It's finally happening

[TYLER WOOD]

I live in the midst of podunkville for all those not familiar with West Texas. not much out here but cotton farms and a few goat ranches. (yes I said goat ranch) So needles to say frivalities such as turning do not get much attention. Even in a city of 250,000, there was no store thad had anything for turners, except Harbor Freighht (and we know what good they are). Well this weekend at our turners club we had a major anouncement. A NEW TOOL STORE!!! And it will carry lathes and other turning equipment!!! So West Texas is finally joining the 20th century and getting to where not only will stores cary what is needed for life, but also come comfort things as well.

So here it is Lubbock! Welcome to the 20th century!!!!!

[Dennis Peacock]

Congrats Tyler.!!!! But I can directly relate to you on this one. The only thing is? You have a turning club local to you....mine would be 1.5 hours away. ;)

[TYLER WOOD]

I do have to travel 55 minutes to mine. But there is one also 2 hours in the other direction. Midland and Lubbock are sister club. (why do they call them sister clubs when 99% of the atendees are men?)

[Dennis Peacock]

(why do they call them sister clubs when 99% of the atendees are men?)

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Beats me Tyler. Is that kinda like parking in the driveway? or driving on the parkway?:p

[Steve Schlumpf]

Congrats Tyler! I also can relate as our nearest Woodcraft is about 4 1/2 hours away in Appleton, WI and the only time I shop at Rockler is when I am in St. Paul visiting the grandkids. Hope the store carries everything you need for turning!

[Frank Kobilsek]

Tyler
That distance is saving you money. Careful what you wish for!

I got hour plus in any direction to find decent tools, materials, etc. Makes you think about it a bit. Now if the internet just had a impulse buy filter I'd be all set.

Frank

[Paul Engle]

Well beins how the 20th century is gone....:eek: , I know what it feels like most of Idaho is still there and refusing to join the 21st centruy. Nearest club to me is 70 some miles of hills , vallies , broad mountainous vistas. green pasture lands , during the winter it is the most miserable strech of bumper car one ever had the misfortune to drive on. I was raised on the desert of south central Idaho and sorta kinda miss the flat dry land of , sagebrush , tumbleweeds and jacks....sorta kinda. but I do miss the sage brush after a rain shower, huntin whistle pigs in the early mornin and getting full shot of minerals daily by 8 am cause the wind dont blow .... it sucks. I never been to Lubbock but I been to Amarillo and points west and it seems to me to be about the same.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congats Tyler. I have 3 hrs one way and 5 hrs the other.

[Terry Rodery]

Congrats Tyler....I was born in Lubbock, TX, moved to Houston when I was 3!

We have both Rockler and Woodcraft stores but they are both way on the other side of town maybe 50-60 miles away and the traffic is HORRIBLE!

Sometimes I miss those tumbleweeds :D

[Bart Leetch]

I do have to travel 55 minutes to mine. But there is one also 2 hours in the other direction. Midland and Lubbock are sister club. (why do they call them sister clubs when 99% of the atendees are men?)

Its got to be the thong thing ..................:eek: :D

[Mark Pruitt]

Tyler
That distance is saving you money. Careful what you wish for!

I got hour plus in any direction to find decent tools, materials, etc. Makes you think about it a bit. Now if the internet just had a impulse buy filter I'd be all set.

Frank
Doesn't work that way for me Frank. It turns out that where it used to cost me money for tools it now costs both the tool money AND the gasoline to get there.:eek: :(

[Frank Kobilsek]

Mark
I ain't 100% honest here. My wife goes to meetings for her school job in Peoria where there is a Woodcraft (Creeker Bruce's spot). She is kind enough to take my list, stop by the store, hand my list to the nice gentlemen there and they run around to fill my order for her to delivery home to me. I gotta keep these orders to simple stuff like CA, finshes, etc. or I loose the pleasure of making the selection first hand.
Frank

[Roy Griggs]

Tyler,
I know where your coming from, my mom and brother + his family still live in Lubbock, I escaped in '86. But I'm back there a coupla times a year.
Don't forget Re-Tool (50th and Slide across from Copper Caboose) last time I was in there they had a few woodworking tools and I've even seen a coupla old ShopSmiths for sale in there!!!

