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John Kelsey

John Kelsey

John Kelsey

Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
100
Likes
130
Location
Lancaster, PA
sphericon-box-combo-w.jpg 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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John congrad on your new (retirement) WF editing job. I'm a beginner newbe turner getting my Robust Scout lathe in this week. Been wearing out the WF area on AAW. There are no turning chapters near me so all my woodturning learning will be from WF and you tube videos and AAW and AAW forum. Planning on going to SWAT in Waco, TX this August. There's one thing (at least for me) that I think need addressing on WF is tool rest height and tool chisel (handle) angle for riding the bevel angle. Like for spindle / bowl first contact cuts are about 10 o'clock with tool rest at 9 o'clock I think. More info on what tool rest height should be at for different turning tools. Hope this makes sense. Like the way it was addressed in the last WF issue (Feb 2018) with the candlestick project. Also pictures help a lot. Again welcome to your new editing job and THANKS in advance.
 
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Jason Waguespack said:
John congrad on your new (retirement) WF editing job. I'm a beginner newbe turner getting my Robust Scout lathe in this week. Been wearing out the WF area on AAW. There are no turning chapters near me so all my woodturning learning will be from WF and you tube videos and AAW and AAW forum. Planning on going to SWAT in Waco, TX this August. There's one thing (at least for me) that I think need addressing on WF is tool rest height and tool chisel (handle) angle for riding the bevel angle. Like for spindle / bowl first contact cuts are about 10 o'clock with tool rest at 9 o'clock I think. More info on what tool rest height should be at for different turning tools. Hope this makes sense. Like the way it was addressed in the last WF issue (Feb 2018) with the candlestick project. Also pictures help a lot. Again welcome to your new editing job and THANKS in advance.
Click to expand...

Jason There is a club in Lafayette. I think that is a little north of you. http://www.woodturner.org/members/?id=22825543 They do not say on AAW profile but I am pretty sure they are there. It is a small club maybe 15 members.
 
generally if a club is no longer active you will see the word "DORMANT" in the listing. A number of smaller clubs either don't have websites or they have dropped them because they don't have a member who is up to speed on building and maintaining it. The best way to find out is to phone the club president.
 
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