What are your biggest obstacles in the turning world?

[Bill Wyko]

I'm just curious, what aspect of turning gives you the most trouble. Could be sharpening or hollowing or anything you can think of. Then lets see if we can come up with some solutions.

[Bob Wolfe]

Oh boy I'm first. Sanding gives me the most trouble and it is the only part of turning that I hate. I welcome your solutions.

[Chris Studley]

That easy...time.

Not sure we'll fix that one here. :)

[Jacob Muldowney]

Money. So many things I want but the farther I fall the more expensive they get lol. Seriously though, right now it seems to be hollowing as I am very new to it.

[Bill Wyko]

As far as sanding goes, the use of quality sand paper really does make a difference. I've tried cheap stuff and it just doesn't last nor does it do a good job even when it's new. As far as time goes, turning is a journey not a destination. Although the destination can be rewarding.

[Brian Brown]

The skew chisel!

​and all the things listed above.

[Jim Burr]

Tool presentation on bowls...I suck!

[David Dobbs]

I am with Bill on the sand paper good paper is the only way. I will catch heck for this but here it goes ....................................Throw them power sanders away! Never had one never will! Make the tools an the grinder do

the work. I dont even have a grinding jig. Maybe to old school. Sorry Bill for rambling on.




As far as sanding goes, the use of quality sand paper really does make a difference. I've tried cheap stuff and it just doesn't last nor does it do a good job even when it's new. As far as time goes, turning is a journey not a destination. Although the destination can be rewarding.

[charlie knighton]

inspiration .......the rest i make do with

[Ian James Webster]

Paying for it!

[Marty Eargle]

Being a starving college student goes to a new level when you can't fight the urge to buy wood and toys instead of going to the grocery store.

Though in reality, sanding is probably my biggest issue. Being stuck with a lathe with a minimum speed of 600 RPMs makes sanding a chore.

[Johnny England]

I'm with Chris on this one. Definitely TIME!

[Tom Winship]

Mine is removing the tenon on a bowl bottom after finishing the bowl.
I've tried the following:
1. Made a "donut chuck" so the the bowl bottom with tenon sticks through the donut. Bowl moves too easily and gets off center.
2. Using the chuck as a jamb chuck with padding in bowl and live center in tenon. Remove tenon, but normally breaks scratches bowl coming off center.
3. Sanding off. Planing or chiseling off.

Not satisfied with any of the above.

[Chris Barnett]

Instruction on bowl turning.
Have nice lathe and numerous lathe tools to turn, most unused, and all the time 'til I turn 10 up, adequate funds for wood or more tools, have some killer burl waiting, but no instruction. When problems arise would like to have somewhere to turn...uh, seek advice :D. Have read books, took lousy class, watch videos on web, have DVDs on turning etc, but there is nothing like real time solutions.

[Robert McGowen]

Mine is removing the tenon on a bowl bottom after finishing the bowl.
I've tried the following:
1. Made a "donut chuck" so the the bowl bottom with tenon sticks through the donut. Bowl moves too easily and gets off center.
2. Using the chuck as a jamb chuck with padding in bowl and live center in tenon. Remove tenon, but normally breaks scratches bowl coming off center.
3. Sanding off. Planing or chiseling off.


3 of the many reasons why I normally do not use a tenon. :)

A dovetail recess will cure all of the above problems.

[Robert McGowen]

Being a starving college student goes to a new level when you can't fight the urge to buy wood and toys instead of going to the grocery store.

Though in reality, sanding is probably my biggest issue. Being stuck with a lathe with a minimum speed of 600 RPMs makes sanding a chore.

I have 3, yes 3, kids that are ALL seniors in college at the same time. (Twins plus a long story!) If you have TIME to even THINK about turning, you are ahead of the college game!

[David Hostetler]

Time, and skill. I can gain one if I use the other... Kind of a quirky trade off.

[Mike Campbell KS]

Currently, it is the temperature. It was 24 F in my uninsulated shop/garage last night. Seriously though, I have sanding issues. Can't remove all of the marks, and I just plain do not like sanding.

