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sbwertz

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One of my visually impaired turners was in Walmart and showed two of her pens to the clerk when she was checking out. Another customer asked if she could see them, and took off with them! Gwen is almost totally blind, and couldn't see the person well enough to even describe her. She made two new ones yesterday and I burned names on both of them!
 
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Sharon, do you have them drill on the lathe? If you do, I can send you some round blanks for Gwen. These would be my DiamondCast Blanks with real diamond in them.
 

WriteON

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It would be nice if Walmart viewed a security camera that I am sure shows the registers and identified this fine individual.

Yep. Police should be advised. Police will review camera recording if complaint is made. It is robbery. The have done it before and will do it again.
 
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bsshog40

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That is pitiful! Some people are lower than low lifes! If it's a fairly new Walmart, they have high def cameras and can see everything very clearly. I would check into that and prosecute. My wife was a asset manager for Walmart for a few years and their cameras could count the change in a customers hand.
 

Herb G

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My wife always says "People are lazy & no damn good", and I tend to agree with her.
I think it's horrible someone would steal from a blind person.
 
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I have very strong feelings about thieves and what should happen to them. Especially when it comes to someone stealing from a person with a visual handicap. There's no place in this world for thieves.
 

sbwertz

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Tim, Gwen is one of my best and most adventurous turners. She was the first to turn acrylics, and loves beautiful blanks. She has a shelf that she keeps her "pretty blanks" on so they don't disappear before she can schedule another session. She would love one of your blanks. Mark, she really likes Gatsby kits...that is what most of her pens are. She takes advantage of our "turn two for us, get yours free" policy and has put some really pretty items in our sale case. Plus the fact that they don't have to pay for donated kits, and only have to pay for the price of the kits we buy. She turned several of the Gatsby pens you sent us Mark. (She loves the olive wood. She can't see colors, but can see the grain if there is a lot of contrast in the blank.)

She had a stroke that left her almost blind, with a speech impediment, a crippled right arm and hand that can just barely hold a tool, and weakened legs...uses an UpWalker and is just about to finally get a power chair. She is a single mom of a really great 16 year old daughter who is so good to help her mom.
 

Talltim

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Mar 12, 2017
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Tennessee
Here is an idea. Tell me f you think it is not right.

If you use PayPal, pm your email and I will send 10 dollars towards kits. If we got 10 or 12 people to do it she could get a nice little stash. Makes more sense than paying shipping to get her kits.

Perhaps start a new thread if it alright with the management.

She could know the IAP folks care.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 
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sbwertz

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You people are amazing. Tim, IAP already supports our turning project, sending us kits and supplies. She can only turn once every few weeks, and only one or two items each time because we only have 2 lathes and trainers for three mornings a week. She has to wait her turn to turn with many others who want to turn as well, so she wouldn't have a chance to use up such a credit. I can send you my paypal account if you want to send something to support the whole project. We have many talented and enthusiastic blind and visually impaired (and one blind and deaf) turners who would make good use of anything that is donated.

It is too late to do anything at Walmart. This happened several weeks ago, but I only see her when she can get on the turning schedule, so I didn't know about it until yesterday.
 

sbwertz

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McKinsie, I'll PM you.

TallTim, IAP already supports our turning project, sending us kits and supplies. The problem with your suggestion is that she only gets to turn every few weeks, and can only turn one or two items because we only have two lathes and trainers to man them three mornings a week. There is a long waiting list to get scheduled to turn. She wouldn't have a chance to use up such a fund before she completes her training at the blind center and graduates. We are trying to get two more trainers to open another morning each week, but one of them that was almost ready to start teaching had a stroke a couple of months ago. We really miss her...she was a real help to us. Hopefully she will be able to come back, but we probably won't get another day opened up, because one of our teachers that has been helping for four years just left last week. We had to scramble to keep our three days a week fully staffed without him.
 

mark james

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Tim, Gwen is one of my best and most adventurous turners. She was the first to turn acrylics, and loves beautiful blanks. She has a shelf that she keeps her "pretty blanks" on so they don't disappear before she can schedule another session. She would love one of your blanks. Mark, she really likes Gatsby kits...that is what most of her pens are. She takes advantage of our "turn two for us, get yours free" policy and has put some really pretty items in our sale case. Plus the fact that they don't have to pay for donated kits, and only have to pay for the price of the kits we buy. She turned several of the Gatsby pens you sent us Mark. (She loves the olive wood. She can't see colors, but can see the grain if there is a lot of contrast in the blank.)

She had a stroke that left her almost blind, with a speech impediment, a crippled right arm and hand that can just barely hold a tool, and weakened legs...uses an UpWalker and is just about to finally get a power chair. She is a single mom of a really great 16 year old daughter who is so good to help her mom.

