Hobbies / Books   (Gardening, walking, books, films, theatre etc.)

I find woodturning very relaxing ,especially when the finished piece is finally polished and waxed,showing the beauty of the grain.
The satisfaction felt is tremendous and of course the work is of interest to family and freinds . Maybe the mystery of not knowing what will come out of the garage next helps.

I think that for myself,the craft is the occupation I would have loved, instead of becoming a moulder. (although I did enjoy that job until the latter years).
I had a little experience as an apprentice with a centre lathe, but it didn't hold the same interest for me as does woodturning .
With metal turning the machine and the settings determine the shape and finish produced, as the tools are held firmly in one place.I am not decrying the trade as I know it is a skilled job.

In woodturning the tools are all hand held,(not including drills ) and the tools are manipulated by hand movements and body position . Finish, off the tool, is usually determined by tool positioning and the hand and body manipulations. The timber and the turners temper also play a part. even the way a tool is sharpened plays a big part.
Coupled to all this is always the possibility of producing some quite expensive exotic firewood.If too much is taken off, you cannot put it back on .
The original piece of timber can determine not only the size but also the shape of the finished article.
In closing I would say that a good woodturner can usually use the article good or bad,in some way in a future project ,and he or she is never beaten until all is left is a pile of shavings.