Last Cut or Final Cut??

[William Hutchinson]

I've heard about the infamous last cut that destroys a piece. The question is when do you know it's 'The' last cut or just the final cut?

This piece below was packed with a mesquite order and was a small twisted piece of knotted wood. I'm not sure even if it were burl. Anyway I turned it to see what I could get out of it. With the outside done, I fitted the piece into the chuck and was hollowing the inside and working down the inner side walls. When all was done I noticed a slight line running across the outside near the lip and I attempted just to touch it up with an ever so soft kiss of a cut. Before I could blink the piece was yanked sideways in the chuck and a section of side wall was hurled across the shop. :eek::eek:

Yes it was the last cut and I've had a learning moment to share for your amusement pleasure. Good Day.:D

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/wlhutch/Turnings/Mesquite-lastcut.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/wlhutch/Turnings/Mesquite-lastcut1.jpg

I glued it back together and gave the outside a quick polish but the piece will stay in the shop window as a reminder of 'The' last cut.

[Steve Schlumpf]

NEVER..... had that happen! :rolleyes:

Looks like you made a good save! Thanks for sharing!

[Tom Sherman]

Looks like a nice piece too.

[Ken Glass]

Bill,
I usually mark the spot on the wall here the piece hits, with a saying or notice of flying debris. I think the piece looks great, and no one wil know unless you tell them. Nice Mesquite by the way.

[David E Keller]

That piece has got so much natural excitement that I don't think I would have noticed any broken areas. I really like it.

The difference between last cut and final cut can only be made retrospectively in my shop. If I remove the piece from the chuck voluntarily, it's the 'final cut'. If it removes itself from the chuck, it's called a (fill in the blank) 'last cut'.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

What broken pieces? What a beauty!!!! Very nice work.

[John Keeton]

...an ever so soft kiss of a cut. ...hurled across the shop. :eek::eek: William, those two phrases go together like they were meant for each other!!;)

Looks like a great save - both for the lesson learned and for the piece itself.

[Allen Neighbors]

I second what John Keeton said... those phrases go together!! :D
But I think it's still to pretty for the shop! That needs to be seen by others... on a special place in the great room or Den or Parlor or Living Room.... you get my drift!
Beautiful piece!

[David DeCristoforo]

Don't know what it was "supposed" to look like but it looks great now! Makes me think of a big ol' scoop of chocolate ice cream.

[Jack Mincey]

I've got a small HF setting in one of my shop windows as well, that I had to glue back together after I thought that it would be a good thing to try and smooth up the inside of the form after I had it to finished thickness. Sometimes I just do not think through stuff very well. We should start a thread dedicated to the bowls that where destroyed by the last cut. Mine was not large, but a very pretty piece of wood for sure.
Jack

[Baxter Smith]

Looks nice. I have a couple of those shop art pieces sitting on the window sill by my lathe. :)

[James Roberts]

If it wasn't for "last cut" pieces, my shop would only have the dusty cobwebs in the corners for decoration. They are my "AFLO" pieces (Another F@#*ing Learning Opportunity).

If you hadn't told us it was a repaired piece, I doubt many of us would have noticed. Cool piece of wood, I'm with DD, I want ice cream.