I usually make the trip to Lubbock in the summer and at Christmas...If you need something picked up at a Woodcraft store and delivered we could probably arrange something.

roy

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Congrats Tyler.!!!! But I can directly relate to you on this one. The only thing is? You have a turning club local to you....mine would be 1.5 hours away. ;)Oh, quit crying Dennis, ours is right here in town and it's still 1,5 hours away literally!! and that's when the traffic is good!:D :D

Tyler, I think it isn't fair, nobody who chooses to stay in Lubbock should have a woodworking store. after all the most wood that you guys have outside of some ornamental trees in front yards is the tumbleweed that blows freely through the town. Believe me I know, I used to be the Sales Manager at Resthaven.:) Congrats!!!:D :D

[TYLER WOOD]

ROTFLMAO!!!!

Hartley, i know that you may feel that way. But it really is not by choice. Wife had a huge say of coming back (even if I did agree with her tha's not the point) It was her idea!!!! Bash West Texas all you want!! We have fine friendly people out here, they just need to catch up with the rest of the world and join the 21st century!

We are still the largest dry city in the world outside of Muslim run countries!!!!!

[Christopher K. Hartley]

ROTFLMAO!!!!

Hartley, i know that you may feel that way. But it really is not by choice. Wife had a huge say of coming back (even if I did agree with her tha's not the point) It was her idea!!!! Bash West Texas all you want!! We have fine friendly people out here, they just need to catch up with the rest of the world and join the 21st century!

We are still the largest dry city in the world outside of Muslim run countries!!!!!Whoa!!! Cowboy! I was just pulling your chain. I loved Lubbock and had to leave due to illness (long story) You are absolutely right! Some of the greatest people anywhere I have ever lived (and that has been all over the country). Please forgive me!:o I'm sorry my post offended you, it was certainly not my intent.:) Friends???:confused:

[Bill White]

Right about being the friendly town. Have met some very fine folks there (Lake Ransome Canyon, the former Watson Foodservice). Nice town if ya don't step in goose poop in the winter.
Bill

[TYLER WOOD]

Boy more people on here know Lubbock than I ever feared! I wish all had the chance to experience it. Hartley I was just ribbin' right back. No heart feelings!!! But Houston on the other hand?!?!?! One of the only cities I wish we could ceceed to another state, along with El Paso!:p

Oh come on that was funny, you know it! We could make them their own states, they'd still be bigger than Rhode Island!!!

[Joe Melton]

I, too, was born in Lubbock; my parents escaped when I was very young. Now I drive through about once or twice a year, and think a tree would have a tough time of it there.
People who haven't been to Texas generally don't comprehend how big it it. I once drove from Los Angeles to Houston, and half the trip was in Texas.
Joe

[TYLER WOOD]

Your right about the size of Texas. El Paso is closer to LA than it is to Houston. Even to drive what I call close in the state takes 3 hours to Amarillo. That is relatively around the cornere here. All of that is on interstate running 70 mph.

But there are some decent trees here for turning. They grow slow so you get good growth rings and lots of funk when you get to crotches.

[Terry Rodery]

Hey Tyler....ever turned any Tumbleweed? :D

[TYLER WOOD]

No, but they do grow almost the same size as our trees here in the boonies. If they weren't so brittle it might work.

Who knows maybe make some pen blanks with them cast in resin or something. Resin cast tumbleweed pens, a true vision of west Texas flora! Or make pens with top half tumleweed bottom half snake skin. Get a full vision of what it looks like here, Snakes and weeds!!!:p

Hey it might be a boom to the economy.

Finally something more abundant than oil and cotton farms! A new income opportunity right here in the dust of west Texas! I love new ideas:D
I had though of getting cotton burrs and casting them in resin and selling them to farmers. Shoot pick up their junk on the side of the road and sell it back to them. May look similar to the sunflower hull pen blanks.