Ever have projects you don't like?

This won't work for woodworkers without some modification, but I knew a blacksmith who lived right on Lake Superior. Whenever he had the feeling that he had "done bad", he would immediately throw the item into the lake, before rationalization could set in.

Pete Stanaitis

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mac davis wrote:

Well Mac I'll offer an 'Arch' answer now and wait for a 'Charlie'. :)

I hate my many projects from hell. They are the pieces that I ought to return, resand, refinish and rebuff. All because in my "It's good enough series", I didn't remove all those tool marks, sanding scratches and finishing drips to begin with. Woe is me, some things you just can't claim to be art. :(

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Even Michaelangelo suffered from your affliction. He turned several LARGE piece of marble into tiny flakes and chips trying to find the figure hidden in the block. Who knows how much gravel he produced before he found The David, or The Pieta.

I guess it's The Room Full Of Manure thing. Some will open the door - see a room full of manure and close the door. Others

- well they dive in and start digging because they're sure with all that horse shit - there has to be a pony in there somewhere.

Me - I'm getting more selective about what I mount on the lathe - though I've used up more than a few little bottles of CA trying to save what MIGHT be a nice piece - but usually isn't.

Now if I had a fireplace - and a need for one - things might be different (the curse of living in Northern California - where the sun ALWAYS shines, but not TOO hot).

charlie b

Before you throw it away (as I will eventually suggest), try to learn something from it. Figure out WHY you don't like it. Is it the crappy wood, or the uninspired and forced shape, or even the lack of planning and vision that led to your disappointment?

As soon as you have that figured out, throw the cussed thing away. Burn it if possible. Put it completely out of your mind, but remember the steps that led to it... and vow to never repeat them.

Michael Latcha - at home in Redford, MI

Why is it we spend hours on something that we know isn't going to please us? It's just a few bucks of wood or maybe even free. If time were money it would certainly hit the trash bin. I think we just don't like to be defeated by a crappy piece of wood. Wood burners are great... burn baby burn!!! Now who won?

Why is it we spend hours on something that we know isn't going to please us? It's just a few bucks of wood or maybe even free. If time were money it would certainly hit the trash bin. I think we just don't like to be defeated by a crappy piece of wood. Wood burners are great... burn baby burn!!! Now who won?

Sure- and not just on the lathe, either. When it happens, I've just begun getting rid of them, or else they sit there and take up room and get me angry every time I see them. Since I'm doing this as a hobby, with only occasional profitable sales thrown in the mix, I can't see spending too much time on something I don't want to do. Especially when things get busy at work, and I have limited shop time.

Well, no telling how it works in California (where from here, it seems like nothing is allowed,) but I don't have a fireplace either- what I

*do* have is a fire pit in the backyard. Doesn't even necessarily have to be cold out to enjoy a nice bonfire, and they don't cost anything to make if you've got a shovel and a dozen or so good-sized rocks.

Ahhh... my version is the kindling box... Fire leaves less evidence than water..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

That's sort of a different topic, Arch, but a good one..

I have been re-turning a lot of my earlier stuff that I thought was really good at the time..

What I'm addressing here is more shape of form.. not appealing to you and sitting there on the lathe to be finished or scrapped..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

I think it was all of the above... lol

Mainly, I think it was that I had a mental image of what I wanted to make and because of defects (ok, features) in the wood and such, it evolved into a vase..

I really don't DO vases, though my wife says that they will sell here..

I got off my butt and finished it last night... not letting myself skip any grits, step, etc.... sort of a will power thing, I guess..

The real bitch is, I kind of like it now that it's done..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Now that's the kind of response I was hoping for, Tim...

Maybe part of it is that there was a time for most of us when we never had enough wood to turn and dreaded wasting any?

The being defeated part is a biggie, also..

Maybe just a discipline thing??

Since turning has become more than a hobby, I find myself rejecting more wood than I did before... Avoiding the "my time is money", but more looking at the pile of wood and allowing myself to become a little picky..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Hi Mac, A study was done that showed that the average rcw thread remains on topic for three responding posts. Jumping to a different topic happens to many of our threads, but this time I jumped the gun. I'm sorry. :)

I'll try again and hope I'm getting closer to the above subject. I have disliked almost every project I've been commissioned to turn that had a form specified by someone else. The last one was a billy club for bashing trash fish. It resembled a phallic symbol. I took it off the lathe before I finished turning it. Don't know if it was from hell, but I said "to hell with it, I'm not signing that!" :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Just wondering if you said any special words as you were using the parting tool....

If I get into a piece and decide I hate it part way through I use it as a practice piece.

As in: how thin *can* I turn the bowl wall before if explodes?

Boom!

Ah, that thin!