# How and Why???



## jttheclockman (Dec 29, 2015)

Had a few minutes today to check the site before I go up to the hospital and as usual my mind wanders a bit and nostalgia sets in. I start thinking about past members here and some of the projects and ideas that were born right here on this forum. Thinking about some of the truely classy pens shown here. Thinking about some of the techniques that were developed over time here. Thinking about how this site has developed into what it is today and how along the way ideas were shared and documented. But also thinking how friendships have been developed over time just by sharing a simple little hobby of pen making. 

It led me down the path of thinking of the simple questions of How and Why did you come to this site??? What made you take up this hobby which can be both expensive and also lucrative in various ways?? How did you wind up here reading this thread?? Also now that you are here has the hobby proven to be what you thought it might and has joining this forum ramped up your desires to continue and improve???


My little story goes something like this. I also was into woodworking and hobbies. I saw some pen turning being done at a woodworking show by our area turners club.  Right away it peaked my interest and after talking shop one of the members mentioned this site. This was in 2004. I checked the site out but did not join right away. I followed it with interest and took notes. In 2005 I decided to join in because there were some questions being asked that I knew enough about that I wanted to share. The rest as they say is history. Have learned alot here and hopefully have been able to help also. I have seen the site evolve and have seen many talented people come through here. Many have moved on for various reasons. I have had to take some timeouts here myself but keep coming back because of this addiction. I am hoping with the influx with many new members this site will continue to grow and share. 

So how about you?? Whats your story??  Thanks for sharing.


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## tomtedesco (Dec 29, 2015)

Another IAP member (Ed Cypher) is in my local club, told me about the site.  Checked it out and found everyone in the IAP knew a lot more than me about making pens.  Where else can you get such vast knowledge for free??  Have learned a lot and in the pen swaps met some great people.


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## Robert Taylor (Dec 29, 2015)

I have a ShopSmith. They used to have their "Traveling Academy" that went around the country teaching classes. Or so I thought. It turned out that I paid to watch them demo their accessories. Anyway the teacher had these wooden pens that he was selling for his friend. They peaked my interest more than anything else that day. He said that I should just buy one as I would have a minimum of $75.00 invested to make my first pen. I thought NO WAY, I can do that for much less so I started looking around the internet and found this site. I lurked and started collecting/making the things that I would need to make a pen. I still was so intimidated that I went to Woodcraft and took a class to make my first pen. I was hooked. To date I have made about 700 pens. Even in 2006 $75.00 was a very conservative estimate for making my first pen. I may have a little bit more than that invested at this time. lol GREAT SITE!!!


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## Smitty37 (Dec 29, 2015)

Well I started like this - I wanted an unusual Christmas present for one of my sons-in-law and had happened to see wooden pens offered at a craft show and taken the maker's business card.  I bought a slimline pen from him and asked about how they were made and he told me.  A few years later I saw wooden pens at another craft show and talked to the maker who told me about kits. I asked him where he got his kits and he listed about three or four places.  I was making furniture at the time and had built about everything we needed for the house so I decided to give pen turning a try and bought a lathe and a starter package from PSI and started turning slimline pens and pencils.

In a short while, I found that kits were expensive unless bought in quantity and started buying a hundred or so at a time.  I also found that I could buy a thousand kits at a time sell them on ebay in packages of 10 and turn a profit so I started doing that but only with slimline kits - I started with about 5 finishes and kept adding until at the end I was selling 21 finishes and about 30,000 kits a year.  

I came to IAP when several of my customers on ebay asked me to join, thinking I had something to offer.  I joined and the business evolved into what it is today.  I stopped selling slimlines for logistic reasons.


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## Ed McDonnell (Dec 29, 2015)

I joined in 2008.  I was making a LOT of pens, but just an ordinary assortment of kits with pretty wood.  I didn't post a lot during this period.  Too busy making pens and didn't really have anything super interesting to post about.  

Around 2012 I started experimenting with different materials and techniques.  People seemed to be interested in what I was doing so I ended up posting a lot more.

I'm not doing anything with pens (or anything else right now).  I'm in the process of moving to a new shop (that will have a new house attached).  I'm out of operation until late next year some time.  Still check in here from time to time.

Hope all goes well at the hospital.

Ed


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## D.Oliver (Dec 29, 2015)

I googled "Pink towel" and somehow ended up here on IAP.......


