Good Day Yesterday - long

[Tom Sweeney]

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend the day with Bill Grumbine & his lovely family.

I spent the day with Bill taking turning lessons. I would highly recommend this to anyone in the area that is getting started in woodturning. Bill is an excellent teacher. He had at least a half dozen opportunities to shake his head & say what are you an idiot or something -but he didn't (I think he came close once towards the end ). Bill has the patience of Job when teaching a student. The class was one on one instruction & started with going out to the field & cutting 2 slabs off a big Cherry log & ended with a finished cherry bowl ( from a previously roughed bowl). The lesson pretty much covered everything you need to know to take a log & make it into a bowl.

There were many things that I learned, I hope I can remember them all, and other things that I already knew were reinforced.

I was surprised by a few things that Bill taught me, such as how important stance & body movement are - it really makes a difference in the cut. I was also surprised that I had a hard time picking up a few very simple techniques, definately the students problem not the teachers. I also got a nice catch in the finish bowl right near the end & couldn't quite get it all out because the bowl was starting to get a bit thin.

Bill also put a different grind on my bowl gouge which makes a world of difference. Sharp tools rule - I was shocked at how well a scraper works when it actually has a sharp edge.

On top of the excellent teaching of Bill's I got to enjoy two delicous meals & wonderful conversation with Bill his wife Lisa & their 3 lovely daughters - all in all a fantastic day - Thanks Bill!

[Anthony Yakonick]

You could come to my place and have me scream at you

Anthony

[Don Farr]

I envy you Tom. I need some training like that. I have a vendor in PA that sometimes gives training classes, so the next time I am up there maybe Bill will help me.

[Gerry Meekins]

Tom,

I was lucky enough to spend the day with Bill last spring. I had pretty much the same experience as you. Even Bubba and Rowdy got used to me before the end of the day! Don’t worry about remembering everything; Bill has subliminally implanted the info in the nether regions of your brain. One good catch and it all comes rushing back to you. LOL..
Glad you had a good time and thanks for sharing!

Gerry

[Jim Becker]

I was surprised by a few things that Bill taught me, such as how important stance & body movement are - it really makes a difference in the cut.

If you can only retain one thing from your day with Bill, this would be it! It's not surprising that he went into that, either. David Ellsworth also spends a lot of time on this very thing for good reason...it's the basics that make the foundation for everything else. The neat thing, too, is that this works for any style of turning with any kind of lathe. If your body isn't comfortable and your movements constrained, your turnings will show it.

I'm glad you had a great time with Bill. He facilitated my first turning experience years ago...actually, a couple of years before I actually got into woodworking...when I took a pen-turning course at the now "former" Woodcraft in Bensalem PA. I still have that pen and although I don't turn them anymore, it's something I'll always treasure.

[Aaron Koehl]

...On top of the excellent teaching of Bill's I got to enjoy two delicous meals & wonderful conversation with Bill his wife Lisa & their 3 lovely daughters - all in all a fantastic day - Thanks Bill!

I really enjoyed visiting the place at the 5 Barns Picnic-- Bill is really a
congenial guy with a great sense of humor. Maybe I will make the pilgrimage
north to PA one day and take a lesson.

_Aaron_

[Dominic Greco]

Tom,
I'm glad you had such a great time with Bill. As time goes by, you will remember more and more of what he taught you. Don't worry thought, it just takes time of your brain to assimilate all that data!

I remember Bill's explanantion of the proper stance as "dancing". I still can hear him in my mind as I'm working out at the lathe.

See ya,
Dominic

[Martin Shupe]

I took a class with Bill over a year ago. In four hours, he helped me turn a center pedestal for a Shaker round stand. I had never touched a lathe before, and he started with the basics and built up from there. The instruction was excellent, the conversation pleasant and interesting, and dinner was wonderful!

I would highly recommend that any new turner spend a few hours with Bill. You will enjoy it immensely, and you will learn a fantastic amount of information in a short period of time.

No, Bill, the round stand is not finished yet, but I will be working on it soon. (I am the world's slowest woodworker.)

Hey, we are planning a driving vacation to the NE for next summer. Have you got a date for the picnic yet? We will try to be there if we can. I want my family to meet your family.

I also need to get up there and you can teach me how to make shaker knobs and table legs.

[Glenn Hodges]

I remember my day with Bill when I first started out with my lathe. You could do no better than take a course under Bill or someone like him when you first start turning. Bill is one of the best, he is not only a talented, but he is just a good teacher. This is a good combination, and sometimes hard to find today. Now you have my 2 cents.