After several weeks of downtime from shoulder surgery, I found that stepping up to the lathe again was somewhat daunting. Would the shoulder do what it was suppose too? I decided that maybe I should start off with the basics and ease back into it.
Meanwhile, several weeks ago, a friend asked if I could make wooden buttons for a sweater she was knitting. With the caveat of healing time taking precedence, I agreed. This would serve as an outstanding return-to-the-basics project. Spindle turning which transitions to face work would be the perfect project to practice with.
My friend had stated she wanted dark wood about 1.25 inches diameter. Otherwise no specification as to design was indicated. What to do? I decided to just have fun with it and turn a variety of designs for her to choose from.
I found that turning these was a really fun project. In a short period of time, I was able to produce several variations of design. The real challenge, of course, comes with duplicating any particular design. Nevertheless, I found it to be a great back to basics project and a good choice for a little woodshop therapy.
In preparing this project, I looked around the web at various hand made buttons. I was surprised to find there was a decent market for these. I imagine the problem turners would have is trying to stock both the right shape and design to meet the customers need. After all, I came up with a dozen designs just playing around. I don’t plan on trying to stock buttons, but if anyone out there needs some, just send me a note. I’ll be glad to make some to order.
This has become somewhat of a joke in my household. As a medic, I have a fairly large aide bag designed to treat significant traumas and yet when my wife asked for a band-aid, I did not have one.
Woodworking projects are much the same. When one first starts their hobby, the product of their work looks much like a growing puppy…awkward, lanky, and somewhat clumsy. With each new project we hone our skills and our work slowly becomes more professional looking. Likewise, in the early stages, our spouses and families often receive the lumbering works of our labor. With smiles and quirky looks they take them and proudly display them on the back of an out-of-the-way book shelf. With each improvement, our projects begin inching forward into more prominent areas of our family’s home.
Then one day, something happens. A stranger wants to buy our work! Cha-ching! We have arrived. Not yet a master, but still able to produce a professional quality product that a complete stranger not only wants to display in their home, but is also willing to pay a retail price for. Suddenly, that money pit of a hobby can begin paying for itself! The wheels and cogs begin to turn as we dream of the newest tool that can be added to the shop if only we can produce and sell x number of Willy Wally Widgets.
Word of mouth begins to spread. Before we know it, multiple strangers are placing orders for our various goods. Meanwhile, with every new order, our faithful spouses see fewer and fewer projects. Then it happens. Those words that make you realize you’ve been neglecting them, “When am I going to get my Willy-Wally-Widget?”
How did that happen?
For the hobbyist, balancing projects is a tough task. After all, our shop time is very limited. Often, this equates to less than 6 hours a week. Generally, woodturners can produce two or three projects in that time. However, if it is segment work or other woodworking forms, a single project may take several weeks on its own. Two or three big projects and all of a sudden, it has been months since we gave that love of our life a professional quality product.
The funny thing is that often times it’s just as simple to produce two as it is one. It takes longer to set up the saw then it does to run the cut. So why not run two? Produce one for that commissioned order, and one for that loving spouse or family member who use to cherish those awkward works of expressions we called a finished project? Maybe, at the end of the day, you’ll see that growing puppy smile that reminds you why you started your hobby in the first place.
Woodturning, as a whole, encompasses many different styles and avenues of approach. Turners can make writing pens one day and great big salad bowls the next. I have seen exquisite floor lamps where even the shade was turned from wood. There are peppermills of all sizes, vases, western hats, and an infinite number of projects to be turned. Often, I have come across a piece of work that makes me scratch my head and wonder, “How did they turn that?”
Full sized, wearable cowboy hat turned from cherry by
While all of these spark my curiosity as a jot them down into my “future projects” list, nothing captures my attention more than Segment Turning. It combines the fundamentals of woodworking with the art of turning. The results, for those with the patience and attention to detail, can be quite exhilarating or absolutely frustrating.
This closed segment piece was turned by Dennis Vallianos. See more of his turnings here
As with any project, segment turners start with a plan. However, unlike a drawing which clearly depicts the finished product, a segment plan looks more like an accountant’s spreadsheet. Each sheet is an organized jumble of columns, rows with a stream of numbers representing angles and distance for every single piece. The number of pieces used can be quite impressive alone. The bowl pictured at the top of the page, used 8 segments per ring and 8 rings for a total of 64 plus the base. I have seen others of equal size that encompassed over 250 segments. It is not uncommon for larger bowls to have thousands of pieces.
