My Worst 1st..... I feel sick

[Kathy Marshall]

In all the hollow forms, bowls and plates I've done, I've never gone through a side, top or bottom. That is until today, and it couldn't have happened at a worse time or to what could have been one of my coolest pieces yet.

I have been incredibly blessed in the gifts I have received from other turners, one in particular has recently sent me several boxes of incredible wood. One of the boxes containted 2 beautiful blanks of NIP, which I have really been wanting to turn. I decided to turn the smaller piece into a hf today. I never posted a gloat since I just knew it would jinx it and I'd end up ruining the piece. Well, jinx or no jinx, I ruined it anyway.

It started off great, I had it oriented right, it had lots of eyes, was cutting beautifully and I was getting it nice and thin. It was going to be a translucent masterpiece. Well, pride goeth before the fall, and fall I did. I was getting a very nice surface on the inside, but there was just this one little tiny ridge I was determined to clean up. I should have just sanded it out.
I heard a sickening sound, my stomach dropped and I felt sick. I was afraid to look, and here is the result.
234267234268234269
I've now got this 1st out of the way, I only wish it could have happened when I was turning a nice bland, ordinary chunk of wood.

[Pete Jordan]

I am so sorry for you!

It is hard to look at!

[John Keeton]

Kathy, I think we have all been there. That certainly doesn't make it any easier, and that piece certainly was on its way to becoming a real winner, too. This too shall pass....but, it will take a while.

[Steve Vaughan]

Opps! Yup, I sure understand the pain. Betting lots of us have been there, bought the t-shirt. Any chance of enough left of it where you could clean up the edge and just create a bowl? Certainly the same as where you were heading, but maybe get a save out of it?

[Sid Matheny]

It happens to us all at one time or another but glad you were not hurt. Have seen some come apart in pieces when that happens.

Sid

[Jason Clark2]

It happens to everybody, I did something similar yesterday with a really nice chunk of Mulberry burl.

Jason

[Roger Chandler]

Yep...........been there, done that...:(.....unfortunately! It always seems to happen on one you have your hopes up for too! We all feel your pain Kathy! I agree that you could likely clean up the edge and make a decent bowl out of it. Good luck! Don't stay out of the saddle too long! ;)

[Scott Hackler]

Darn it! That looks like the start of a shallow bowl, to me. :)

[John Kent]

Sorry Kathy, thankfully it's only wood and thats easy to replace. The main thing is you are alright
physically, maybe not so much mentally.:rolleyes:

[Bob Bergstrom]

Sounds better than being Richard Raffin and going through the side of the bowl at a national symposium. Sorry it happen to such a nice piece of wood. I have knock them out of jam chucks when doing the bottom and have dropped them when all done.

[John Beaver]

Hey Kathy
I saw Richard Raffan do that on Saturday in San Jose.
I feel your pain however, especially knowing how excited you probably were to get back to the lathe today.
I'm sure the next one will be even better.

[Reed Gray]

Well Kathy, that is not a very exclusive club to belong to, those who have made the inside bigger than the outside. It was nice to meet you in San Jose.

robo hippy

[Rick Markham]

Whoops! Been there... seen the tiny ridge in need of just a bit of smoothing... thought to myself how I better not... did anyway :rolleyes: I say slap another hunk on the lathe and make the next one even better ;)

[Greg Ketell]

Ouch! I'm so sorry!

[Tim Chase]

Kathy , don't let this get you down,you know this stuff grows on trees! Chuck up another piece and take it for a spin.

[robert baccus]

Sorry about that. sorta hurts. I made a funnel out of a camphor vase today but was able to plug it and make a vase. Maybe thin is something you go through!---------------Old Forester

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks for the commiseration guys!
I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, especially with trying to go thinner but why couldn't it have been on a plain pieces of ash, lol.


Opps! Yup, I sure understand the pain. Betting lots of us have been there, bought the t-shirt. Any chance of enough left of it where you could clean up the edge and just create a bowl? Certainly the same as where you were heading, but maybe get a save out of it?
After reading some replies, I went back to the shop and finished the bottom section into a thin bowl and now it's soaking in some oil. We'll see what it looks like in a few days.
On the bright side, it's good practice before i start on the big blank.

Sounds better than being Richard Raffin and going through the side of the bowl at a national symposium. Sorry it happen to such a nice piece of wood. I have knock them out of jam chucks when doing the bottom and have dropped them when all done.
I know all about dropping pieces when they're done, in fact I dropped the bowl that this one finished up to be, 3 times while trying to get the screws out of the faceplate (sidewalls were too thin to put any pressure on them by setting it upsidedown on the ways), luckily it's been a couple weeks since I cleaned up shavings so all 3 landings were soft.

Well Kathy, that is not a very exclusive club to belong to, those who have made the inside bigger than the outside. It was nice to meet you in San Jose.

robo hippy
It was nice meeting you too Reed. Always nice to meet another turner.

