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It's probably human nature.......

Odie

Odie

Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
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Location
Missoula, MT
In the sports world, it's a common mode of thinking for managers to put otherwise good players who have bad moments, right back in the game......

I think this is true for me, and maybe a few other turners, as well. There is none of us who don't experience some failures from time to time. The reaction is to lose enthusiasm, and time spent at the lathe......some people will give up completely! It's probably not such a bad thing to take a break......but, we must "self motivate" to get right back into the game.

After following this sequence of events over, and over, and over again, I see the pattern.....and, it's easier to "self motivate", when you are guided by learned lessons that tell you to get yourself back into the game.

If you're going to move the cart......you need to be both the horse, and the driver, too......and, sometimes the driver needs to use his buggy whip.....:D.....that is, IF you're going to move the cart! ;)

-----odie-----
 
Yrs, but spend the time away thinking thru the problem.

Was it your error in tool presentation, mounting, tool choice, etc.

Was it the material.

Was it a machine problem.

Don't repeat the same problem again.

Think


Stu
 
Failure motivates toward success. Examples: 1. I knew a follow who manufactured mobile homes. Went bankrupt three times before making it and sold the business to a major corporation for a tidy sum. 2. Thomas Edison- "I know thousands of ways NOT to make a light bulb but one way to make one."
 
stu senator said:
Yrs, but spend the time away thinking thru the problem.
Was it your error in tool presentation, mounting, tool choice, etc.

Was it the material.

Was it a machine problem.

Don't repeat the same problem again.

Think
Stu
Click to expand...

Sometimes time away for me corrects unseen problems without even thinking about them. Struggling makes most people tense-- shoulders can go up, wrists and elbows firm up, and I sometimes catch myself with a death grip if I'm frustrated with a particularly difficult piece of wood . All anyone wants to do in that situation is keep trying. Sometimes just walking away for a few minutes to relax the upper body and clear the mind is all it takes.
 
odie said:
In the sports world, it's a common mode of thinking for managers to put otherwise good players who have bad moments, right back in the game......

I think this is true for me, and maybe a few other turners, as well. There is none of us who don't experience some failures from time to time. The reaction is to lose enthusiasm, and time spent at the lathe......some people will give up completely! It's probably not such a bad thing to take a break......but, we must "self motivate" to get right back into the game.

After following this sequence of events over, and over, and over again, I see the pattern.....and, it's easier to "self motivate", when you are guided by learned lessons that tell you to get yourself back into the game.

If you're going to move the cart......you need to be both the horse, and the driver, too......and, sometimes the driver needs to use his buggy whip.....:D.....that is, IF you're going to move the cart! ;)

-----odie-----
Click to expand...

Fess up, Odie. Were you motivated to post this because of a boo-boo (AKA, design opportunity)?

For the record, I am upholding my fair share of the longstanding woodturning tradition of producing challenging design opportunities ... not to mention the writer's tradition of overusing the present participle. :D
 
Bill Boehme said:
Fess up, Odie. Were you motivated to post this because of a boo-boo (AKA, design opportunity)?

For the record, I am upholding my fair share of the longstanding woodturning tradition of producing challenging design opportunities ... not to mention the writer's tradition of overusing the present participle. :D
Click to expand...

Well, sort of........I lost an expensive piece of wood, because of spalting that was too advanced. It was disappointing, but my next bowl is turning out as I'd hoped it would. My spirit is lifted again! :D

Not only that, but things were compounded when I got the news that the air conditioner on my truck will cost $900 to fix.....:mad:.....my mood was not favorable to this news! Living life close to the edge of financial collapse, as I do, the potholes in the road are more difficult to take......and, some of them threaten to be catastrophic! :eek:

In a way, my financial condition is a blessing in disguise......because, I can't afford to throw money at my passion for turning bowls. I'm forced by circumstance to be creative and innovative......and, spend more of my time in the shop! :D

In spite of it all.........life is good! :)

-----odie-----
 
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Like my Grandpa used to say about fishing, "If you aren't getting snagged up, then you aren't fishing where the fish are..." Probably aren't any turning mistakes I haven't made....

robo hippy
 
It’s all in the psychology of it - one can get depressed about a mistake or wrong decision and wallow in it or use it as an opportunity to learn - figure out the true root cause and correct it. I’ve had plenty of practice...
 
