The joy of grooving...

When I was training to be a table tennis coach we were taught about the term 'grooving'. This is where you play the same shot to the same place over and over and over again until it becomes 'muscle memory' and no matter where you are in future, your body will remember the shot and repeat it exactly as you grooved it, resulting in higher consistency under pressure.

 Whether we want to accept it generally or not - grooving (or practice) usually results in a better outcome. Woodturning is no different, and having done a bit of 'production' turning in the past has taught me that it's no different from when I was grooving shots so that I would be able to teach county level and above players how to do them.

What always surprises me is that I start with about 30-40 blanks for one particular item, find I work on technique for the 1st 5 or so to find the most comfortable method of making the item, and then practice that method on the next 5 pieces. I then carry on going, and am always a little surpised when I reach out for another blank just to find that there aren't any left!  It becomes a subconscious thing almost, and while you walk out of the workshop totally exhausted, there is a deep sense of satisfaction with the results of the day's turning.

Shown in the pictures are a few items that I have been making using this method - arranged in small groups. Not the most artistic of things, even 'mundane' in design and  execution, but they suit the purpose and price tag for which they were made.