Hello all.
I'm Wayne, a married, 54 year old working stiff who likes canoeing, hiking and playing with wood in my spare time. Used to deal mainly with rustic stuff like bent willow chairs, etc. and then got interested in walking sticks and canes similar to the English styled ones with brass collars and ferrules, utilizing antler and exotic woods to accent the tops / handles. Everything was done by hand and I spent many hours hand-sanding joints to match up the contours between wood and antler. They looked good but I always thought that if I had a lathe I could save so much time and the joinery would be that much cleaner.
About a year and a half ago, I finally purchased a Jet midi lathe and taught myself to turn spindles, Xmas ornaments and small bowls. Then, I discovered the world of pens and now...I'm hooked. I've made about 40 different pens utilizing local and exotic woods and have now also begun using acrylics. I was approached by a local woman who organizes the local farmers market / craft show who found out I make pens and walking sticks and wants me to open a booth at her market. I've been considering it and have been adding to my inventory of pens and sticks so I'll have enough inventory to make it worthwhile. A little nervous about selling my stuff...I usually just give it away to friends, but it would be nice to be able to generate some revenue to support my wood habits. Will be several weeks yet before the market begins so I'll just keep on making stuff until the time comes.
Will try to get some digital photos of my work to post soon and I have to say, there are some very talented folks out there based on the pics I've seen here. This is turning into a novel, so I'll sign off now but just wanted to introduce myself and say I'm glad to be a member and look forward to meeting many of you in the days ahead.
Wayne Johnson.
I'm Wayne, a married, 54 year old working stiff who likes canoeing, hiking and playing with wood in my spare time. Used to deal mainly with rustic stuff like bent willow chairs, etc. and then got interested in walking sticks and canes similar to the English styled ones with brass collars and ferrules, utilizing antler and exotic woods to accent the tops / handles. Everything was done by hand and I spent many hours hand-sanding joints to match up the contours between wood and antler. They looked good but I always thought that if I had a lathe I could save so much time and the joinery would be that much cleaner.
About a year and a half ago, I finally purchased a Jet midi lathe and taught myself to turn spindles, Xmas ornaments and small bowls. Then, I discovered the world of pens and now...I'm hooked. I've made about 40 different pens utilizing local and exotic woods and have now also begun using acrylics. I was approached by a local woman who organizes the local farmers market / craft show who found out I make pens and walking sticks and wants me to open a booth at her market. I've been considering it and have been adding to my inventory of pens and sticks so I'll have enough inventory to make it worthwhile. A little nervous about selling my stuff...I usually just give it away to friends, but it would be nice to be able to generate some revenue to support my wood habits. Will be several weeks yet before the market begins so I'll just keep on making stuff until the time comes.
Will try to get some digital photos of my work to post soon and I have to say, there are some very talented folks out there based on the pics I've seen here. This is turning into a novel, so I'll sign off now but just wanted to introduce myself and say I'm glad to be a member and look forward to meeting many of you in the days ahead.
Wayne Johnson.
