Thread: Wasted 5 months

awwee Mate that would be disheartening. Sorry hope that next blank a beauty.
Toni

G'day Hickory,
Been there, done that. I've even got the Tee shirt to prove it.
Just add it to your collection of "Custom Designer Firewood" - you do have one don't you??? Don't let this hiccup stop you, bung another bit of wood in the lathe & go for it. Show the wood who's the boss in your camp!
Regards,
Barry. ( Highly skilled in making wood explode on a lathe! :eek: )

\Really getting thin and smooth will make one more pass..... (Pardon my explatives Larry) I can now see all the way through ... Opened up the middle.

Ho Ho! Been their and done that. I am now a purveyor of fine hand crafted fire wood.

You may fax your orders through, the price is per kilo. Be early so as to avoid disappointment.
hughie

My sympathies, but as has already been said: it's happened to most of us. As my sig used to say, "I can see the light! Bugger, another fine bowl ruined." Not much consolation here, eh?

On a similar note, I've seen a few bowls with coins and similar embedded in the inside bottom. Always considered it a bit "touristy" until hollowing out one day and went that little bit too deep... "touristy" it may be, but it has still been added to my repertoire of tricks for salvaging firewood.

Hi Hickory,

Although I don't use a lathe (yet), I can so appreciate this, sounds very much like my day.

I hope your next turning comes up trumps!

Cheers
Wendy

G'day Hickory

As other posts indicate, you are far from alone. But as my turning teacher continues to observe, "There are no mistakes in woodturning - only creative opportunities!" (If he says it again, I may beat him with a roughing gouge...)

I similarly holed a very delicate bowl I was making for my wife - my first thought was to mount it on a base of contrasting wood, but decided that would look too unbalanced, given the size. Then I had an inspiration, based on the fact that it was a birthday present - I rummaged around in a collection of old coins and found a halfpenny minted in the year of her birth (which was before Australia converted from English-style coinage to the "metric" system of dollars & cents). I polished the coin (no, it wasn't valuable) and carefully inlet and glued it into the bottom of the bowl. She was delighted with her "Birthdate Bowl".

I agree that too much of this sort of thing can lead to kitsch, but inletting a contrasting wood "floor", or a tasteful gemstone, could rescue an otherwise well-turned piece from the scrapheap.

Thanks for the kind words, as I have done several of these "Creative Expressions" in the bottoms over my years and a couple in the sides. Today's really P-Oed me as I had seen this precut piece laying there waiting for my turning pleasures for months. Too many tasks in the way and finally I get a chance and ..... I had invisioned the "Perfect" lidded hollow turning. Now I have a dish that I used to experiment with Industrial strength Peroxide to whiten even more the Holly wood. That was a failure as well. Wetting the wood and allowing to dry did whiten to some extent but it also allowed movement and now the round disc is egg shaped.

From each faiure a learning experience evolves. I know why I turned too deep ( I need a curved bowl tool rest). Was in the process of making a few but searching for Free Salvage steel and unlucky at the find. so now I am off to BUY (ECCH! I hate to use that word) some 3/4" round stock and shape some flat bar to weld to the round and make several different shapes and sizes.

Also need to get-a-round-2-it and make that thickness guage. Fingers are not always accurate. A Depth guage stopped that problem of making tubes out of bowls.


We all do it, just part of the fun. But it doen't have to stast becomming a habit. Far too often anymore these problems are getting on my nerves, perhaps it is I'm too fat and giving up booze to slim down is causing discontent from within myself.

Again thanks for the encouragement. Will post of future failures....

Originally Posted by Hickory

(Pardon my explatives Larry) I can now see all the way through ... Opened up the middle. Sense I don't smoke, Ash trays are not in order,

Oh well...at least you don't smoke .

He who has never made a mistake has never made anything