[John Keeton]

I am with Charlie - inspiration! I really have enough toys, and way more wood than I can reasonably turn for the next few years (not to say I won't acquire more!!:o), and while my skills are not to the level they should be, they are adequate for the tasks I undertake.

So......more ideas.....that would be the shortfall. I am hopeful retirement in a few short years will provide enough extra time to think about projects I might like to do.

[Bill Bolen]

:) John I hate to tell you but retirement won't help in that department. I've been retired 14 years and still seek inspiration daily.:D

[Steve Schlumpf]

Interesting thread Bill! If I am being honest... which I hope rings true for a lot of folks - the main problem would be marketing. It is one thing to be able to create great works of art... (yeah, right...) but if you can't find a way to sell them, it soon becomes a storage problem!! You just sold 4 pieces... so you must have an in on the How-To Market Your Turnings stuff!

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks Steve, the guy that bought the 4 pieces walked in and saw the most recent one on my desk. He said how much, I said a grand. he said "I'll take it! What else do you have? I put out 3 more pieces and one by one we worked ourselves into a nice package deal. He's bought several other pieces from me in the past too including a jewelry box and a humidor.

John, It's about time you do some segmenting. When ever you're ready, let me know. I'll help any way I can my friend. I'm taking pictures of every step of the next piece I'm working on. Maybe when it's done I can be a little inspiration for you guys. You've all inspired me so many times, it's the least I can do.

[Brian Kent]

Not having a lathe.

[Bill Wyko]

What would you guys invent if you could, to make turning easier and safer? Jerry came by earlier and chopped up a bunch of that Eucalyptus. He showed me a bowl that blew to pieces on his lathe. It is a scary site to see for sure. It could have easily killed him as big as it was.

[Allan Ferguson]

Trying to market in an economically depressed area with a sparse population. Also when really nice wood is available and having it be to expensive for the local folks to buy the finished project.

[Jack Mincey]

My biggest weakness are the thing that you could say that I struggle with at this point in my turning is getting a truly clean cut on the inside of my open bowls. If I could get as clean a cut on the inside of the bowls as I do on the outside my sanding would be cut by a significant amount. I still get a touch of tear out on the end grain that requires more sanding than I like.
Jack

[Dick Wilson]

Finding someone with a Mr. Peabody's "Way Back Machine" so I can get started turning 15 years sooner than I did. I can only imagine where I would be at this point:(:(:(:(:(:(

[Curt Fuller]

Mine is inspiration related. I've been an avid viewer on several turning forums for so long now that most things I turn seem to be a copy in various degrees of something I've seen someone else do. I would like to figure out a way to still enjoy looking at other's work while trying to be inspired to break away from what I've seen and create something original.

[Fred Belknap]

Sanding, I don't think I have ever been totally satisfied with my sanding.

[John Keeton]

Bill, having seen many of your pieces, $1,000 seems cheap! I just can't imagine how many hours you have in a piece. I am betting the hourly rate is pretty low. At 70 hours, it would be a bit over $14/hr.

Perhaps someday I will look at segmenting, but it will need to be after retirement. Right now, there just isn't enough time to put into a piece. I need to produce more than a piece every 6-8 weeks in order to satisfy my rather short attention span.

[Bill Wyko]

I'd like to see someone make dedicated riser blocks for the Jet 1442 lathe. I need more swing!!! Must turn bigger to avoid going deeper into the vortex!!!. Oh yea, bigger swing can only be achieved BY going deeper into the vortex.

[Scott Hackler]

My biggest obstacle seems to be in developing or creating the correct techniques for some of the designs I dream up. Its getting easier, but sometimes there are things I conceive mentally that I can't figure out how to make. :)

[Bob Holcombe]

Time in general, temperature at the moment. It's 24 degrees in the garage...I mean shop.

[Jon Lanier]

My biggest problem is time. Just getting time to do it.

[Baxter Smith]

Figuring out what to do with what I have turned. Hasn't kept me from turning more though!