Odie I've always lived on the edge financially and it does take a toll sometimes. Fortunately I've had about 10 years of good health and good vehicles with very few surprises financially but I realize any of that can change any time which is why my wife and I chose to downsize. Hard to do on the shop (and she still doesn't think I downsized enough) :) We are much happier with nice neighbors, a much smaller low maintenance yard and house. The shop isn't done yet but probably will be in 3 or 4 weeks depending on how hard I work and how fast the people I'm contracting out will get their end done. It has zapped me artistically. I have wanted to make something so bad. Been to busy to even sketch out good ideas. Fortunately you guys keep me going.
 
odie, had the A/C fixed in the wife's truck. Cost $800 as it required tearing the whole dash apart and removing one seat for part of the wiring. The assembly cost $250 and only used a $3 plastic diverter door. My grandfather said- When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!
 
:One time years ago I had a Volkswagan Vanagon. The air conditoning went out. My usual mechanic said he didn't work on airconditioning so I took it to the VW place. They told me $300 (this was 30 years ago) I could not even remotely afford that so I took it back to my mechanic and asked if he would look at it. He called me the next day and said it was fixed. It was a loose screw. I never took anything back to that VW place.
 
John, dealers have a rate book that gives the time and cost for a repair. Had that happen at a dealer. Never asked questions to pinpoint the problem- just quoted a price. I had a Sears A/C unit that fit under the dash- remember those? Would ice up and have to turn it off to thaw. Took it to Sears and had it fixed in 5 minutes. Wires on the switch were reversed.
 
John Torchick said:
Bill, this was about 45 years ago. Bought it through Sears Auto Center which I don't think exists any more.
Click to expand...

I was just kidding and I believe that you are correct about their auto centers being a thing of the past.

We have a Montgomery Ward microwave oven that is getting close to celebrating it's fortieth anniversary and still works perfectly. I like its nice simple control panel without all the silliness like popcorn, baked potato, etc.
 
Bill Boehme said:
I was just kidding and I believe that you are correct about their auto centers being a thing of the past.

We have a Montgomery Ward microwave oven that is getting close to celebrating it's fortieth anniversary and still works perfectly. I like its nice simple control panel without all the silliness like popcorn, baked potato, etc.
Click to expand...
NOOO!!! Don't get John T started on old microwaves. He is the curator at the Free Curbside Microwave Museum of America.
 
odie said:
Well, sort of........I lost an expensive piece of wood, because of spalting that was too advanced. It was disappointing, but my next bowl is turning out as I'd hoped it would. My spirit is lifted again! :D

Not only that, but things were compounded when I got the news that the air conditioner on my truck will cost $900 to fix.....:mad:.....my mood was not favorable to this news! Living life close to the edge of financial collapse, as I do, the potholes in the road are more difficult to take......and, some of them threaten to be catastrophic! :eek:

In a way, my financial condition is a blessing in disguise......because, I can't afford to throw money at my passion for turning bowls. I'm forced by circumstance to be creative and innovative......and, spend more of my time in the shop! :D

In spite of it all.........life is good! :)

-----odie-----
Click to expand...
Air conditioning went in my van 3 years ago.. I bought some wood instead of repairing and just roll the window down in the summer.
 
Glenn Lefley said:
Air conditioning went in my van 3 years ago.. I bought some wood instead of repairing and just roll the window down in the summer.
Click to expand...

Now, that's being creative......guess you have to roll down the windows in the winter, too......to get rid of the smoke from your wood stove! :eek:

Nothing like having a little "pioneer spirit"! :D

-----odie-----
 
What Dean Center said. Rod builders use the low RPM motors to turn rods after epoxy is applied to keep it from drooping. I have a museum of MWO motors. There is a small charge for admission to see both of them. Cash only.
Bill Boehme said:
We have a Montgomery Ward microwave oven that is getting close to celebrating it's fortieth anniversary and still works perfectly. I like its nice simple control panel without all the silliness like popcorn, baked potato, etc.
Click to expand...
Bill, if it does quit, remove the cover and look for a fuse. It is surprising how many people toss a MWO when all that is needed is a new fuse.
 
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