All the way from the Fleureau Peninsula in Australia...!

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robutacion

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Hi Everyone,

My name is George Valentine, "robutacion" on all woodworking forums where I'm a member of, male, 51 years of age, early retire due to spinal complications, Portuguese born (you will see that from the way I write stuff...!:biggrin:), in Australia for 21 years (already?:eek:), totally timber addicted, born around sawdust, lived with sawdust on my nostrils, and I hope to get a bit more of that before is time for me to go...!:wink:
I reckon there will be a few people here that already know me from the Aussie and from Penturner's Paradise forums, as I use the same name, avatar and signature.
I collect lots of timbers, that would normally and otherwise be burnt or destroyed in some way, take it home, well the home is full so now I rent a small open paddock near the house. I started by turning lots of it into bowls, plates, platters, vases, etc., selling some of the blanks also and in between. After getting to the conclusion that, these items don't really sell that well around here, and that is only some many bowls one can offer as a gift to the same person, I decided to cut some of my 30 timber species that I have all from the local area (town) or within 30km radius, make them into pen blanks and offer pen makers a number of blanks in return for a finished pen of any kind. The idea was to basically exchange some of my wood with finished pens so that I could have something else to offer as a gift, not having to make the pens myself. To cut a long story short, I in the process I got very involved with pen making and pen makers and certainly, I got totally hooked with the world of pen making. I should say that the process of utilizing and processing my timbers as pen blanks, did please immensely, as I finally could use all those nice smaller bits of wood that I just couldn't dump or burn (oh yeah, I use lots of firewood, so nothing is wasted!). After building a reasonable stock of pen blanks, I started to offer some of them for sale, as I just had too many of them and I needed to recover some of the costs involved in the process (pocket money). I started to make also my own pens, one every couple of weeks or so, and people that used some of my woods, started to request some of the blanks they liked the most within the ones I send on the blanks to pens offer, so I decided to make a pack mix with one of each species I've got, allowing people to try a few not known Aussie woods, not available commercially. These packs were requested from places all over the world, mainly Canada, US and the UK, and now people are requesting some top-ups of the blanks they like the most. I also started to make my timbers available on eBay to help the sales, and on my web site, you will find lots of info on lots of stuff I do.
I'm very passionate about my timbers, and I post regularly about them, providing always lots of pics, which people seems to like. Be worn, I write funny and long posts...!:eek:
I'm not a business, nor I want to become one, my timbers are sold because I just never stop collecting them (I'm getting pretty slow with it now), I can't turn them all and I need to recover some of its costs so I sell them at a very economic prices, I sent them everywhere, which pleases turners and pen makers with less economical "capabilities", but it seems to displease some of the business people, that don't like me much! don't be offended, I understand...! don't worry my sales are too minimal to even bother, and I spent all my money back into the industry, in pen blanks, consumables, tools, equipment, etc.
There is someone that doesn't like this putting all the pocket money back into the industry (sort of thing) and that is my lovely wife Merissa, which without I couldn't handle half of what I do. She is my helper from the very beginning of the process (normally cutting the trees, or cutting the timber after the trees have been felled), loading them into the trailer, etc., etc. In the pen making process, she's got the job of sanding the blanks down, numbering them with the respective identification number, and wax them, so I can understand why she gets a bit "off" with the pocket money issue but, she loves collecting and using hand made pens so, every time she sees a pen made on the forum (any forum) that she likes, I will do my very best to get it for her, regardless of costs! I'm a lucky man...!:wink::biggrin:

Enough of this for now, thanks for your time and I will see you around!:)

PS: Sorry , I forgot to tell that Fleureau Peninsula, is situated about 80km south of Adelaide in SA, just on the edge of the Adelaide Hills!

Cheers
George
 
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rjwolfe3

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broitblat

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Feb 9, 2006
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Location
Bellevue, WA, USA.
Welcome, George!

I look forward to seeing your work.

I visited Adelaide, McClaren Vale and other parts of the Fleureau Peninsula a few years ago and really enjoyed it and I have always been a fan of Aussie timbers (especiallyl the Eucalyptus burls).

-Barry
 

Marc

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
349
Location
3355 Lookout Pl Reno NV 89503
Welcome George. I enjoyed your story and your philosophy. It's a great way to be involved in this crazy hobby/business.

I have turned a few australian woods and have enjoyed the results to date. I will definitely visit your website and ebay listings.
 

leehljp

Member Liaison
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
9,314
Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
Welcome George. I agree with Marc - this is a great way to be involved as a business hobby. I sell a few pens and give away as more. When I retire in a couple of years, I don't want to do this as daily business, but I would like to do this as a hobby/side business.

Post some picts here of your pen work too!
 

shull

Member
Joined
May 31, 2008
Messages
282
Location
Richardson Texas
Welcome George from the Lone Star State of Texas USA. Was down under last year (eastern half) and had a ball. There are some fantastic turners down there working with some very interesting woods.
 

robutacion

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Fleureau Peninsula general info!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

I know that I will be enjoying my time here, we all speak the same "language" in these places so I'm in my elements...!:biggrin:

And for you broitblat - Barry,
You did most certainly visited one of the most beautiful places on hearth. McLaren Vale being very much at the center of the Fleureau Peninsula, is only 24km from my home (Mount Compass) further South towards Victor Harbour.
McLaren Vale is my main shopping town, and the center also of my Majestic Olive wood gathering, as this is one of the first areas developed by the Settlers in the middle of the 1800's, therefore where some of the older olive trees are found. I can tell you that is a lot more to Australian (main land) timber than gum burls, and I'm here to prove just that!:eek: Unfortunatelly, a lot what is sold around the world as Australian timbers, such as most of those burled type timbers, doesn't grow here but in Tasmania and New Zealand. We have lots and lots of gums and burls growing in Australia, but the majority come from the other locations mentioned.

In between the native species and introduce that adapted to these conditions (changing slightly from the originals), in this area, I mean this town alone, are definitely a few more than the 30 species that I have. This is only a small place in this state in a country with many States, OK this is a BIG country!

I've got some pics from the property where I got some Olive wood from, last year, where you can see part of the town of MClaren Vale on the valley and then the hills where I live. The ocean is also at the right end side of the pic, a few miles away!

Enjoy,

Cheers
George
 

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CSue

Local Chapter Leader
Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Messages
2,368
Location
Laveen, AZ, USA.
Welcome, George, from sunny southern California. I understand the "collecting timber" side of things.
Anyway, pull up a chair and set a spell. I'm sure you'll find more things here to do with all that wood.
 

gawdelpus

Passed Away May 11, 2015
In Memoriam
Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Messages
183
Location
Gold coast AU
Hi George ! good to see you here! hehe, And I know "thar is gold in them thar hills", especially the golden Wattle I got from you amongst other things :) , for such a small Item as a pen it takes a large support group to make it all possible ,the kit suppliers ,tool suppliers, and more importantly the Material suppliers, most of us don't have ready access to all the interesting varieties colors and materials we dress our kits with, and its thanks to the many people like yourself, all over the world providing a service that is affordable, and making available such varieties of woods acrylics stone and the like that makes this such an enjoyable and satisfying "hobby", its all about sharing ,and nothing beats that :biggrin: Cheers ~ John
 
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