What is your age?

[GouletPens]

I'm 24 years old. I've been to the 2008 AAW Woodturning Symposium in Richmond, and I am the 2VP in my local AAW club in Richmond, VA. I have met a few middle-school age kids at craft shows that turn pens in shop class, but it seems they "grow out of it" when stupid things like schoolwork and jobs get in the way. I often feel like I'm the exception as a young full-time woodturner, but I'm really interested to know the (general) age of most of us. We might be surprised!

 

[JimB]

I just turned 50 this year. I started turning this year as well and it is my first woodworking experience.

 

[wpenm]

At 52, I have been working with wood for a long time. I started out working in a woodshop at 15 and have always loved it.

 

[OldWrangler]

About 55 years of woodworking.

I built a 16' rowboat when I was 15. I was also in wood shop at school at the same time. Over the years I have made a lot of the furniture in my home and in my kids'. I have always made toys for the little grandchildren, jewelry boxes, cedar chests and bandsaw boxes. I built all the cabinets in my house out of solid pecan.

As a newly wed, we lived in a small 2 bedroom apt. and one of the bedrooms was my shop with an old Shopsmith. I made all the furniture we couldn't afford.

At 71, I have settled down to turning pens, making canes, jewelry boxes and fun items. I am finished with the big stuff and the lengthy projects.

There is something about wood, the color, the smell, the grain, a certain gnarlyness, texture and workability, that I find fascinating and really enjoy. All this work for so many years and I still have all my fingers!!!!!!!

 

[Nick]

I usually tell people that I am "older than dirt" Actually 66 years old

 

[woody350ep]

I am much like you Goulet, also thinking I may be an exception at 25. Most of my friends are out drinking and partying. Not my scene at all.

 

[Daniel]

I don't remember ever "starting" woodworking. Thinking back i know I watched and "Help" my uncle restore a wood boat at about the age of 4 or 5. i also managed to completely tear apart his wood camper at about the same age. I built many forts and what not I know I was using chisels and other tools at the age of 10. At 14 I started a Hog breeding operation and built all the facilities required including shed, fences, feed bins etc. I had already started doing decorative woodworking a couple of years before that and also helped my father build cabinets for our kitchen. I also did wood carving. I was more of a home builder at that time and at 16 started my second business as a drywall contractor. i did not start doing woodworking as a hobby until I was 20. At 23 I had what was considered my first shop, a 10 X 10 shed I built in our back yard. since then I have always had a shop in one way or another. Woodworking has been something that has been mixed in with all the other things I do. Just one more way to be working with my hand, be creative and be figuring things out.

 

[tbroye]

I am 66 and been working with word for the past 6 years and turning pen for the last year. In my other life I worked for the Calif. Highway Patrol designing metal parts and peices to equip the various car with Police Equipment. Yes those white Camaros were some of the last ones I worked on. I also built and worked on Super Modified Dirt track cars and still participate in Vintage Oval Track Racing. When I retired I got rid of the welders, torches, and other metal working tools but kept the mechanic tools and then started working around the house and need woodworking equipment. I still play with the race cars but take my personal cars to the dealer.


Tom

 

[stevers]

48 and still going strong.

 

[MesquiteMan]

41 here. I make my living with wood but it is not the kind I like to turn! Pine and spruce don't make good pens! (I am a home builder)

 

[nava1uni]

I am 60 and took a class a year at Wood craft and became addicted to wood turning. I have been an auto mechanic for 14 year, a biomedical engineer and now I am a Home Care RN. In high school I wanted to take wood shop, but was only allowed to take Home Economics, which I already knew how to do, since I ran the house from the age of 10. I have always liked making things and making bookcases and simple furniture. I have done upholstery and furniture restoration for the last 7 years and now I turn wood and I am slowly learning to do all kinds of turning. I also love the smell, color, how it turns, and what it looks like when a piece is complete.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Results so far very surprising. I had guessed much differently.

 

[NewLondon88]

turning 50 soon. I only started a couple of years ago.
I always thought that 'someday' I'd like to have the time to take up
a woodworking hobby. Somehow, I just never got around to it. Never had
the space, never made the time or investment.. just enjoyed seeing the
things that others did and appreciating the work that went into it from an
outsider's point of view.

It finally occurred to me that 'someday' wasn't just going to happen unless
I made a plan to do it.

When my dad rented some space for storage and there was more unused
space there for rent, I got a few tools at auction and started refinishing
furniture for him. But I had my eye on a lathe ..couldn't justify the expense,
but always wanted to try that. So I waited and waited . finally
picked up a mini Jet and felt guilty. Lately I feel guilty because I don't get
to the shop often enough and when I do, there's projects waiting. Some
have been waiting for a couple of years. Some are just beyond my skill yet.

