Any turners in the Phoenix area who could volunteer a few hours a month at the blind center?

[sbwertz]

I have no one to help me at the blind center this year. Is there any turner who could even come in and do some prep work....cut/drill/tube blanks, etc? You could do them at home if you want. I am trying to keep this project alive, but it's difficult to do totally on my own. The center absorbs all the costs for the project, but I can only get down there for two hours twice a week, and without a helper, I can only work with one person at a time while the second lathe sits idle. The cost of gas alone is costing me about eighty dollars a month. We have plenty of kits, plenty of blanks, but really need someone who can come in once or twice a month and help out.

 

[keithbyrd]

Sharon its a great thing that you are doing! I am hoping that there are some there who will be willing to help!

 

[Brandy]

Would it be of any help if those of us living elsewhere do it and mail them to you?

 

[SabertoothBunny]

I wish I was near Pheonix, would love to help with that. Alas, I am on the east coast....

 

[sbwertz]

Would it be of any help if those of us living elsewhere do it and mail them to you?

If you could cut and drill slimlines and sierras, all we would have to do is glue in the tubes. Someone sent me a whole bagful of cut and drilled sierras from olive and it was a real help. I used to have a number of helpers, mostly spouses of blind turners who drove their spouses to the center and would cut, drill and tube for me while their spouse was turning. But I don't have anyone like that this year. And my main helper is dealing with a seriously ill spouse right now and can't help me. She was my sidekick for seven years and I really miss her. That would leave only the specialty kits for me to do at home...flashlights, pizza wheels, ice cream scoops, etc. and some of the kits that have been donated to us. I can manage that. I'm facing knee surgery in the near future...torn meniscus...so I'll be out for a while....so the project will just have to shut down while I'm recuperating. I could use some larger blanks....1.5" or so about six inches long for handles for pizza wheels and ice cream paddles...both are very popular. Also for back scratchers and shoe horns. I've got lots of kits, but regular pen blanks are too small, and almost all the blanks I have are regular five inch, three quarter inch square blanks. I've been cutting some elm and red cedar limbs I have here at home to use for handles, but I could use some different types of wood from what I can get locally. If you are local to Phoenix, I could give you blanks to cut and drill and tube. We have lots of blanks, just need the labor to prep them. Hopefully after the knee surgery I will be able to do more turning. Right now the Dr is telling me to stay off it as much as I can.