Mine Is Better Than Yours

I hear folks say with pride, “I turn on a OneWay the Big OneWay, a Powermatic, a Robust American Beauty” and so on. Or, “I just have a little Rikon, I only have a mini lathe” only these folks seem just a little ashamed to let me know what they use to turn with. We have the right to be proud of our expensive hard won possessions. But, just because someone has spent $7,000 on a lathe doesn’t mean they know spit about turning! I’ve seen some real works of art come from an inexpensive mini lathe mounted on a workbench.

Of all the woodworking disciplines out there from cabinet making to high end furniture making, turning a lump of wood into something beautiful or useful on a lathe takes the most operator skill. I know I’ve done them all. All woodworking requires a high degree of skill and I’m not putting any sector down. I’m just saying that there is a huge difference in the end product depending on the skill of the actual craftsperson. A rip fence on a $5oo table saw will cut just a straight as a rip fence on a $5,000 table saw. While the perfect shape of a wooden vase is totally in the hands of the turner regardless of the cost of the lathe tool or lathe they cut it on.

Several years ago I was engaged to help a retired high school principal with his turning. He was plagued with catches regardless of the tool he used. I knew it would be a simple fix because all I had to do was help him understand the bevel and its role in turning. What I didn’t know was that he turned on a sit down OneWay lathe, that he didn’t see or hear well at all and that he was in a wheel chair most of the time. This was one of my best most humbling days as a woodturning instructor, ever. This gentleman was both humble and glad to be able just to move at all. His shop was in a small 12” X 16” yard barn out back. It had a ramp for his wheel chair and a window AC unit for the summers. It was his little piece of heaven in the North Georgia Mountains and he was glad to have it. At the time OneWay was the only supplier of sit down lathes that is the only reason he had chosen that brand.

I left that day feeling much richer for having spent it with a new friend who drew immense joy and peace from his woodturning hobby out in the back yard. I gained a little more understanding of why we do what we do and it has to do a lot with the pursuit of happiness each of us seeks. My friend passed on to be with Jesus only a few years later and his widow let me know he was never the same after our visit. She thanked me in a sweet handwritten letter for “taking the time to help her dear husband and for being kind and gentle to a sick old man. He said I made him feel like he was the best student I ever had.”

Be grateful for what you have and realize that it is all a gift and it is temporary. Enjoy each time you get to spend in the shop and share it as often as you can because wherever you go, there you are.

Here is my inspiration for this message:

Phil 4:12 NIV2

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Gal 5:25–26 KJV

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Eccl 9:7 NIV2

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.

I am honored to suggest that you visit www.buywoodengifts.com and look at some finished turned items made by one of my sons, Christopher Brown. Chris has become very skilled at casting colorful resins and Australian Red Mallee burl pieces then turning them into beautiful one–of–a–kind vessels. Each is finished with CA and ready to use or just enjoy. All are available for purchase in case you need something special for Christmas. If you would like to turn your own vessel, Chris also offers cast resin and burl turning blanks including custom colors, shapes and sizes.

Email Notice

We are having difficulty with incoming email. It is so bad that we ported one of our websites to a new host which will take a few days to settle in. If you write me a note and don’t get a reply, I may not have even received it! Please don’t hesitate to call our office at (770) 962–3821 (Eastern Time Zone) and leave us a voice mail if we are out in the shop. We will return all calls as soon as possible.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is the most reliable email at the moment.