What percent of the time does it all come together?

[Wally Dickerman]

I've had lots of experience at making pieces that I didn't like after they were finished. A lot of them ended up in the trash. But that was mostly in the past. Today my success ration is pretty high. The difference is planning and not being in a hurry. Take the time to get it right. Too many turners mount a blank and just start turning and whatever happens happens.

Even though I've turned a lot of forms I have my favorites. Even so, I nearly always make sketches. Certain forms come easily, others not. A good example is the ogee form. Getting those curves just right can be difficult. When you do, the results are very satisfying.

During the turning of a difficult piece I always take it off the lathe to view standing up and also upside down. Good form is good form whatever angle it's viewed from. A little tweaking can make a real difference. I try to never say "that's good enough". If you can make it better do it. You'll always be glad you did.