Typical day in my shop. I was moving a big magnolia bowl blank and dropped it on a homemade light stand made from 1 inch PVC pipe, broke the pipe. I needed to trim the broken end of the PVC pipe, nothing to do but go to the bandsaw, and it would not turn, so I cleaned it, still would not work, so I released the tension on the blade. Well, it started to work, but the blade flew off and it bent the blade and scared the crap out of me when it made that noise and almost hit me in the face because I had the front of the saw off so I could really see what in the hell was going on in there, you know inquiring mind and all. I go up to the barn where I keep my spare bandsaw blades, and return put one on, and daggone it was to short. I say a few words and thank the Lord that a preacher doesn't live nearby to hear what I just said, and go back to the barn with the bandsaw blade I have just taken off, pick up another, and return to my shop, put this blade on the bandsaw, adjust the tension, and then saw the end off the PVC pipe. I then am able to redrill the hole in the homemade 2X4 pine light holder for the PVC pipe, glue it in, and return to turning. When I am at an arts and crafts show people always want to know how long it takes me to turn a bowl. Sometimes I fudge on the actual time it takes because there are other factors involved. Glenn Hodges Nashville, GA
Day In My Shop (Long)
Dec 08, 2004
4 Replies
Glen
That is so true - my wife always asks why does it take about 4 hours to turn a bowl - it seems simple enough. I tell her that it is not just the turning that takes time - it is everything else that takes the time. The turning time goes by pretty quickly! Too quickly!
Ray
yup.. like people look at something simple, like a shelf... and wonder how it took you any time at all to nail a board up and paint it brown with lines in it...
Most of my projects involve cleaning and sorting before I can do anything.. that uses the most time for me..
================================== Glenn, Sounds like you just demonstrated the 90/10 principle of project time management: The first 90 percent of any project takes the first 90 percent of the project time, the last 10 percent of the project takes up the OTHER
90 percent of the time ! :-)Ken Moon Webberville, TX
Now while my wife occasionally takes a spin on the lathe my suggestion may not work but try asking the wife to help out with the sanding and finishing. "Honey, could you lend me a hand down here? I've got 4 bowls ready for sanding and would lilke to get 'em done by tomorrow night." Once she sees the all the other stuff that goes into the finished piece maybe then ....
Thanks,
-Kevin
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