Now I make it a point to schedule my day so that I can stop by the shop
on my way to or from work and I can glue up some tubes or put on another
coat of finish.

I can lose a whole day in a matter of minutes.:biggrin:

 

[johnnycnc]

I am 40 and have been dabbling in wood for maybe 10 years,
got started when a complete renovation of our home had to be done.
I couldn't build a decent doghouse before learning how to use the tools,
and plan the work.Our Chow/Husky mix, "Turbo" could attest to that!
After the renovation,here sat saws,routers,planer,etc.
The smell of sawdust,shavings pretty much had me hooked.
I'm a machinist by trade and the wood smells much better
than hot steel and cutting oil.
Just a few simple jewelry boxes got me hooked,and the rest is history.
Clocks,jewelry boxes,tool cases,tables,then the turning bug bit.
Looking for highly figured wood for accent pieces,and stumbled across
"pen blanks". Nice stuff,right size,right price.But what is the idea here,
"pen blanks"?? Well,like all the rest of us here,I had to try this penmaking thing out,and here we are.:biggrin:

 

[cozee]

I will be turning 50 next April. I have only been working with wood for the last 3 years or so. I have worked with metal (either as a fabricator, a mechanic, or bodyman) most all my life and never had the itch to work with wood till we decided to start planning on remodeling our home. I then decided to look into woodworking as we wanted to do most of the remodel ourselves. Glad I did as I really enjoy turning and flat work. And I have begun to plan out a few turning projects which incorporate wood and metal together!

 

[pipecrafter]

37 here. Made my first pen from a kit about 5 years ago, but have been working with wood and building furniture since I was about 15. My dad still uses the bookshelf I made him when I was 16 or 17.

 

[dntrost]

49 here I too use to making a living with wood as a home builder but my father was a master craftsman and I mean master!!! When he turned 81 (2 years ago) he gave me all of his tools, said he just couldn't see well enough to use them (very sad day) :frown: I bought a house with 4 garages just so I could set one up with my dads tools. I didn't do anything with them until I went to the woodworking show in Houston and turned my first pen. Now all I do is pens but hopefully I will branch out as I get more time. I sent my dad a pen (not sure he was too impressed) but he was happy at least the tools were being used.

 

[bad]

I'll turn 50 next May. The wife and I will be celebrating it in Cabo San Lucas. I got into woodworking a few years ago. I think of it as part of my "youthful rebellion". When I was in school my father insisted that no son of his was going to work with his hands. That meant that I wasn't allowed to take any shop courses in high school. I now have 2 lathes (one for wood and one for metal), lots of woodworking equipment and an arc welder. I can't tell you how much fun it is getting my hands dirty.

 

[jskeen]

Just turned 42 this month. Been doing woodworking of one sort or another for about 15 years. Before that I did blacksmithing, which morphed into custom knifemaking, which got me hooked on burl and exotic woods. Did small flatwork and cabinetwork for years and thought about a lathe, but never took the plunge. A woodworking friend told me once "lathe work is addictive and expensive" to which I replied, "so is a cocaine habit, but I never took that up either". Finally took the plunge a little over a year ago with a $99 wilton lathe, initially to make christmas ornaments with, but the pen bug bit quickly thereafter. It's been downhill ever since. I have 3 lathes now, and have not seen the whole top of my tablesaw in months.

 

[Daniel]

Table Saws, one of the most ingenious storage spaces in the shop!

 

[toolcrazy]

Just turned 50 in September. I've been dabling in woodworking for 15 years or so. Been a locksmith for 25.

 

[hunter-27]

37 here, turning part time for a couple years now. Anyone need a three year old???

 

[Skye]

35. Can I start my midlife crisis yet?

 

[NewLondon88]

37 here, turning part time for a couple years now. Anyone need a three year old???

You turn children, too?
How do you get them in the chuck?

 

[rjwolfe3]

You buy the wide jaws - I heard they work great.

 

[GouletPens]

Man, I knew that most pen guys were older, but are there really that few turners under 30 years old? Come on kids, quit your drinkin' and your girl chasin' and turn yourself some pens for goodness sakes. Don't you see that we are the future? Oh well...I guess that's that much less competition for me in the future! I think I'm in the right business :laugh:

 

[rb765]

I used to say I was old enough to know better and young enough not to care. Now I just say, "What was your question again?"

I also used to say I suffer from C.R.S (Can't Remember Sh$#), but I think I have advanced to C.R.A.F.T (Can't Remember A F@$%ing Thing).

But in reality, I'm 301 in dog years.

