I’ve recently taken on editing Woodturning FUNdamentals, the AAW’s on-line quarterly magazine for beginning woodturners. Our board wants FUNda to sharpen its focus on beginning turners, and to lay down a foundation of reliable information about our craft and art.So what am I gonna do, pull it out of a hat? The best source of great information and practical knowledge is other turners, that’s you all. So I’ve been reading the Forums and occasionally will be posting, looking for gems to re-use in FUNdamentals. In our current February issue, I’ve had a lot of help and support from Forum regulars John Lucas and Walt Wager.
So by way of introduction…
I’m 71, a retired journalist and print publisher, most of my career has been devoted to general crafts, woodworking, furniture making, and woodturning. I’ve been a woodworker since I was a kid, and got seriously into turning in my 20s, yikes, 50 years ago. But for most of my adult life, raising a family, I never really had shop time of my own. After I retired in 2012, happily and luckily, I’ve been able to spend whole days and weeks in my basement shop here in Lancaster PA, and most of what I do nowadays is woodturning.
I’ve been an AAW member since 2006, I’ve written a few articles for our AW Journal, and I’m a founding member of the Lancaster Area Woodturners chapter. My wife Tina and I travel a lot, so I only get to about half of our club meetings. But I always enjoy the demos and learn a lot from the other turners, two of whom (Ted Rasmussen and Dave Schell) are featured in the current February 2018 FUNdamentals.
I’ve got a 7x42 lathe that is very solid and stable. I love cherry, apple, walnut, and really every other domestic fruit wood and nut wood that I’ve ever tried. I sharpen with CBN wheels. I have a chopsaw and bandsaw but no tablesaw. I like to make boxes with lids. Also bowls and plates and toys, ditzy little stuff not big bowls any more. I tend to work in series where I’ll make a dozen similar things, developing visual ideas and practicing turning skills. I usually draw it before making it, and sometimes afterward too. I'll try to insert a photo of a sphericon box, open and closed, cherry, 3 inches, magnetic closeView attachment 24686 .
Well, that’s me and right now my next project is the May issue of Woodturning FUNdamentals. I’m going back to the Forums to look for more good info to lift…
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