Why Turn #2: Why Turn #2

A little more history. After I received my lathe (Jet Mini) I started cranking out Pens and do dads on a daily basis. I wanted to do more but I could only do so much with pen blanks. I knew I was hooked on turning when I started looking at wood in a different way. Driving around I now looked for anything I could turn. Anytime I heard a chain saw I went to see what they were cutting up. Tree trimmers were becoming my best friends. Now that I had some bigger pieces of wood I wanted to learn how to do bowls. Started doing some internet searches to see what I could come up with. I found a local chapter of the AAW the “Channel Islands Woodturners” and attended one of their meetings. What a great group of guys. They have mentors in the club that are more than willing to “Lend a helping hand” and teach you everything you ever wanted to know. At one of the “Demo’s” I filmed from the back and made a video of the project. They really like it and wondered if I would do their filming at all of the demos. Of course I said yes and that was two years ago. The club purchased a new video camera and already had two 42 inch monitors with stands and a sound system. I get to stand right up front at all of the demos and have met some really great turners. Jimmy Clewes, Alan Batty, Christian Delhon, Mike Schular, Steve Dunn, Eli Avisera and others. I have learned so much from the group and it has diffidently cut down on the learning time. I try to turn on a daily basis, rough out a bowl blank, do some sort of box or just make shavings it really does not matter to me. I am currently obsessed with the Calabash bowl design. I go to sleep and wake up thinking about the shape, draw it at meetings when I am supposed to be paying attention you know the drill. So “Why Turn”, I like being in control on the final shape and product.

Time for some shavings…...

-- Robert, So Cal, My Turn or Yours.....