Tribute to Russ--please contribute!!

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ed4copies

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,757
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
Russ Fairfield has made tremendous contributions to the art and skill of pen making.
Please take a few moments to write a short story of how you knew Russ, either personally or through his "internet personality"

Thank you for your replies,
Ed
Racine, WI
 
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I never had the honor of meeting Russ in person but I have some of his DVDs. He was a big influence to me a beginning pen turner. He many times offered expert advice on the ways to improve our finishing techniques here on the IAP. I think he was the sort of person that would offer to help anyone who was in need of his knowledge. As I said I didn't know him personally but I think he derived pleasure in helping others. He and his family will be in my prayers.

Jim Schrand
 
About a year ago, I paid for and downloaded one of Russ's videos from a website. The video had a noticeable gap and I wrote to Russ directly. He told me that he had never heard of the website, and that he wasn't deriving any income from it. Horrified (I had assumed he had a business arrangement with the website), I sent him a check for the video I had downloaded because I believe that a laborer is worthy of his hire. He sent back a full version of the DVD I was after and included another one as a gift. When I wrote to thank him for the extra DVD, he said simply, "You were so persistent I figured you deserved a reward."

Gentlemen are known for their class. He had plenty.
Doug
 
Russ was a great inspiration to all who knew or even knew of him. He will be sadly missed. When I first started pen turning I sent Russ a note asking about the Russline pen diameters. He not only took the time to answer my question and a few I had not thought to ask but sent a warm welcome to the penturning community. Bon Voyage Russ May you rest in peace.
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Repost from the other thread
 
I meet Russ a fair number of times at the local woodturning group and through his frequent appearances at Woodcraft on days that he taught turning classes. Sadly, I never made it to one of his classes, it was always on the "todo" list.

One particular meeting, I recall Russ giving a demonstration of his famous BLO/CA finish on a pen he had just whipped up there in class.

THE WHOLE FRONT row got up and moved when he spun that lathe up to 3500 and starting putting on the CA to the towel he was using. They were convinced they were getting covered! I don't recall a single droplet ever leaving that pen.

Alan
 
I have many memories of Russ. He has been a constant supporter as well as a voice of reason for almost as long as I have been turning pens. My first real up close encounter with Russ was when I organized my very first Bulk Buy. It took me almost two months to gather enough orders to place a min 100 dollar order for super glue. Russ was one of the very first to participate. He did not even need any glue and he told me so. He wanted to see the project make it off the ground. He paid his money as an investment in the craft. That Super Glue buy is now the one that Mannie runs to this day. I think this story is very descriptive of his personality and approach. He not only loved his craft, but he put action behind that emotion to make things happen. Even with a passion to motivate himself like that. Above and beyond that. Russ never failed to give me a clear impression that his love for his art came in at least second place for his love of the people involved.
 
Although I have known of Russ and his work for a long time, I didn't meet him until this past Spring at the Provo Woodturner's symposium. He was an engaging demonstrator with a refreshing no-nonsense approach. His willingness to mentor others in our craft and push them towards greater things was much appreciated. I've turned a lot of pens, but still learned some tricks from him.

Afterward, he posted a public apology, fearing that he had been a bit testy at that event due to health issues. I was amazed. The world would be a much nicer place if more people were as decent on their good days as Russ was on a bad one.

I pray comfort and peace to the family and friends of the inspiring Russ Fairfield. He will be missed.
 
I never met Russ nor have I had the honor of learning from him but I have heard a lot about him, and anyone that has contributed to pen turning as much as Russ did deserves to be Honored and remembered for what he did.
I think that among bowl turners David Ellsworth is a known Great, in this case Russ Fairfield is the David Ellsworth of pen turning.
Thank you very much Russ for all you have done for everyone.
Russ was the best at working wood (in Hawaiian-Maikai ka hana Russ O ka Kalai)
Aloha Nui Loa Russ Fairfield

Chris Allen in Hawaii
 
I've never met Russ and never have I contacted him, but he had been a constant source of information for me over the last 4-5 years. Anytime someone has posted on the IAP anything about finishing I followed that post knowing Russ would chime in with his always spot on help. He never failed me as he always had time to give his sage advice. I 'm sure there are many of us that having never met him considered him a mentor. There have been two big influences in my pen turning, Russ Fairfield and William Presavage both of whom have passed and are deeply missed by this community. Bet they are right now comparing notes.
 
I never had the pleasure of meeting Russ face to face, but I met him many times on the IAP. When I was a total babe in the woods, Russ always took the time to explain, re-explain then answer all of my 'stupid' questions. He was always patient, always to the point, and always very helpful.

Russ was right most of the time! Not always, but he was the type of man to always admit his mistake, own up to it, and offer a correction when needed.

I will miss his kind presence and loyal support greatly. My thoughts and prayers go to Russ' family.
 
