This is really good. You have a lovely curve on the bowl - some people might prefer it to have thinner walls but I like it as it is. If I made this I would be very pleased with myself.
Thanks again Brendan. I may have made the bowl a bit thinner as you say, but I struggle to get it right, so when it looks ok...I stop. I must stop braking things just as I am finishing them, Broke two today alone...too heavy handed I guess.
Ruining lots of good wood to get a few average bits.
Stopping when you are happy is exactly what it's all about but we do like to push the limits and having failures and funnels is all part of the fun. If I am working on a piece - say, a bowl - and I lose the shape I want I will then use it to experiment and see how thin I can get the walls. I have found it is best to experiment from the rim in than at the bottom of the bowl because I get more time from the bowl if I don't take the entire wall off at the start. The other bonus from practicing on a failure is that you've nothing to lose. See all those tenons you have left in the chuck after you part off? Well, if there is any meat left on them I keep them to practice facing off to get a flat, square end. I call it 'practice', my wife calls it 'terminal hoarding'.
Wives just don't seem to understand the amount of practice needed, but there again neither did I until I started turning. I usualy lose my cool a bit, sorry to say, when I see half a bowl or goblet fly past my head, so I still have to practice the habit of "Oh well a new practice piece then". Its not just practicing turning wood, it's also practice in taking the knock backs as well. I'll get there one day.
Ruining lots of good wood to get a few average bits.
Nice piece Leo! At least this this one stayed together and looks great. Don't worry, I haven't learned to stay cool when a piece goes flying either. I think they can hear me in the next county!!!!
Thanks Don and It's nice to know I am not on my own on the shouting out loud level. I normally break things when they are nearly finished, especialy on the thin stemmed stuff, so I avoid them a bit. Why cant I break things before I even get them to the lathe, it would save a lot of time.
Ruining lots of good wood to get a few average bits.
Oh, I have mistakenly given the impression that I accept failures and funnels with dignity and sagely set about improving myself with the remains of the piece that broke - that happens eventually, but not until after I have had a couple of Bishops here to exorcise my workshop of demons and foul expletives.
I just thought that you were a Saint Brendon. I would get the Bishops in my workshop but I can't understand the lingo, so hopefully they can't understand my expletives either, so no harm done I guess.
Ruining lots of good wood to get a few average bits.
