I have been turning for about 7 years, and the more I turn; the more I experiment; the more I evolve as a turner. I
belong to a club in Florida and one in Vermont, and between the two clubs, there is a tremendous amount of experience and talent. Everything that I know about turning has come from the clubs, club mentors, and experimenting. As I evolve and grow, I find that I reach new levels in some areas, and I get stuck in other areas.

I don’t know how many times in the past I have made a few bowls of a certain type, and I have decided that I really like that style; that will be my signature bowl from now on. Shortly thereafter, I am working on a new project and I am heading in a new direction. That is evolution and it is all good.

The one area where I haven’t evolved is in the final pass with a gouge or sheer scraper. Some of my friends will make a nice clean cut that allows them to start sanding with 120, or 220 grit. Not me; I’m a sander. I almost always start with 80 grit, and sometimes 60. Sometimes I even do a little shaping with the sandpaper.  Most good turners would probably agree that this is not the proper way to finish the turning of a bowl, and I would agree with them. But for me, for now, it gets the job done.

I will say, however, that I have evolved as a sander. So many times I have completed the turning and sanding and I apply the first coat of finish only to realize that I can now see sanding marks or tool marks. You would think that I would learn after having that happen a couple of times, but it has taken me years, and I still miss the marks sometimes. I am doing better as a sander, but I still need to take my sanding to a new level. Most good turners would probably not consider sanding a skill, but I am going to go out on a limb and call it a skill that turners
need to develop. As I look at the work of fairly new turners, and sometimes not so new (including my own), I
often see room for improvement. Let’s stamp out sanding marks and tool marks and be the best sanders we can be.

Oh, and one more thing…………..I also need to work on that other final pass skill. Maybe I need to spend some time
with a club mentor who will likely tell me to use sharper tools, more speed, learn how to sharpen a negative rake
scraper, and just use the darn thing. I can do that.

Ted Beebe

Last modified: July 12, 2018