I just started penturning this year. Like nearly everybody else, the first pen that I made was a simple slimline. As I was searching the internet for information on how to begin, Russ' website was one of the first that I found. I read, reread, and studied his excellent instructions on turning a basic slimline. Then I saw the modifications that he made using that basic kit. I was intrigued. I couldn't wait to try to make something like his Fat-line. It is my wife's favorite of all the pens that I've made. A few pens into my new hobby, I decided that I need to figure out how to put a better finish on my pens. Russ' website taught me how. Now that I've moved to some of the higher end pen kits, I've begun to want to experiment with my designs. Some things that I really want to try are closed-end pens, and hidden clips. I was not in the least surprised to learn the Russ pioneered those techniques as well. I will be forever grateful for his creativity, his ability to explain exactly how to accomplish a task, and his willingness to share all of the fruits of his labor with the world.
 
In Memory of Russ Fairfield.

I started turning about a year ago. I was surfing the net and came across the Russ-line pen and realized there was more to turning a pen, than just assembling a kit. I'm very sorry that I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. That is definitely my loss.

I wish Gods Blessings on Russ's family and I hope that others found his work as inspiring as I did. He started me thinking outside the box and I will forever be most grateful for that.

Sincerely, Mark Kern
 
I am fortunate in that I got to call Russ mentor and friend. I first met Russ about 5 or 6 years ago when he stepped into a pen turning demo I was doing at a newly opened Woodcraft store in Spokane, WA. I saw this gentleman walk in and knew I had seen him before but couldn't quite put a name to the face. After the demo, I walked up and introduced myself and told him I thought I knew him from somewhere. It was then that he said, "I'm Russ Fairfield". I was flabbergasted to say the least. I would have been totally flustered if I had known it was him during the demo!

Russ was an active member of our penturning club and did lots of demos for us. He was always quick to share his knowledge and funny stories with us. I learned a lot about pen turning and pens in general from this very kind and generous man.

There will never be another Russ Fairfield. He will be sorely missed. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts at this difficult time.
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John
 
I never had the good fortune to meet Russ face to face, however, through the IAP community I got to know him and learned a lot from him as did many penturners.

He had a passion about pen finishes especially the ca/blo technique, many were helped to overcome this difficult to learn process by Russ who would take the time and step by step talk you through it until you had perfection, including myself.

Thanks Russ it was a pleasure to have known you, God bless!
 
Like several others, I never had the opportunity to meet Russ but in a sense I've come to know him, his skills, and the quality of his work through his website and video tutorials. What immediately gripped me the first time I saw Russ's CA/BLO video was his pleasant and likeable voice. Upon learning of his passing, I visited his website, viewed his photo, and also played a couple of his videos simply to remind myself of the qualities of this man.

I pray for God's peace and blessing on Russell's family. I'm certain he will be greatly missed! My hope too is that his website can remain active as a tribute to Russ and as a means for the continuance of teaching other woodturners.

Terry
 
I never met Russ, but he's had a profound impact on my development as a turner. For me, he was the personification of what a turner should be... Kind, patient, generous, and passionate. Although many of us have learned turning lessons from Russ, we shouldn't forget that he also provided a wonderful living example of how a turner can and should treat others. He will be sorely missed.
 
I never met Russ but watch several of his videos and you could tell that he not only loved his craft, but loved teaching others! I noticed that whenever anyone has a question, especially on finish inevitably someone will put Russ' web link and say go, watch and learn! I did several times and learned!

He was a gentlemen! A true gem who will be missed. I will continue to learn from him and hopefully return the favor to teach others in the same way.

Rochester, NY
 
Unfortunately I never gave myself the opportunity to meet or e-mail Russ Fairfield. I can proudly say I have learned and continue to learn a lot of information from through Russ's website, while I never felt a need to purchase any of his DVD's as there was a wealth of information that I was trying to absorb that he simply gave to us. I know missed my chance to talk to one of the most knowledgeable person of the pen turning community. It is something I will regret, however I would like to say thank you to Russ for his generosity and his love for teaching . You will be sorely missed.
-Dan Horowitz
 
When I firs began penturning I relied heavily on everyone's expert advice. I would sit and watch Russ' videos online and even e-mailed him a couple of times. Each time his responses went above and beyond the question I had asked. His gift, talent, experience, and selflessness will surely be missed.
 
I wish I had gotten to meet Russ in person. I do however feel blessed to have gotten to read his articles and view his videos, from which I learned an immense amount. I think were it not for Russ I would still be trying to figure out how to get those sctratches out of my pens and would not know how to do a CA finish. His methods were filled with confidence and a calm demeanor that made him easy to learn from. He was one of those people we meet in our lives that we never forget. The penturning community has lost a master and we will all miss him. To Russ' family, thank you for sharing him with us, My thoughts and prayers are with you. R.I.P. Russ

Wayne, Houston,Tx.
 