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## Curly (Dec 29, 2015)

I did the same thing except I Googled "Studio".


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## skiprat (Dec 29, 2015)

LMAO....Derek should be banned, or at least come with a warning label.


I make / made furniture pieces for home and my wife said she wanted an Ottoman with ball feet. When I showed her that four nice premade feet would cost the same a lathe to turn them, she said to get one. 
In the Rutlands catalogue, where the feet were shown, there were 24ct gold kit pens and I figured I could make and sell them and give up work...:cowboy:

When I was Googling these pens, I came across this place.....

Nothing has changed and I still haven't sold  a pen yet!!
Spent an absolute fortune, but not made a penny......:frown:

Edit in: BTW JT, I hope the visit to the hospital ended with good news!!


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## triw51 (Dec 29, 2015)

I did a trade for a metal lathe and wanted to make Damascus pens (I heard of a knife maker who made them and did quite well).  Though I would learn on wood not metal.  Did a search for pen making and ended up here.  I showed a few pens to one of the admin. secretary's and a few days later I had an order for 100 slim lines with engraved boxes.  I still make pens and sell quite a few word of mouth and having a few on my desk.  I now turn bowls, sushi platters, etc. as well as pens.  Still blacksmith some,. mostly for teaching Damascus making (no I never turned


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## bobleibo (Dec 29, 2015)

I was driving through South Dakota one day and ran across a homeless guy on the side of the road who offered me a hand made pen for a ride to the next town....
Actually I was volunteering at a school with some at-risk kids who were, shall we say "under performing" in math. One day I was looking for one of these kids and wandered  into the shop class where the kids were making pens. I had no idea it was done. I asked the teacher to show me how to do it so one day I stayed after school and the rest is history....just like the money that was in my wallet. The shop teacher pointed me toward the IAP.


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## JimB (Dec 29, 2015)

I credit Kurt Hertzog with getting me into turning. Many of you know who he is. I took my first woodturning class at Rockler and he was the instructor. He had many of his turned items with him including several pens. I bought the same lathe being used in the class, a Jet 1014VS. I took his advice for my first set of tools and bought the set from Harbor Freight (yes, he recommended them as an inexpensive way to get started). Correction, my wife bought them for me. Also, as he recommended, I joined the local turning club. At the first monthly meeting I attended one of the members mentioned IAP. I joined a couple weeks later. 

I have taken some breaks from turning and IAP over the years as work and life sometimes gets busy. These days I have a lot more time so I spend more time turning and more time on here.


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## MarkD (Dec 29, 2015)

I had been dabling in various woodworking projects most of my life and I started making gifts for my family for Christmas. I bought a dust collector from PSi and saw the pens in their catalog. The next Christmas I decided to dust off the old lathe in the corner and try making a few pens for Christmas gifts. I took a few into work to show people and the unexpectedly orders started coming in. The next thing I knew I was applying for art and craft shows. That was 6 years and several hundred pens ago...


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## Lenny (Dec 29, 2015)

I've always liked a good pen. Probably has something to do with the fountain pen I got as a gift from my folks after "graduating" from grade school. I work in a cabinet shop and see lots of scrap wood get cut up for kindling. I  thought "I could make some pens from that bubinga". I had long ago grown tired of turning spindles and wanted to turn something fun and relaxing. As luck would have it, my pen turning kit was back ordered. Found the IAP while waiting for it to arrive.  It's the best and friendliest forum "on the line"! :wink:


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## Rick_G (Dec 29, 2015)

I started to do woodworking after I retired and while looking for woodworking sites I ran across the "Pens for Canadian Peacekeepers" site (Canadian flag at top of page).  Having spent 10 years in the Canadian Air Force in the 60's and 70's I thought that would be a cool thing to do so I bought a small Delta midi lathe on sale.  I never kept a running count but I think I have sent around 200 pens to our servicemen and women so far.  I've got some nice thank you letters and emails for the pens, the best from a Major who had used the pen that morning to sign the orders to bring his people back from Afghanistan.  Found this site after I got the lathe and started turning pens.  (google can be your friend sometimes)  I've since got a bigger lathe that will handle an 18" bowl although the largest I have done so far is 14".   I do more bowls and other things now but still enjoy turning pens and presently working on another batch of a dozen to send to our troops.


