Help...How Do I Turn This Off?

[Wally Dickerman]

After 70 years of woodturning I made my first kit pen a few months ago. I wanted to make a few turned gifts. Well, I've given some away, I've sold some, (without trying to) but look what's left. I need to be turning something else. I have some kits left and a lot of blanks, so I keep putting out pens.....

Wally

[Ken Fitzgerald]

And the problem is?:confused:


Nice assortment of pens Wally!

[Mike Minto]

unplug it. mike

[Ron Bontz]

I am curious what you folks sell those for these days. Ten years ago I bought 3 form an ex-coworker who made them with her hubby. Cost me $30.00 each.

[John Keeton]

Wally, not into the pens much, but what caught my eye was "70 years of woodturning"!! Congrats on such a long life generally, and on such a satisfying life of woodworking!

[David E Keller]

Nice group of pens... nothing that can be done about the addiction.

[Dennis McGarry]

The time to turn it off so to speak would have been 70.5 years ago!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow - you got bit bad! Great group of pens! Beautiful work! Glad to see you haven't gotten burned out on turning yet! Gives me hope that the Vortex will keep showing me something new to keep me interested! Thanks for sharing!

[Mark Hix]

I don't know Wally, you aren't showing any of the capped pens...the Barons or the Gents....can't quit yet.

[David Hullum]

you can always send some to the troops. :D

[Ted Calver]

Wally,
Don't worry. It will pass.....It's justy male penopause. :) :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

And Wally your point is????:D;):rolleyes:

Nice group of pens. Don't worry Wally you aren't the only one. I just made 70 pens to display for Christmas. Sold about 30 more.

[Steve Mawson]

Pretty nice pile of pens. Mine always get given away before I gather that many. Haven't tried to sell many. Did send a bunch in for the troops.

[Richard Madison]

Wally,
Have never turned a pen, but you could send me all that left over stuff so you could get back to turning and burning.

[Steve Trauthwein]

Beautiful pens Wally! Thanks for sharing. With the variety and your eye for design I suspet there will be many more before any signs of burn out.

Regards, Steve

[Steve Kubien]

The other day I was thinking, "I wonder how Wally is getting on with his pens?" As to your query, the only real way to stop turning them is to stop buying kits. I tend to prep and drill my blanks far ahead of time and as long as I don't do that, I don't make any pens! That may be an approach for you.

"Hello, my name is Wally and I am a pen-turning machine...."
"Hi Wally...."
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[Rob Cunningham]

70 years of woodturning, that's inspirational. Great group of pens. Keep turning Wally

[Jeff Nicol]

Wally, Like all that already has been said about turning pens, they are addicting and the fast turnaround is fun! If I start a pen in the morning I will turn them all day! It gets into the blood to see them morph right in front of your eyes from a clunky piece of wood to a beautiful writing instrument! With all your years of turning you should have knownwhat was going to happen once you got started on something new! Great bunch of pens and variety is the spice of life!

Jeff

[Terry Quiram]

I finally got tired of making pens and not selling them. I ended up giving all the pens I had left to our military men and women. My former boss was interested in turning pens so I made him a deal to buy everything I had left.:D

[David Walser]

Wally,

My understanding is the pen turning vortex can only be overcome by pushing through to the other side. You've got to get deeper before you can get out. From those beautiful pens, it appears you've already tried segmented pen blanks. The next step (and the way to the cure) is closed end pens!

Here's a link to the next step in the program: http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/Closed_End_Pen_Mandrel.htm

Here are some pictures of closed end pens to give you an idea of what's possible. (NOT turned by me. Just copied from Arizona Silhouette's website. Hope they don't mind.) After closed end pens, the next and last step is to replace all the visible metal/plastic kit parts with parts turned from wood.

Good luck with your treatment!

[Wally Dickerman]

Wally,

My understanding is the pen turning vortex can only be overcome by pushing through to the other side. You've got to get deeper before you can get out. From those beautiful pens, it appears you've already tried segmented pen blanks. The next step (and the way to the cure) is closed end pens!

Here's a link to the next step in the program: http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/Closed_End_Pen_Mandrel.htm

Here are some pictures of closed end pens to give you an idea of what's possible. (NOT turned by me. Just copied from Arizona Silhouette's website. Hope they don't mind.) After closed end pens, the next and last step is to replace all the visible metal/plastic kit parts with parts turned from wood.

Good luck with your treatment!
David, since you sent me pics from Az. Sil. it appears that you haven't yet reached that plateau yourself. At this point, I have other turning that I have to get at, so closed end, etc. will have to wait. I'm sure that I'll eventually get with them though. I tend to go as far as I can when I get into another kind of turning.

Wally

[Ken Glass]

Wally,
Of course, we realize it was a rhetorical question, as you are well aware of after these many many years there is no turning off turning. Those are some beautiful Pens, as all of your turning are. Very well done, Sir.

[Dick Gerard]

Wally,
Between 1987 and 1996, when I was doing as many as 20 shows a year, I turned and sold over 10,000 pens. Of course back then we had 2 choices ... Cross style or Parker style. lLmost no choice in different clips, no initials, no such thing as different platings like chrome, rhodium, vanadium, etc. Anyway, the answer to your question is ...

When you have turned so many that you dread going into the shop, it will automatically reset to "Bowl/Vessels" mode! :D