodworkers sell their wares. You can get information on this at the following website:
http;//www.RocklerCustomMade.com/1N
The phone number is (800) 501-3121
Rockler says that over 1000 woodworkers are using this service. It is free. Who knows? You might be able to make some sales through it. I don't think there is anything to lose by trying it.
Here is another "off the wall" thought. I just went to EBay and looked up "Hand made wood bowls", and there were about 150 of them, with about a dozen of them priced from $150 to $500. I have no idea of whether they actually sell of not.
Here is a third "off the wall" thought. Nieman Marcus is famous for selling a small number of very expensive items at Christmas each year. Why not contact Nieman Marcus. Send them the set of photos of your bowls. Tell them each is a work of art. Would they be interested in buying 50 of them for their next Christmas catalog. Each will be hand numbered and signed. Each will be different. You will deliver them all by Sept 1. They pay you $5000 to start, and another $10,000 when you deliver. WHO KNOWS? They may just take you up on it. Your photos are very enticing.
Well, I hope you got a kick out of my attempts to find new markets for you. My advice and $4 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Enjoy.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
thanks for the input (post #160091, reply #13 of 16)
been there, done that over, over 25 years ago. I am happy doing what I do..I am not going to set the world on fire.
the Hebert-Applebaum report on the
Status of the artist in Canada ( this was written in 1982 as part of the proloque to the report0
you will hear people say
that poverty is the best spur to
the artist. They have never felt the
iron of it in their flesh. They
do not know how mean it makes you.
It exposes you to endless
humiliation, it cuts your wings,
it eats into your soul like a
cancer. It is not wealth one asks
for, but just enough to preserve
one's dignity, to work unhampered,
to be generous, frank, and
independent.
- from Of Human Bondage by
W. Somerset Maugham
t
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...
Ron, As long as you are (post #160091, reply #14 of 16)
Ron,
As long as you are aving fun, go for it.
Glad you enjoy good literature too.
Have fun.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Have you found a solution for your layout problem? (post #160091, reply #15 of 16)
I read your description last night before going to bed, and love to solve problems like this one. I was wondering if you had figured it out yet? I had typed you about a page of my thoughts of how I would do this, but wanted to sleep on it before sending, Then as is true to form for this site, I came down and lost that page, which is the main reason I quit participating on this forum.
A few years ago, I had gotten pretty good at macro photography, which led to me eventually figuring out how to get some good shots of the eyes of Dragonflies. I have been wanting to work some of the detail I find in nature into some of my carved turning as well, which is similar to this. Only their 30000 eye facets are larger on top, then about half way down, they abruptly diminish to about half, yet somehow the alignment where you can see rows lining up on several axis is still maintained.
I'm sure that you can imagine how hard it would be to figure that one out, but the solution I was going to offer you just may work for that problem as well. I want to experiment on an old turning before revealing the answer now.
Drop me an email, if you want to converse privately.
pm (post #160091, reply #16 of 16)
thks Keith; sent you a pm
I think that I may have it solved. just have to impliment it to see whether it works or not
ron
http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281...