Knoxville T-A-T Results

[Bill Chapman]

Well we had our T-A-T today with The Big Kahona Ken present ( and was very happy to see him) All I can say is that it went great. The old Tennessee Volunteers still have it. If I not mistaken the record for a store T-A-T is around 300-325 and is held by Mr Stringer him self in Texas where they do everything Big. Well not big enough the new stand is 416 pens at a store T-A-T. Sorry Jerry but I had to do it;) :p ( you know I'm just razzing you guy,JS, you still are the king when it comes to getting the kids involved.) And I hope somebody comes back and kicks our record in the Butt. Because we all know it's for our Guys protecting us not for the glory. I have asked Dick Parr to post the pictures I leaving town for a well desrved rest. One last thing I would to thank Dave and Liz Harding our Woodcraft owners for all their support both financially and physically all the people that volunteered and a big thanks to Dick Parr believe me without him we probaly wouldn't have made our record.:)

[Dick Parr]

We did have a good time today. There wasn’t an official head count as yet but I know I counted 35-40 different people at the lathes there during the day and we had 10 lathes going just about all day. As Bill said it was good to see Ken there. Ken rounded up the local news crew and had them there doing interviews and the story lead off the 6:00 news tonight and will be on again at 11:00 tonight. Bill and a bunch of the guys from Woodcraft did a good job of keeping everything going all day and getting pen blanks made up. I think we had 3 people gluing blanks just to keep up with the turners. Joe (the Jet rep) stayed at a lathe all day and turned pens non stop.

But having been the one at the assembly table and assembling over 375 pens, I will be seeing pens in my sleep for a week. :D :D :D

Here are some pictures from today.

[Ken Salisbury]

Thanks to all those who participated in this effort ! ! !



Dave and Liz Harding (owners) were gracious folks as were all of their employees. The event was super successfull !!!!





Things were buzzing when I arrived at about 9:30. There were 10 lathes in operation with folks waiting their turn to get on one. A production line was running with groups cutting blanks, drilling, prepping with tubes, and Dick Parr was operating a one man packing operation.

Wow ! -- 417 pens in one day -- A record to be broken ! ! !

When I left to start my drive back to Huntsville the count was 352 and chips were still flying. I was sure they would top 400 -- and sure, enough they did.

<TABLE class=tborder cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR title="Post 81164" vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 align=middle width=125>Dick Parr</TD><TD class=alt2> Ken rounded up the local news crew and had them there doing interviews and the story lead off the 6:00 news tonight and will be on again at 11:00 tonight. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>





I knew Bill Chapman, Dick Parr and the Woodcraft owners hadn't had any luck with getting TV or Radio coverage for the event. Thursday evening my local CBS Affiliate came to the shop to take another round of video to be aired in a few days. I mentioned the fact that I was going to Knoxville to the TAT and wondered if he could help. The reported said he had a friend that worked at WBIR in Knoxville and would call him and get WBIR to cover the story. He called me back Friday afternoon and assured me WBIR would cover the event. Syan Rhodes was the reported and she was extremely interested in what was being done. We even got her on a lathe to make a pen :). Syan interviewed multiple folks. Moral of the story is "it's not what you know - it's who you know" ;) . My local station will get a copy of the tape and reshow here one day next week.



I generated a web page (http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/knoxvilleTAT.htm)with the photos I took.





Attention Dick Parr. If you would e-mail (ken@oldrebelworkshop.com)me the original pics you took (prior to cropping/condensing) I will add them there.

[Daniel Yourdon]

Great Job,
Well the bar on records has defenitly been reaised. You just gonna set back and take that Jerry???
Just kidding.
as a side note we are jsut past half way through the year adn so should be just half way to 20,000 pens. I don't know the exact numbers but I know we where nearing that in shipped out free kits and dicounted kits. "BEFORE THE ROCKLER AND KNOXVILLE TATS" with these two events I believe we are nearly half way through the second half of the years total.
there seems to have been a lull in the activity here the last month or so. But it being summer and all that si to be expected. It also is looking like everyone is in the shop making pens to much to get to there computers. that is a good thing. I know it's been true for me.
A big THANK YOU to everyone. we will blow the goal of 20,000 away provided the donations keep up. Why is it that money is always the weak link???

[Jerry Stringer]

Wow . . . I'm gone on vacation for a few days and everything falls apart around here!!!! :rolleyes:

Fantastic job on setting the new record but I have to be honest . . . the 325 pen record wasn't me nor my group. It was the Curley Woods TAT in McKinney. The Woodcraft TAT I was at only turned 110 pens . . .

Congratulations on a job well done . . . now . . . lets set our sights to raise the bar again!

Jerry