First Hollow Forms

[johnny.t.]

Good stuff Roger, with all the above suggestions taken into account the only way to improve is keep making more You've made some good stuff there, keep it up

JT

 

[TEP]

Very nice Roger, as with most I prefer the tall vessel. Just sits better on the eye for me.

I think the short one may have benefited by not having the neck section quite so high on the reverse curve, giving it a more rounded shape. Again though all these design things are in the eye of the beholder.

Lot better than I did at first, I was glad I had a coal fire when I started hollowing, there was a lot of fodder for it. :lol:

 

[mark sanger]

Hi

Roger. George has made a valid clarification which when I started turning confused the hell out of me.

There are various names given to different forms and there is a grey area from trasition of one to the other.

Hopefully this helps for the future. ( please anyone else put me straight if I have misled as different people may have a different idea)

1/ Open Form/ Bowl/platter where by the form opens outwards from the base and has a continuous curve without closing back in towards the top.

2/ Closed Form/vase etc is where by the form opens and then closes back in towards the top as in your large piece here. Vases etc.

3/ Hollow form as George describes. Now where the line is drawn between a closed form and a hollow form is confusing. But I once heard it clarified as a hollow form being something that you need to pick and move around to be able to look in through the hole.

I hope this helps with the description.

But as the others have said it does not change the fact that what you have made is very good.

Take care

Mark

 

[mikec]

Well done Roger,

I have yet to produce my first hollow form though it is my No 1 priority when I get time on the lathe.

I hope my first efforts turn out as well. I like the first item best, the shape of the second is not quite right to my eyes. I do think that the shape is of less importance than mastering the techniques at this stage.

Once the skills are honed then you can aim for the small holes and beautiful form of George's work and the flowing artistic interpretation of Marks work. There are many others here whose work is an inspiration, look back through the past postings for an amazing catalogue of achievement.

Thanks Mark for attempting to put into words why we get so drawn into the world of spinny things

Regards,

Mike C

 

[loz]

Very nice Roger,

Love the tall one, nLooks like soemthing i just have to pick up and have a feel of.

The short one - I would lose the foot. I think the rest of the shape is cool.

First attempt ? - keep them coming !!!!

 

[Mark Hancock]

Roger

Great first attempt. Well done. As to comments both Mark S. and George have given great constructive advice.

 

[miles_hot]

I have a friend who is a well known pen maker who sells his pens for over £100. But why as I can buy a bic for 20p. Why because people appreciate quality. Mark

without wishing to name names etc can you show an example of that sort of pen?

Miles

 

[mark sanger]

Mike I will ask my friend and get back to you on that.

Take care

Mark

 

[RogerB]

Thank you

To you all I am quite overwhelmed with the response that I have received.

It has given me the incentive to try more.

Will use the 1/3 2/3 rule

The tall one did start of with a smaller hole, but I removed the tool while the lathe was still turning and caught the lip.

Again thanks a lot for your comments and support.



Roger

 

[cornucopia]

Thank you

To you all I am quite overwhelmed with the response that I have received.

It has given me the incentive to try more.

Will use the 1/3 2/3 rule

The tall one did start of with a smaller hole, but I removed the tool while the lathe was still turning and caught the lip.

Again thanks a lot for your comments and support.

if you are intrested in pursuing hollow forms further then a foot switch is brillant as it can be difficult to remove the tool sometimes.
best wish's
george



Roger

if you are intrested in pursuing hollow forms further then a foot switch is brillant as it can be difficult to remove the tool sometimes.
best wish's
george

 

[Happy amateur]

Mark

I have been reading this forum for some time now and very rarely post, but If there is one good reason for soulfly to be on this forum, it is your response. It is probably one of the best justifications that I have read as to why we are Woodturners. For the joy of it and the feel good factor when something we do pleases us and more so if it pleases somebody else.

Fred

 

[boysie39]

Mark, in my opinion you wasted no ones time ,you gave some of us an insight into the life of a Pro. woodturner who has to make his crust from what to most of us is a hobby for our enjoyment. So the piece did not turn out as we wanted it hell sure i'll give it another shot tomorrow.
You dont have that luxury you cant have the time or the waste we have,
and yet you can still enjoy your work, It's a rare trait these days and long may it be with you. REgards Boysie
PS what Hobby do wood turners take up when they retire :lol: :lol: .

