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Musing about one cure for turner's burnout. Long

For some there comes an occasional burnout stage in our addiction. A pole lathe. a green limb and one or two homemade or scrounged tools can provide simple satisfactions that balance our hobby and put it in perspective.

Bodging can be safe, satisfying and inexpensive therapy. That is if turning isn't your living and your lower extremities are intact and in good working order. Mine aren't anymore, but being a simple guy, I enjoy using deliberately simple rigs. This one isn't my idea, but I hope some of you will try it or improve on it or tell us about other cheap & simple alternatives to 'up tight & leading edge' woodturning. Your Stubbys and Oneways won't mind. They know you'll soon be glad to be back.

A trashed 110 V. washing machine or furnace fan motor is free. A H.F.

1/2 X 20 arbor that fits the shaft and a 1/2in. Jacobs type chuck that fits the arbor are under $10 for both. A motor and arbor is not bad for simple grinding, sanding, buffing etc. ...and for turning green wood. You will be amazed at the woodturning fitments you can find or make yourself that can be driven in a 1/2in. chuck or on an arbor. Don't ignore all that 1/2 in. X 20 NSF threaded stuff. It lives everywhere, often in the junk box. It has lots of uses for woodturners.

Make up a Japanese style sliding inclined toolrest. (I put the assembled shebang on a schoolroom type arm desk.) Attach a piece of green wood, put on your mask, sit down outside in the shade, relax and forget art, craft and your M.I.L. Turn tacky tops, knobs, whistles, chain pulls, pencil holders, paper clip bins or just long curls from green roadkill wood that's free.

Sure your beauties will crack, but who cares? The fun is in the turning, not in the product. You will soon greet your trophy lathe with enthusiasm and renewed respect as you resume cranking out art. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

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Arch
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Either there is no turner's burnout or my cure is worse than the disease? Plonk! :(

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

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Reply to
Arch

What's the beef? If you don't feel like turning, and there's space between honeydos - read. Just finished an excellent biography of "Deak" Parsons, the man who armed Little Boy in the belly of the Enola Gay. Also a man who would certainly never have succeeded had there not been a war on.

Or, transition to ornaments. More fun and creativity there than in any single thing we turn, IMHO. Headed down to turn a couple before lunch. Chainsawing next year's wood is sweaty work, and I can use the break.

Reply to
George

I haven't been at this long enough to BURN OUT but I do get bored with the same old thing. I found that teaching ...if I can call it that tends to remotivate me. I have a couple of friends who are interested in turning but have no lathe. When they come over and PLAY I get more interested in turning. Also when I get a lesson from one of our member in my turning group that I find many new and interesting things to try. You fellas that have been turning for years and years should try to teach. I know at least one guy that loves to learn new thing. Anyone in the Camarillo Ca area that wants to teach me somthing just email me....or if any one wants to try a stubby 1000 for kicks do the same. I am always amased at what I don't know.

Jim

Reply to
Nasty

Thanks Jim, good post.

" new and interesting things to try" was what I meant to suggest in hopes of prying up ideas for using simple things to rekindle the pleasures of turning wood.

It wasn't meant to be a hidden ad hominem against those who use modern equipment or are immune from burnout; nor meant as a homonym of beef. :)

A Stubby 1000 would be a sure cure for 'pole-lathe turner's' burnout. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

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Reply to
Arch

Sorry so late in replying - I'm having a devil of a time getting through the application form for my Evelyn Wood course...

Have you, Arch, by chance seen the AAW Symposium tape from '02 or thereabouts? One of the featured guest turners was a fellow from Japan who turned a type of traditional doll. All done with only a motor, cup chuck, hammer, hook tools and the type of tool rest you mentioned above. No tailstock, variable speed, reversing, mega-swing anything - just a simple, one speed motor.

Reply to
Owen Lowe

Arch & Owen,

Back to basics sounds like the theme. I think it's interesting that when I asked Todd Hoyer what lathe he had he just about mumbled something about one that he put together ages ago!

Dave Barriger sat on the porch at John C. Camplbell Folk School this past weekend with a treadle lathe and sore legs doing demos for the festival.

The basics are like nature - the foundation for all that follows. And a visit provides prospective and balance for the following days.

I enjoyed your post, Arch, and the thinking behind it. Owen, I always respect your opinion. What did I read earlier that you're not even setup since a move from the North to "Florida"?

We have an "Extravaganza" by Klingspor in Hickory, NC in 3 weeks and I'm finally plunging for a shop full of equipment after all this homework and listening. I can't resist this urge to plunge into this addiction you all keep talking about. It's time to leave the stands and get onto the field.

TomNie

Reply to
Tom Nie

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