Perhaps a slightly controversial turning question...

[Stigmorgan]

Ask 2 people what they would do with a set of paint brushes - One would decorate a room the other would paint a masterpiece. It's all about attitude to your tools. I only have a simple lathe (Record CL2) but without it I could not have made the few examples attached. I'm still a relative beginner but knick-knacks derides the efforts of many for whom the joy of turning provides huge fulfillment.

Those are far from examples of a beginners work

 

[Yorkieguy]

Ask 2 people what they would do with a set of paint brushes - One would decorate a room the other would paint a masterpiece. It's all about attitude to your tools. I only have a simple lathe (Record CL2) but without it I could not have made the few examples attached. I'm still a relative beginner but knick-knacks derides the efforts of many for whom the joy of turning provides huge fulfilment.

I must say that each of those examples is really quite outstanding in every respect, technically and artistically. Each one has the wow' factor, prompting questions such as how did you do that texturing, how did you hold it on the lathe, how did you colour and finish it? Most enthusiastic woodturners reach a standard at which they know not to leave a dimple or a pip in the base of a bowl, how to avoid score marks when sanding and finishing. Only a very few have the instinctive artistic ability to know what shapes look 'easy on the eye' and what don't.

Over the years, I've seen some outstanding work by professionals at events such as 'Wizardry in Wood'. Each of your pieces would sit easily alongside those:

wizardry in wood - Google Search

I've been woodturning for 25 years and a competition judge for our local club for 18 years.

I've seen some very talented turners, but your work compares with they very best that I've seen.

We aim to be as objective in judging as we can, and award a maximum of 30 points on five judging criteria - a total of 150 points in all. Three judges from a panel of experience turners judge each competition on each criteria and the points awarded are aggregated. Rather than compare one item with another, we look at one piece at a time, and each judging criteria, asking ourselves 'If 30 points is perfection, on this criteria, how far below that is this piece?' Then move onto the next competition entry. There is an element of subjectivity because one person's view as to how 'artistic/creative' an item is, or the extent of its 'general appeal' will differ from another's.

The judging criteria and points system are as follows:

Maximum Points:​

Artistry and Creativity 30
Execution - Craftsmanship, tooling, sharpness of detail and standard of finishing. 30
Design - Proportion, shape, and fitness for purpose. 30
Technical Challenge - Degree of difficulty involved. 30
General Appeal - including choice of timber. 30

Total Maximum Points: 150

The results of the competitions are announced at the end of the evening.

I have to say that looking at your pictures, I'd be hard pressed to knock off a single point, and I suspect that the closer I were to get to them, the more impressed I'd be. Thanks for brightening an otherwise dismal day!

 

[bobajobob]

I must say that each of those examples is really quite outstanding in every respect, technically and artistically. Each one has the wow' factor, prompting questions such as how did you do that texturing, how did you hold it on the lathe, how did you colour and finish it? Most enthusiastic woodturners reach a standard at which they know not to leave a dimple or a pip in the base of a bowl, how to avoid score marks when sanding and finishing. Only a very few have the instinctive artistic ability to know what shapes look 'easy on the eye' and what don't.

Over the years, I've seen some outstanding work by professionals at events such as 'Wizardry in Wood'. Each of your pieces would sit easily alongside those:

wizardry in wood - Google Search

I've been woodturning for 25 years and a competition judge for our local club for 18 years.

I've seen some very talented turners, but your work compares with they very best that I've seen.

We aim to be as objective in judging as we can, and award a maximum of 30 points on five judging criteria - a total of 150 points in all. Three judges from a panel of experience turners judge each competition on each criteria and the points awarded are aggregated. Rather than compare one item with another, we look at one piece at a time, and each judging criteria, asking ourselves 'If 30 points is perfection, on this criteria, how far below that is this piece?' Then move onto the next competition entry. There is an element of subjectivity because one person's view as to how 'artistic/creative' an item is, or the extent of its 'general appeal' will differ from another's.

The judging criteria and points system are as follows:

Maximum Points:​

Artistry and Creativity 30
Execution - Craftsmanship, tooling, sharpness of detail and standard of finishing. 30
Design - Proportion, shape, and fitness for purpose. 30
Technical Challenge - Degree of difficulty involved. 30
General Appeal - including choice of timber. 30

Total Maximum Points: 150

The results of the competitions are announced at the end of the evening.

I have to say that looking at your pictures, I'd be hard pressed to knock off a single point, and I suspect that the closer I were to get to them, the more impressed I'd be. Thanks for brightening an otherwise dismal day!

Those are kind and very generous words my friend. I referred to myself as a relative beginner but I have been turning for about 7 years. During that time I only turned occasionally (perhaps a piece/month). The majority of my working life was spent designing domestic and industrial products. When I retired, the need to create persisted so I added wood turning to my list of pastimes. The limitations of rotational forms soon presented design limitations, which led me to develop tools to sculpt and embellish the turned surfaces. The devices were all made with rudimentary equipment and materials but have some unique features not found in proprietary products. This has enabled me to add a little intrigue to any new piece I make. A quality that I am glad to see you understand and appreciate. I'll post a few more examples you might enjoy. Thanks again.

