Real life pro turning.

[bodrighywood]

We see a lot of the artistic things people make on here, and quite rightly so but earning a living can be far more mundanre. Just got an order for 500 finger tops. Doesn't sound much perhaps but an easy to do, quick job that gives me a good return. Wonder what the mainstay for other pro turners who aren't rich and famous are?

Pete

[seventhdevil]

well it's skittles for me pete, i make up to 50 sets a year and on average my customers spend over £200

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Don't have a mainstay, I just make whatever comes in.

[ALAN THOMAS RPT]

I'm with John. I make whatever comes through the door. I don't really have a regular product list although at the moment I am getting repeat orders for miniature Kokeshi doll bodies. I used to do lots of salad bowls for a kitchen company but they decided to go with imported laminated rubberwood bowls so that was the end of that.   I think lots of professional turners are finding reliable markets difficult to come by and in my neck of the woods ( no pun intended ) there are no commercial woodturning companies left that I know of. 

[seventhdevil]

i also take whatever comes through the door as long as either the lathe or the skills can handle it...

[bodrighywood]

Like the rest of you I do whatever I am asked as long as it's round and I am able. I did wonder however about the sort of thing we get asked to make as opposed to making and hoping we can sell. It's nice to get bulk orders every nmow and then like the tops and the tapestry bobbins I do, maybbe not as much fun as doing 'what I want' but helps keep food on the table.

Pete

[woodndesign]

I did wonder however about the sort of thing we get asked to make as opposed to making and hoping we can sell.

Pete

Doll's beds ... fourposters, cots and alike .. and not for Doll's House nor Barbie .. The Lady re-dressed Antique/Victorian Doll's of all sizes and considered supplying them with beds suitably furnished with bedding she'd be making as well etc.

She later changed her mind as to there not being a demand for such ...    ..  I've since used most of the materials elsewhere... yet it could have been a more descent earner.

[seventhdevil]

i've started making oar handles for a guy who says only one place makes them and they aren't great ones so he came to me...

[Mark Sanger]

Hi all

I only make what I want to make and which I enjoy making. I don't take orders as such and commissions are only started after a 50% deposit is paid.

[GBF]

I only do what I want when I want and never take commissions

Regards George

[bodrighywood]

Commissions I always have at least a 60% deposit. Not as famous as Mark and George so have to make some things I'd be happyto refuse LOL.

Pete

[Mark Sanger]

Commissions I always have at least a 60% deposit. Not as famous as Mark and George so have to make some things I'd be happyto refuse LOL.

Pete

Famous, LMAO,   I have been to many mixed media galleries and during conversations ask if they know some of the Internationally big UK name turners, only one to date had ever heard of one this being Bert Marsh.

As a close turning friend said to me once (not George I have two friends)   'we may think in turning we are important but actually we pee in a very small pot', paraphrased of course.

The reason I only make what I want is after being forced to sprint day in day out on what I saw often as an immoral treadmill, I decide that there is more to life than the bxxx xxxt and striving for material bigger things and said that I would only ever do what I enjoy.

The great thing about turning is when you know how to use the tools, everything else is just a shape, so you can make anything from stair spindles/production items, however the interior market is also production turning just a different shape and then I teach a lot,  which again I enjoy very much and then there are the one offs.

There are many many avenues in which turning can be used, and we can perhaps become blinkered in relation to the versatility of the lathe. More and more I am using it a just a part process for sculptures,  oh also I am happy to drive around in a 10 year old car and holiday in Dorset.   , that's how famous I am.  

[Steve Jones]

All my work is to order and I too will do whatever the customers want but have many regular orders of varying types of work. I have orders of 200 or more handles for coffee machines every month, I do lots of work for shop fitters and joinery firms. While the furniture components are now pretty much limited to bespoke makers as to trade and bulk I still get regular orders for table legs. I have regular orders for table lamps from a couple of companies but the biggest line of work at the moment is stair spindles and newels to match existing for loft conversion companies. Approx 3 stairs a week.
Oh and not forgetting the order of approx 1000 lance ends each year.
 The type of work changes over time but I always have lots of odd jobs to add to the regular work. This makes me busy all the time without fail but I would say 85% of the work is between centres as too the face work. P.S. I am not famous at all and very happy with it too.