sbwertz
Member
Here are pictures of two of the turners I worked with this week. The first turner has macular degeneration and has lost all but his peripheral vision. This was his first pen, a beautiful curly sycamore blank donated by an IAP member. This is Tom Beatty, the crafts teacher for the center. I started training him last fall, and he began giving classes under my supervision in January.
Note the home made sanding and finishing bushings turned from hard maple!
Just look at that smile!
The second turner is totally blind. He turned a handle for a bottle opener today. He has already turned a couple of pens. He wanted to turn something for himself that he could actually use, since he made the pens for gifts, not having much use for one himself.
I drilled the cherry wood blank for the insert and turned it round, then took a parting tool and put several grooves in the blank to indicate how deep he should turn the various areas to get the shape he wanted. He was able to taper the handle to the groove I had cut behind the bead for the bottle opener head and turn the bead down to the proper diameter. I used the skew to shape the butt end of the handle and cut it down to about a quarter of an inch and rounded the edges on the bead. He did all the rest. Sanded and finished it himself. I parted it off and hand sanded and finished the butt end for him. Unfortunately, I had to leave before he was finished, so I didn't get a picture of him with the completed bottle opener.
Note that we wrapped the spur with several layers of masking tape to prevent him accidentally running his hand into it while sanding and finishing.
Note the home made sanding and finishing bushings turned from hard maple!
Just look at that smile!
The second turner is totally blind. He turned a handle for a bottle opener today. He has already turned a couple of pens. He wanted to turn something for himself that he could actually use, since he made the pens for gifts, not having much use for one himself.
I drilled the cherry wood blank for the insert and turned it round, then took a parting tool and put several grooves in the blank to indicate how deep he should turn the various areas to get the shape he wanted. He was able to taper the handle to the groove I had cut behind the bead for the bottle opener head and turn the bead down to the proper diameter. I used the skew to shape the butt end of the handle and cut it down to about a quarter of an inch and rounded the edges on the bead. He did all the rest. Sanded and finished it himself. I parted it off and hand sanded and finished the butt end for him. Unfortunately, I had to leave before he was finished, so I didn't get a picture of him with the completed bottle opener.
Note that we wrapped the spur with several layers of masking tape to prevent him accidentally running his hand into it while sanding and finishing.
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