 

[bobajobob]

A few more pictures of my work for Yorkieguy and any others that may be interested.

 

[Stigmorgan]

A few more pictures of my work for Yorkieguy and any others that may be interested.

Wow, I hope you sign up to secret Santa this year

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ha!!

 

[Yorkieguy]

I just knew that there had to be more to you than meets the eye Bob!

Clearly your professional skills as a designer have readily transferred to your hobby as a woodturner. Every aspect of each unique piece is spot on, including the choice of timber. Each piece begs many questions on work-holding, texturing methods, colouring finishing, and 'Just how did you do that?' When you say 'rudimentary equipment', (bearing in mind how much some turners spend on texturing tools), if I had to coin a phrase, it would be 'low tech - high skill'. Just a joy to behold - thanks so much for sharing the pictures with us.

 

[Blister]

Wow , They are very special , Lovely.

 

[Dave Moore]

Quote:

@ M Chavez: While the market should be able to take up to £1k price per set without too much resistance, I don't see any way to turn these for a reasonable profit - once you take into account tool sharpening, prototyping, turning, polishing, ditching the extra pawns & pieces that are outside of your variance tolerance, carving the knights, weighting the chessmen with lead, felting, making/finding a suitable box, you would have clocked so many man hours that anything around £1k will most likely look like giving the sets away for free.

End quote.

You couldn't make them at a profit if you're a hobbyist woodturner, but you could if you were a skilled, time-served production turner at the top of their game, who would turn most pieces (not all) in about five minutes just using a skew chisel. Someone like Steve Jones, for example - more than 40 years at it, about the 5th generation of a woodturning family. Admittedly there's rather more to a chess piece than just the turning, but turning is a major element. As to sharpening, pros don't have the time to faff around with Tormeks, Pro Edge, jigs and what not. To sharpen a skew, bowl gouge, roughing gouge etc by hand and eye is a minute's job.

Here are three short videos of Steve Jones at work:

One of forty stair bespoke stair spindles in 5 minutes:



Finial using only the skew, in under a minute:



Honey dipper, 5 minutes:



One of the issues that enthusiastic hobby turners soon come up against, is what do you do with the items that you turn?

For example, pen making is a popular facet of the hobby. It's not particularly challenging, and unless you buy needless equipment such as a pen press, isn't particularly expensive. Pens make nice gifts but there are only so many people in our circle of friends to whom to give them. So, if you want to keep turning pens, you can try to find more people to give them to - charities for example, as fund raisers, or you can try to sell them at craft fairs or online, or to friends to buy them for their friends (EG, for Christmas presents). What you can be sure of, is that while you'll probably get enough money to recompense you for the materials, you won't get any recompense for the time involved. What's more, instead of it being just a hobby, you introduce a commercial element to it.

Really, in any craft hobby, the 'payback' is the enjoyment we derive from it. When the enjoyment ceases, the lathe just gathers dust.

What I can never fathom out, is the irony of woodturners buying handled chisels rather than making their own handles, which is about the least skilled entry level task.

Just my thoughts - not everyone will concur.

A small skew for turning pens is ideal

 

[Deadeye]

Morning, the easily offended might want to look away now...

I have inherited a Myford ML8 complete with planetary weight original cabinet and some serious gouges etc (some made from old files to add a little frisson to the danger danger)

Its nice, it has familial connections, I can probably make room for it, especially if I can get hold of a bandsaw attachemnt for space efficeny etc.

I have a few handles etc that i need to make for chisels etc

but heres the thing I don't really like "turned nick nacks" there, I said it, to be fair what I actually don't like in nicknacks in general and this is absolutely personal preference, I can see the work and skill taken in a beautifully turned box etc, I just don't want a thousand of the things in the house!

so...

other than building alot of chairs...

what else can be turned?

Cabriolet legs are nice on tables

 

[oldpete]

A few more pictures of my work for Yorkieguy and any others that may be interested.

Absolutely exceptional. I've been turning for 20+ years and have never seen anything close to what you can do. I would strongly suggest you become a member of World of Woodturners. https://www.thewows.com/
Pete

 

[bobajobob]

Absolutely exceptional. I've been turning for 20+ years and have never seen anything close to what you can do. I would strongly suggest you become a member of World of Woodturners. https://www.thewows.com/
Pete

Thanks Pete.

 

[cmoops2]

Cabriolet legs are nice on tables

At the risk of being castigated for being on the wrong thread, the mention of 'cabriole legs' reminded me of an old Exchange & Mart Advert that went along the lines of:
Table for sale, by lady with cabriole legs ...