Hyperfocus of the Week: Woodturning

Another Sunday is easing its way into sunset and today it really is a sunny day. Much of the week was dreary, but only weather-wise. 

I started a new series of woodturning classes this week. I’ve done a couple bowls before, but this class delves into different mounting and turning styles. Tuesday’s class could have gone better. 

Madrone/a local tree with some beautiful color possibilities, especially around knots and crotches (the area where a branch meets the tree) is a bit finicky when it’s fully dry. Mine was extra finicky—or extra dry. By the time I got my blank nice and round it had already come off the lathe twice, once into my face mask and once into my mentor’s. That’s why one wears face masks and there was no harm done, but we gave up on using the screw method and resorted back to a face plate. 

Because I am always more interested in following my vision rather than my skill level I had to learn a few new turning cuts which might have been better learned on a wet fruit wood. My friend Lynn was keeping an eye on me and kept chuckling as I had to turn out catches and end grain messes. “Just more chances to practice!” Became my mantra every time something went wrong. 

At the end of four hours I had just gotten my bowl the shape it wanted to be and went to do an edge push cut with my bowl gouge—and put a pretty catch right in the middle of my curve.

“Just another chance to practice,” Lynn offered.

I’ll hopefully have pictures of my completed bowl next week, but for now it’s waiting for me on the lathe at Red Door Studios. So here is another pic from my garden instead!

Wednesday I popped over to my friend Crystal’s shop for open hours to start working on a needle case to match my pin cushion vase. I’ve been encouraged to apply for a Women in Turning scholarship and my application “project” idea is to examine the symbiotic relationship between wood turning and fiber arts in a historical context. ( I spend A LOT of time researching historical spinning and fiber arts tools as well, but that deserves a post of its own). My goal was to get started on a walnut needle case to match my pin vase. 

Spoiler alert folks, you can have the same variety of wood with very different color and grain results. So I am going to have a co-ordinating set of hand sewing implements. I got a nice start on the needle case before having to run and pick up Violet from school and might have finished in on my own, except my chuck (the clamp thing that holds wood in place on the lathe) was a bit big for the tenon I cut to fit Crystal’s. Note to self, bring ALL my own equipment along…I managed to get some work done at home in my pen jaws but finally gave up. Project TBC. 

Something I’m learning about wood turning—and other things I have a natural bent toward—is that no matter how good you are under supervision, until you can replicate your skills independently you are still a beginner. 

Saturday was the monthly wood turning club meeting and I got to show off my pin vase in the “show and tell” section. It made me nervous to have all these experienced pros examining every nook and tool mark, but they were all gracious. Wood turners are generally a lovely bunch of people who are so excited to share their wisdom and knowledge. Violet officially joined the club and was met by a thrilled crowd—seeing as I am one of the youngest people in the crew by at least a couple of decades, a real live teenager is basically a unicorn come to call. 

After Mother’s Day weekend and all the concerts and craziness of last week, I didn’t have a lot of energy to write, but it was nice to have something to direct my creative energy towards. Back to writing tomorrow—I have two chapters to finish—but I won’t be setting my bowl gouge down any time soon. 

Happy Writing!