I've reached out for help......I'm pulling someone else into the Vortex.....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

And she happens to be married to me......This could get expensive.

My MIL is extremely religious. So.....I got a crazy idea. I ordered 5 certified Holyland olive pen blanks. Then I got to thinking....Geee...My MIL would really appreciate it if she got a Holyland olive pen made by her daughter. My ILs were close friends with the last two pastors of their church. These relationships endured even after the pastors were reassigned to new communities. So I thought ....what if they could get a Holyland olive pen from my MIL for Christmas.

So, Saturday I turned my first olive pen. Great stuff to turn. Then I brought my wife out and she for her first time in front of a lathe, roughed out the next pen using a roughing gouge. So Sunday, I glued up my last set of pen tubes and sure enough the wood had a crack and that 1/2 of the pen blew out. So I let my wife turn the other half. She turned it and sanded it out. I've got more supplies coming to finish these gifts with. In short, my wife did well. No catches but I hope I wasn't chanting my mantra to her last night in my sleep......Tool on the rest........heel to the wood......Toe to the wood......rotate the tool.......ride that bevel......She did great and I'm proud of her. No I don't have photos but I will photograph the real project when the time comes. Probably this weekend.

It just dawned on me.......This could get very expensive. :eek:

That GIFT JUST KEEPS ON GIVING!

[Pete Jordan]

You know she's going to settle for nothin less than a mustard. Maybe she will let you use it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You know she's going to settle for nothin less than a mustard. Maybe she will let you use it.

That's kinda what I was hoping for. The good news is she's a night person and I'm a morning person. Sure will be hard on the Mustard, however!

[Jim Becker]

The family that turns together...umm...well...you know... :D

[Christopher K. Hartley]

A very wise man once said, "There are two sides to every coin". On this the head side says, "She'll really support the hobby.":D The tails side says, She'll take all your spinny time.":eek: The coin then said, "Buy Buy (yes the spelling is correct!) That is, another lathe on the way!!!:D :D :D ;)

[Corey Hallagan]

Ha ha....that is great Ken! Your rocking and rolling on the pens now. You might have to invest in another lathe!!

Corey

[Andy Hoyt]

....... It just dawned on me.......This could get very expensive. ....... Wow! Only took you ten months to figure this out!

Must be a new world record.

Way to go Sharon!

[Dennis Peacock]

Awright Ken!!!! Way to go Sharon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now's a perfectly good time to order that Mustard Spinny Machine Ken!!! You're gonna need a 2nd Spinny Thang ya know. :rolleyes: :D :D

[Mark Pruitt]

The family that turns together...umm...well...you know... :D
Actually I don't know (yet). But I'm trying.:confused: :rolleyes: :p :D

[Mark Pruitt]

It just dawned on me.......This could get very expensive. :eek:

There may be more to that than you realize. If you do go with a Big Mustard Machine, you still have a MT#2 but you'll have a 1 1/4 x 8 spindle thread whereas your Jet has a 1 x 8. That means a second chuck, a second aftermarket faceplate, etc. ....And that in addition to a second bowl gouge....yikes....I'm looking at heading down that same road eventually...:eek: :eek: :eek:

[Dennis Peacock]

There may be more to that than you realize. If you do go with a Big Mustard Machine, you still have a MT#2 but you'll have a 1 1/4 x 8 spindle thread whereas your Jet has a 1 x 8. That means a second chuck, a second aftermarket faceplate, etc. ....

Psssst. Hey Mark. But that's ok. You see? Ken can give Sharon all the stuff he has now and then he can order the mustard machine, new larger chuck, vac setup, etc, etc, etc. :D :rolleyes:

Don't ya just LOVE spending other peoples money for'em?:p

[Frank Fusco]

A bit thumbs up.
BTW, the Bethlehem (Holy Land) olive wood pen, in a European style with a cross clip, is far and away my most popular pen. It is a good seller, wonderful gift and I give away to be used for fund raising events at my church.
Dogwood is a close second in same pen.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Ken,
Alan & MAry Lacer teach a 'couples' turning class at Marc Adams School near Indianapollis, I think each July 4th weekend. We have been talking about going, I already got the Mini she could use but she already informed me she doesn't have time to drill/glue/mill blanks she'll just need me to do that part.

I give her credit though. At least once per month her job takes here within a few blocks of a Woodcraft store. Almost every time I ask her to stop and pick something up. She just says 'write it down'. She says she walks in the store hands the note to the boys at Woodcraft saying 'Does this make sense' they smile and off they go to retreive the item.

Maybe I could take her to class and drill a few blanks for her.

Frank

[Bernie Weishapl]

Way to go Ken and Sharon. Ken I think you need mayo to go with that Jet don't you??????:eek: :confused: