Remember your first turning? Still have it?

[Russell Eaton]

John at least you went out with style. I also have my first turning. It was a slimline. I turned it at the wood show 3 years ago. It was the ugliest thing you could imagine. 4 lathes later and several thousand dollars... the vortex just keeps calling.

[Bill Wiggins]

My first turnings were replacement spindles for my oak dining room chairs. The old ones were chewed by our puppy, at the time.

This project allowed me to purchase the Jet Midi Lathe, since the cost of fixing the chairs, from the original vendor, was more than the cost of a lathe and oak blanks. I knew that dog was good for something!

[Robert Newton]

I am a retired shop teacher and hate to see schools closing up their shops, not everyone is going to college and there are many practical things to learn. It forced you to plan and think through the process.

[John Pratt]

7th grade shop class, walnut table leg replacement for a broken one on my grandmothers antique dining table. My parents still have the table. Not quite as long ago as some of you, but seems like ages ago to me (33 yrs). I actually went the other way and did more flat work, but the vortex is calling me back and other than the stuff I do for work, it is all I get done. As long as we're blaming people, I blame Michael James.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yes I remember. It was a lidded box and I still have it or I should say the wife has it somewhere. Here it is.

[Jerry Wright]

John - nice legs! (don't get concerned!!) I really like the square to octagon to round transitions. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

[Jerry Wright]

Bernie - I really like the shape and especially your use of the burn lines. Wood grain in the top is really nice!

[John Keeton]

As long as we're blaming people, I blame Michael James.

As good a scapegoat as one could find, I suspect!! MJ is pretty good at getting folks sucked into the vortex!

[Dennis Simmons]

No shop class here! In eastern KY, we barely had schools - much less shop!!

September 26, 2009, posted right here on the creek! A poplar prototype for a set of walnut legs for a table I was building - it is still lying on a shelf in the shop.

I blame all you guys here for the lack of flatwork production - and, Ms. Keeton ain't too happy with you, either!! So much for all that furniture I was going to build in retirement!

I can relate , I got a job making hymnal racks for a church, " FLAT WORK " I today after 2 weeks turned a toy spin top, it felt so good, and was the most true running top I have made. I can not remember anything I did in shop at school, but I have lathed off and on for 50 years. Most work was replacement parts for furniture. Flat work SUCKS.

[Dennis Simmons]

I love all of the references to high school shop!! My dad was a high school shop teacher. I grew up following him around the combined wood/machine/weld shop. He had no home shop, so he (we) spent a lot of evenings and weekends working in the shop on his own projects as well as prepping for the next day's classes. He always made sure that I had something to work on. He made a lot of glued up blocks. He loved to make checkerboard style bowls and candle sticks with 3/8" - 1/2" square sticks in alternating walnut and maple. I have always viewed my bowl as kind of simple because it is just boards glued together. He used to rave about white glue (there was still a hide glue pot in the shop) and GF 1-2-3 finish, because they made it so much easier for students to produce a good project with a fool-proof finish. One reason my bowl looks good is that nothing left his shop, that didn't look good. That meant his students (or I) worked on their projects until they looked acceptable. I swear I can still remember sanding this one!! He used to have a saying that if projects went out of the shop looking lousy, then folks in town would say "Wright can't teach".

Unfortunately, most highschools these days have eliminated their shops and related programs. There are no students (boys, girls, college bound, or junior rocket scientists) who would not benefit from a wood, machine, weld shop or drafting class.
Jerry

I still remember school wood shop in Jr. high school, the wood lathes were placed, on the wall with the old iron windows, there were holes in the glass where the turning tools went through the windows, I can still see this in my mind, I have always wondered about the autos in the street by the windows.

[Jim Underwood]

I turned my first bowl in Jr. High. My Dad ran across it some months ago, and now can't put his hands on it again. I was hoping he'd send it on...

It was probably ugly as sin, but it was my first and I'd kinda like to have it... If I ever get hold of it, I'll post a picture...

[Greg Just]

my first turning was a bowl from some gum that was recovered after Katrina. It is about 7 inches in diameter and 2 inches high.