 

[mark sanger]

Boysie and Fred.

Thank you for that.

I enjoy very much what I do. And trust me some days it goes horribly wrong and I just close the workshop door, walk away and go for a walk with the dogs. I know I am loosing money but now I have managed to change my lifestyle and am able to do something that I love, I know that I am truly lucky/privileged and the money does not seem so important.

For this reason though I have had to learn to turn fairly fast to make up for it the next day.

Thank you again. It is good to know I can in even a small way help others by what I write/add to the forum.

Mark

 

[Bodrighy]

Boysie and Fred.

And trust me some days it goes horribly wrong and I just close the workshop door, walk away and go for a walk with the dogs.
Mark

That rings bells :!: :!:

After the 4th 'accident' and banging my head in the shed I came to the conclusion that today was not for turning. Fortunately I am not a pro. so it is only frustrating and annoying.

Pete

 

[cornucopia]

Boysie and Fred.

And trust me some days it goes horribly wrong and I just close the workshop door, walk away and go for a walk with the dogs.
Mark

That rings bells :!: :!:

After the 4th 'accident' and banging my head in the shed I came to the conclusion that today was not for turning. Fortunately I am not a pro. so it is only frustrating and annoying.

Pete

I think we all have them, in the early days of my turning they were very frequent luckily now a days there fewer.

 

[mark sanger]

Boysie and Fred.

And trust me some days it goes horribly wrong and I just close the workshop door, walk away and go for a walk with the dogs.
Mark

That rings bells :!: :!:

After the 4th 'accident' and banging my head in the shed I came to the conclusion that today was not for turning. Fortunately I am not a pro. so it is only frustrating and annoying.

Pete

I think we all have them, in the early days of my turning they were very frequent luckily now a days there fewer.

Hi Pete/George

Yes you are right but I want to add to this as some people may want one day to look at turning as a full time job but may feel that due to cost it is not viable.

Yes if I mess a piece up then I may have just lost potentially anything from £10 upwards.

But as I sell thought galleries as long as I have a large stock in the outlets then pieces may still be being sold on the days that I mess things up. So although yes potentially if you look at it as a business then I will have diluted this profit if not lost it. But I do not look at it in that way. As long as I learn from what has happened ( then I put it into the research and development box :lol: :lol: :lol: ) Every business has one. :wink:

I also include a loss cost within my work to allow for a few losses. Thank fully it does not happen often but it has to be included. Every business does it from veg shops to car manufacturers.

But to have a business in turning comes down to the rest of our economic conditions. Over heads and ultimately how much money we need to live with.

If we leave a £100,000 job expecting to earn the same through turning it just ain't going to happen. At least not without major investment.

Also most businesses take 2-3years to really get going so I ran my turning along side other work until it became viable, then went full time.

IE I am very fortunate and I make no bones about it. But when I was looking at turning full time I decided that the best way to go for me ( and I am very much in the early stages of my career),

Was to keep my over heads low and to become involved with galleries and other outlets such as an interior shop as a way of selling my work. which allows me to dedicate my time to making while they sell and market my work for me ( if they are a good gallery).

Also I knew it was going to be hard as any business is to start with, as I know you are aware!!. But due to my circumstance I had to have a life change or something was going to give.

So I stripped down as much as possible my out goings by working my socks off before I went full time.

Also for me a multi faceted approach I find is the best way.

I have little interest in spindle turning not that there is not value in it, it is just I want to make what I want to make and want to look forward to going to work and not thinking I would rather be doing something else. others may love spindle work, it's horses for courses and all that.

I know several spindle turners who make a very good wage at what they do, but it just isn't me.

So I looked at the galleries, commissions demonstrating and teaching (which I have only done a small amount of but am currently writing up course notes to push it more within the next few months)

No that's not a sales pitch folks, I just want to let people know how I am going about it so it may help you.

With all these different areas the money trickles in nicely. Don;t get me wrong I can not afford to go abroad for my holidays and I drive a ten year old 306. but hell life is good.

Also there are the options of furniture repairs and if you tap into furniture/antique restorers in the area you can also get work like this.

Builders and other similar businesses are a good way of getting work also.

The thing is if a building needs a new roof finial many larger companies just won't get involved.