 

[kenlicciardello]

I am 51 and just started turning last the end of last year. I took wood shop 30 plus years ago, and it was terrible. No instruction or teaching, just go and do what you want. I didn't do well in that environment, and did nothing else in the woodworking area. Never lost the interest though. Fast forward, my oldest son wanted to take wood shop in HS. The class was great and I was actually jealous of what he was learning and doing. He wanted to start making pens and I needed a hobby to "de-stress" from work. Now I turn pens and bowls with my 17 year old and 10 year old sons as a family time activity and we are hooked.

Broke, but happily hooked.

 

[tim self]

OK I lied! I aint 50 for 32 days but close enough. Man, to have your sons right there with you in the mix of things is awsome:biggrin: High school wood shop back in seems like stone hinge but nothing incredable completed until the last couple years. Mostly flat work, tables and shelves. I did turn some in high school until I sent a 3x20 piece of cedar stock through the window. Mix turning at high speed, soft wood and dull gouge, shaken not stirred and viola, launched WOOD.

A friend was selling her setup a year ago and I wanted to turn bowls. I saw pens displayed on another forum and thought, "why would I want to do that?" Well about 100 pens later, I don't turn many bowls or platters. I'm doing my first show this weekend and am the only wood turner there.

 

[Tuba707]

23 here... not involved in the drink and party scene either. Much better use of life to be constructive, don't ya think?

I have taught a few of my friends that are my age the fine points (ok, just the basics ) of penturning, and they really love it. There are a few more young(er) guys out there.

Our generation being the future is a really scary prospect!

 

[Verne]

I knew it, us "older" turners are out in force. I'll be 68 the day after Christmas and have been turning for about 5 years. Did do some woodwork in school, a long time ago, but hadn't really got the bug until the Houston Woodworking Show.
Vern

 

[Chasper]

I just turned 60 and I'm an obsessive obsessor from ultra-martahoning, extreme skiing, rockhounding, lapidary, geneology, primative weapons, and a dozen or so other obsessions over the years. Pen turning is the latest obsession. I've dabbled in woodworking for years. The most difficult wood projects I've ever made are the several primative archery bows I've made with hand tools (mostly hand axes) out of wood, horn and other mediums.

 

[BullDurham]

65 and still turning, hope I have a year or so to go. Started when I was in my 30 been off and on for 35 years.

 

[knowltoh]

I'll be 64 in January. Started turning about 5 years ago. Fly rod reel seat inserts first, then took a bowl turning class from Lyle Jamieson---a very accompolished turner. Realized bowls and such weren't my cup of tea! Took a Woodcraft class on penturning late last summer and absolutely love it. Leaving snowy Michigan today for a week in Florida!!

 

[rimo]

I just turned 36 but my 4 & 3 year old daughters make me feel much older everyday. I am dreading the teens already.

 

[jkeithrussell]

40, but still 18 at heart.

 

[jttheclockman]

Hello Brian

You ask a question that you will find very few people who are professional pen turners per se You have to remember pen turning just became popular not that long ago with the explosion of the mini lathe. You may have more turners who are all around turners than pen turners. I do not know your financial situation but making pen turning a living is really pushing it. You would have to have some great connections to make it a go. Can it be done??? Sure anything can be achieved but at what cost. If your situation is such that you can make it a career and I see you are only 25 ( wish I were 25 again) than more power to you. But having kids, a house, a mortgage and health bills, stability would be tough to be achieved with pen turning especially just starting out at such a young age. I say good luck to you. By the way 55 here and just started last year. It is a hobby and always will be a hobby. Have been working with wood since I was a teenager though. I am a scroller and have been doing that for over 25 years. That is another hobby. Electrician by trade.

 

[GouletPens]

John, if you're telling me the odds are against me, then you're certainly right. It's true that no one has really been able to make pen turning into a career, especially since it's such a new concept to begin with. I've been doing it part time for the last year and really doing pretty well. I have my own ideas that I think are going to give me a fair shake at a workable career. I actually was considering being an electrician just a couple of months ago, but the fact that my degree offered me no advantage and it would be 4 years before I could make any decent wage discouraged me from that. I don't know how many of you are religious folks out there, but the long and short of it is that I felt the Lord telling me that this is what I'm meant to do. I'm passionate about it, I would like to think I have some talent, and my wife supports me 100%. If anyone can make it, it would be someone in a position I'm in (no kids yet, wife has good job, etc). Just think what techniques I'll have mastered in a couple of years, let alone by the time I've been doing this for 25 or 30 years!

 

[jttheclockman]

Brian, there is so much there in your statements but I will not go into it. I do wish you all the luck in the world.

 

[AlexL]

I'm 11 now but I turn 12 on Dec 26th. I turned my first time last year at a demo at Woodworker's Supply. A man doing a lathe demo let me try and I was hooked ever since. My dad bought me a jet mini lathe for my birthday last year. I make and sell pens to raise money for college

Alex
Pens for College