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View Full Version : Another creeker sighting!



Jeff Nicol
06-07-2010, 7:56 PM
Well the meeting took place without much of a hitch! Matt Ranum and his wife got lost for a few minutes but that was O.K., because they caught me working instead of laying around like normal!

Matt was everything I hoped he would be, jovial, good spirited and full of questions, which of course I had all the answers too!!! HA!!HA!! The first thing we discussed is that a good hard working guy has to have a messy shop full of stuff, he said he has me beat, I take that as an open invitation for a personal inspection! Since they only live a couple hours away it could come sooner than later.

He noticed right away that the PM3520 is a good sized lathe and his eyes lite up with dreams of where he was going to put one some day..........then reality set in when the Mrs. said "NO WAY!!" She said that he had no room for such a thing. So of course I chimed in that an addition would be simple to do, and they agreed it would have to ba a whole new garage so her car could go in first!

We chatted and I showed him some tool techniques and let him try out the Mustard Monster after the info and watching me rough out a bowl and get things rolling. He said that it is much better to see things in person than in the videos as much is missed in the interpretation.

I asked if he needed some wood to take home and there was another no......."You don't need any wood, we live in the woods and are surrounded by wood" But in the end I prevailed and sent him home with a "Crack Willow" blank for him to take a "Crack" at it!! (Pun intended)!

We will meet again and more curls will fly and maybe some bull#%#$! too, it was a great day and the sun was out and no rain in sight. We had a little over 2" in the last 3 days so it was nice to see the sun. There is a picture for proof, so I wonder who will be my next weary traveler to visit the Woodennicol!

Thanks Matt, see you soon,

Jeff

Steve Schlumpf
06-07-2010, 8:09 PM
That's cool! Always great to hear of Creekers getting together! Hope to stop in again one of these days!

Tony De Masi
06-07-2010, 8:36 PM
Very nice Jeff. Creeker visits are just kind of different aren't they.

Tony

Steve Mawson
06-07-2010, 8:40 PM
Thats great. If I still lived in Ft. Wayne I would already be on the schedule. Sounds like a great time was had.

David E Keller
06-07-2010, 8:57 PM
Sounds like a great visit. I wish I lived closer as I'd like to see the Woodennicol in person. I'd also like to see the infamous Nicol wood stash.:D

Roland Martin
06-07-2010, 9:04 PM
Sounds like a great visit. I wish I lived closer as I'd like to see the Woodennicol in person. I'd also like to see the infamous Nicol wood stash.:D

Ditto David, I seem to be in the corner of the country that does'nt breed creekers:( Someday.....

Bernie Weishapl
06-07-2010, 9:07 PM
Aren't creeker visits great.

John Keeton
06-07-2010, 9:24 PM
Well, you both have that big ol' creeker grin!! And, just knowing you from afar, Jeff, I am betting you both had a grand time!

Ken Fitzgerald
06-07-2010, 9:26 PM
Congrats! I haven't been disappointed yet with a Creeker visit.

Matt Ranum
06-07-2010, 9:51 PM
Sounds like a great visit. I wish I lived closer as I'd like to see the Woodennicol in person. I'd also like to see the infamous Nicol wood stash.:D


Stash?! Holy crap he's gotta stash! Jeff has chunks of wood and partially finished pieces everywhere! Most of which look amazing even just being partially done! The wife really started to eye up a couple burled hollow pieces he is working on and remarked at how cool they looked, as I was witnessing the bar being set for my future endeavors.:eek: Oh well I hope she won't be too disappointed with my novice abilities.:p BTW-The contestants in the "Art" contest better watch out this guy has some seriously awesome stuff he's working on.

I gotta say though that Jeff is quite the gracious host, a more open and sharing mentor is hard to find. Even while getting interrupted when one of his son's friends stopped by to "steal some cookies", but was informed that all the cookies were already gone and only some breakfast bars to have. Right. ;)

All in all it capped off a very nice long awaited getaway for the wife and I. Saturday was pretty rainy so we drove over to the twin cities and went to Mall of America, then got my sanity back when I dropped by the local Woodcraft store for some supplies. Sunday was onto an air show and saw the Blue Angles. I bet Jeff has to be happy thats done since he lives right in the flight path of that airport with those fighters screaming directly overhead for the past few days. Heres a couple pics to prove that happened too.

Jo and I greatly enjoyed the visit Jeff and can't thank you enough for the tutelage. We will have to for sure get together again and solve some more of the worlds issues. :p

David Warkentin
06-07-2010, 10:08 PM
Hey Jeff maybe I will be the next visitor! Still tentatively planning to work about an hour north of you in July. David

John Hart
06-08-2010, 5:58 AM
Nice visit....nice report. :)

Allen Neighbors
06-08-2010, 8:37 PM
Great! Pic and report. Gotta get up that way someday... yeah, right. :)

Jeff Fagen
06-08-2010, 11:25 PM
Dittos: Matt,I know first hand how much fun you had at Jeff's.
I also spent a day at the air show working with the Boy Scouts who hosted the show.:D

Jake Helmboldt
06-08-2010, 11:38 PM
He noticed right away that the PM3520 is a good sized lathe and his eyes lite up with dreams of where he was going to put one some day..........then reality set in when the Mrs. said "NO WAY!!"
Jeff

Are you sure she didn't say ONEWAY? ;)

Matt could always claim that was what he heard.

George Morris
06-08-2010, 11:42 PM
Great report! If anyone wants to visit the mts. of Pa. You all have a standing invite! G

Matt Ranum
06-09-2010, 8:52 AM
Are you sure she didn't say ONEWAY? ;)

Matt could always claim that was what he heard.

:D:D

Hmmmmmm........you got me thinkin now.
;);)

Harvey Ghesser
06-09-2010, 3:23 PM
I've yet to have an argument with my dog....:D

Jeff Nicol
06-10-2010, 12:03 AM
Hey Jeff maybe I will be the next visitor! Still tentatively planning to work about an hour north of you in July. David
David, Just let me know when you will be around so I can try and organize the disaster!

Jeff

Jeff Nicol
06-10-2010, 12:11 AM
I hope to make a trip south this winter if everything works out. I have a buddy in Pheonix and one in Austin TX, and then my BIL lives in Slidell Louisana. We may do the whole circuit so maybe I will have to spread some northern charm around while we are down there. I will keep everyone aprized of the trip if it does take place. I still owe my bride a honeymoon and she hates winter! So maybe I can fix that an keep her for another 15 years!

Thanks for all the great replies! I have met some wonderful people and communicated with many, many more on SMC. It has been a pleasure for sure!

Thanks again to Matt and Jo for lots of laughs and wonderful cameraderie!

Jeff