As I recuperate over the next several months, I have a little extra time to think about the important things. Some of the folks who come to visit are actually going through times much tougher than my broken ankle. My doctor informs me that I actually broke my leg not my ankle. There was about a 3 inch diagonal break across the lower part of my fibula. Hence the 10 inch incision to repair the break and the torn tendons and ligaments. I now posess a steel plate with 5 screws. The pain medicine is down to a minimum now, but no weight bearing for perhaps two more months.
Ron
Turning Wood Is Not Supposed To Hurt
Like most things in life, turning wood has a learning curve and it gets much better and easier very quickly. If the way you turn wood hurts, you are probably doing it wrong.
True story, when I first learned to actually turn wood, someone asked me how often I sharpened my tools. I had owned them for 15 years, but had not used them much at all. My reply was something I hear fairly often from my customers “they came already sharpened when I bought them, so never.” In my very limited world with no instruction of any kind, I simply stuck the tool straight into the wood (dead scrape) and I thought the shape of the tool determined the shape of the cut. Naturally for me, turning was painful and the wood often left the lathe. Tear out was enormous and chunks were the norm. I didn’t know any better. I thought everyone started sanding at 60 grit and quit at 120 grit. I bought wood putty by the quart.
Fast forward to 2017 and I’ve been turning for many years, 11 as a professional. For me at this stage, there isn’t much I can’t or haven’t turned. Here are some things I’ve learned:
Scraping (all carbide tools) requires less skill, but produces a rougher finish because it tears the wood fibers and is much more punishing on the material being turned. Slicing cuts (most all High Speed Steel Tools) are much more difficult to learn, but produce a smoother cut with less effort usually faster and require less sanding. Learn and practice Rubbing The Bevel. The tradeoff is the necessity to have a sharpening system and having to learn how to use it with High Speed Steel Tools in order to keep HSS tools sharp at all times.
Regardless of which type of tools you prefer, if you have a death grip on the tool, if you are gritting you teeth and holding your breath each time you make a cut, you are doing it wrong. Adolescents, teens and women have all of the arm and hand strength necessary to turn successfully. When you are presenting the tool correctly, you should have a firm, but relaxed grip. Your body should gently sway in the direction of the cut while holding the butt of the tool against your torso for extra support. A gentle dancing motion works best with almost all bowl cuts, spindle roughing cuts and all cuts except the most delicate beads and coves.
To demonstrate this relaxed grip to beginning students, I often hold tools by two or three fingers in each hand and completely turn a spindle project just to show them what I mean.
If you are exhausted after an hour of turning, please reconsider your approach, tool grip, anchor position and how your body follows the cut path. If you have to do an inordinate amount of sanding due to excessive tear out, you are doing something wrong. Consider spending time with an experienced turner who can show you a better, more relaxed, more enjoyable, less painful way. I’ve seen countless big name bowl turners grip a bowl gouge with one hand and make a beautiful cut, Jimmy Clews, Stewart Batty, Mike Mahoney and Kirk Deheer to name a few.
When you do it right, turning wood is not supposed to hurt because wherever you go, there you are.
Here is my inspiration for this message:
Gen 5:29 NIV2 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.”
Prov 10:22 NIV2 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it.
Heb 12:11 NIV2 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
I have prepared a very short video showing a typical texturing demonstration which I do for audiences at The Woodworking Shows each weekend this time of year. Although I’ve done many thousands of these, they never get old. I hope you enjoy this three and a half minute video.
Short Texturing Video (3-1/2 min)
Here is a quick tour of our Woodworking Show Booth for 2017. Hope you will come see us when we come to a city near you. https://youtu.be/2Owz3p3axzY
I check email when I'm on the road twice a day. The office phone, not so much. The other office staff have been instructed not to answer questions they are not equiped to handle.
Available again May 2017? As the ankle permits.
I continue to receive many questions about when this family of items will be available for purchase. The answer is after the show season is over and I can focus on manufacturing it. We are currently accepting First-Come, First Served reservations at www.ronbrownsbest.com. No money is due until your reservation is confirmed some time in April 2017. After I get a handle on those first, I'll list it on the web site for general purchase.
We appreciate your interest and will notify you via the newsletter and the web site when you may place your order. Thanks again.
Ron and Janice Brown
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