It happens to us all at one time or another but glad you were not hurt. Have seen some come apart in pieces when that happens.

Sid

Thanks Sid, even if this one had come apart and managed to get loose from the boring bar, it would have been pretty close to being hit in the face by a feather lol.
The top portion is very, very light!
The top portion has already warped to a nice wavy profile and I think I can finish it up with some 800 grit and some oil and then it can be proudly displayed as a reminder (kinda cool looking too).

[Michelle Rich]

sorry...sure bites it, does it not? And it never happens on bland, ugly wood..never!

[Dennis Ford]

I am sorry to hear about your first "negative thickness" bowl, even more sorry to say that it won't be the last. See my signature line:

[Mike Cruz]

What are you talking about, Kathy? You just did an incredible job creating a NE lidded HF! You may be onto something here... Hey the lid and form fit/match PERFECTLY.

I am sorry for you, I really am...

[Alan Trout]

Kathy,

Sorry for your loss. However that is a right of passage. I have done many myself. Doing stuff like this means you are pushing yourself which is what you should do.

Alan

[Alan Zenreich]

Sometimes it's not about what 'you' want. The 'wood' wanted to be a bowl. It let you have your fun for a while, then finally put you back on track.

[Alan Zenreich]

Oh, and just wait until a piece insists on being a funnel...

[Tim Rinehart]

bummer...been there and will likely be there again sometime for similar reasons, hopefully not too soon. Sucks to have happened on a real nice piece of NIP...looks like you had your branch flames oriented nicely too.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Kathy,
I would like to tell you I've never had the experience but unfortunately............. Because I hollow by hand without the benefit of a laser and because I often work through a small opening, I have destroyed my share. However, there is good news here. Practically: Sometimes, depending on how bad the "explosion" is you can salvage a bowl. Rationally: It's only wood and you have lots of that. Philosophically: You only learn from your mistakes. Artistically: If you never blow one up you aren't challenging yourself. Emotionally: $^&^***#$(@#. I feel better now. I hope you do too.
faust

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yep I can see a nice shallow bowl. Kathy we've all did it but it is terrible when it happens to beautiful wood.

[Baxter Smith]

234287
The man on the right has the top of J Paul Fennels hollowform in his right hand. You are now in elite company. ))

He was smart enough to do it with a bland piece of wood though. ;)

[Prashun Patel]

I'm in a different camp from the others. I think this is an opportunity. I think the challenge is transforming this into something beautiful now.

Personally, I like the way the break makes the ridges all jagged. I'd turn the inside, break up the pieces of the 'ring', keep them in the bowl like so many pieces of knotty potpourri, and call the piece 'Shattered'.

Sha dooby dooby. (hat tip to the Rolling Stones)

[BILL DONAHUE]

Unfortunately, This is not an uncommon problem with Norfolk Island pine due to the relative softness of the wood and the relative hardness of the knots. Ron Kent, one of the greatest woodturners, has a failure rate of near 50% with NIP. As he said once in an interview, these failures don't happen in the first hour of a project but in the final stages after many hours of work.

[Thom Sturgill]

Welcome to the club, Kathy. Many will not admit to membership, but most of us belong! Just today I was buffing a small oak box and the wheel was set too fast and it grabbed the piece out of my hand. Luckily, I had left enough wall thickness that I was able to mount it in a jamb chuck and turn away the dings.

[Thomas Canfield]

Yep. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. I usually turn a little thicker than that, but seem lately to have the "oops" and have the piece grabbed by the buffing wheel and sent flying with less than wonderful results at times. That was a nice piece of NIP and had a lot going for it.

[Terry Beadle]

Ouch!

However, you should give some effort to fixing it... Maybe, turn the broken edge into a smooth one and then make a contrasting wood ring to fit in and make a lip. Then turn a new top or recover the broken one in a similar way, glue and true...etc.

You have a great deal of talent and I've enjoyed watching your posted work...keep at it !

Enjoy the process.

[steven carter]

Kathy, since this is your first, you were long overdue. It's that guy Murphy and his "law", the liklihood of this happening increases exponentially with the reasons you don't want it to happen. I am sure you will use it as a learning experience, maybe it will keep this from happening on an even more important piece of wood.

[Steve Mawson]

I feel your PAIN but know that doesn't help. On to bigger and better, know you will overcome:)

[Kevin Lucas]

There's a t-shirt? I need a medium then ) I don't know how many I have cut apart like that. Especially making small hollow Christmas ornaments. I have a lot I keep to see if there is any way to re-use it.

[David DeCristoforo]

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Lots of my turnings look like that.

[Jim Adkins]

Kathy.....stuff happens!! I echo the above statement, "at least Richard Raffan did it in a demo in front of a lot o turners" I guess just
chalk it up to experience and go forward. Nice meeting you at San Jose, enjoyed the Symposium very much. Thanks.