Pretty proud moment - PICTURES ADDED

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tdibiasio

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Aug 15, 2007
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78
Location
West Kingston, RI, USA.
Well last night I went to my local turners club meeting - Ocean wood turners (RI). Now this is only my second meeting and I am still trying to fit into the group as many have been members for a very long time and know each other well. Part of the regular meeting is a show and tell session where members stand in front of the group and show off their work and describe the technique used and answer questions from the group. Well this being my second meeting I knew the basic agenda and decided to bring some of my segmented pens and a few highly figured wood pens to show. I basically waited until all the other members who had things to show were finished - did this on purpose so that I could gain the nerve to show my stuff. Well after the absolutely beautiful things being displayed by other members I was a little hesitant. The club president noticed I had a box of stuff so I was not getting off the hook. He asked me to present so up in front of the group I went, don't get me wrong I am not shy to speak in front of people - but the talent in this room is just incredible. Many older gentlemen in the group with more time on the lathe then I have on this earth !!! Well I got up there and went through the various segmented pens and the methods for creating the segments, descriptions of painted blanks and tubes to effect the color, glues used, finishes, and they seemed to be most interested in the coke can segments. Well after passing them around to the group to view there were MANY compliments from some of the groups senior members. I was very proud of my work at that point and glad I shared them.

If that was not reason to be proud enough - right after I was done with my show and tell the club president asked me in front of the group if I would do a demonstration at the next club meeting !!!!! Almost all of the members in the room indicated they would love to see a demo by me - MAN was I ever complimented and happy at this request. I obviously said yes and am now in the schedule to present a demo after only attending 2 meetings.

The moral to this story is - Often times we don't give ourselves enough credit with the work we do - take the chance to show off your work - it will make you feel much more confident and can often renew your desire to do even better at this hobby. If you are any thing like me, you are most likely your biggest critic and moments like this make you sit back and really appreciate the time and skill we commit to making pens

Thanks for reading about my proud moment !!!
 
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altaciii

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Jan 17, 2008
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corpus christi, texas, USA.
Congrats on the demo and the invite, Tom. You have a reason to be proud. Maybe now you can post some of your pen pics here so the rest of us get a chance to see your work.
 

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
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Mar 25, 2005
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24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
Congrats, Tom!!!

Rehearse your demo a few times in your shop. If you are going to start from a blank and do the whole process, it is best to bring a glued blank or two with you. You may want these blanks turned fairly close to "finished size". In front of a group of turners, you don't want to spend 15 minutes turning a pen. AND there is NOTHING less exciting than waiting for glue to dry so you can turn a pen.

Arrange your sandpaper and clip it together.

You are free to ignore any or all of this, but it has worked for me. (Although the last one I did really was BAD. Should have mounted a new blank and re-turned it, but I did not - bring two "nearly finished" blanks, just in case you get overly aggressive when you are turning but not LOOKING at the blank --- yes this is experience!!)

Good Luck, have fun and everyone around you will have fun!!
 

bitshird

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Aug 27, 2007
Messages
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Location
Adamsville, TN, USA.
Great, congratulations, I know how you feel, we just formed a club but some of the members have been turning for years, I felt a little lame laying my pens on the show table, but they all liked my tool. got a few compliments on a few pens, but they were kind of so what on the acrylics, but they are WOOD TURNERS.
 

DurocShark

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Jul 26, 2008
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Location
Anaheim, CA
bring two "nearly finished" blanks

Absolutely!

I haven't done a turning demo (gads, I'd be too embarrassed with my home-grown techniques), but I've done other things. I would bring more than just 2 blanks. I'd bring one for each step of the process....

Raw square blank.
Turned round blank.
Turned to shape and sanded blank.
Finished blank, unassembled with all the parts in a baggie.

This will serve two purposes. One, you can have spares as was mentioned. Two, you can have the pen in the stage you're demonstrating to hand out while you're demonstrating. Makes the demo seem a bit shorter when folks can anticipate getting something in their hands to check out.
 

On Edge

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Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
16
Location
Monterey ,CA
Absolutely!

I'd bring one for each step of the process....

Raw square blank.
Turned round blank.
Turned to shape and sanded blank.
Finished blank, unassembled with all the parts in a baggie.

This will serve two purposes. One, you can have spares as was mentioned. Two, you can have the pen in the stage you're demonstrating to hand out while you're demonstrating. Makes the demo seem a bit shorter when folks can anticipate getting something in their hands to check out.

Besides if you have a pen finished at each stage you'll be able to proceed smoothly to the next step even if something in the demo goes a little ... shall we say wrong? True story...I went to an open house back in Pennsylvania where they have converted the old Wilson goggle factory into a association for the arts. The friend I was with inquired about a small turning that he thought would look neat on his desk as a pencil holder. When he asked the guy the price he replied that it wasn't finished but that he could finish the base in short order. Sure enough he took out the piece he had been turning, chucked up the little item and when he hit the piece with the parting tool it blew apart !

Another thought... there are numerous videos on U tube and at PSI which might give you some ideas regarding your presentation.

Best of luck !
Charlie S.
 

tdibiasio

Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
78
Location
West Kingston, RI, USA.
Pictures added

Well here are a few on the pens that I displayed at my turners club meeting. The aluminum segments on all of these pens are from a coke can for those that were wondering.

Please excuse the quality of the pictures - this is literaly the first time I have ever taken a picture of one of my pens. Built a make shift light box and it worked pretty well.

Let me know what you think

Tom
 

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