Often times, the segment turner will spend several hours or even days cutting, sanding, and gluing the wood before they ever think about the lathe. Each piece will pass across the table saw at least 2 times as a precise angle cuts are made. There is no rounding off numbers here. The pieces must fit together perfectly. Thus, the angles are often calculated down to the one, one thousandths (0.001). Then segments are glued together to form quarters, halves, and then full rings. The rings are planed and then stacked. All of this is done to create a rough blank which must be mounted on the lathe and turned to perfection. Though if you talk to a true segment turner, they can always relay a story or ten about how they glued up the perfect piece only to watch it explode on the lathe.
While segment turning predates the industrial revolution, many segment turners credit Ray Allen with shining a spotlight on Segment Turning. Ray brought the art to the front stage by creating a variety of wooden vessels ranging in size from a dime to one which he could sit inside of. After his death a biography of his work was written which not only showed his work but demonstrated his techniques and provided plans for beginners to start with. No Segment turners (and anyone with an eye for art) should not go without a copy of his book: Woodturning with Ray Allen: A Master's Design & Techniques for Segmented Bowls and Vessels
See Ray Allen’s work in this 4 minute video:
Meanwhile, Malcolm Tibbetts has a knack for creating pieces that make all who see them wonder, “How did he do that?” Malcolm published a book called, The Art of Segment Turning: A Step by Step Guide which also serves as a primary reference guide in my library (right next to Ray Allen’s book). No segment turner’s library would be complete without either Ray Allen or Malcolm Tibbett’s books. A gallery of Malcom's impressive pieces can be found here
A few years ago, Malcolm Tibbetts produced the following video which explains the process of Segment Turning.
Most woodworkers have probably heard of the Ryobi Table Saw lawsuit (March 2010) in which the plaintiff was awarded 1.5 million dollars. The premise of the lawsuit is that Stephen Gass, inventor of Sawstop, had offered a technology to Ryobi in 2002, which would have prevented the injury. Ryobi, for whatever reason, declined it (click here for the full article). thus making them liable for accidents which could have been prevented by the technology.
On February 3, 2011, USA Today reported that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is considering regulations requiring all table saws to have this technology (full article here).
For those not familiar with Sawstop and the flesh detecting technology, take a look at the video below:
First, let me say that I like the flesh detecting technology that Sawstop offers and I do not argue that Sawstop could and does prevent some injuries. I have never met someone who saw a demonstration of the product and said, “that’s a horrible idea.” I do, however, have several reservations about statements made by both Sawstop and the CPSC.
The CPSC states that ten people per day loose fingers to tablesaws. That means over 3600 people per year or 36,000 every ten years are loosing their fingers. The National Limb Loss Center reports that 133,725 people per year loose a limb(s). Of that, 97.5 percent are due to medical issues leaving 3,343 people per year. Furthermore, they report that 82 percent of those are lower limb amputations. That leaves 602 people per year, in the U.S.; loose an upper limb due to traumatic causes. Yet the CPSC statistic is 5 times that and is actually higher than all traumatic amputations combined! The math just does not add up.
Looking further into Sawstops information, I began to notice a trend. All they talk about is the safety of the saw. What about performance? After reading through various woodworker reviews including Wood Magazine, Woodworkers Guild of America, and Consumer Reports, the vote is unanimous that Sawstop performs at a five star rating making its performance comparable with other high end tablesaws (see the WWGOA review here). However, its price is far from comparable. Looking at the contractor’s table saw, the Sawstop model retails between $1600 and $1750 per unit. Meanwhile, other contractor tablesaws with similar ratings retail between $350 and $550.
Researching this, I found several times where Mr. Gass stated, “the price is nothing compared with the cost and lifelong pain of hand injuries”. While there is merit in that statement, it only goes so far. Commentators in support of Sawstop are quick to point out that when airbags were introduced, car prices increased. However, the difference in price between a Sawstop contractor’s saw and its performance equivalent is about $1100 dollars or a 300 percent increase. That would be like trying to justify selling a Honda Accord for $90,000 dollars just because it has an airbag! The market will not bear a three hundred percent increase in price of any product regardless of the safety ratings.
Currently, the Sawstop technology damages (often destroys) the blade. Along with the blade, one must also replace the brake cartridge. This combined cost is approximately $95 - $200 (depending on the blade quality). Now do not get me wrong. Most people would gladly pay that versus risking loosing their fingers. Keep in mind though, that cost is incurred every time the system activates. Sawstop admits that cutting green wood or metals may activate the system. Around the internet there are various reports of false activations. Given the already expensive price, can the home woodworker afford one or more false activations over the life of the saw?
