I Keep On Learning

[Pete Jordan]

Being a teacher, I like to impart the knowledge to my students but with the lathe, she likes to be in control.


This time she taught me about speed. After using a torch to burn the top of this bowl, I was really starting to like the shape. Using the vacuum chuck was going great until I reached warp speed. The bowl hit the ways, danced in mid air like a cartoon character, and then landed in my hands. I liked the catch until I saw the bruised part!

Love to learn!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Pete - that is a great looking bowl! Sorry about the mishap but the bowl didn't break! Have any ideas about the bruised area?

[Jim Becker]

Bummer when that happens, but you know what? This one's not in pieces. Just carefully hand sand that "bruised" area to remove the gouges, even if that leaves you a small flatter spot with eased edges. That's now the "back" of the piece. :D

Oh, and that's one beautiful turning, Pete!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Pete don't ya just hate it when that happens. Especially when you are just putting the finishing touches on.

Great looking piece Pete. I really like the burnt edge. Nice job.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Pete, just wondering if you already have a finish applied. If not, I remember that dents can be removed by applying a damp towel over the bruised area and use a warm iron to heat the towel. Causes the wood fibers to swell back to normal. I have used this with 'flatwork' and I do know that it works. Please keep us informed as to what you decide to do.

[Ken LaSota]

Pete I feel your pain I had the same thing happen yesterday taking the bottom off of a tulip shape bowl. The last cut sent it flying and cracked the top in two places . Now it is a pencil cup.
Ken

[Nancy Laird]

Pete. Sorry about the bruise--you're just gonna have to teach your lathe to be kinder to your turnings. It's a nice-looking piece - just turn the bruise to the wall!!!

Nancy

[Jonathon Spafford]

What a beautiful piece... awesome shape and awesome rim! Too bad about the bruise... hope you can fix it! Let us know what happens!

[Dennis Peacock]

Hey Pete,

Nice piece you got there. One thing I've learned....the hard way of course, is to put a small wooden block over the pointed end of my live center and push that up against the piece I have mounted on the vac-chuck. I try my best to not remove the tail stock until the very last thing to be done before I call it a finished piece.

I started taking extra precaution because I launched one too many bowls from the vac-chuck. Now I loose none. :o

[Curt Fuller]

Pete that's a beautiful bowl! That burned edge really looks good on that particular piece of wood. You'll fix that bruise so that no one but yourself will even notice it.

Everything we make always seems to have some sort of defect somewhere. A long time ago I watched an old Native American woman weaving a pine needle basket and she said that everything needs to have a flaw somewhere to give the evil spirits a place to escape. I take great comfort in knowing that most of my things have a four lane highway in and out so that the evil spirits don't even need to slow down on their way out.