Sharon, I have 40 prepped Gatsby Kits, and 50 unopened new Gatsby Kits all property of the Visually Impaired Penturned Group buy. I also have many Olivewood blanks (no certificates) in the IAP Estate Blank Bins. I will send out 15 of each this week, and some extra bushings. I'll also look for some blanks with very distinct grain. There are still 315 kits ava from the group buy. Some will be used at Raleigh at the AAW Symposium, but there are plenty for the programs that could use more kits - prepped or not. And the 15 IAP volunteers are still fine to do the prep work.
 

sbwertz

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Thanks, Mark. Our program would not have ever become this successful without the support of the wonderful people on this forum.
 

sbwertz

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Another thank you to an IAP member. Some time ago several members bought lathe pen presses for three of my at-home turners. Woodchipper also sent me a lathe pen press at that time, which we use at the center. Gwen was never able to put her own pens together because of her weak right hand and arm. With the lathe pen press, she simply goes around to the back side of the lathe and operates the tail stock handle with her good left hand and can put her own pens together for the first time. Thank you Woodchipper!
 

BeeAMaker

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WriteON

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Lever Pen press. I have a PSI (with the 3 plastic spacers) I'm
not using. Will provide model number later. If it can be used Ill gladly send to you.
 
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mark james

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Send me your PayPal account, I'd like to help your project.

Send me your PayPal account, I'd like to help your project.


Please send your visually challenged turners PayPal address to me too. I am very sorry for this incident; it was totally unacceptable behavior.

You may certainly send assistance directly to Sharon for her program in Arizona. If you wish to assist the entire group (Toronto, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Tampa, Kansas City, Portland and Phoenix), I have been accepting the donations offered via IAP. (I will respond with PM's shortly).

I have been accepting the donations in my own PayPal account (Yes, there is a trust issue I acknowledge). This will be only be until the filings are finished for the organization to get their charitable/tax-free status approved (my terms may not be proper).

Andi Sullivan is the founder of this project and at last communication, late fall 2018 was finishing the filings. After final approvals and tax status, the funds I am holding will be transferred. As of today, I am holding $543.00 in donations for these chapters, as well as the bulk of the $1,600.00 group buy for 5 different kits these chapters use, which I coordinated last year.

Additionally the following IAP members have assisted/offered with donations or prepped blanks for those chapters who are unable to prep their own blanks:

dalecamino
EBorraga
Stonepecker
dieseldoc
swagopenturner
scissortail pens
MBroberg
Cwalker935
Magicbob
Tony L
Jim15
thewishman
TimMc
mark james

This is a low-profile project that IAP has been quietly assisting with. I will be attending the next AAW International Symposium in Raleigh, NC this summer to assist Andi with her project, demos and in any other manner that IAP can be of service.
 
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sbwertz

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Lever Pen press. I have a PSI (with the 3 plastic spacers) I'm
not using. Will provide model number later. If it can be used Ill gladly send to you.

Thank you so much for the offer, but we have changed to using the lathe pen presses because they have so much more control, especially for pressing in the transmission in a slimline. They can give it a couple of turns, try the refill to see if it is far enough, press it in a little bit more, until it is just right. With the lever, they usually go too far and then I have to take it apart and start over.

Talk to Mark. One of the other blind turning projects might need one. He is in contact with all five of them.
 
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sbwertz

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Yes, please keep the other projects in mind. Our project has become so successful that we are better equipped and better funded than most of the other projects. Especially the newer groups would be most grateful for your support. I remember when we were just getting started and had one little jet lathe and a set of turning tools, and that was about it. IAP is a major reason we are now pretty much self supporting.
 

sbwertz

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Also, any of you who live in or near any of the cities Mark mentioned, keep the local pen turning project in mind if you are planning to upgrade equipment, have duplicate or unused tools, etc. Our bandsaw, drill press, and chop saw were all donated. So were many of our hand tools and even our shop vac. The projects can use anything that can be used to cut, drill, sand or prep blanks.

And if you can spare a few hours a week, volunteer to teach a blind person to turn. It is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do in your life.
 
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WriteON

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Lever Pen press. I have a PSI (with the 3 plastic spacers) I'm
not using. Will provide model number later. If it can be used Ill gladly send to you.

Thank you so much for the offer, but we have changed to using the lathe pen presses because they have so much more control, especially for pressing in the transmission in a slimline. They can give it a couple of turns, try the refill to see if it is far enough, press it in a little bit more, until it is just right. With the lever, they usually go too far and then I have to take it apart and start over.

Talk to Mark. One of the other blind turning projects might need one. He is in contact with all five of them.
The Lever press is horrible for Slimlines but good for other 3/8" up. It's on a shelf if you ever find the need. I'll always try to contribute in other ways.
 

mark james

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Your box went out today Sharon. Due on Wednesday - 30 Gatsby - 15 tubed/prepped, 15 complete kits, 2 bushing sets and some figured blanks - all from the group buy and Estate Blanks Stock.
 

sbwertz

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Low case people, what about video cameras ?
Poor girl

Unfortunately, I don't see Gwen every week, so this happened several weeks ago and I just found out about it, or I would have reported it to the police and had them check the video. Walmart has really good security cameras. She just told me about it when she came in for her scheduled turning class.
 
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