Travel to Arizona - MUST SEE places for woodturners

[Howdy Jan]

Hi All!
Annual trip for spring training, anywhere special to visit for wood turning blanks, supplies, etc.

Will be in Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson area.

Thanks

 

[sbwertz]

PM me when you get to Phoenix, and you can come out and get some of the really pretty wood I've been hoarding! I'll send you home with some orchid tree, desert ironwood, African sumac, etc. Either small logs or precut blanks. I have more wood than I could turn in two lifetimes. I just can't say no to a pretty piece of wood.

 

[acc78]

I know this has nothing to do with wood turning, but go to San Xavier mission when in Tucson, specially on a Saturday or Sunday. It's been years since I was there but the local Indian community sells Indian fried bread in front of the mission, very tasty!

 

[TellicoTurning]

YUM!!! It's been 23 years since I lived in Tucson... can still taste that fry bread at the mission... we went out there a couple of times in the year we were there.

 

[markgum]

I'm hungry.. Need Fry Bread.

 

[Howdy Jan]

PM me when you get to Phoenix, and you can come out and get some of the really pretty wood I've been hoarding! I'll send you home with some orchid tree, desert ironwood, African sumac, etc. Either small logs or precut blanks. I have more wood than I could turn in two lifetimes. I just can't say no to a pretty piece of wood.

That sounds great!! We'll be there between 3/11-3/18.

Thanks so much

 

[Howdy Jan]

I know this has nothing to do with wood turning, but go to San Xavier mission when in Tucson, specially on a Saturday or Sunday. It's been years since I was there but the local Indian community sells Indian fried bread in front of the mission, very tasty!

Now that sounds really good!! We always manage to stop at Banderas in Scottsdale for their Oreo dessert. Once fresh off the plane and once for dinner and dessert...at least.

 

[alankulwicki7]

Definitely meet up with Sharon . I met her a few years ago and she's a great lady!

Also, be sure to drive up to the top of South Mountain. It's a great drive and gives you some beautiful views of the Valley. Some great hiking up there as well. If you go up to South Mountain, be sure to stop and have dinner at Los Dos Molinos. It's my favorite restaurant in Phoenix and is known for spicy, yet great food!

 

[Howdy Jan]

Definitely meet up with Sharon . I met her a few years ago and she's a great lady!

Also, be sure to drive up to the top of South Mountain. It's a great drive and gives you some beautiful views of the Valley. Some great hiking up there as well. If you go up to South Mountain, be sure to stop and have dinner at Los Dos Molinos. It's my favorite restaurant in Phoenix and is known for spicy, yet great food!

We definitely plan on meeting up with Sharon, it's on our itinerary, we just don't know which day yet. We have not been up to South Mountain yet, we plan on doing that as well.

Thank you for the suggestions.

 

[sbwertz]

Jan and her two sisters, Pat and Judy, stopped by this morning. We had a great visit. Looking forward to seeing them again next year.

 

[Woodchipper]

I find it interesting how people from different parts of the country can get together, visit, have fun, talk woodturning, and go away enriched from the time together.

 

[Howdy Jan]

Sharon:
Just got home last night. Thank you for meeting with us. We sure enjoyed the visit.

Thank you again for sharing some of your treasured wood with me.

It's fun to share ideas---just got my galvanized pipe today. Already have my mortar and pestle assembled. Just waiting for my packages I shipped via UPS.

Give Bear a squeeze---it was fun visiting with him as well!!

 

[sbwertz]

It was fun to meet you, Jan...and your sisters as well. I'll start saving pretty wood for you for next year.

I suspect you all three took a good sample of Bear home with you, the way he is shedding right now!

I just PM'd you the link for the turquoise, Lapis, malachite and jasper. The turquoise is the softest and easiest to crush. The others take a bit more pounding. I usually set the bottom of the mortar on the anvil or the end of the lathe and pound away. Be sure to crush it enough that some if it is reduced to dust to fill in around the larger chips.

For others reading this, she is referring to a mortar and pestle for crushing stone made from a short piece of 2" galvanized pipe with a cap screwed on one end, and a longer piece of one inch galvanized pipe with a cap on one end to act as a pestle. Put the stone in the big pipe and pound the daylights out of it with the smaller one. Works great.

Found a video of a similar one...I don't have a crossbar handle on mine, and both parts are shorter. I find it works better if you set it on something solid instead of trying to hold it between your knees like he does

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bmvnd_VR9c