Another one bites the dust

[Brian Brown]

A couple of weeks ago, a friend from church saw me using a pen I made, and asked if he could watch me make one. Well, he came today and spent the afternoon making his first pen. I issued the standard disclaimer before we started, you know the one about taking a picture of the cash in his wallet, and he still chose to proceed. SWMBO asked to see the permission slip from his wife. He left with a walnut pen he turned himself, and saying something about shopping for a lathe on Monday. I feel so dirty.

I didn't really tell him much about the different tools. I just handed him a skew chisel (evil laugh) and let him rip. He did great. I didn't tell him until after he was done that it was the most feared and cussed tool in the arsenal of most turners. So Ken, we have a new convert to the skew for pens. The vortex has claimed another. I'll send flowers to the widow.

Sorry, no pic. He was too anxious to get home and show his wife the pen that made him 90 min. late for dinner. And so it begins. ;)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congrats Brian! It's funny how you can sucker someone in with a skew. Ignorance is bliss! So is a sharp skew.

I had a guy come over today and spend about 2 hours just asking questions about turning and later he emailed me wanting to know if it was okay to come back again. I promised him some turning on his next visit. I think I'll start him out on a bottlestopper as I have b/s kits but no pen kits. I ran out right at Christmas.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Brian, Brian, Brian, you know that was just evil.:D:D;):rolleyes::cool: Like Ken said ignorance is bliss and we have a skew convert. I love my skew and is my favorite tool to use. My neighbor came over and watched me turn last fall. I let him turn a bottle stopper. I roughed out a bowl and then let him rough one out. Well his SWMBO was mad at me when I told him where Woodcraft in Denver was located he dropped about $1200 or so on a Jet 1220, tools, chuck, sharpening system, etc. but then yesterday came over to thank me because he now has a hobby. He retiring in April of 2010. She said he really didn't have much to keep him busy and she was afraid he would sit around and do nothing but watch TV. She said besides they didn't have to buy a single Christmas present this last Christmas except for the grandkids.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Brian - I know the feeling...............

Had SMC and turning club member, Steve Waldon, stop in to the shop about a week ago. It was his first visit - so I do the usual show & tell shop tour. He had brought a few items along from his shop and had a question on a problem area on a bowl he had turned. I asked if he had time to turn something.........

Well, Steve got to use the new Thompson 3/4" V gouge, the Thompson 5/8" V, the Jet 1642 with 2 horses and variable speed and to top if off he got to use the Monster captured hollowing system as we roughed out a calabash bowl.

Don't remember anyone smiling so much in my shop - except maybe ME! When we were done we had a few cold ones and all he could say was how much trouble I was going to be in with his wife because of all the new tools he was going to have to get!

It was a lot of fun..... but I haven't heard from Steve since then, so, gosh, I hope he is OK!!! ROFLOL

Oh, we were so busy having fun turning that I forgot to take pictures. So, no pictures - no post. Hopefully next time!