Introduction: No More Orders Til After Christmas

[hardrockgeorge]

I made the mistake of starting this hobby before Christmas...lesson learned.

I started turning pens about a 6 weeks ago. I watched a lot of youtube, lurked the forums and made a few Harry Potter style magic wands before turning my first pen. I am now 36 pens in and not planning on slowing down. I started with the Classic American Style and soon moved to Wall Street II and Cigars. I also started with the CA finish. Tried a few online styles til I found a combination that works for me. Haven't tried any other finishes yet.

I never plan to make this a business or do craft shows. It is purely a hobby for me. I make pens for family and friends at the cost of materials. LOL they pay for my mistakes...love it. I would like to eventually move to doing custom pens similar in style to Gisi. I find his/her work to be the Orange County Choppers of Pen Turning.

Oh and about Christmas...well you can guess how that has snowballed. I am sure it has happened to many a pen turner. I'll eventually get to turn me another pen...one day.

BTW I now write with a fountain pen!!!

 

[hardrockgeorge]

Feeling very unwelcomed here. Nearly 100 views and no one has welcomed me to the forum.

 

[jimofsanston]

Sorry about that welcome to the addiction. Have you checked out the Richmond Pen turnners meeting at Woodcrafters in Richmond?

 

[hunter-27]

Feeling very unwelcomed here. Nearly 100 views and no one has welcomed me to the forum.

Welcome to the forum.

Landon

 

[robersonjr]

Pictures....Pictures....Pictures....Welcome aboard.

 

[EarlD]

Welcome HRG. Yes, it's an addiction. Find a support group...quick.

And we love pictures here. Show us your pens.
Earl

 

[renowb]

Welcome George! An addiction aint the word for it!:biggrin: It is a vacuum for every extra dime you have!

 

[SDB777]

So when is your first show....just kidding, everyone has probably said just about everything you just did only to find themselves doing just those things.

It is an addiction....and you is hooked!





Scott (welcome aboard) B

 

[BradG]

Feeling very unwelcomed here. Nearly 100 views and no one has welcomed me to the forum.

don't be discouraged. alot of guests views will ramp up that number, and as others have pointed out most love a good picture to get them talking

Welcome aboard. We are a friendly bunch and everyone has some knowledge to share with you. Post some pics of your work!

All the best,
Brad

 

[ctubbs]

Welcome George from far west Kentucky, to the addiction, sometimes referred to as the vortex. You mention that you have read some of the site, be sure to give the library a good bit of time. The link is at the top of the page. You will find an article called Library Index. This covers tutorials on about anything pen making you can think of. You will also notice that there are articles listed by year. Much good info there as well. When these fail to answer your questions, by all means post it here. I have never seen one go unanswered very long. You might also want to give this thread a good look. It has some very good info for the beginning pen turner; http://content.penturners.org/library/general_reference/Getting_started_in_pen_turning.pdf. Grab some wood, make some shavings and have fun all the while being safe.
I am so sorry that you have been missed by myself as others. Sometimes, especially during the holliday run up, we get so involved that we miss the usual welcome thing.
Charles

 

[Joe Burns]

Welcome to the addiction from Central Texas. Ive been at it since late last spring. Know what you mean about before Christmas there. The wife is confiscating everything I'm making this season. Got 10 more Jr. Gent IIs and 6 Sierra EBs, and 3 or 4 bullet pens to go before Christmas.

Joe

 

[Jim15]

Welcome George.

 

[corian king]

Welcome from Va, Happy turning!

 

[jimm1]

Welcome from Music City, USA.

 

[ssajn]

Welcome from Milwaukee

 

[hehndc]

Welcome George. Enjoy.

Steve

 

[its_virgil]

I've read your post three times the last two days. Even though it is in the Introductions forum I never noticed. The post did not read like an introduction post so a welcome never occurred to me. Maybe others didn't realize the post was in the Introductions forum either. Had your post started with "Hi, I just joined and would like to introduce myself" then I would have welcomed you and others would have also. This is not an excuse but just an explanation why I did not welcome you. My mistake.
Welcome to the IAP...we are really a friendly group.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[cwolfs69]

welcome

Feeling very unwelcomed here. Nearly 100 views and no one has welcomed me to the forum.

well, sorry no one has welcomed you.
welcome from portsmouth. well right now south hill. here for a show. great day yesterday, saturday. hoping for another later this am.

being right up the street, would love to get together to say hi. i am retired so almost any time would do. just give me a pm and let me know. i have about 100 pens under my belt so doing pretty well. love the cigars and i to use a fountain a lot now.
get in touch

 

[trapper]

hi

yes this can be quite a lonely place but also I have made a few friends in here but we tend to communicate directly rather than via here and also found some usefull advice anyhow WELCOME from amember in the UK

 

[navycop]

Welcome from Virginia Beach. I passed over this post a couple times because it said "taking no more orders till after Christamas" and I didn't want to order anything.

 

[markgum]

sorry, didn't see your intro. Welcome to the fun. hope to see some of your work soon.

 

[glennw]

Welcome to the forum from southeast georgia.

 

[Glenn McCullough]

I musta missed your intro, welcome from the mitten.

 

[randyrls]

Welcome George; I looked up Smithfield on Goggle Maps. My sister lives in Kenbridge down in the sothwest corner of VA. I was stationed in Norfolk for about 2+ years in the Navy.

Is Smithfield where the Hams are made? I looked at the Smithfield Ham site, but they are in Portsmouth??

I'd like to see some of your wands.

 

[knowltoh]

Welcome! This a great forum with great people. I read your title----taking no more orders til after Christmas--and moved on. Placing orders seems to be my passion!

 

[louie68]

Welcome from Illinois,
Good luck on your craft shows, I must say I try them and unless you like to make 3.00$ to 5.00 pens you will feel like your aren't welcome there. In my opinion craft show in the great state of Illinois sucks!!! a waste of money, look for Juror art galleries.The people are more likely to spend 40.00-$ 150.00 @ pen.Last week I did one cost me $75.00 rent one day and sold a BIG "0" ALL DAY!!! ALL i HEARD WAS THOSE ARE BEAUTIFUL PENS I STARTED TO THINK DAMM MAYBE i SHOULD DONATE THE PENS TO MY LOCAL MUSEUM.... BEST OF LUCK !!! lOUIE

 

[MarkD]

Welcome to the addiction!

 

[hardrockgeorge]

feeling loved

I feel so loved now.

I made a couple pens for my brother and he took them to work. It snowballed from there. I think I have 22 pens to make before Christmas...thus the no more orders subject header. I'll try to be more careful with my titles from now on.

Smithfield is the ham capital of the world yet you can't seem to find a ham biscuit here unless you go to hardees.

already learned a lot from this forum and looking forward to meeting a few of you folks.

 

[LouCee]

Welcome from Colorado. What got you interested in turning pens?

 

[JimB]

Welcome from upstate NY. I hope you are not selling all those pens at 'cost of material'.

 

[Ambidex]

Welcome!..am a newbie and have been playing with ca...was wondering if you would share the one you ended up liking?..still trying different ones myself..and thanks!...George