Seer
Member
The following I borrowed from the Arizona Woodturners so I take no credit for it but it is so very true.
Jerry
I recently was told of the following experience: A fellow turning was showing his wares at an arts and crafts show. A woman approached his table and looking at the pens on the table proudly exclaimed "My husband could do that!" before turning and leaving his booth. The next day the wife returned with her husband in tow. Approaching the table she told him "I told this guy yesterday, YOU could do this!" He looked around the table and complimented the work.
He then asked "You do this on a wood lathe, right? $500-600?"
"Yeah, that's about right" replied the turner.
"You need tools, probably another $100?" Asked the husband.
"Probably $75-100 to get started." Was the turners reply.
"Probably turned a quite a few before you got a nice one?"
"Quite a few" said the turner "But I'm a slow learner, you could probably get a nice one quicker."
"Kits run about $8 each?" The husband clearly knew what he was talking about and the turner acknowledged that the price was in the ballpark.
The husband then turned to the wife and said "Yes dear, I can make one of those but the first one will cost you around $1000. Don't be so cheap, buy the man's pens!"
The moral of the story is that there's more that goes into a finished product than the amount of time spent working on that single piece. Experience counts just as much as the ticking of the clock.
Jason Clark
Jerry
I recently was told of the following experience: A fellow turning was showing his wares at an arts and crafts show. A woman approached his table and looking at the pens on the table proudly exclaimed "My husband could do that!" before turning and leaving his booth. The next day the wife returned with her husband in tow. Approaching the table she told him "I told this guy yesterday, YOU could do this!" He looked around the table and complimented the work.
He then asked "You do this on a wood lathe, right? $500-600?"
"Yeah, that's about right" replied the turner.
"You need tools, probably another $100?" Asked the husband.
"Probably $75-100 to get started." Was the turners reply.
"Probably turned a quite a few before you got a nice one?"
"Quite a few" said the turner "But I'm a slow learner, you could probably get a nice one quicker."
"Kits run about $8 each?" The husband clearly knew what he was talking about and the turner acknowledged that the price was in the ballpark.
The husband then turned to the wife and said "Yes dear, I can make one of those but the first one will cost you around $1000. Don't be so cheap, buy the man's pens!"
The moral of the story is that there's more that goes into a finished product than the amount of time spent working on that single piece. Experience counts just as much as the ticking of the clock.
Jason Clark
