What's next

[john lucas]

OK so the AAW symposium is over. Or you can think of it as any symposium. What are you going to do now. Did you get inspired. Do you plan to do new work or just work harder on your old work. Are you going to start a new series. Are you going to try a new tool or new technique with the old tool. How about sharpening. Anything new or just the same ole thing.
I'm going to work on a series I started about 10 years or more ago with my pregnant goblet. I had made some other sketches of ideas but it requires bending wood tighter than wood wants to bend. Well now I have some compressed wood that is designed to be bent so I can't wait to try it out. I actually bought it 2 years ago but life got in the way so I was only able to do a little experimenting with it. It's time to pull it out and see if it will do what I sketched those many years ago.
I also plan to work on another series I started years ago as well as a new direction on some segmented work. In other words I have a lot planned I just have to figure out how to get the time to get going on them.
I was fascinated by the guy who turns cardboard. May be a project around the corner using that medium sometime.
Got to spend some time talking with Robo Hippy (Reed Gray). He said he has been experimenting with sharpening fluid to clean and maintain CBN wheels when you grind carbon steel tools on them. I bought some at the symposium so I'll give that a try. I've been keeping my Aluminum Oxide wheel on one side of my grinder to sharpen the occasional non HSS tools that I have. If this works I'll get rid of it and put CBN on both sides of the grinder.
so tell me what your up to and has a symposium or classes inspired you.

 

[hockenbery]

What Great timing,
I just got a note from Jeff Brockett regarding some work to do for the Kansas City schedule.

We had dinner Friday with some visiting turners the only turning we talked about was the Jason Schneiders cardboard bowls and furniture. I may have to turn a little cardboard bowl. Just looked like fun and a mess too.

I'm probably going to do more with the sandcarving. But got a few ideas at the symposium that may show is in a future work.

Al

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

New ideas from Yann Marot on the angle of approach . As far as projects , I do not sell my work and I have 15 projects in stages from finishing the bottom to applying finish . In addition maybe twice that many ideas for projects from chess sets to bowls for widows at church. Ok maybe I make plans too far ahead, but at least I will still something to do til I die......in maybe 20-30 years.
Oh yes there were other projects such as laminations from Frank Penta which I bought some products to do. And maybe a Jason Breach curved box.

 

[robo hippy]

Almost all of my turning has been oriented to plain and simple bowls with no ornamentation at all, well, other than warping. Thinking about 'expanding my horizons' but not my belt...

robo hippy

 

[Hy Tran]

Going to attempt some boxes. Perhaps not quite as nice as Jason Breach's or Steve Kennard's, but going beyond cylindrical, and will try getting a tight lid finish turning with the box as the jam chuck. The idea of moistening the wood to get the joint tighter (temporarily) is really neat. (Also, using a tight-grained wood for the box. One of my first box attempts was in elm, which is a very open-grained coarse wood).

Also going to attempt the lidded vessel from Mark Baker's demo in the 2015 symposium, and some of Nick Cook's functional items (the mystery salt shaker, for one).

Things that I will not attempt to do: Jerry Kermode's "repairs" of blanks. Love the result, have no guts. Likely will not do hollow forms for a while.

 

[Bill Bulloch]

I'm going to try some of the Gilding and Patina that David Marks does. He made it look so simple in his demos and on his DVD. Start up is a little expensive, but what the heck, it's only my kids inheritance.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I guess I fall in the after any symposium....John, I do think that is as good of time to reflect as any and reflection is good. I am still enthusiastic with the calabash zia series. the forms and series before very much depended on the piece of wood chosen to excel or be adequate.........I have never been one to like for myself something a crow would take back to his hideout, so will continue to use subdued color.....but there will be color, I like brown and round, but really need the color....just to experiment with the appeal. the form will continue with the calabash jar....I really like it. I have a couple of ideas for pieces just need to do it....its has much more planning and using sketches than the pieces I have done before..... without pieces, just chunk turning.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

As for me, I'm going to wish I could have gone to the Atlanta symposium. :mad:😀

And for sure going to go to Kansas City. Hope I don't have to hitchhike. Hope I don't have to hitchhike. Like Bill says up above, it's only my kids inheritance.

Hy, you might really enjoy working with the African Blackwood. It's beautiful stuff to t you might really enjoy working with the African Blackwood. It's beautiful stuff to turn.

 

[Joe Greiner]

Frank Penta's projects on laminated platters convinced me to try something like that, probably a little more ambitious - several stages of cutting and gluing from material on hand. Final assembly later today (Wednesday). Possibly turn this weekend.

Joe

 

[Hy Tran]

As for me, I'm going to wish I could have gone to the Atlanta symposium. :mad:😀

And for sure going to go to Kansas City. Hope I don't have to hitchhike. Hope I don't have to hitchhike. Like Bill says up above, it's only my kids inheritance.

Hy, you might really enjoy working with the African Blackwood. It's beautiful stuff to t you might really enjoy working with the African Blackwood. It's beautiful stuff to turn.

Mark,

I have 4 or 5 "defective clarinet bell blanks" of African Blackwood, which I'm saving up for when my skills are better. Raindrop shape eventually, I think, because of the shape of the bell blank.

I suspect Oak would not make good boxes. How about Walnut? I can get a lot of walnut easily in NM.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Hy,

Mark,

I have 4 or 5 "defective clarinet bell blanks" of African Blackwood, which I'm saving up for when my skills are better. Raindrop shape eventually, I think, because of the shape of the bell blank.

I suspect Oak would not make good boxes. How about Walnut? I can get a lot of walnut easily in NM.

Hy,

Walnut is very nice in my opinion. I did a gavel for a friend of mine and he had a ton of the stuff that he didn't know what to do with and he gave me a bunch. Anyway, I've used oak, ash and almost any wood with pretty good success. Cherry and maple I find make nice boxes too. but I'll bet there are many, many turners on this forum with more insight than I have. What I like about ash is the prominent grain, which to my mind lends itself to coloration with grain lines that "pop".

Love the clarinet bells. I have some from the Pittsburgh symposium. Don at Rubber Chucky had a ton of them at a great price (by the way, a really good guy - Al Hockenbery introduced us). That raindrop shape like Steve Kennard does is possibly my very favorite shape. I've also made a couple of "bean pots" with the clarinet bell. If you think "upside down" with the clarinet bell you have a nice opportunity to make some nicely shaped objects with a concave curve. I've made a couple and my dearly beloved has been very happy with them.

 

[john lucas]

I also have a couple of clarinet bells. My son played clarinet so some day before too long he's going to get one as a gift. I'll probably do some metal spinning and add some pewter accents and if I find a broken clarinet somewhere I may put some other metal pieces on it. I make boxes from just about any wood. I don't think there is a bad wood to use unless you want to put threaded lids on.