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## Bob Wemm (Dec 29, 2015)

I have always loved wood, I got my first hand saw for Christmas when I was about 3 or 4 years old, however my woodworking career was curtailed very soon after I cut one of the handles from Dad's wheelbarrow. Did pretty well at woodwork at school and then decided to try turning when I retired in 2004. 
A purchase of blanks from George (Robutation) led to me joining the IAP, even though I had no intention or desire to turn pens.
BUT, after looking at all the wonderful pens that were shown I just had to make a couple myself, and the rest is history.
I have slowed on the pen making front over the last year or so, but still spend a lot of time on my lathe.
This is the best wood forum that I have come across to date.

Cheers,
Bob.


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## jeff (Dec 30, 2015)

My story is in two parts. 

*How I started making pens: *My dad was a woodworker and over his life he made nearly 100 pieces of early American reproduction furniture. He turned legs and spindles for furniture, plus the occasional bowl and lamp. Dad died in 1989, and while cleaning out his shop I found a box of hardwood scraps which I later realized were perfectly sized for pen blanks. I kept those scraps, and in 1996 I saw an ad for pen blanks and kits, from Hut or Berea, I forget which. I remembered that box of blank-sized scraps, and ordered some kits and the original Russ Fairfield DVD. I made my first pen, a walnut slimline, around Christmas 1996. 
*
How I came to IAP:* After a few years of making pens, I hunted down all the internet resources I could find. That was back in the day of UseNet news groups, seems like eons ago. I found Yahoo Penturners and participated there a bit. I quickly grew to hate the relentless ads and lousy interface Yahoo provided, so I proposed to the group that I'd volunteer my programming and internet skills to build a better place. That suggestion went over like a lead balloon, but one guy, Scott Greaves, thought it was a decent idea and offered to help me. Scott was the evangelist, and I handled the technical stuff. I built the site in late 2003, and we went live in Jan 2004. I remember "flipping the switch" on the site, then going down for dinner with my wife. When I came back to the computer, we had 35 members. I remember thinking, "hmmm, we might have something here!" I guess we did!


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## jsolie (Dec 30, 2015)

*Short version:*  I got interested in pen turning from seeing a post on another forum, and found IAP from the same forum

*Long rambly version:*

My grandfather was a finish carpenter, and I remember spending many days "helping" him in his garage woodshop (he lived next door when I was growing up).  I don't remember actually making something, other than pounding nails into an old log and whacking on scrap wood with a hammer.  He passed away in the early 70's when I was 7 or 8 years old.

A few years later, I remember my dad needing to make a knob of some kind for a car he was working on.  He pulled out this rickety old lathe and proceeded to make the knob from some old pepperwood using what I now recognize as homemade scrapers.  I was fascinated, but he wouldn't let me touch it since he didn't want me to get hurt.

A few years after that when I was in Jr. High wood shop, one of our projects was to turn a bowl on the ancient bowl lathes they had at the school.  I don't remember where my first bowl is now, but I really enjoyed it (even though we were only permitted to use scrapers, sandpaper and Deft).

After finishing that bowl, I remember finding that old lathe in the garage and set it up out front one day we were off school.  Not knowing any different, I grabbed a section of tree branch and turned what looked like a bat or a club.  I remember my dad being impressed, and soon after he bought a different wood lathe that I thought was the best lathe in the world.  That lathe had a cast aluminum banjo and tool rest, two tubes for  bedways, the headstock is a solid 3/4"x16, the tailstock has some weird  thread pattern that only took the live center that came with it.

I made several bowls, lamps and various spindles on that lathe, never knowing about Morse tapers, bowl gouges, proper skew holding, four jaw chucks, 60 degree live centers.  All cuts were done via scraping, I never knew anything else could be done. 

Many years later, after getting married, starting a family, and career, I got the itch to make something that physically existed.  Being a computer programmer, I've made plenty of intricate (and occasionally elegant) things, but you couldn't hold them.  They wouldn't last 50 years, like some of Grandpa's pieces have.  So I began to slowly build up small workshop in my garage.  I knew that eventually I was going to get a lathe.

When that day arrived sometime in the mid 1990's, the lathe turned out to be a Jet JWL-1236, which is what I still have.  I began to read and learn what I could about the lathe, did a lot of reading on Usenet (Yes, Jeff, I well remember rec.crafts.woodworking and rec.crafts.woodturning) and various other sites, OldTools in particular.  Offline newsreaders were the thing to use back in dial-up days even though it could take a while to sync.

