Hi all, I'm a novice woodturner in Durham, NH. I started making briar pipes and stems on a mini metal lathe last year, and then got hooked on woodturning when I joined the Port City Makerspace in Portsmouth, NH, which has both wood and metal lathes. I turned a couple of pipe stummels on the wood lathe, and then foolishly jumped right into bowl making and had some horrific, moderately terrifying catches. But thanks to Richard Raffan's books, DVDs, and his excellent YouTube channel, I've been making steady progress, and I'm looking forward to learning from the many experienced turners here.