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Thread: Turner Interview: Dennis Peacock

  1. Turner Interview: Dennis Peacock

    Name:
    Dennis Peacock

    DOB/Age:
    12 June 1959 - 46 years young

    Physical description (G-rated, please):
    5' 9" tall, standing up or laying down

    Location (for how long, previous locations, etc):
    Conway, AR - 6 Years
    Hazel Green, AL - 7 Years
    Huntsville, AL - 11 Years

    Family information (brag on your spouse, kids, grandkids, dog, etc): The LOML - Tracy
    4 Kids - Samuel - 15, Amanda - 14, Joseph - 11, and Daniel - 8
    No Dawgs or cats...just a Guinea pig for Amanda

    Vocation (what do you do for a living, and what have you done previously):
    Unix Systems Engineer since 1985

    Equipment Overview (lathe, tools, etc):
    Lathe - Powermatic 3520A and a Jet 1236
    Tablesaw - Jet 10" Left Tilt Cabinet Saw
    12" DeWalt CMS
    Robland X-31 Euro Combo Machine - now sold
    2 Floor type Drill Presses
    EZ Guiderail setup
    Festool Guiderail system with vac
    Festool Sanders - I love those things
    Performax 16/32 - to be upgraded to a Woodmaster 38" drum sander PC,
    Hitachi, Makita routers Laguna LT16HD Bandsaw Bill Pentz Design 5HP Cyclone setup
    Way too many other items to list here

    How many lathes have (or do) you own? Tell us about 'em.
    2 Lathes
    My starter lathe Jet 1236. Very good starter type lathe.
    My "serious" lathe, PM 3520A. This baby ROCKS!!!!!

    How many turning tools do you have?
    I have about 14 turning tools.

    Tell us about your shop:
    My shop is a metal building. 30' by 60' and I really could use another 1,200
    sq ft. It's heated via natural gas heater, cooled via two window A/C units. Inside bathroom, phone and dual garage doors.

    Website? If so, what's the url?
    I have a personal web site: www.beautifulwood.net

    How long turning?
    Been turning for almost 3 years now...off and on.

    What got you into turning?
    Ken Salisbury got me started in turning for just making pens. The rest is
    "history".

    What do you enjoy most about turning?
    Freedom of form. Relaxing at the quiet hum of the lathe and the sweet sound of wood under my gouges.

    What was your first completed turned project?
    I made a bowl, my very first with dull turning tools and NO Bowl Gouge out
    of a laminated Pine blank from my BIL's house that he was having built. They still have it today, almost 10 years later.

    What is your favorite form that you turn?
    Round!!!!! Other than that? Bowls and Platters

    What is your favorite form someone else turns/has turned?
    Hollow Forms that I don't have money for the HF tools. Maybe in the next 2 years I can get them.

    What is your favorite wood to work with and why?
    Maple and Pecan. Turns very nice and finishes like a dream.

    Have you met or hung out with any turnin' Creekers? Tell us about it.
    Yes.
    Mark Cothren - Very good friend of mine.
    Joe Meazle - Another very good friend of mine.
    Terry Quiram - Excellent turner and friend.
    Bill Grumbine - The best I've ever seen.

    What is your favorite individual piece that you have turned, and why?
    Maple Burl shallow bowl/platter. Just because it is highly figured and the
    LOML really likes it.

    What is your favorite piece someone else has turned, and why?
    I highly value any turned piece or not sent to me of any of my fellow
    woodworkers. To me, no amount of money can take the place of a handcrafted item by those your fellowship with.

    What do you not turn now that you want to - or plan to - in the future?
    Hollow forms. Like everything else in the world, it takes money to purchase the tools and with 4 kids and 3 sets of braces, who has money for turning tools any more.

    What brought you to SMC?
    I came to SMC when Badger Pond closed it's doors. I've been here ever since.

    Got any nicknames? How'd you get it?
    Termite is a current nickname, because my kids said that I sometimes look
    like a termite with all the Wood dust, shavings, and lathe curlies I wear in the house.

    Now let's get a little deep... If you were a tree, what tree would you be and why?
    I guess I'd be a Sweet Gum tree. I produce fruit in the form of excellent
    friends and family AND I can be pretty prickly at times when I'm backed into a corner!!!!

  2. #2
    Nice to meet you Mr. Peacock!! What a nice interview. I like your viewpoints and your description of the tree is very telling!
    ~john
    "There's nothing wrong with Quiet" ` Jeremiah Johnson

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Pacific, Mo.
    Posts
    2,835
    Nice informative interview. Sweet Gum huh? I'd have thought an osage orange. Tough on the outside and still tougher on the inside. That's in regards to living in Arkansas And with 4 kids, two of which are teenagers, you got to be tough.
    Making new friends on SMC each and every day

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Goodland, Kansas
    Posts
    22,605
    Pleased to meet you Mr. Peacock. Nice interview Dennis.
    Bernie

    Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

    To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.



  5. Hey Dennis, nice to meet you!

    You need another 1200 square feet...?

    I have only 320...

    Cheers!

  6. #6
    Nice to know you a little better Dennis!
    Great interview!
    Have Chainsaw- Will Travel

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Sapulpa, OK
    Posts
    880
    Hey Dennis...almost missed you under all those wood chips. Even if I haven' posted...I really like all the round stuff you've been coming up with.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Benton Falls, Maine
    Posts
    5,480
    Hey Dennis! Welcome to Sawmill Creek!

    There's a new Orientation thread in the Support Forum for newcomers that you might find helpful.
    Only the Blue Roads

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    Dennis.....I enjoyed reading your interview! Don't pay any attention to Andy....I think he's sniffing those exotics again!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  10. #10
    Nice to learn there is more to Dennis than that intimidating avatar picture. I didn't know you were a unix!

    Dave Fried

  11. #11
    having had the pleasure meeting dennis face to face all i`ve got to say is he`s a big hearted ol` softie! so disregard his "prickly" analogy .02 tod
    TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN; I ACCEPT FULL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY POSTS ON THIS FORUM, ALL POSTS ARE MADE IN GOOD FAITH CONTAINING FACTUAL INFORMATION AS I KNOW IT.

  12. #12
    Mark, I like this type of interview thread. Very nice Dennis. You have some great equipment. Didn't know you had 2 lathes and you need another 1200 SF?

    Corey

  13. #13
    "5' 9" tall, standing up or laying down" - I love it!

    Nice to know ya Mr. P...
    Glenn Clabo
    Michigan

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Glenn Clabo
    "5' 9" tall, standing up or laying down" - I love it!
    I think he's bragging!

  15. Well, I'm gonna add a bit to this thread/interview...

    We have worked at the same place for several years, but we only met a little over a year ago. The first time I e-mailed Dennis at work he invited me over to help me build a little box and teach me whatever I was inclined to learn. The first time at his house he opened his shop and house to me and welcomed me in. I still have the bowl and pen that he gave me that night.

    Well you could have buttered my behind and called me a biscuit, cuz I was hooked. I spent 2-3 nights a week over at Dennis' house for the next several months learning ww'ing skills from him. He let me turn on his lathe until I couldn't stand it any more (I think he secretly owns stock in Powermatic and covertly works to get folks addicted) and we built me a shop and I bought me a lathe.

    I could go on and on, but I'll stop now.

    I'll leave it at this. Dennis is good people. He'll give you the shirt off his back and he'll even blow the wood chips off it first... He's a great friend and any of you guys that haven't yet had the chance to meet him are just missing out.

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