I learned about bowl gouges, dust collection, four jaw chucks, the Ellsworth grind, steb centers, power sanding, all that good stuff.  After a few years, things got busy with more kids and life in general.  I spent a few years figuring out how to work a camera and maybe take the occasional somewhat decent photograph.

A few years ago, I began to hear the siren song of the lathe again.  I dusted off many of the things that had been waiting for me in my garage shop and began to turn a bowl here and there.  I remember being on another woodturning forum, and someone posted a picture of a pen he had just finished.  Intrigued, I looked into what was needed to turn pens.  Somewhere along the way, I remember seeing this forum mentioned and I've been hanging out here for a while now.


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## KBs Pensnmore (Dec 30, 2015)

I started turning after a severe bout of depression, my partner bought me a cheap small wood lathe and a cheap set of chisels, met a few people and got invited to join the local woodturning club. One of the members was showing how to turn a pen, wasn't really interested at the time, but somewhere the bug had bitten me, bought a couple of kits from a local reseller, and away it went. Looking for more details on Google, I found this site and was amazed as to the simplicity and complexity of the pens on here, I joined and the rest is history as they say. Have done about 400 pens, including an order for 110  for Christmas 2011, from recycled plastic inkjet and printer cartridges finished in CA.
Thanks Jeff for putting together a fantastic forum.
To Everyone on here Have A Happy New Year, and keep the chips flying.
From Down Under
Kryn


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## Jim15 (Dec 30, 2015)

My dad was a woodworker in his spare time and left me a few things that I still treasure. I started thinking about my children and what I might leave them that they could have after I was gone. I saw an add for a class in pen turning at Woodcraft and thought that that may be something I could do. I was then looking on the internet for info on pen making and came across this site. The site was exactly what I was looking for and it was a very friendly site and a wealth of info on what I was trying to do. It has become a second home to me and the people have become my online friends. I am still learning.


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## BRobbins629 (Dec 30, 2015)

I started making pens 10 years ago.  I knew someone who had made some, and we needed a few presents for some friends we had been exchanging gifts with for a few years and ran out of ideas.  I took a class at Woodcraft, thinking I would make 3 and be done.

Not too long after I discovered IAP through another work related associate (for those who remember JimGo) and learned that not only could I make pens, but I could also make my own plastic blanks. I think that along with the many variations is what hooked me.  Besides, everyone needs a pen and they don't take up much room. Through the years I have made many more IAP friends from around the world.  I discovered and incorporated jewelry making and became inspired to assemble and incorporate CNC into my pen making.  I also feel proud to have introduced a few "firsts" to IAP.  I believe I was the first to make (or the first to post) a label pen (Mona Lisa); The first to use an ultrasonic cleaner to remove bubbles from PR clear casts; the first to determine the thread size of the ElGrande and to make the first triple start group buy with that configuration.

I am always fascinated with new ideas that our members keep inventing for such a small palette and look forward to seeing many more.


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## TellicoTurning (Dec 30, 2015)

I don't know how I wound up at IAP, used to belong to The Penshop (suppose I still do but haven't been over there since joining IAP)... but I got into pen turning by accident... the accident was I was with the wife at an art gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas and admired a bowl that a local turner had there.. it was beautiful and I commented that it would be nice to be able to have the talent to do something like that... just a compliment to the artist.  She called my son that night and told him I wanted a lathe for Christmas... HUH! ....   Christmas day, he showed up with a Ridgid spindle lathe in his truck.... we rolled it into the garage, plugged it in and tried it out.  He also brought some pen kits to play with and we both got hooked... BUT you can't turn a bowl on a Ridgid spindle lathe... lowest speed was 750 rpm and if the bowl blank was the least bit out of balance, the lathe would just leave... literally walking towards the door. I turned pens for 5 years before I had a chance to get a better lathe and could try bowls... still turned pens for another couple of years after that, but have about stopped.  I have a collection of wood pen blanks, but haven't tried to do any in a couple of years.  Was planning to teach Dianne the art before she got sick, but now she can't stand long enough to work the lathe.  It's sad because she would be a great artist.