[Bill Wyko]

Actually the one I did with the Maple was done in about 10 hours. Usually a couple hours a night. Even then I have a cigar and just enjoy the time. Some of that time is waiting for glue to dry too. With segmenting, once you have your angle set and your segment length determined, it's all repitious cuts, glue ups and drum sanding. It's waiting for the glue to dry that slows me down.


Bill, having seen many of your pieces, $1,000 seems cheap! I just can't imagine how many hours you have in a piece. I am betting the hourly rate is pretty low. At 70 hours, it would be a bit over $14/hr.

Perhaps someday I will look at segmenting, but it will need to be after retirement. Right now, there just isn't enough time to put into a piece. I need to produce more than a piece every 6-8 weeks in order to satisfy my rather short attention span.

[Bill Wyko]

My brother, welcome to the club. You have arrived and we're all doing well. (Don't listen to them when they tell you to sit in the corner.....It's a round room:eek::D


My biggest obstacle seems to be in developing or creating the correct techniques for some of the designs I dream up. Its getting easier, but sometimes there are things I conceive mentally that I can't figure out how to make. :)

[Marvin Hasenak]

I just want more time. I have the wood, the ideas and the deisgns, just need the time to get it done.

[Jack Gaskins]

Money,,,,,,,sanding,,,,,,,,,,,then money,,,,,,,,,,then sanding. Sanding sucks!!!! Not having money to buy more turning stuff sucks even more.

[David E Keller]

My biggest obstacle is my turning ADHD... I can't seem to focus on a particular style or form long enough to get decent at it. I'm hopeful that the 'cross training' pays off at some point, but I sort of envy those of you who have picked a narrower focus and are 'perfecting' it. Curt's comments also struck a note with me.

I'm wondering if Marty is eating some big leaf maple burl right now, too!

[Bill Bulloch]

Sanding use to be my biggest aggravation, then somewhere along the way I learned that you have to remove all the imperfections with your starting grit before moving on to the higher grits. I normally start all my sanding with 80 grit and I'll work it until all the tear out and tool marks are gone before I move on to 100 grit. I don't skip grits: the 100 grit removes the 80 grit lines, the 120 grit removes the 100 grits lines, and so forth. Rest assured, though, that if you can't get the imperfections out with 80 grit paper, you certainly will not get them out with 220 grit.

[Reed Gray]

I need a bigger shop, and a couple more lathes so I can hold classes. A new body to go along with it as well. Hips are shot, knees not good, just wore them out.

robo hippy

[Bob Rotche]

Interesting thread. I have to agree with all those who mention time as their biggest problem. I have plenty of tools and wood, and loads of ideas and styles I would love to explore, just hard to find the time. There are many areas where I have room for improvement and sanding/finishing is a prime example and I really want to explore carving, but I feel like if I had more time, everything would fall into place.

[Kenneth Hertzog]

I'm going to go with everyone else
to much wood and not enough time
Ken

[Larry Pickering]

patience.....the running joke, around my house is.. why do you allways take up a hobby that requires patience, when you don't have any!

[Doug Herzberg]

Sanding use to be my biggest aggravation, then somewhere along the way I learned that you have to remove all the imperfections with your starting grit before moving on to the higher grits. I normally start all my sanding with 80 grit and I'll work it until all the tear out and tool marks are gone before I move on to 100 grit. I don't skip grits: the 100 grit removes the 80 grit lines, the 120 grit removes the 100 grits lines, and so forth. Rest assured, though, that if you can't get the imperfections out with 80 grit paper, you certainly will not get them out with 220 grit.

+1 I don't see sanding as a problem, perhaps because I do a lot of it and I'm pretty good at it. That's because of my biggest impediment - technique, which I could improve is I had more of my second - time. JK, I don't know where you got the idea you'll have more time in retirement. Quite the opposite.

I buy 1" rolls of emery cloth in varying grits from 80 up to 240 at HF. $5 - $7 for a 50 yard roll. It's not bad quality and it's disposable. Last time I was in it was marked with a clearance sticker, though.

