What to do with finished projects

[Jim Young]

As I was placing my latest bowl on the mantle my wife made a commoent along the line of how many more bowls are going there. It got me thinking about future bowl placement. Just wondering what all the non professional turners are doing with their projects. I haven't started to give away my bowls yet as I don't think they are good enough to leave the house. Then I will start sending them to family, but will only want to see so many. What after that? Do I build (yes, I do flat work too) a shelf or cabinet for them? Maybe by that time I will have to start selling them at shows.

[Jonathon Spafford]

Do I build (yes, I do flat work too) a shelf or cabinet for them?

Oh no you don't! You TURN a shelf. Make a big platter, cut it in half, and you got two shelves. Remember! Flatwork tools are only storage benches for your lathe equipment! :D

[Jim Becker]

I keep the ones I really like in purpetuity...keep the additional very nices ones on display, but available for gifts when appropriate and find, umm...other uses...for those that are not historically significant and, umm...are ugly. (You don't throw your first bowl into the wood stove...but the second and third are fair game!)

[Neal Addy]

Never had that problem. I just kick 'em out of my path as I walk through the house. :D

The long-term answer, of course, is to get her to start turning bowls. No... that won't work. "Honey, I really need you to build a few displays for *my* bowls". Bad idea. More work for you.

[Mike Ragsdale]

As I was placing my latest bowl on the mantle my wife made a commoent along the line of how many more bowls are going there. It got me thinking about future bowl placement. Just wondering what all the non professional turners are doing with their projects. I haven't started to give away my bowls yet as I don't think they are good enough to leave the house. Then I will start sending them to family, but will only want to see so many. What after that? Do I build (yes, I do flat work too) a shelf or cabinet for them? Maybe by that time I will have to start selling them at shows.

A local turners club in our area sells their works at shows and where ever they can using the proceeds to donate to charitable organizations like Toys for Tots. That plus the beautiful work these hobbiest do almost always keeps the shelves less than full.

Mike

[Gary DeWitt]

That's a slippery slope, Jim. I know an older turner who also collects turning, he has built display cabinets that now fill the small dining room in his house, and spill out into the living room. His wife passed, but if she were still around, I'm sure he couldn't have that many cases!
Our church has a craft sale each year in November to raise money for various projects. You could donate some of your turnings to your local church and benefit the poor.
Our turning club solicits donations each year for the auction they hold at the Christmas potluck. They raise enough money from that and wood sales (donated KD wood from a furniture manufacturer) that they don't have to charge dues!

[John Shattuck]

There's one advantage of pens; my wife just clips them to a ribbon along the front of her desk. When she had about a hundred of them, I culled the older/less interesting ones into a box, because there was no room for the new ones.
Maybe I should start turning pen holders...
John

[Glenn Hodges]

Jim, if you would like to try selling them go to a small school or church arts and craft show. Pricing them to low will devalue your work. You can have a lot of fun talking to people about how you make them, and you will meet a lot of people interested in your work.

[Mark Pruitt]

Never had that problem. I just kick 'em out of my path as I walk through the house. :D

The long-term answer, of course, is to get her to start turning bowls. No... that won't work. "Honey, I really need you to build a few displays for *my* bowls". Bad idea. More work for you.
Folks, it just doesn't get any better than that! ROFLOL!!!

Jim, SWMBO has been on my case about the same thing. She just doesn't realize how many nooks and crannies I can find to stick a turned project.;)

[Frank Kobilsek]

Jim,

Use them! Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Frank

[Stephen Hibbs]

I've given lots away as presents and such, but that just leaves me with the ones I don't like enough to give away. I think I'm gonna try to sell some at the end of the summer though, until then they are in a little pile in the corner of my room.

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

i don't much of a collection started, yet. but, i intend to give a lot of my work away as gifts to family and friends - at least the items that i will be proud to offer.

as we have gotten older, my sisters and i no longer exchange birthday and christmas gifts. i think something that is a one-of-a kind, handmade item will make a nice exception to the rule.

beats getting "bob evans" gift certificates in your christmas stocking! :D

if someone (other than family) sees my work and they want me to make something for them, then i may consider selling my work. i can use my gifts as promotional items, in that respect.

my local club also participates in shows. i may bring some of my items to show to see how they are (or aren't) received.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jim, the newer 'good' stuff is on display - the older stuff is stacked up in the basement. I do give some of it away to family but a lot of the items I have are 'beginner' pieces and while the wife likes them - I prefer to only part with items that I think are 'pretty good'. I figure anything that I give away or sell may lead to future sales and I want items out there that I can be proud of.

Course what that means is I have a 'few' items in the basement that I have no idea of what to do with at this point. I know that at some point I will have to clean out what I consider to be 'beginner stuff' just to make room for current projects.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I give a lot of mine away as gifts to family and friends. I also give alot of them to the church for like there fall festival raffle. I also give a bunch to our youth group to sell and when they do fund raisers such as this March they are having a auction to raise funds so they can go to the youth convention in Ohio. I have donated 6 or 7 pieces to that. They make pretty good money and are very apprecitive. Makes me feel good to be able to help the youth.

[George Tokarev]

Course what that means is I have a 'few' items in the basement that I have no idea of what to do with at this point. I know that at some point I will have to clean out what I consider to be 'beginner stuff' just to make room for current projects.

If you're like most, the "beginner" stuff is thick enough to turn again with your new-found skills. Of course some of the pieces have to have weights put in them when you go out sell 'em, because there's hardly enough to hold them to the shelf with any wind.

Good reason to give SWMBO as to why you won't burn what you may re-turn. I've even re-chucked and just turned the finish I didn't like off of some. Three sitting on the shelf by the furnace now awaiting that treatment, or the other.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks George - I will keep that in mind!

[Curt Fuller]

There is a "nature center" near here and my daughter works there. Every year they have a big black tie fundraiser called the "Wildwood Bash". It attracts some of the wealthy and very generous people in the area and a lot of others that just enjoy nature. With it there is an auction where people donate everything from dinners to trips and I donate woodturnings. For some reason, probably because woodturnings seem to be have a natural look to them, they always bring in some pretty good money. Usually way more than anyone would shell out if the were just buying it outright. It brings in some money for the nature center and makes me feel good that my work sold for so much, even though the buyer was mainly going for the tax deduction.

[Joash Boyton]

easy;) sell them:D

[John Hart]

Personally, I still have an aversion to selling the things I make because they possess so many learning-curve related errors. Nevertheless, I keep them because I like them for one reason or another. I have two garbage bags full of vases, bowls, and other vortex items that need to go someplace. In the spring, I'm building a library in a section of our new house and designing the area to accomodate some of these pieces. There still won't be enough room, so we're gonna rotate....on a 90 day basis. This will keep the decor ever-changing and keep reminding me of humble beginnings as my skills improve. (IF they improve:o )

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Jim, between my wife, daughter, son in law, two sons and their ladies and my sister, I can hardly keep up. I have a big built in book shelf in the game room that my wife has dedicated to my turnings but it only has room for about one or at the most two more. I guess I'll have to break down and get into the selling end of things. I just don't feel my stuff is good enough yet but I am working on getting the quality there.:)