For starters, using a lathe is a little fun, a little hard on one's body and a little scary. There's a whole lot of shakin' going on! And I am no spring chicken. Secondly, these thin sticks take some finesse. As they thin out, you need a sharp tool to do the work for you, no pushing allowed. I am working at The Hub, and the tools seem a bit over used. So I switch to sand paper near the end. And then I get tired of standing there and just stop and bring it home to finish it. Which is kind of silly as it takes a lot longer to finish by hand!
Anyway, I am fairly pleased with the results. I've paired some whorls up with particular sticks in my etsy shop. How are these sticks different?
- They are a bit thicker than the ones I can buy, which I like~ they feel firmer in my hand.
- The 'flick area' is thicker. I am working on narrowing that.
- The centers are wider; the shape is not quite what I envisioned, but they're on the way!
- Some of them are shorter, which is also my preference.
- They can be notched for drop spinners more easily.
- They are not all the same. This means that specific whorls work best on specific sticks. I'll be working on getting things a bit standardized in future, though I like that they are not all perzactly the same!
- A little oil & beeswax finish is rubbed on.
- Right now I am working with poplar, but Urban Timbers just may be able to provide me with some locally saved wood. I love that idea!
