# Just Getting Started



## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

Hi Everyone,

I found Lumberjocks because I'm VERY new to woodworking. In the spring of 2021, I quit drinking and needed something to fill my evenings (hence my shop, No Whiskey Woodworking).

In June, I found my first piece of maple burl, and I carved out a bowl from it. Ever since, I've been hooked.

I work with a Makita grinder, a drill, and a few handheld sanders. I've made about 30 bowls/projects (even sold one!) I work with burls and galls that I find in trees along rivers while I'm fly fishing… so now a pruning saw is part of my fly fishing equipment.

I especially love working with wild cherry that's been infected with Black Knot Fungus. It really gums up the tools, but the patterns are wonderful (at least to my eye). I call them "archipelago bowls" because the patterns that emerge look like maps of islands.

I made this one yesterday. Please correct me if I'm doing something wrong by post pics in this forum.

-Van


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

Would love to know what anyone thinks of the piece above! Or the one I'm including here…!








!


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## Thedustydutchman (May 23, 2021)

Those bowls are super cool! And congrats on quitting drinking, woodworking is a great way to spend time. However, gotta be careful cause the "need" for new tools is an addiction in itself!


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## StevoWevo (Jul 21, 2021)

Congrats on your sobriety Van! There's good days and bad days. I been off the source close to 8 years now so I know how it goes. I love the bowls! Looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Those bowls are super cool! And congrats on quitting drinking, woodworking is a great way to spend time. However, gotta be careful cause the "need" for new tools is an addiction in itself!
> 
> - Thedustydutchman


Yeah, I would drink more, but I can't afford beer after buying a bunch of hand planes to add to the collection.


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

> Those bowls are super cool! And congrats on quitting drinking, woodworking is a great way to spend time. However, gotta be careful cause the "need" for new tools is an addiction in itself!
> 
> - Thedustydutchman


Thanks for the congrats! And, I'm learning what you mean about "needing" new equipment. Though, something is up with my mouse sander, so I'm getting a new one this week!


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

> Congrats on your sobriety Van! There's good days and bad days. I been off the source close to 8 years now so I know how it goes. I love the bowls! Looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future.
> 
> - StevoWevo


Eight years! That's awesome, Stevo! I can't even imagine. I just hit 150 days without drinking (and 136 days without smoking). It's one day at a time here (one bowl at a time?) And I imagine one day at a time is how one arrives to 8 years! I still have cravings quite a bit, but a little grinding or sanding passes the evening.


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## Thedustydutchman (May 23, 2021)

There will always be "just one more tool" lol. It's not a bad problem to have though, I love getting new tools. I would love to see more pictures of your process making those bowls.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

I honestly don't know what else to say but, WOW!


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

> There will always be "just one more tool" lol. It s not a bad problem to have though, I love getting new tools. I would love to see more pictures of your process making those bowls.
> 
> - Thedustydutchman


You know I've never thought to document the process. It would actually probably look like a pretty sloppy process. I dig out the bowls with paddle bits then, if the grinder will fit, I dig out the rest with that. Or I use one of my Forstner bits. I also have sanding discs I can attach to my drill. The outsides are mainly done with the grinder and then the mouse sander. I've been using poly for the finish, but am looking to experiment with something that doesn't darken the wood. Here's three more pics of finished products and then the last pic is one that I have roughed in. I can already tell from the spit test that this one will go really dark on me, so I'm trying a new process to keep that from happening (fingers crossed!)


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

> I honestly don t know what else to say but, WOW!
> 
> - BurlyBob


Bob, that means a great deal! And when I'm done with responding to my students online work, I want to take a look at your stuff! (I teach English at a community college)


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

those bowls are very cool,i love rustic anything.cant wait too see more from you.welcome to lumber jocks.


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

> those bowls are very cool,i love rustic anything.cant wait too see more from you.welcome to lumber jocks.
> 
> - pottz


Thank you! I hope to share some more work. I also hope to get around and look at some more work on here… but this damn job. They actually want me to do stuff for my pay. Ridiculous.


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## redlee (Apr 11, 2016)

Very nice indeed, good on you for your life change.


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

> Very nice indeed, good on you for your life change.
> 
> - Richard Lee


Thank you, Richard.


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## PCDub (Sep 24, 2017)

> .. but this damn job. They actually want me to do stuff for my pay. Ridiculous.
> 
> - NoWhiskeyWoodworking


Ah… I know what you mean! (I teach research methods to college students…)


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## NoWhiskeyWoodworking (Sep 8, 2021)

> .. but this damn job. They actually want me to do stuff for my pay. Ridiculous.
> 
> - NoWhiskeyWoodworking
> 
> ...


And is your school currently doing this online? My own teaching load includes a face to face, two online and one hybrid.


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## PCDub (Sep 24, 2017)

They've gone to partial in-person. Two of my courses were supposed to meet once/week in person, and once/week online. I said no, I'm only doing all online. No need to expose myself to a bunch of strangers in a room together if half of the time we're meeting online anyway. (The third course was a fully online course as listed.)


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