Scott, I envy your problem - you're one of the true artists here. Reed, I sympathize with the aches and pains. You've done a lot for us newcomers with your videos and you should teach, if that's what you want. Good luck.

Cold is another. Have to fire up the wood stove and wait. Looking into an overhead radiant heater to see if it might help with that.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

We all fight our own demons. I have a wonderful temperature controlled shop and as much equipment as any sane person could want. I have a fairly fertile imagination and am not usually at a loss for some sort of inspiration, though it is not all "art". I love to sand and finish. I believe that makes or breaks the piece. My problem is I have a bunch of unfinished flatwork projects and usually ignore them because I would rather turn. I find it to be relaxing and peaceful where flatwork has become a chore. So, every time I am turning, I feel guilty because I know I should be finishing other projects. Oh well, such is life and in the grand scheme of things, it's a problem that is "far from the heart".
faust

[Bernie Weishapl]

My biggest problem is patience especially with sanding and finishing. So this year I am going to work on those areas especially after lesson 101 from Vince.

[Scott Lux]

I must be really weird. I like sanding. Of course I have no flatwork experience to make me hate sanding.

My biggest challenge now is technique. I have a long way to go with the skew. I still get tearout inside bowls. I can't make a sweet curve yet. But I'm practicing all of the above more.

[Betty Fox]

I'm with Larry Pickering. I just can't wait to try the next thing. It makes the thing I'm currently working on a hurry up job. Too many cool ideas. Not enough latent talent. :)

[Greg Just]

Having enough time is my biggest obstacle. Other times I lack motivation and get into a rut where I just need a break for a week or so.

[Dan Forman]

Today I would say my biggest obstacle is technique, the ability to consistently get tools to do what I want them to do - mostly in faceplate turning, and particularly as regards the inside of the bowl - clean cuts and fair curves. Yesterday a close second would have been sanding (again- faceplate), difficulties with which are of course magnified by the former. Today, however, I think I now have a handle on the sanding aspect, thanks to an article I read recently by Bill Neddow, contents of which flies in the face of most advice that I've ever heard or read about sanding. More to come on that, but I'll post a link for those who can't wait - it's entiltled "High Speed Sanding", and appeared in Woodturning Design. Published Articles (http://www.billneddow.com/articles2.html)

I tried the new technique last night, and it resulted in the best finish in the least amount of time that I've ever achieved, couldn't find a scratch when I tried, and minimal "starved horse effect" (ripples due to alternating hard and soft rings) so hard to avoid with woods such as ash, elm and black locust. details to follow in a dedicated post when I have time.

Dan

[Bill Wyko]

We all fight our own demons. I have a wonderful temperature controlled shop and as much equipment as any sane person could want. I have a fairly fertile imagination and am not usually at a loss for some sort of inspiration, though it is not all "art". I love to sand and finish. I believe that makes or breaks the piece. My problem is I have a bunch of unfinished flatwork projects and usually ignore them because I would rather turn. I find it to be relaxing and peaceful where flatwork has become a chore. So, every time I am turning, I feel guilty because I know I should be finishing other projects. Oh well, such is life and in the grand scheme of things, it's a problem that is "far from the heart".
faust


Faust, you and I share the same problem. While I love the humidors I build, I can't seem to turn off the lathe. The last humidor I built took a year. I have another one that has to be done by the Kentucky derby in May I think. It stresses me to think I have to stop turning for a little while to get it done. No matter what though, never sacrifice quality to get on to another project.

as far as sanding goes, look at it as the most important part of the job next to the finish itself. Learn to love sanding because it's when the piece starts to look done and it'll never be done w/o sanding. And when I say use quality sandpaper, I really mean it. It can really make sanding a pleasure.

[Kevin Lucas]

Time I have... but the garage sure needs insulation. Two heaters and its till cold! Wood, skill and talent those are a work in progress ) The skew is not so much of an enemy now. Shear scraping needs work it goes well then chatter. Sanding by hand is ok but I killed two of foam pads to the drill so it is back to by hand. Inspiration I get from all the stuff posted here. "I wonder if I could do that?" It doesn't hurt that the wife is supportive except for wood shavings in the house.