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## BSea (Dec 30, 2015)

I used to make gun grips, and found this site by looking for exotic blocks of wood.  Before the market was revamped, there was a lot of wood for sale on this site.  So I'd check out the offerings almost daily. I'd come to the front page & see these beautiful pens.  That got me thinking about a lathe.  I hadn't used a lathe since shop class in HS.  The more I saw the pens on the front page, the more my interest grew.  I finally took the plunge and ordered a lathe. That was in mid 2010.  My lathe sat in my garage for almost 5 months before I set it up. (back surgery has a way of putting things on hold)

Since I've turned my 1st pen, I've never made another pair of gun grips.  But I have bought a metal lathe, sold my 1st lathe and upgraded to a PM 3520.  I just re-read my 1st thread where I asked about a lathe.  I was concerned that the price was getting higher and higher.  What a NOOB!


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## Sataro (Dec 30, 2015)

I use to make wood craft projects for gifts back in the 80/90's. Heart attack in 2000. Shut the shop(actually storage shed) down & locked the door. For the next 8 years only opened the door long enough to throw something inside. Saw a fellow turning pens in Lowes demonstrating a Shopsmith. Thought that looked liked something I would like to try one day. Few more years went by. Wife decided to leave her school nurse position & go back to work on evenings. I decided I didn't want to sit home every evening in front of the TV. Found a Jet 1014 on Craigslist. Went to woodcraft & bought a few pen kits, blanks, mandrel, & a drill bit. Started looking on the Internet to figure out how to make a pen. Made my first pen & was hooked. Stumbled across IAP in late 2008. Saw some of the examples of pens being made & thought these were the experts on here. Not my type of site. I needed to find a site for beginners. Bookmarked the site & forgot about it for a few months. Came back later on & started reading the forums. Found out that I had been missing a valuable resource!


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## jttheclockman (Dec 31, 2015)

I am glad I asked  There are some great stories here and I love reading them all. Glad you are taking some time to tell your story. Keep them coming.
I see Jeff has jumped in too and would like to thank him for having the vision for such a site and allowing us all to become part of something special. Happy New Year all.


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## Scott (Dec 31, 2015)

Thanks John!  I've enjoyed reading all the stories!  Even Derek.

I have always been around wood.  My dad was a carpenter his whole life, so there were always tools and projects going on.  He encouraged me to build a shop and fill it with tools.  One of those tools was a lathe, even though I had never used one before.  I got hooked on turning bowls (didn't say I was good at it!), and then when the weather turned cold, I got a Jet mini lathe to put in the basement so I could keep turning.  That lathe came with a pen mandrel and a couple of slimline kits.  That was the start for me!

I started with Usenet, then eventually found my way to the Yahoo Penturners.  We were organizing some demonstrations and a display for the 25th Utah Woodturning Symposium, and the question came up as to what we should call ourselves.  I liked Yahoos, but we settled on Yahoo Penturners, and then we faced a challenge as to whether we could even use the word Yahoo, because, well, it was owned by Yahoo!  That's when I started agitating for forming our own organization.  The idea was shouted down, but then I got this email from a guy named Jeff that would change both our lives.  He would build the site and I would be the evangelist, bringing people to the site.  I had the easy job because the site that Jeff built was fantastic from the beginning.  The rest is history!  The site is open and friendly, and just chock full of great information about all aspects of penturning.  I don't turn much anymore, but I still stop by here most every day.  You all are my extended family!  I want to say thanks to Jeff Brown for building this great site, and for letting me tag along and help where I could.

Scott.


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## mark james (Dec 31, 2015)

In High School (1978) I was given a wooden pen made by Cross - I loved the feel of the wood!  Either I lost it or it grew legs, but I did not have the money to replace it... :frown:

Around 1990-92 I saw an add for a "Wooden Pen Making kit from Hut."  This was to make a wooden pen on a drill press - which I did have.  If I remember right, it was entirely with sanding.  I made 3-4 slimlines, very poorly;  "poor fit and finish" would be appropriate.  But I saw the possibilities, when I had the time.  The box was put on a shelf.

19 years later I found the box - still had the blanks and kits (which still worked).

Began to explore the internet, got hooked up with a local woodcraft, and several weeks later saw a posting in the store about a "New Ohio IAP Chapter Meeting" with a demo by some character named Glenn McCullough.


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## epigolucky (Dec 31, 2015)

I needed a new hobby - work and life stress and I needed a new outlet, triathlons were not doing the trick anymore.  I saw a bowl turning video on youtube, looked interesting so I watched a few hundred (at least) and came across penturning.  A turner from the local WC recommended checking the page out, so here I am.


