Grant J Barlow

[Grant J Barlow]

I've been an AAW member for over 20 yrs but never did an intro.
I taught myself to turn so I could make pens, they were the newest thing in 1993. My first lathe was a Shopsmith (I don't suggest ever buying one). Over the years I moved up to a Jet Mini, then a Oneway 1224 (still have) and a Robust Sweet Sixteen.
In 1969 I received my draft notice and manages to get into the Air Force. I figured that 4 yrs was safer than 2 as they were drafting into the Marines. In the Air Force I was in one of the top electronic fields, Tropospheric Scatter Radio Systems Repair. I maintained, repaired and installed high power microwave communications systems. In August 1973 I got an early out to go back to college.
For a while I worked in electronics, but I didn't enjoy it so in 1976 I did a career change and became a Research Scientist. I eventually finished college and ended with a Masters in Fermentation Technology.
I retired in 2007 and moved to far northwest Illinois.
I have been a member of the Harry Nohr Woodturners since 2010.
I am the 'Pen Guru' for the club and wood species expert. While I started making pens, I have been making bowls and platters for almost 20 yrs.
Besides being a woodturner, I am an amateur astronomer and photographer.

 

[Gregory Hickman]

Welcome aboard and enjoy your stay.

Gregory

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Welcome, Grant.

 

[John K Jordan]

Hello Grant!

I am the 'Pen Guru' for the club and wood species expert.

Do you use the end grain/razor blade methods taught by R.Bruce Hoadley in "Identifying wood", and described in the article on the Wood Database website? I do that plus use UV light on certain species, sometimes density measurements, and of course smell. I got started with this after someone at the woodturning club passed around a show-and-tell piece with "Cherry" written on the bottom - but even without a lens it was obviously ring-porous!

I have laboratory microscopes but my favorite for wood ID is a low-power Swift stereo microscope, an earlier model of this one:


I use oculars giving 15 and 30x. It's also a great way to show kids things swimming in pond water, peacock feather detail, and bugs!
Nice for examining sharpened turning tool and knife edges.
Also good for seeing exactly where and how deep to cut with a scalpel to remove a deep splinter from a finger.

And an electronics expert - there are sometimes electronics questions here!
I've turned a lot of pens but usually only when someone wants one or wants to learn how.
I retired in 2006 from Oak Ridge National Lab and moved to a farm. Love it!

JKJS

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Welcome to the forum. By the way did we say we like pictures

 

[Grant J Barlow]

Welcome to the forum. By the way did we say we like pictures

Here are some pictures of some of the pens I've make over the past week.