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Steiph Zargon

Joined
Aug 25, 2023
Messages
11
Likes
10
Location
Hendersonville NC
Website
www.zargon.com
I’m just past the age of “know-it-all“ and well on my way to, “Do I know you?”
I’ve already forgotten more than most people will ever know, but still know more than most people.
So far at the tender age of 74, I still have 10 fingers and 10 toes. Yes, the thumbs & Big Toe are included in that 10.
I’ve done “Working with Wood” all my life. Growing up mostly on a farm, you get learn all kinds of skills & have so many unique experiences and a lot of them include wood. One, also might come away with an affinity for tool and heavy equipment.

My wife thinks I have too many tools. ‍ And why so many of the same one? And this place sure is a mess!!!
“Yes Dear!, but that’s ok, I know exactly where everything is.”

Maybe, one of these daze… I’ll actually get it together and get more organized and have a shop that’s squeaky kleen and neat!
Nope that will probably never be the case. But one can dream.

In 2020 we bought a “New under construction” home in Hendersonville NC,
It took another 2 years of waiting & worrying before I had anew shop to put my tools in.
it wasn’t the money! But that too was painful… “IT WAS THE RUST!!!”

Since I had to store my entire shop in a facility out doors, for all intents and purposes, for all that time … yep you guessed it! RUST in all of its forms attacked every single ferrous tool and toy!!! It was and is still an issue. But heh, the tools that were not broken or maimed by the movers were/are still in pretty good working condition. As such, I have been able to do some outfitting of the space and make one set of shop cabinets. Lots more to do. So little time. But I’ll muddle along and see where it takes me.
It’s good to be part of the AAW forum. I’ll come back later and add more … but my ADD is kicking in and the dog needs walking. You should see how she is looking at me! . Oh yes; I NEED MORE COFFEE!
Dog Walked, Coffee Made.. fresh cup in hand. ;-D.

So.. been Woodworking a long time.
My current shop is NEW and delicious. Just a royal mess of boxes and junk I have to walk around constantly. Trying to get that changed by the end of the summer. We'll see. (Wait.... it's Fall already... where did the time go?!?)

I've been WoodTurning for at least 25 years. Way back in the late 1990's I took a turning class @ Arrowmount School in Gatlinburg TN. Chip Christianson was the Teacher. The first thing we turned was a Platter / Plate from a piece of square lumber.
I thought mine came out really well and I still have it hanging on the wall in the house. Chip said, "So, your an experienced Turner?" I said nope! This is the first time I have ever seen a lathe and this is my first time turning anything.
I just took a couple shots with. my phone... hope they turn out OK? .
tempImageAbYgAK.png IMG_5330.jpeg IMG_5331.jpeg IMG_5335.jpeg I never finished the bottom properly and it'll stay like this in perpetuity.

Some time later, I retuned to take a class with Bonnie Klein and even bought one of her special mini-lathes. Had a great time making "TOPS" and adding texture with a DIY tool. 'Got inspired and bought an out of print books on Tops and made some very interesting models. One I particularly liked was the "Throwing Top". It uses a leather cord that is wrapped around from the point area to the wide top and you kind-a throw it sideways on a, preferably, wooden floor and the darned thing spins for a really long time.

So.. after that I got the "Turning Bug" and started in earnest to make lots of strange stuff and not a few found their way to the scrap pile Or the burn pile. . We had a wood burning stove in the house AND the shop/ two car garage that I eventually took over almost completely... except for the Washer Dryer & extra Fridge / freezer (whis was good to keep cold beer in btw. )

My wife was making jewelry and wanted to start selling @ art shows... so I started making lots of Pens and Bottle stoppers and the like and we joined the juried art show crowd doing shows from NY to Florida to the "One of A Kind" Show in Chicago. (Made one of my most memorable sales at the One of a kind show.)

..... taking a break... more later.
 
Last edited:

Bill Boehme

Administrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Messages
12,898
Likes
5,188
Location
Dalworthington Gardens, TX
Website
pbase.com
Welcome to the AAW forum, young man. :) If you think you have memory problems now, just wait until you’ve aged another decade or two. That’s when memory goes into negative territory … remembering things that never happened.
 
Joined
Aug 25, 2023
Messages
11
Likes
10
Location
Hendersonville NC
Website
www.zargon.com
Welcome to the AAW forum, young man. :) If you think you have memory problems now, just wait until you’ve aged another decade or two. That’s when memory goes into negative territory … remembering things that never happened.
Thanks for the heads up on that… I’ll keep an eye out for it. Of course I know when it really starts happening I won’t even know! But then, what the heck… Like they say what you don’t know, can’t hurt you can it?!!
 
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