paul gerhold on tue 11 jan 11
" It is a poor workman that blames his tools"
Old expression my dad taught me when he first started teaching me the name=
s
of tools so I could hand them to him when working on some repair or other.
If your kiln missfires and you were not watching the firing it is your faul=
t
the work was ruined! If your electronic controller fails and you lose
production it is your fault because either you did not have a backup or
didn't know how to get around the controller and/or probably didn't need
that complicated a system to begin with.
"Better tools won't make better work"
Better tools may make work more efficient or save time but almost never
makes better work. The quality of your work is a result of your skill and
your artistry and your vision. A tool is just a tool. A better tool is not
a substitute for better skill.
"Given a choice pick the tool you can repair" Unless you are rich repairs
cost a lot of after tax money. I have fixed my own cars for 40 years at a
probable savings upward of 50K. Fix my own kilns. appliances, house etc.
Yes I could have been making pots instead of repairs but this would only
work if I had been selling everything I could make. Some years this
happened but most years not!
Just my thoughts-others may differ.
Paul
Lee on tue 11 jan 11
On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 9:25 AM, paul gerhold wro=
=3D
te:
> " It is a poor workman that blames his tools"
>
> Also, "it is a poor workman who blames his lack of tools."
>
> "Better tools won't make better work"
>
Not true. After my teacher did his Regis lecture and had his
show at NCC, many people here started doing rope impression, but not inlay.
I think there are 3 reasons:
Rope impression is strait forward, but inlay is somewhat complicated.
Inlay takes maybe 4 times more time than just rope impression.
Folks don't have the right tool for scraping the inlay.
Some techniques are simply dependent upon the right tools,
especially when you get beyond the basice techniques.
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he land
of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent within
itself." -- John O'Donohue
Vince Pitelka on tue 11 jan 11
Paul Gerhold wrote:
"Better tools won't make better work" "Better tools may make work more
efficient or save time but almost never
makes better work. The quality of your work is a result of your skill and
your artistry and your vision. A tool is just a tool. A better tool is not
a substitute for better skill.
Hi Paul -
I have not found this to be true in any field of hand-work. It is true tha=
t
better tools make better work only if the worker develops the skills to use
them, but for a skilled worker, better tools help to make much better work.
A skilled worker handicapped with poor tools is a very frustrated person.
Also, better tools make it easier to learn the skills, as compared to
struggling with poor tools. So, it is true that "a better tool is not a
substitute for better skill," but a better tool makes it easier to acquire
better sills.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
Arnold Howard on wed 12 jan 11
On 1/11/2011 6:18 PM, Vince Pitelka wrote:
> I have not found this to be true in any field of hand-work. It is true t=
hat
> better tools make better work only if the worker develops the skills to u=
se
> them, but for a skilled worker, better tools help to make much better wor=
k.
That is so true. An example:
A couple of years ago I was replacing a kitchen faucet. Have you ever
done that? You have to crawl under the sink and reach up behind the sink
with two hands to remove nuts. During this project I discovered a
special tool called a basin wrench that is designed just for this task.
Here is a story I wrote about it:
http://www.paragonweb.com/Kiln_Pointer.cfm?PID=3D314
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
Taylor Hendrix on wed 12 jan 11
Folks should see what some of us on this list can do with a quality tool.
You better believe there are times when a better tool makes all the differe=
nce.
I suppose it matters which comes first--the skilled workman or the tool.
I miss my chickens,
Taylor, in Rockport TX
wirerabbit1 on Skype (-0600 UTC)
http://wirerabbit.blogspot.com
http://wirerabbitpots.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirerabbit/
On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 8:26 AM, Arnold Howard wro=
te:
> A couple of years ago I was replacing a kitchen faucet. Have you ever
> done that? You have to crawl under the sink and reach up behind the sink
> with two hands to remove nuts. During this project I discovered a
> special tool called a basin wrench that is designed just for this task.
...
John Post on wed 12 jan 11
On Jan 12, 2011, at 2:25 PM, Taylor Hendrix wrote:
> I miss my chickens,
You probably need to use a bigger ax when you're chasing them. They're =3D
quick and easy to miss, especially when you're hungry. You know, right =3D
tool for the job and all.
Lee on wed 12 jan 11
On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 9:06 PM, Lee wrote:
> using my car once or twice a month to do all my errands (get clay,
> shop, etc) and start raising chickens.
I forgot a couple things: put a woodstove in the kitchen and studio,
build Steve Mills little wood kiln in my urban back yard.
Gasoline and oil will be the first to go, along with air
travel, unless we, the Japanese or Israelis perfect the fuel making
algae. We will have natural gas for some time and coal for
electricity. Cars can be shifted to electricity and hydrogen, but
incomes will be hit so hard that most folks can't afford them.
Check out the video:
http://www.postcarbon.org/video/225337-the-globe-s-limitations-how-peak-oi=
=3D
l
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Lee on wed 12 jan 11
On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Taylor Hendrix wro=
=3D
te:
> I miss my chickens,
Taylor, In public access cable, I watched a lecture by a fellow from
the Post Carbon Institute. We hit peak oil in about 2008. It was
pretty stunning. Made me realize: I need to do better with my
garden, help develop local money, ride my bike more, ride the bus and
light rail more, do the hydroponic window garden, learn to get by
using my car once or twice a month to do all my errands (get clay,
shop, etc) and start raising chickens.
You can see a short version of the lecture here:
http://www.postcarbon.org/video/225337-the-globe-s-limitations-how-peak-oil
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
paul gerhold on thu 13 jan 11
Arnold,
Just did one last week without a basin wrench. Probably done 4or 5 in my
life without one. Yes if I were a plumber I would spend the money but the
job comes out just as good without one.
Same with socket wrenches, Mine are just cheap craftsman tools but I have
rebuilt car engines with them. Yes, my mechanic friends make fun because
they all use snap-on wrenches. They need them cause they pull wrenches all
day and the finish is better on their hands. For that much money I don't
need the quality of tool and the job turns out just as good.
My antique Shimpo wheels throw pots just fine for what I need. Yes, if I
were doing 200 mugs a day I would upgrade and not suffer the quirks of an
old wheel but for my work the Shimpos are just fine.
I have a Ford club wagon with 340K miles that will still go to shows and I
can repair it.
Yes I agree if your tools are holding back your work a better tool will mak=
e
better work. But it won't make up for a lack of skill or artistic vision.
Face cream won't make you beautiful and 250 dollar sneakers won't make you
Michael Jordan!
"The tool will come when the craftsman is ready" There is a whole industry
called advertising devoted to convincing people that all they need to
accompllsh their hearts desire is to acquire the right object . No one will
ever look at your clay work and care in the slightest what the tool was you
used to make it (except maybe other potters) they will care about the
artistry and the functionality and all the really important things that go
into making a good piece.
Paul
Bonnie Staffel on thu 13 jan 11
Thanks for the biggest laugh I had today. (I miss my chickens)
Bonnie=3D20
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD=3DA0 Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD=3DA0 Introduction to Wheel Work
Charter Member Potters Council
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