What I did on my vacation...

[Chris Barton]

I think many of us dream about what we would love to do on our vacations but, rarely do we live those dreams. I have many times over the past years thought how much fun it would be to take a woodworking class of some sort, espically one of the total immersion classes where you spend a full week honing your skills. But, I have never acted on my dream, until this year.

In my prior career as an academic and department chairman at Tennessee Tech I knew of the Appalachian Center for Craft (ACC) http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/index.html a part of the university and one of only a handfull of such facilities that offer a BFA college degree in traditional crafts. I also knew that they offered courses year round to the likes of me and my fellow artist "wannabees" in a variety of mediums and lengths. I began looking for just the right course to take early in the spring. I considered Arrowmont, John C. Campbell School, and others but, the value of the ACC as well as the instructor selection pushed me to the program. The ACC is located only 70 miles from my home in TN and would allow me to commute to and from class providing me at least lip service to not ignoring my family.

I chose a class geared to both new and seasoned turners taught by Judy Ditmer, a professional turner with more than 20 years experience and also and author and contributer to Popular Woodworking Magazine. Judy is renouned for her bowls and ear rings.

ACC is located in Smithville, TN about midway between Nashville and Knoxville in the mountains of the upper Cumberland region. It is on a ridge like pensula of land on Centerhill Lake and provide a beautiful and serene location for emerging artists and old hacks like me to develop our skills. Here is a picture of the lake and the arrow is pointing to the location of ACC on the top of the ridge.

The shop area in the woodworking studio is huge. The lathe area has 8 PM3520a lathes and the ajoining woodworking area has every woodworking machine one could hope to have access to. I have included a couple of pictures of Judy turning and some of my student group gathered around the lathe as Judy pointed out various techniques before we tried the same.

Of the 8 students, all of us 40+ years of age, only 4 had ever touched a lathe before and I was the only one that had more than 3-4 months of experience. On my first day I turned the vahse, everyone else turned bowls. Not common starter bowls mind you but, green maple bowls that very nearly meeting the capacity of the lathes.

Because of the number of pictures I will have to continue this on in a reply to this post...

To be continued...

[Chris Barton]

So, the shop was very well equiped and we had access to many large power tools but in reality we only used our lathes and the bandsaw and drill presses. But, if one had the inclination you could make any kind of furniture you have ever dreamed of. Here are a few shots of the machine room for the "machine-heads." Also, there is a shot of my turning station with my tool caddy parked next to the window.

[Chris Barton]

Each day Judy would work with all of us on the projects we had chosen. As one might suspect, everyone but me was focused on only bowls for the most part. I spent much of my first day simply mastering my skews and with Judy's help I learned many things. First, I know how to sharpen all of my tools now without a Wolverine, just a grinder. I doubt i will ever use my Wolverine jig again. Plus I reshaped my skews and now can masterfully turn beads and pommels without fear. While I am not yet ready to take on Richard Raffin in a skew "death match" I am confident of my skew skills.

I have included a few pictures; Judy helping one of the students with a bowl, I worked on trying a new technique for a bowl foot, a bead which you can see on the ambrosia maple plate with paduk bead foot and then a cedar bowl that had some beading as accent work.

[Chris Barton]

I also worked on some screwdrive kits I bought from Rockler. These are great little kits and I really enjoyed making them. They have a shaft that can be reversed as well as two tips that can be reversed so that you have a cross point tip, strait tip, and two square drive tips. Here is a picture of one I made from olive wood and another from a south american mystery wood.

I have also included a picture of one of my classmates who had never touched a lathe. This was his first bowl. Notice the size of this hunk as well as the huge inclusion defect running completely through the piece. Thankfully, he abandonded the piece before it "launched."

There is also a picture of a bowl I made from maple and paduk again, exploring the beadfoot with a central button. The last picture is of Judy and me on the last day.

[Chris Barton]

Woops, here are the other pictures from the last post, sorry...

This was a great course and Judy is a great instructor and talented turner. I would encourage you to consider ACC if you want to take a course like this. The costs are very reasonable and the facilities are second to none!

Thanks for looking!

[Corey Hallagan]

Chris, congrats for crossing off the list one of your dreams. That is great. It looks like it was an exceptional setting, facilities and enviroment. I am glad you were happy and you learned what you wanted to. The bowls, vase etc. are awesome. An I love those screwdrivers. I am going to order one of those kits soon and use the mysterywood ( I have a modified slimline ready to go as well). Again, congratulations my freind!

Corey

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Looks like a nice vacation Chris! I'm a little envious! It's seems like a lot of the turning schools are in the midwest, east coast or the south. I hope to retire in 3 years and then......maybe.......

[George Conklin]

Sounds like a dream come true, Chris. What a great experience.
Thanks for sharing:) .

[Ernie Nyvall]

Congrats Chris. Looks like a great time.

Ernie

[Bernie Weishapl]

Chris what a wonderful vacation. I am jealous. Like Ken I hope to retire in about 3 yrs. and hopefully will be able to do some schools. Congrats.

[Travis Stinson]

What a setup!!:D Looks like a great time was had by all. Great work Chris.:cool:

[Cecil Arnold]

Wow Chris, that's a very special vacation. I'm envious. Your work looks great and I know your skills will continue to improve, although it looks like you've arrived.

[Andy Hoyt]

Sounds like you had a great vacation; I know you just wrote a great story; and I now have a great big pile of jealousy.

[Tom Sherman]

Chris that is Way to cool, my wife and I are talking more and more about doing just what you have done. Our first challenge is to decide where to go.