With all the hype on the safety aspect of Sawstop, one may assume that their mission is to prevent injury. So the question that should be asked of Mr. Gass is, “Is it better have a high profit margin and a low sales volume or to have a high sales volume and a low profit margin?” I believe Wal-Mart has proven the later.
If the mission is to prevent as many injuries as possible I would think Sawstop would want to price their product line to be affordable to the woodworking community thus increasing the potential to prevent injuries and possibly save lives through volume selling. Instead they spend their resources justifying their prices against the cost of injuries (sawstop).
I find it interesting that Mr. Gass testified in the Ryobi case and petitioned the CPSC to regulate the industry. It is as if he is frustrated that no one wants to pay his prices and so he runs to the government in an attempt to force the woodworker into buying. It reminds me a lot of a child who is angry because nobody will play with him.
What is done is done. If the CPSC begins to enforce a safety mandate to the power tool manufacturers then I sincerely hope they are reverse engineering the Sawstop technology in hopes of developing their own versions. Given the recent Ryobi case and the hundreds of similar cases which have been filed since, I don’t think they have much of a choice in this matter. Should the US government begin regulating tablesaws manufacturing in the name of safety, either Mr. Gass’s greed will finally be fulfilled or he will be crushed by the competition as similar technology is introduced at lower prices.
The laws of supply and demand dictate pricing. It is probable that prices would come down as volume increases (much like flat screen TV’s). However if the bigger manufacturers do not give Mr Gass a reality check through development of their own technology, it is more likely that Mr. Gass will be in a position to dictate pricing of a proprietary technology. If you doubt that, just try to find a two hundred dollar I-Pad.
Flesh detecting technology has the potential to prevent significant injuries. I do not doubt that nor argue that point. My concern lies within the pricing the consumer is expected to pay and the manner in which Mr. Gass is attempting to force consumers to buy from him. I would think that he could make a stronger case for his product by approaching the insurance industry. After all, if a cabinet maker could reduce liability insurance by purchasing Sawstop, would that not be a significant benefit? Possibly one that would allow a recovery of the greed laden price he or she was forced to pay in the first place!
Until next time, I’ll be in the Vortex…
Kevin
What are your thoughts? What do you think of the technology? Do you own a Sawstop? If so, has it ever activated? If government mandates this technology, will you be able to purchase it?
A few months ago, my wife asked me to design and build a Steampunk pen. While I have made several pens over the years, in both wood and acrylics, I had not yet taken on such a complicated challenge. So much like the knitting needles that started this whole woodworking adventure I said, “Sure, I can do that.”
The quest began with research. I had a vague understanding of Steampunk so I needed to start there. Wikipedia defines Steampunk as, “ a literary genre which involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian eraBritain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy.“
Well that didn’t help much. So I began searching the net for all things Steampunk. First I went to Etsy, where I found lots of examples of Steampunk jewelry such as those made by Antige
A Computer Keyboard created by Jake Von Slatt. For more info click here
A Steampunk wheelchair built by Daniel Valdez
All these items provided great inspiration for a variety of Steampunk projects other than pens. So I asked the folks over at Penturner’s Paradise for some ideas. At that time there was not anything out there.
Like many projects, this one has rules:
1.1. No Acrylics
2. 2. Must combine wood and brass
3. 3. Material must have been available during the Victorian age
4.4. Must have gears and filigree.
5.5. The pen must work and feel good in the hand.
This was posing a greater challenge than I thought. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months as I still had not come up with a design, let alone a prototype for the elusive Steampunk Pen. Then one day Marla, and Brandon at Penturner’s Paradise posted their masterpiece:
Finally, Inspiration is upon me! The masters have shown me the way. Their products are outstanding and functional works of art. However, there was one issue. They chose to work in acrylics which for my quest would not work.
Their process and their end products are superb and have provided me a foundation on which to build upon. The creative juices began to flow as I devised a plan for Holly’s Steampunk pen. I have the plan. I gathered the parts. Then, shoulder surgery reared its head. So the quest is unfinished. As I type this, my left arm is in a sling. The pen will have to wait a few more weeks. But the process has already begun.
So, in a couple of weeks my arm will no longer be tied to my body and the quest can be finished at last. Stay tuned for the results. In the meantime, check out Marla’s blog athere
Have you made a steampunk project? Are you planning one? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
Kevin
For those who still do not understand Steampunk, take a look at Ben Lovett’s music video which epitomizes Steampunk.
