Читать книгу Ellsworth on Woodturning - David Ellsworth - Страница 7

Every book must have a beginning and an end. The end part is easy; you just stop when you run out of things to say. The beginning is more difficult. My style of writing has always been to first set a stage, then introduce the characters and see how the whole thing plays out. This might sound a bit theatrical, possibly even time-consuming. But then, context is important, even in a book about technique.

So, I begin with a discussion on working with green wood and dry wood. Regardless of what we make, the techniques we prefer, or the tools we select, it’s the material that binds us together: wood. If this were a book about ceramics, I’d have likely found an embankment on a lonely road somewhere in Utah where I could praise digging out the best stoneware clay…never mind.

A few other things come to mind…

The reader will soon discover I am instinctively and intentionally low-tech in my approach to making things. This includes most of my tools and many of my methods. And, while I certainly applaud the wonderful gadgetry developed for turners over the years, I am also a great advocate of using your own natural instincts and common sense to solve problems. Instincts are one of the few things left in life that can’t be purchased with a keystroke and a credit card, so I consider them worthy of preserving.

Secondly, I believe in breaking rules, or making up new ones, especially when it comes to the classic “rules of woodturning.” So, if you find yourself in a quandary over why I do things one way when other turners do them other ways, consider it a good thing. If we all followed the same path, I suspect our work would end up looking very much alike and we’d all be bored with turning wood instead of being excited. All I ask is that you remain open to all methods. See which ones work best for you.

David Ellsworth, Production work—Salt, pepper, and sugar shaker set, 1976. Walnut and zebrawood; left and right, 2¼" high x 2¼" deep; center, 2" high x 5½" deep.