Piercing turned objects....use a pattern or free hand?

[Steve LaFara]

Seeing all of the pierced objects lately has me very intrigued with the process. Do people use a printed pattern or just go free hand and hope that the design works? Not sure if I have the patience for this but it sure is cool! I can picture me going free hand and having a section just fall out because I didn't pay enough attention.:eek:

[Ron Stadler]

You got me thinking about this as well Steve, but my guess you would divide your bowl or whatever your turning into smaller sections, like pie slices by using an indexing device on lathe and then free handing your design in between the slices that way your know you outcome better. Other than that I'm sure I have no freakin idea:), but this would be my approach.:eek:

[Wally Dickerman]

When I'm going to do a piercing job I spend quite a bit of time working on a design that fits the piece. I sketch it out on a piece of paper first. I freehand a design on the wood with a pencil and I use the eraser a lot until I get what I want. Sometimes, as with my giraffe series I draw the design as I go. I've never used a pattern.

Wally

[Richard Kennedy UK]

Hi Steve

I tend to spend quite a bit of time planning the general design I use a combination of indexing and freehand design to mark out the areas that are going to be pierced after I am happy with this I pierce the areas freehand. I find that its best to do about 10 mins of work then walk away for a few mins then go back and do more gradually building up the time spent piercing without a break. If I find my mind wandering and not concentrating on the task in hand I walk away as that is going to be when the mistake occurs the actual piercing is quite straight forward to key is to try not to repeat the same shape piercing if I am aiming for a random design. Use a scrap piece first to identify a variety of shapes that fit together but are different. Then its just time and patience. Looking forward to seeing some of your pierced work if you have a go!

Richard

[Peter Hay in Aus]

Steve,
More than thirty years ago with a very few people in our congregation and using sons of other members on building missions the buiding superviser and his wife arrived from America. He gathered us together and said in essence this is a large building do not be daunted it is just a series of small tasks that will join together and make you very proud indeed. As a full time emloyed,father of six I was working three jobs to stay afloat my contribution recognised was three months full time credited in labour over the two year task. Give a busy man and all that.
Piercing is a combination of small tasks simply acheived, the harder you apply using natural skills or paid for patterns or whatever suits you incredible acheivements. The harder I work it seems the luckier I get. During those two years as a leader in my mob I travelled 300 miles to another congregation of small numbers doing the same building a different style as well as another congregation eight hundred miles away doing the same in what was then called a District travelling sometimes with my own mob of kids (are we there yet? now how simple it becomes to plan and execute anything if you put your mind to it.

Have success. Regards Peter.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I plan the general design but freehand the piercing.