Pens from the IAP donation

[sbwertz]

Here are the first two pens from the latest box Mark sent us. They were turned by Stephanie, who is totally blind. She is one of our most experienced turners, and did these from start to finish without any help. Finish is Pens Plus.

Actually, she did have some help, I made sure that her sandpaper and micromesh were in the correct order before she used them, and I applied the finish to the paper towel for her. (Otherwise we tend to get a lot on the floor.)

 

[Dalecamino]

Very nice! Thanks for posting this Sharon.

 

[mark james]

Its nice to witness these efforts. Tell Stephanie, "She Rocks!"

 

[jttheclockman]

Very nice work. Great to see these. Tell her to keep up the great work.

 

[Dehn0045]

Fantastic! I struggle turning when my face shield gets too dirty or my light isn't angled just right, I can't imagine the challenge it must have been to turn these. My congratulations to Stephanie!

 

[bsshog40]

Awesome!

 

[sbwertz]

Thank you all. They really are awesome, aren't they. They amaze me every day. Terrance, an 80 year old totally blind man from Jamaica turned six gatsby pens in two hours today, turning them two at a time on one mandrel. He was an avid woodworker all his life. He has been blind for five years, and told me I had given him back something he thought was lost forever. That's what keeps me going down there.

Here is a picture of Stephanie turning a handle for an ice cream scoop. That is her guide dog in the background.

 

[Dalecamino]

That is awesome! Thanks again.

 

[SteveG]

Great work you do Sharon, helping these folks achieve and flourish in spite of their vision challenges. As a result, they are able to do great work also. Thanks for your efforts, and for posting the pen photos!