[Barry Stratton]

Great to see someone living their dream!!!! Good for you, sir!!!!

[tod evans]

way to go chris! what a way to spend your vacation...tod

[Karl Laustrup]

Chris, I must include myself as to being very envious of your vacation. :)

I see the school is heavy into PM equipment, although I could just barely make out what looked to be a Laguna TS. What model is it?

I would presume that we will now see some really high quality spinning coming out of your shop, not that what you did at the school wasn't. ;) :D

Karl

[Chris Barton]

Chris, I must include myself as to being very envious of your vacation. :)

I see the school is heavy into PM equipment, although I could just barely make out what looked to be a Laguna TS. What model is it?

I would presume that we will now see some really high quality spinning coming out of your shop, not that what you did at the school wasn't. ;) :D

Karl.

Hi Karl,

They had several pieces of Laguna gear and the tablesaw is a TSS. I gave it a try while I was there and it was very smooth and accurate but, not any more so than my X31. The biggest advantage I saw with this machine was that the slider runs up to within about 1/4" of the blade.

Most of the machinery was indeed Powermatic and that was for a reason. WMH Tool Group is headquartered in LaVergn, TN about 1 hour distance from the school. They have provided special deals to the school as a sort of public service. There was also several big Oliver machines as well.

I'll work on the quality of my pieces;)

[Raymond Overman]

Looks like a lot of fun. Great gloat.

I hope to be able to do something like that next summer. I think a week in a class with guidance would be very helpful. East TN is very doable for me too. I'll have to add ACC to my list of possible sites. Thanks.

[Andy Hoyt]

Hey, Chris - question.

Why does that big honking PM BS need to be secured to that stanchion?

Or is the stanchion secured to the big honking PM BS?

[tod evans]

ummm, andy that stanchion has a blast gate.....

[Andy Hoyt]

oops.

Insert Emily Littella comment here.

[Jim Becker]

Judy's a kewel lady...'glad you had a nice time in class. I had the opportunity to chat with her a year or two ago at a show. And ACC is a very nice place to hang out for a few days making shavings!

[Chris Barton]

Andy, you already got the low down on the blast gate thing and I was impressed at how well cared for some of this machinery was considering some had to be 40-50 years old.

ACC is a remarkable place. The course I took was $375 for 5 full days of instruction and unlimited shop use after hours (until 10 pm). Many who took the course stayed on campus in apartments just feet away from the studios and the Walkway Cafe provided the best food I have ever eaten on a university campus (and I have spent an inordanant amount of time on them). I will most certainly go back and likely stay on campus. There is a tail water river below the lake dam that is chocked full of rainbow and brown trout. I have fished it many times and it would be a nice repass on an evening or two while attending the program.

[Phil Powell]

Chris,
I own a home in Fair Field Glade which is not far from the school. Are
you located near FFG? If so is there an AAW chapter in Crossville?
Cookville? or FFG? Maybe I'll see you there.

[Hank Merkle]

I bet that is one of those vacations that impacts the rest of your life! I took a one-day class locally and still recall every moment! As everyone else has said your class must feel like a dream come true!

One thing, i think you should post you "For/Against" list of this class vs. Arrowmont. I think it would be interesting to have the prespective!

Hank

[Ed Scolforo]

Chris, congratulations on a great vacation! Turning and fishing..... it doesn't get any better!
Ed

[Chris Barton]

I bet that is one of those vacations that impacts the rest of your life! I took a one-day class locally and still recall every moment! As everyone else has said your class must feel like a dream come true!

One thing, i think you should post you "For/Against" list of this class vs. Arrowmont. I think it would be interesting to have the prespective!

Hank

Hank,

It was not so much that there was something negative about Arrowmont over ACC, in fact I hope to make my next vacation adventure one at either Arrowmont, Campbell or Lonnie Bird's school. ACC was close enough that I didn't have to stay on campus so, it saved a couple of bucks and allowed me to see my 8yo daughter every night. The others are simply too far away for me to do that. I do remember that Arrowmont requires a Sunday start versus a Monday start at ACC. However, that was not an issue for me. The course at ACC was a little less expensive but, again not a major factor. I was familar with Judy Ditmar's reputation and her work and that was not so with some of the other programs. So, I guess at some subliminal level ACC made sense for my first attempt at this kind of thing. I hope this rambling made some kind of sense.

[Chris Barton]

Chris,
I own a home in Fair Field Glade which is not far from the school. Are
you located near FFG? If so is there an AAW chapter in Crossville?
Cookville? or FFG? Maybe I'll see you there.

Hi Phil,

I live in Brentwood, TN just south of Nashville in Williamson Co. I used to teach at TTU in Cookville but, that was 10 years ago and I lived in Lebanon, TN then. Here is a link to the AAW list of clubs and there are a couple near your neck of the woods:

http://www.woodturner.org/community/chapters/members.pl?submit=Chapter+List#TN

While I have attended a few meetings of Nashville chapter, I am not a member nor am I sure that it's the kind of thing for me. I have considerable trouble making regular meetings during the week because of my job (I travel a lot, have to be on the flying bus tomorrow at 6am).

[Jim Ketron]

Man That would be some fun!
Nice Job on your turnings Chris, Glad you had a good time!

[Glenn Hodges]

When I was first starting to turn that would have been my dream vacation.

[Keith Burns]

Wow Chris, sounds like a blast !:) :)

[Mark Cothren]

Excellent report, Chris! Thanks for sharing - and congrats!