I have done work for people as the turning company they normally use will not raise work unless the minimum is £500. So in comes us, ready to do the one off's.

You will be surprised how useful we are especially if you get to know some local builders who specialise in house renovation. ( I will make spindles if asked) But just choose not to push it. I don't do it if I don't want to, even if I need the money at times.

With someone with your knowledge and skill within green hollow form work you could demonstrate this and I bet there are clubs out there that would love to watch you make and explain how to make your work up close, and to be able to ask you questions.

Going to local shows and demonstrating is a good way to push your business for commissions, demonstrating and teaching. ( health and safety being covered of course with full insurance) But mine cost me around £68 a year for teaching and demonstrating.

It is though a dedicated craft insurance company. If any one needs the details let me know.

There are many ways and one of the biggest hurdles I found to start with was having the self belief to be able to go and do it.

There are many ways. But what I would say and this worked for me and it was the best thing I ever did. Is that I looked at my way of life and the stress involve and thought " there has to be more to life then this, I want to be a turner, I am going to do it and nothing will stop me"

Yes I have knocks and in the first few months I really thought I would have to get back onto the tread mill. But with sheer bloody mindedness and the help of a great many other turners both professional and part time/leisure turners as well as family and other people, I have made a good go at it.

I am always at the end of a phone if anyone wants to pick my brains. I do not know everything far from it but will try to get you the answer or find some one that does know.

As long as we come from a good place in life and genuinely want to be turning full time, why not. No one on this earth controls my destiny but me.

yet again I have waffled enough.

Mark

 

[CHJ]

Waffle all you like Mark as far as I'm concerned, if it brings a bit of reality or inspiration just to one other person it has been worthwhile. I'm sure there are many that read these forums that are interested in the motivation behind such an enterprise, so often people in business just don't share and treat their expertise as a 'need to know' subject in case someone gains an advantage. Knowing how it's done or what it takes can save someone from making mistakes but it still takes effort on their part to achieve similar aims and rarely impacts on the established venture.

 

[Bodrighy]

I concur with Chas. I am one of those that would love to turn for a living but have a long way to go before I am that good. Having a few pieces in a couple of galleries and shops is a real ego boost and hopefully covers the cost of my addiction but for me the hard part is the selling. Every time a gallery or shop has a look at my work I am thinking 'hope they don't notice that slight sanding mark, they won't like the design and so on. Any tips you havefor us who sell the odd bit is qwelcome from any of you who have dived in and done it

Pete

 

[mark sanger]

Chas

I have to agree to a certain extent and do understand why people want to keep their business to themselves and I too would want to protect my business as after all without it I can not put food on the table., etc.

But giving a few ideas of how to look at the business side I do not feel gives away anything that will harm.

I obviously would not post a list of local people that need me to do work for them and add to it how much I charge.

But we have to be mindful that people will take ideas and try to grab work from others. This is also a part of business that people need to be aware of.

But being involved in artistic work means that yes I am in competition as it were with other turners but less so than a purely commercial business as we all have our own style.

It may be that a person likes another's work over mine and therefore buy theirs as it appeals to their taste. Or it may fit in better within the interior they are choosing it for.

Trust me if someone copied my work tried selling it as theirs I would not be so charitable. But again this is something that is hard to combat and if trying to run a business is also something to be mindful of.

But at the end of the day we all have to get on and and I believe there is enough room for many of us as long as we respect each other. This is the way I work.

IE If I was looking for antique restorers for a possible place to get work from. I became aware that a turner who lives near to me already does work for them. So I politely declined to do any work for them. It wasn't that his work was not any good I just found out that he was doing it and I do not do business that way.

Some may think " this guy is crackers" and I know of people that would undercut and take the work.

I just decide not to work or live in that way. And I know that I will loose work to others but I just accept it.

I have enough ideas rattling around to keep me busy for the rest of my days.

Again though if I found one of my wall hangings which I designed being mass produced and sold in high street shops I would adopt a different approach. But I will cross that bridge if it happens and I do not loose too much sleep over it.



Take care

Mark

 

[mark sanger]

Hi all

I am concious that my input on this thread has hijacked the subject it was initially started for which was for RogerB to show his hollow forms.

My apologies Roger. I will continue this by starting another thread.

so will answer you there Pete.

Mark