Here is my Woodturning!

by Clarence Atkinson

Note: Click any picture to see a larger version.

I am a begining woodturner and I use a very old delta lathe that I bought at a Goodwill for $50. I have always enjoyed making and building things. Now that I have more time, I have found turning to be very fun and it excites me to learn about different tools and how to turn new things.

I am handicapped. I have a form of Muscular Dystrophy called CMS. I live with my wife on my family's farm and we raise lamb and buckeye chickens for meat and eggs, which still allows me to do a little to keep me busy and productive.

I work in my basement in about an 18 ft square room. It's not very big but I still get some nice things made and with winter coming I hope to be down there a lot more. I have not tried turning a bowl yet, so that's what I'm hoping to do next.

All of the pictures below are of my first time tries at each project. I got the patterns from my woodworking books and then changed them a little. I need to learn more about finishing, but I will get better.

I bought some California Redwood from a company that has permission to claim fallen timber so this is the first wood I have ever bought for a turning project. I made the pepper grinder out of it that can be seen below. It was very fun and kind of hard for me to do.

Pepper Grinder - The first project I've ever done with a plan, and made out of California Redwood.

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