Cutting Tapers and Curves
with the Skew
Learning to turn is a cumulative process. Each skill goes from being foreign and awkward to natural and obvious. When I was teaching myself turn balusters, I would perform the operations in the same order, each time. I would rough the leg… fine, size some parts… fine, then BAM, I’d screw up the cove. So I’d get out a scrap piece and work on coves.
By work on coves, I mean I’d turn 10 crappy coves, exploring technique and not making anything. Then I’d turn 10 more the next day….and on and on. Coming in fresh and letting my body learn the movements in a low stakes effort is how I learned. Soon, I could turn a cove. I knew what didn’t work as well as what did work. Then, I’d rough the leg… fine, size some parts…fine, turn a cove… fine, then BAM, I’d screw up the bead.
Out came the practice piece, and beads for days. Notice I said days, not hours. You learn very little exhausting yourself for hours, come fresh, come often. No one’s nervous system is built for hours of learning to turn. Practice for 20 minutes, it will add up faster. If you need to keep turning, mix it up, do things you’re better at and then return to your most recent challenge.
How you practice is how you will turn. If you white knuckle your way through screw ups while squeaking out usable, probably heavily sanded parts, you will turn that way. If you learn to be observant and kind to yourself while letting time and experimentation do it’s thing, you will become more comfortable and confident.
