Discuss - Technique or end result?

[Eric Harvey]

My personal view is tool technique really counts,it saves so much time,you spend less on abrasives and always end up with a better finished product,I was turning at home for about 8yrs before I joined a club and thought I could turn,I got a shock,I couldn`t after all,the first club I belonged to the members their showed me tool technique and I advanced in leaps and bounds,we all ave bad days at times but it gives us a chance to review our technique and make it better.When it comes to showing people,I don`t think we should say they are wrong,but just suggest a better way of handling the tools to get a better finish,just my view,regards,

Eric.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

I just love this forum, the way one comment can start a flood of ideas and opinions is for me one of the main reasons I take part, imagine if we were all down the pub together!!
 Mark I take on board your comments and I am beginning(after all this time) to see the way you and some of the others think about design.
 Let us see what the future brings.
regards
John BHT

[bodrighywood]

How many times when you go to a demo or read a book/magazine do you ask or search out how the maker comes to create the design, or do you go straight to the tool and technique pages/questions. ? How often do you research and learn about design for your own projects beyond the prescribed article used as a base for exploration. ?

When I first got back into wood turning some 8, 10 years ago I was nowhere near any clubs so just grabbed wood and hacked it up as best I could remember doing from my school days. My main criteria at the time wasn't to do it properly using the right techniques or tools but to make something that would wow the world. Needless to say i didn't quite achieve my aim. What I did realise though was that I was more interested in the shapes, form, design etc than in how to achieve it and so developed my own way of doing things, some safe, some I have had to unlearn. I do some commissioned work but balk when asked for me than about 5 of anything and my ideal is to take an idea and bend, twist it to my own ideas or get a lump of wood and see what is hidden inside. I am always influenced by something someone else has done before of course but the beauty of wood is that no two pieces are ever identical so I can honestly say each piece is unique. I look at some of the pieces I have one in the past and am still proud of the shape and ideas but cringe as I see the quality of workmanship and this is how it should be. Any art or craft should be a permanent journey of improvement, learning and experiment IMHO. Just turning for the sake of it as in a 9-5 job would not suit me.

Pete

[Richard Findley]

Hi all

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to post their thoughts here. Just goes to show there's life in this forum yet!!

Andy, I think you very eloquently put exactly my thoughts, no wonder they made you chairman! I can't help thinking if I'd have written it, I'd have upset of offended someone though!

Mark, you are right that one of your comments, among several others, was what prompted my post. The funny thing is, I think we actually agree more or less completely on the subject, but I will always be happy to chat over beer about turning  . I must admit that I'm not sure I actually asked the right question. I deleted and rewrote it a number of times before pressing submit.

BHT, I totally hear what you are saying about the design element for a production turner. Something I have been doing, which may or may not help, is to mentally redesign many of the things I am asked to make. Often the things I'm asked to make are washy washy at best. The really fine examples of design get thoroughly photographed and possibly even a copy kept for future reference. By redesigning work, it gets the brain working. Sometimes the changes might be small - a wider/thicker/thinner/deeper/longer detail is all it takes but sometimes I might think of completely changing part of the design. Books such as "Classic Forms" are a must for any turner.

Thanks again

Richard

[Mark Sanger]

I knew we would agree. , I expect some of my other comments were not as well constructed as they could have been leading you to think that I was becoming a philistine to the traditional skills of turning.

Certainly not, just wanted for those interested to see that technique alone does not make a successful turner, we need to have an eye for detail, design and form as well and this is a process of reflection through observation in detail of what we do.

Without good a good foundation of technique we would struggle to make anything. But I also believe that unless people are production turners are or trying to make money as a living from turning that technique as long as it is safe can take a little longer than needed and that the end result can be less than satisfactory if all people concentrate on is tool technique.

Even though we agree I still feel it is a subject that needs further exploration one day in the future. 

[Richard Findley]

Further discussion over beer definitely required!! 

Was difficult to discuss anything with you at the seminar with that little tickley cough you had! Now you're feeling a bit better we'll be able to discuss things much better! 

Cheers

Richard

[Mark Sanger]

Yes it was a pain in the throat to say the least. Looking forward to the next one.