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I never had the honor to meet Russ, but I received many tips from him about turning. His web site is a resource that I cherish.
My family and I express our sympathy and you are in our prayers.
mark
 
I never had the pleasure of meeting Russ, it sounds like i really missed out on meeting someone great. I know that i have spend countless hours on Russ's website looking at the tutorials and other helpful tidbits he has on there, which really helped me advance and perfect the finish on my pens

I pray peace to Russ Fairfield's Family, A turner that will be missed
 
I would not be here posting this today, nor would I be turning pens at all without the time, energy and passion that Russ put into his craft and explaining and sharing it through his webpages. Before I ever heard of IAP or talked to anybody else that made pens, I had watched every clip of Russ on his webpage and anywhere else I could find them. The VERY FIRST post I ever made on the IAP had this image in it, and that pretty much says it all.

Requiescat In Pace Russ, You will not be forgotten.
 

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About 6 years ago I was looking for information to help me improve my turning and I stumbled upon Russ' website. His articles on turning pens caught my attention and I ran out and bought my first kits. Over the years I have read virtually every post Russ has made on this site because I new Russ had a wealth of knowledge and was always willing to share what he knew.
With Russ' help, I improved my turnings and especially my finishes. I have conversed many times with Russ in these forums and always was impressed with his knowledge and his patience.
Russ helped me to develop and grow over the years and now I feel his loss tremendously.
My prayers go out to Russ' family at this time of loss. I would like to thank them for sharing Russ with us. He was a great writer, teacher and woodturner.
 
Like Roy, I never met Russ or ever had much contact with him but he was still a great teacher to me. When I began learning how to do CA finishes, I watched his videos on the subject many times. He was a great penturner and I can tell from just how many people have been impacted by him in both their penturning and their lives, that he was an even better man.
 
Like many others, I discovered Russ' website early on into my penmaking. i found his info invaluable and his "Russ line" and "Fat line" slimlines introduced me to modifying slimlines anmd other kits. I think his pens were the first onesI had seen made with hidden or recessed clips. And, Russ' info on finishing and finishes has been invaluable. I emailed Russ a few times in those early days and he always replied with the answer to my questions and often gave me even more info.

Later, when IAP was formed Russ and I were on the original board of directors (which nor longer exists)and I met him via our board meetings. He was always right on target with his comments. He didn't mind saying what needed to be said even if it his comments were not what some of us wanted to hear. Our pen turning friendship continued to grow although we had not met in person.

He and I both had much success with CA glue and boiled linseed oil finishes for pens. Our methods were much different. Russ put boiled linseed oil on top of the CA glue and I just the opposite. I applied the oil first and CA glue on top. We visited via email quite often about CA glue and finishing. Most of the emails would follow someone's post about the problems they were having with CA glue and finishing. We shared the same amazement that so many found the CA glue finish so difficult. Russ called me the guy who does the CA glue and boiled linseed oil wrong....and it worked! I considered that comment a compliment.

We finally met each other in person at the 2010 Utah Woodturning Symposium where we both were demonstrators. We visited often between rotations and before and after each day's demonstrating. It was such a joy to be able to spend time with him and watch his magic at the lathe. He later told me he was having health problems during the symposium and had suffered a couple of small strokes while we were there. He even publically apologized on a several forums for the way he was acting and explained the health issues he had experienced. He didn't have to share that.

Thanks Russ for all that you have given to so many. Rest in Peace my Friend. I consider it to have been an honor to have known Russ and call him my friend.

Don Ward
 
Thank you all!!

This thread has been forwarded to Scott to give to the family (last night). Russ' memorial service is taking place at 10 AM today (about an hour ago).

Hopefully, we have given his wife and other family members and friends, a little insight into his importance to the pen-making world. Scott mentioned last night that she was not aware of many of Russ' activities. He didn't need to boast----even to his wife.

May God bless you, Russ!
 
I used Blue Shop Towels today.

When I first started with CA finish, I used Russ Fairfield's method exactly, or so I thought. I was having many problems.

After e-mailing back and forth with Russ, we found that my problem was that I was using the cheapest paper towel to apply the CA/BLO. The chemicals used in processing the "bargain" paper towels were causing me many problems.

WHO ELSE WOULD HAVE EVEN THOUGH ABOUT THE QUALITY OF PAPER TOWELS MAKING A DIFFERENCE? Russ insisted that the blue shop towels were the application tool of choice. I changed to the blue shop towels and my problems dissappeared on the very next pen.

I later switched to bounty select-a-size towels just as a cost consideration. I found that I was using the expensive blue towels to wipe up spills, etc. They are a tad "pricey" for that.

Today, when I went looking to replenish my PT roll holder, I found a rolll of blue shop towels! I had to use them and as always, THEY WORKED GREAT!

THANKS RUSS! You will be missed!
 
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