What skill did you Master...

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dankerr1968

dankerr1968

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2016
Messages
19
Location
Wisconsin
Ok. I have been turning for about a year and love it. I can see lot of progress in what i do.

My question is to the seasoned vets of this hobby, what was the skill that you learned, the thing that you started to do, education that you got that really made your pen turning practice take a giant leap forward?

Was it learning a better way to finish? Learning to cast? Kitbashing? Something else?

Thanks for your input
 
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Putting up better lighting over the lathe made a big difference. Seeing the scratches made me finish better, since I tend to be a perfectionist. Nothing worse than a customer picking up a pen and focusing on sanding marks instead of the pen itself.
 
For me it really was about many small steps. I knew nothing about turning or even wood working when I started. Everything was new to me and everything was a learning experience. I got better at turning, better with individual tools, eventually learned to use a skew, better sanding process, better at squaring the ends, better finishing process and everything else.

I can't even say finally getting the CA finish right was the big step because I use other finishes on many pens.

All those small steps added up to the giant leap forward!
 
I can't say I've mastered anything. The only thing that's made me go forward is the Fun. I've learned many things over the past and probably things I've learned the most are things Not to do. If you enjoy what your doing you will want to do things better and move up to bigger things as well. I do realize this isn't a direct answer to your question but it's what keeps me going.
 
Learning to move the tool rest as my work shrinks in diameter to prevent chipping/blow out.

I stuck with using a pen mill instead of the sanding jig for far too long. I waited roughly 3mos of having it and not using it. That was a mistake. The jig has upped my game and reduced fractures of my blanks.

Also, wished I had switched to using a Beal chuck sooner to hold my mandrel, it is significantly more stable.
 
As mentioned by others it was small steps. Some 14 years ago I never turned on a lathe in my life. I was pretty fluent on woodworking as a whole though so it became a natural thing when I got started. I joined this site and as they say the rest was history. Learned the tools and learned the finishing techniques. Really had no problem picking them up. Then started into the segmenting end of the pool and that is when my design ideas started to kick in. I continue to grow though and will never say I know everything because that is impossible. I see things that I want to try and that is what keeps my ambition going. I do not like making the same things over and over. Loose interest real quick.

I do hope I have helped others along the way too and will continue to share my successes and failures as I continue to grow in this hobby. :smile:
 
Learned more about my skills and love/enjoyment for a finished product. Have not mastered anything...just keep trying to delivery consistency and maintain a certain standard. Safety first and keep that lathe humming.
 
The thing I've mastered since I've started turning, is that I know, that I haven't mastered anything. That's a good thing. There's always somebody out there that knows something that you don't. So that makes them a teacher, and as long as there are teachers out there, that means that you haven't yet mastered your skill.
 
1A. Learning how important a SHARP tool IS.
1B. Learning how to KEEP the tool sharp, and sharpen/hone a few times even during turning of a blank.
• I can turn wood in specific instances in which it is so smooth that I do not need to sand it. I learned that many skilled turners do this often.
• I ran into a situation in which I could not sand without causing major problems. My only recourse was to turn the wood so smooth that it did not need sanding. I didn't know if it could be done or if others had done this. After I learned how to do this, I learned that others (mostly bowl turners) often did this. BUT it required turning, honing, turning, honing, turning. It only takes 4 to 5 seconds to take a couple of honing swipes and get back to turning for 20 to 30 seconds then hone again. SHARP tools do magical things.

2. Use CALIPERS, not bushings - for sizing. Made a huge jump in fit and finish.

3. TBC Turning Between Centers - Letting go of the mandrel.
It was CA sticking to the mandrel and CA lifting on the ends when popping the blanks off of the mandrel that caused me to pursue the TBC back in 2006 or 2007. Never looked back.

4. Don't settle for "good enough". Make every pen to be the best it can be. Strive to increase your skill with each one. Even after 100 or 200 or 500. I am a learner with each blank.
 
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Getting the first 100-150 pens done. After that my entire family, friends, relatives, pets, neighbors, neighbors infant kids all had pens.

Then I could slow down without the desire to make 1-2 pens daily - or more if the time was ava.

I could take my time, refine my skills, develop a style I liked, and refine my kit choices and blanks to what I liked.

Finally, beginning to learn how to segment. I have no problem working on several different designs, taking 2-3 weeks to make several trials, then have something unique.

Finally, finally, getting out of the shop, being active in meeting, and talking to the members of our local IAP Chapter. I gained the combined skill and knowledge of 5-10 other penturners.

Have FUN!
 
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