Note – This post is from our newsletter archives. It was the President’s message by Pat McCart from the March, 2009 issue of Chips & Shavings.
I was recently explaining the markings on the bottom of a highly figured spalted maple bowl with stone inlay to a coworker who remarked that I had a story for each piece that he had seen me turn. That is when I had one of those wow moments to which I stated that I probably had at least a half a dozen for each piece that I had ever turned, some pieces have even more.
When you consider all the steps that go into turning an item worthy of display it should not be a surprise to me that many of lifeʼs little stories would become imbedded in that bowl.
Stories like, where did you get the wood? Buy it or get it free? Cut it green or starting to punk out? What shape. Where did it go? What tool to use? Is it sharp? What cut? How much? How thin? What shape now? What finish? Who is it for? What piece is next?
If you have a favorite story about a piece of wood, and your journey with it into a turned item and on, let me know.
