The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource

Ed Weber WR Administrator WR Patron Offline Posts: 8,939 Wilton California USA Gender: JET 1642 Grizzly G0584	What's your style? Aug 9^th, 2021 at 8:59am Do you have a certain style? Do you use only certain woods, do you always use a certain finish? Are you know as "the pen guy" or "the bowl guy" Do you find yourself drawn to a certain style over and over again? Have you purchased tools specific to one type of item? If you sell, do customers ask for certain items? So, what's your style?
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Grant Wilkinson WR Addict Offline Posts: 783 Ottawa Ontario Canada	Re: What's your style? Reply #1 - Aug 9^th, 2021 at 3:55pm I'm known as the "guy who will turn pretty much anything that he gets for free" guy. Frequently, as the "guy who can blow up pretty much anything" guy. On a somewhat more serious note, I really have no style. Maybe that's why I don't sell anything.
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Ralph Fahringer

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I'm the "Burly" Man!!

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Ellsworth
Maine
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PM3520b

Re: What's your style?
Reply #2 - Aug 10^th, 2021 at 9:19am

What I turn and what sells is pretty much a simple, clean line with a continuous curve up the outside...a continuity of line. Something you can feel when you hold it.
It also tends to feel soft due to the smooth finish.

People like to hold them and fondle them...as weird as that sounds.

They then pay me a good amount of money for the privilege of fondling it in the privacy of their home. Shocked

Bowls and vases that I like to consider leaning more towards art then function...tho all are quite functional.

I have done lidded boxes but only 4...so far.

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« Last Edit: Aug 10^th, 2021 at 9:19am by Ralph Fahringer »

Originality is the art of concealing your source.

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Ed Weber WR Administrator WR Patron Offline Posts: 8,939 Wilton California USA Gender: JET 1642 Grizzly G0584	Re: What's your style? Reply #3 - Aug 10^th, 2021 at 10:00am Ralph Fahringer wrote on Aug 10^th, 2021 at 9:19am: What I turn and what sells is pretty much a simple, clean line with a continuous curve up the outside Are you saying you're Ralph classic as far as what people do with their purchase in the privacy of their own home, well I'm not going to touch that one, so to speak.
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robo_hippy

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Eugene, OR
USA

Re: What's your style?
Reply #4 - Aug 10^th, 2021 at 10:21am

Well, other than hollow forms and pens, I just turn what I like, which is mostly daily use bowls, plates, and platters. I do some boxes and rolling pins as well. I need to do more boxes. Love them, but they are time consuming, mostly because I haven't turned nearly as many of them as I have bowls....

Seems like if a bunch of people are asking for a certain thing and I make it, by the time I make it, they don't want it any more.....

Different woods seem to sell differently. Walnut, which I don't turn any more, sells in phases. Some times I can't keep it on the shelf, and some times I can't give it away... Same with lidded boxes, but boxes always seem to sell.

Spheres seem to sell the same way. Have to be careful with them around kids and jugglers. Contact juggling, where they roll the ball all over their body is popular, and if you have a large population of jugglers at a show, they want to use the larger spheres for contact juggling.... If you drop it, you buy it!

Planning a couple of box turning videos....

robo hippy

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Mike smith WR Noob Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 13 Rockler Mini lathe	Re: What's your style? Reply #5 - Aug 10^th, 2021 at 7:25pm I am still figuring out my style, since I am new to turning. I sell lots of functional items on my etsy store, but I am starting to experiment with more pieces that are more creative and less functional.
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Lee Bihm

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Denham Springs
Louisiana
USA
Gender: male

Jet1221VS

Re: What's your style?
Reply #6 - Dec 27^th, 2021 at 3:08pm

Can’t say that I have a style. Most often I just start turning with a basis shape in mind and end up with a bowl when the chips stop flying.
I don’t have a favorite wood yet, just been turning for a year now, but I have turned 28 different spices of wood so far.
Just like Ralph, people love to fondle my bowls. I’ve noticed that they always turn them over to look at the bottom so, I make sure that I finish the bottom of a bowl just like the rest of it.
I did my first farmer’s market the other weekend and made almost $2000. I guess that people like the things I make.

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Steve Doerr

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Wood is one of God's hidden /> /> canvases.

Posts: 837

Joplin
Missouri
USA
Gender: male

Rikon 70-050VS
Jet 1642 EVS 2HP
Robust American Beauty

Re: What's your style?
Reply #7 - May 10^th, 2022 at 8:24pm

We do about 14 shows a year (April thru Nov). My wife and I both turn. She turns pendants, NE bowls, and does some Jo Sonja iridescent painting on some small bowls and wide brimmed bowls. I turn large bowls, HF, and shields (wall hangings). We encourage people to pick anything up and to fondle them--we promise there will be no lawsuits. We tell people that our bowls are food safe and look really good with M&M's in them. We have people tell us all the time that they have one of our M&M bowls. A lot of my HF are very rustic (lots of bark inclusions and voids). My shields appear to be broken or destroyed in battle--the broken edge is actually the outside of the burl.

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Dave Richards Full Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 56	Re: What's your style? Reply #8 - May 11^th, 2022 at 7:27pm Beautiful work and what a nice display of those gorgeous pieces. If you are going to be at AAW I hope we can meet.
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Steve Doerr WR Addict Offline Wood is one of God's hidden /> /> canvases. Posts: 837 Joplin Missouri USA Gender: Rikon 70-050VS Jet 1642 EVS 2HP Robust American Beauty	Re: What's your style? Reply #9 - May 11^th, 2022 at 7:52pm Dave, thanks for your kind words. We will not be at AAW this year. We will be in Alaska during that time. Enjoy the symposium.
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