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## Brian Frank (Dec 31, 2015)

35 plus years ago I bought a Shop Smith Mark IIV.  Turned some spindles and a few bowls.  Used it mainly for the table saw and drill press.  Sold it a few years later once I up graded to a Rockwell Unisaw and a Rockwell floor standing drill press.  Missed having a lathe and always wanted to pick up another one.  In early 2000 I was offered a free radial arm saw and Rockwell lathe for 100.00.  Used the lathe a few times and there it sat in my shop until December of 2014.  I had knee surgery on December 8th.  7 days later I was turning pens for Christmas presents and have been hooked ever since.  Picked up a Jet 1014 in Sept and sold the Rockwell lathe.  What a difference turning on the Jet compared to the Mid 70s Rockwell.  

Found IAP in late January of 2014 doing a search for pen turing info.  Great bunch of turners on here with a wealth of knowledge.  Thank you all for posting your questions and pictures of your pens along with all your projects.


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## nava1uni (Jan 4, 2016)

I took a class at my local Woodcraft in penmaking.  I then went onto the internet and found the Pen Shop and joined.  After a couple of months I found IAP and joined the site and have watched it move from one server to another and undergo some changes.  Learned a lot, made some good friends, broadened by scope of turning and continue to learn


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## watchman7 (Jan 7, 2016)

I may have been one of those first 35 (or close to it) that signed up Jeff. I too was on the Yahoo group and there were some odd things going on there. I have been making pens since 2002 and this group has been a treasure trove of information. I don't participate very much but still look in often. Thanks everyone, especially Jeff for your time and effort.


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## danom (Jan 7, 2016)

My experience with a wood lathe started when I was in grade 7, I absolutely loved it at that time, grade 7,8,&9. Then it was gone. Decided at that time that school wasn't for me and became a truckdriver for 52 years. Then as retirement was fast approaching I new I had to find something to do in these so called golden years. One day surfing on internet, which by the way I am not good at, I stumbled across u-tube and their was a fellow making pens on a lathe. Was I impressed? You BET!!! And so the re-entering of lathe work began. Bought a lathe, tools, and spent huge money on everything else I needed. Now what? On to internet again and stumbled on to IAP, joined and here I am. The information on this site is extraordinary, I have learned so much from here and I am still learning. There are so many highly skilled pen turners that give information freely on this site. Although I do not post much here, I still enjoy reading and looking at all the wonderful projects that are posted. 
Many thks IAP
Dave


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## KCW (Jan 7, 2016)

I started turning pens just over 1 year ago.  I saw it on the internet and thought that it was interesting.  I had no intention of doing it myself, but I was very intrigued by it, and found myself searching and watching as much as I could find on the web.  In my searches, I found the IAP, and the wealth of knowledge that came with it.  After creeping for a short time, I decided to join, so I could everything there is on the site.  I came to the conclusion that I just had to try it, so I went and bought a cheap HF lathe, and a starter kit from PSI and I was hooked.  As a side note, one of the benefits of starting this hobby, was that I will be spending more time with my dad.  He has always been a woodworker, since I can remember, and he is now close to retirement (March of this year).  I had some concerns about him retiring, because he is the hardest working man I know, and without work, I thought he might be unhappy.  I have heard stories of people like this loosing there "purpose" and going down hill.  I decided to start a business "Karsten Custom Woodworks", which I named that way for a reason.  When I told him that I wanted him to be my partner, he was more excited than I have ever seen him.  Even if the business goes nowhere, it was still a huge success in my book.  He can't stop talking about his plans for when he retires and can start participating in the business.  It has been stressful, dealing with all that comes with opening an official business.  I have turned to giving up sleep, to find the time for everything (I refuse to give up time with my wife and three young children, and the day job is what pays the bills).  Sorry for rambling, but thank you to all of the IAP members that are willing to share your knowledge freely on this site, I have learned so much from you, which has allowed me to get where I am today.


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## Joe S. (Jan 7, 2016)

For site:
I was just getting into penturning and I was having trouble with snakewood. I had no idea what a bad idea turning snakewood would be for pen 6 or 7 in my career! Google led me to the right place.

For thread:
Got a Raspberry Pi that I have been playing around with and I just got it hooked up to the internet. The IAP was an obvious pick for a test site and this thread was on the homepage.

For those who are wondering: A Raspberry Pi is a small computer for nerds, it is not dissimilar to the 'guts' inside of smartphones and tablets.


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