[Bill Hensley]

To me turning is an avocation, so my challenge rather than obstacle is resisting the urge to buy the next great "thing" that comes along. Turning is like fishing or golf where there is always a new "thing" claimed to significantly improve your results. Been there, done that and still have some T-shirts!

Fortunately I don't mind sanding, I accept that it's a very important step in the process.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Add me to the list for Time as the # 1 answer. I'd also have to add that I could use a central dust collection system & some more shop organization.

[Roger Chandler]

Yep.........time it is, and then having space to store properly prepared blanks............I am working on the sanding......most of the time it is pretty good, but I have some space to grow in finishing techniques........I just purchased a can of GF Woodturners finish to see if I like it and can speed up things..........waiting for drying between coats just kills me, :( because I need to use that time to do a lot of other work! :(

I really NEED a much bigger shop as well..........hey, that will come!

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

.I just purchased a can of GF Woodturners finish to see if I like it and can speed up things..........waiting for drying between coats just kills me, :( because I need to use that time to do a lot of other work
Roger I always try to apply finish as the last thing I do for the day. That way 1st I don't have to be breathing all the odors from the finish & 2nd by the next morning it's ready to sand & prep for the next coat. 3rd I leave the shop so I'm not walking around stirring up any dust to float around & get in the finish.

[Dan Forman]

Me too, no solvent based finishes until just before I got to bed - basement shop.

Dan

[Rich Aldrich]

I am with Steve S on this one - marketing. Some of the problems that we have in the UP is we do not have access to people who dont mind spending money on turnings. People are not that well off in this area.

I also have time issues, especially with my new job.

[Steve Kubien]

For me there are two things, space and production work. I live in a townhouse so I cannot have a pile of logs on the driveway. Thus, whenever wood comes my way, I need to process it into blanks immediately. Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way of that.

I really dislike production work. The items which I lump into this category are pens, peppermills & the like. Funny thing is, I turn mostly bowls and that doesn't bother me.

[robert raess]

I would say hollowing the transition area, sides to bottom. Always a catch in there for me.I say this esp. in regards to a HF with a small opening.The other is the limits of my tools esp. for hollowing. I don't have a swan neck or a carbide set at an angle.I use an old shopsmith scraper with a round head that allows me to get up under the shoulder. Rob

[Prashun Patel]

Roughing out a blank on the bandsaw.

Sanding with the roughest grit to remove tool marks and tearout.

[Brian Palmer]

Everything brand new turner well might as well be haven't turned in at least 10 years.

[Mike Peace]

No obstacles, only more turning opportunities! Retired and every day is Saturday except Sunday.

[Paul Maulucci]

This Year I participated in 2 fall shows,which the sales really took off for me. The market is there. When people like what they see, they will spend the money. I turn mainly salad bowls 10" through 20" and "Art" pieces, Open Forms, HF's, Burls. To find or make a tool rest to extend into a 10" HF is on my list. Sharp cutting tools really helped reducing my sanding time. 220469

[Scott Hackler]

Paul,
First off Welcome to posting (I see that was your first post)! Secondly, I have a question. What would you need or use a tool rest to extend into a HF for?

[Jeff Nicol]

For me it is having way too much wood, not enough time and lately no physical ability to stand at the lathe very long, but that is getting better. But I think my biggest issue is that I love roughing out things and the pile has gotten very big, and never finishing them!

Want more money too!

Jeff


I'm just curious, what aspect of turning gives you the most trouble. Could be sharpening or hollowing or anything you can think of. Then lets see if we can come up with some solutions.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Time. Since I have a job, that I work way too many hours on, I have little time to turn. HOWEVER, if I had no job, I would have lots of time to turn, but NO MONEY.

Oh, sanding would be #2 on the list. And yes I agree, buy good paper. Sanding will still suck though.