Thoughts of a turner facing his final days spinning [OT]

[Larry528]

[Operators, humor me a bit, this may be OT, but it is turning related]

[ posters sidenote - I dont venture into the basement much, but early this weekend I posted about being informed Friday have I have Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. I have been told its a terminal illness and while I will start chemo this week, I also know its just like a motor being turned off, its just slowly freespinning to a stop.

This post doesnt need to be taken as a melodrama. We all go, its just that for me, I have benefit that most here dont. My dad facd a similar sentence back in 1994, his was a different cancer, but the outcome was the same. I agree with what my dad told me then, he said, "I am the luckiest man alive. I can get my affairs in order, I can lay as seemless path for my wife as is possible, making decisions about all those details often left to the survivor in an instant." I agree with him, I am lucky. So dont take this as melodrama. Look at it as a comedy, I will not post of the dark side of life, but on the humorous side from someone seeing clearly the path no one, not even myself, willingly wants to take, but having found myself on it, I will make the best out of it. Humour helps the medicine go down.
As I am facing the future, I get all kinds of interesting perspectives about life, lathes and lessons to be learned. Here is todays.......]

A funny thought came to me as I was taking advantage of nice weather to be turning today (life has to be taken as being funny, cause its too darn serious if it isnt). I still have problems with the scraper for final cleanup on the inside of bowls. I did final turning on 6 bowls this weekend, and I still slap myself when I get a less than perfect finish cut. Like digs and tearout at that point between down and up (the transition point) and the needing to go back and smooth it up all over again. So the funny thought was, I wonder if I will ever get this down. I mean, its not like I have a lifetime to get it right. Well, I do have a lifetime, but its shorter than most other turners lifetime. So I dont fret about it. I just get out a new abralon disk, slap it on the holder and take an extra 5 minutes to make it good. I also dont have to worry about using up the supply of sand paper, abralon, Watco, nitrile gloves and the rest of those disposables. I used to use nitrile gloves until the fingers poked through, about one every two weeks. I think I used one pair this week alone.

So I still am trying to advance my skills, I know that there are some turners out there in the giant lathe shop out beyond the horizon that will show me the better way if I dont get it done right here. They may even be able to clarify what MMouse says from time to time that I frankly have to pause and think about. He has forgotten more than some of us ever learned. Bending my hands making a mental image of how the tool approaches the wood, how forces and newtons laws and the role of physics plays in woodturning. I hope to continue to glean keen skills on the craft. Hey, I may be dying but I can still learn and I am not dead yet.

I wonder what kind of lathes they have there. I hope its more than just trendle lathes. Surely Rude Osolnik has gotten at least some older style 3520 powermatics.

[Rodneywt1180b]

I'm very sorry about what you're going through. I have stage 4 melanoma that I've been fighting now for almost 2 years. It'll be 2 years in March since I was diagnosed. My outlook isn't as grim as yours though. So far it hasn't spread beyond my left leg and there are some new treatments that are nearing release for it. I haven't had to have the same talk with my Dr. or family that you have.
It looks like you're taking things far better than I would even though I've had plenty of time to think about it.
Keep positive and keep turning. I firmly believe continuing to learn and having goals helps.
If there's anything I can do for you let me know.
Rodney

[Acorn]

Larry, I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I wish you the best for your treatment. I think you've got the right attitude for sure, keep positive.

I'm a beginning turner and can't help you with tearout issues. I'm keeping 3M busy turning out sandpaper but that doesn't particularly bother me. I would expect there may be a turner in your neighborhood who could stop by and give you a pointer or two.

Thanks for your post and may God bless.

[Blaine]

Larry,

I saw your post in the basement. This one is different.

Your attitude is refreshing. Mindful of your future, but not fatalistic. Taken that way, the humor is evident.

My father went through a similar fate. His original prognosis was 3-9 months, so he got himself right with his finances, family, and God. He passed away 5 years later with excellent quality of life and a joy he never knew prior to his illness. He was finally able to forgive himself for some of his deeds, which eased his burden and, in turn, ours. Because of his rediscovered faith, he said he did not fear death, but still feared dying. His death was peaceful.

May you retain the humor you now enjoy and may your family find peace in that humor.

Blaine

[Woodchopper]

Good morning Larry,

This morning as I was having coffee, I was thinking about going down to the shop to turn some cherry knobs for a quilt hanger. As easy as this seems, I need to make 6 of them identical. I seem to keep the sand paper companies busy, as well. Maybe everyone does, but don't admit it. Anyway, you have inspired me to get my rear down there and get going.

Something that I have been doing since a life changing event, I look up and look around. I notice the sunrises in the morning and sometimes during the day I will just sit outside and listen to the birds.

But for now, down to the shop I go.

Have a good day, Larry.

Tom

[badwhiskey]

Larry:

I hope I approach things with a fraction of your grace and good humor.

Frank

[Bob Atchison]

Larry:

I am truly sorry for your situation. You and your family are in m thoughts and prayers.

Five years ago a close friend received a similar diagnosis. I am not saying it has not been tough but she is alive today.


Please keep me posted.

Bob

[EightFingers]

Your attitude is an example for all.

I sent a prayer up for you and your family.

[RokJok]

badwhiskey said:

---

I hope I approach things with a fraction of your grace and good humor.

---

+1 Gotta agree with BW. Your upbeat attitude in the face of daunting circumstances and pragmatic approach are exemplars of how IMHO we should all approach our lives and their inevitable ending.

<<<----- who also finds life funny, odd, puzzling, unusual, & baffling, even when laughing at it hurts.

[iclark]

You already had my respect from your post in the basement. I have seen attitudes from a few friends in the past with similar attitudes to that post and this one that I am replying to. It is inspirational and appreciated.

As for your turning question about scrapers, you might want to go look at some of the tutorials on scraper prep in the hand tool section. Blacky's Boy has a tutorial on his website IIRC. For hogging off, you can get away with a blunt scraper just as you can get away with a blunt gouge. For finish work, though, you want to sharpen the gouges and you want to prep the end of the scrapers and put an appropriate burr on them. As on flat work, the burr will not last for miles of surface prep (miles of wood moving past the edge). A sharp edge on the scraper will get you close. The burr does the final work (just as in flat work). You will find yourself flattening the top of the turning scraper as a first step just as you would flatten the back of a chisel or plane blade.

I hope that you will be posting pictures of your turnings. I find myself in awe of some of those posted here but it really helps to inspire.

thanks,
Ivan