Pen Making as Therapy

[Oldmanwheeler]

I've made a dozen or so post but I am new when you get right down to it. I live in Ames, IA and I guess you could say I'm retired. Actually I'm unable to work because of life altering injuries I received in a motorcycle accident on July 4, 2008. The short version is I had a diabetic reaction while traveling 65 MPH on a county road. I broke 16 bones, including 3 in my back, and was on life support for 6 weeks. Three years later I am still facing more surgeries but the up side is I continue to beat the odds. My wife is an Occupational Therapist and she continually encourages me to challenge myself. Together we decided that woodworking offered the type of movement that would be good therapy for my type of injuries.

Well that was about 6 weeks ago and today I proud to say that I'm hooked. I enjoyed setting up my shop, but I think I might of gone a little overboard. :biggrin: So far I've made about 30 pens, mostly for graduation and birthday gifts. After playing with wood, acrylics, truestone and M3 metal I've decided my preferred material is WOOD!

I know I have a lot to learn about Pen making and I look forward to learning from all of you and hope I can also share some knowledge with you at some point.

 

[Mazzywv]

Bob
Keep on keepin on!!! The addiction level for pen making is pretty high. Just think of this as an addiction that gives you something back.

 

[pfde4]

Nice to hear your recovery is going well. You are very lucky, 65 on a country road usually it does have a good outcome. We had a fatal last night, single motorcycle on a highway with no traffic. Listen to your wife stay as active as you can. Muscle memory can be a bad thing if you don't stay active and keep pushing forward. Do you still ride? Best of luck in your recovery.

Jim

 

[Leviblue]

Keep on turning. The voretex is very strong and will pull you in. It's good that the therapy is working, but keep in mind that some of the materials we work with have health concerns with the lungs. Respirators are required for those activities.

I use turning and wood working in general as therapy. I use it for the mental kind. i can go out and turn a pen or bottle stopper and come back in the house a few hours later and have something to show for it.

Stay with it and enjoy yourself!

 

[Woodlvr]

Bob as everyone has stated keep on turning. My left shoulder replacement has hampered me because I let it get the better of me. Good luck with the doc's visit and I hope that you can start turning soon. I have started shaking and am nervous so I am not really anxious right now to turn, do not want to ruin to many nice blanks.

 

[Oldmanwheeler]

Nice to hear your recovery is going well. You are very lucky, 65 on a country road usually it does have a good outcome. We had a fatal last night, single motorcycle on a highway with no traffic. Listen to your wife stay as active as you can. Muscle memory can be a bad thing if you don't stay active and keep pushing forward. Do you still ride? Best of luck in your recovery.

Jim

Both my wife and I ride three wheelers now. So we still enjoy riding, just can't do any cross country riding like we use to.

 

[Drstrangefart]

I also find turning very therapeutic, but it's definitely more psychologic than physical for me. Keep working on it. Find ways to do at least one thing no one else is doing with it.

 

[pfde4]

Nice, have owned Goldwing's since '86 would love a Triwing but the wife says NO. Riding is therapy itself. Stay safe.

 

[Oldmanwheeler]

Nice, have owned Goldwing's since '86 would love a Triwing but the wife says NO. Riding is therapy itself. Stay safe.

I have my 09 BMW K1200 LT trike on eBay as we speak and hope to order a 2012 BMW K1600GL with a Hannigan Trike kit on it.

 

[steeler fan1]

Welcome Bob,

You've picked a very enjoyable hobby. While pens are fun at some point you'll get the urge to turn other things, most of do:wink:. Keychains, bottle stoppers, small bowls, etc. You're not going to run out of things to turn. Best of luck with your recovery and future surgeries. When next spring rolls around watch for the MPG (Midwest Penturners Gathering). Held in Champagn Il, not far from Ames. Great get together for us in the midwest.

Carl
Dekalb, IL

 

[76winger]

Welcome Bob!

I've enjoyed pen turning for almost three years now and it's been a HUGE stress reliever for me, with several issue I fought through in 08&09 and it's continued to be a great evening escape after getting home from the office.

I can see how the movements during the turning process could be helpful to you and hope they improve your situation. Look forward to seeing you around!

 

[Jim15]

Welcome Bob, you will be in my prayers that your upcoming surgeries all go well and you get back to normal.

 

[rherrell]

Welcome!

 

[Oldmanwheeler]

Thanks Everyone

 

[Longfellow]

Welcome

Welcome from Sunny St. Cloud, Fla. Home of beautiful Florida wood.

 

[edicehouse]

I agree with you Bob. I have a lot of history with High Blood pressure in my family, as a matter of fact I am the oldest (35) without it, that I can think of. I try not to check it, cuz if it doesn't affect me, it isn't there . At least that is what I tell myself. I had to go to the Dr's the other day and it was at 110 / 80. At work I have been under more stress on a daily basis than I have been in a couple years. I believe that pen turning has helped greatly. I do not take medecine for pressure to help control it, and I live on Mountain Dew, and smoke. So go figure.

But keep on. One thing you might try is Fretwork. It is using the scroll saw.

 

[OLDMAN5050]

I prefer to turn wood also, welcome to the addiction.............

 

[Parson]

+1 on the therapeutic nature of working with one's hands in a wood shop. I usually crawl in bed sore from standing on my feet for hours on end, so it's not physically therapeutic, but it sure does my mind a world of good. I just can't worry about much of anything when I'm working in the shop because there's enough there to worry about with safety and making pens look spectacular.

 

[Rick P]

Bob as your fine motor skills improve you might want to take a look at fly tying as well. There are several rotational movements the might be helpful. Way back when I was in college for my RN degree I built a hand rehab program around fly tying that is still being used at my home town hospital. Turning will be great for improving strength and some motor skills but lacks the wrist and finger dexterity of tying fishing flys.

 

[Ligget]

Keep on turning out the pens, I turn for therapy too following an accident at work in 2001, makes you feel good when you finish a pen as you don`t feel quite so useless.

 

[Oldmanwheeler]

Bob as your fine motor skills improve you might want to take a look at fly tying as well. There are several rotational movements the might be helpful. Way back when I was in college for my RN degree I built a hand rehab program around fly tying that is still being used at my home town hospital. Turning will be great for improving strength and some motor skills but lacks the wrist and finger dexterity of tying fishing flys.

My wife is a Occupational Therapist and now she wants to take a fly making class at Bass Pro Shop. Great Suggesion. Thanks.

 

[jdmacdo]

Welcome! It's always good to hear from another pen turner from the state of Iowa.

 

[Oldmanwheeler]

Welcome! It's always good to hear from another pen turner from the state of Iowa.

Where is Robins IA at? I thought knew most all of the towns in I but thie is a new one to me.

 

[IPD_Mrs]

It's great to have you in the group! Sorry to hear about the accident, but you are lucky that you and your wife came up with something so much fun to work on and at the same time improve your health. I hope your up coming surgeries are mild in comparison to what you have gone through thus far.

Mrs.