If you’ve come to this page, chances are you know me from my real world job in IT. In real life, I’m a member of an exceptional community of people that live and breathe the same Microsoft products and travel around Europe evangelising at conferences about them. I’m also a consultant with a Microsoft gold partner and travel the UK helping clients with everything from new builds, improvements and sometimes troubleshooting to get them out of a sticky situation!
With such a focus on technical output, I needed something to take my mind off of the stresses of the job, something cheaper than engaging a full time therapist! So back in 2003 I decided to take up a hobby and as my family have a history of carpentry (Before Dad and I broke the tradition and did something different!) I decided it had to be something related to wood. I didn’t have the space for a full blown cabinet workshop so after seeing Norm Abhrams do it on the New Yankee workshop, I decided to give turning a go.
I bought a cheap lathe off of Ebay grabbed a few tools from a local shop (without any advice.. I mean how hard can it be..?..? I read a book…!), planked some wood I found onto the lathe and made it round.. (ish)..
I was hooked! Woodturning became my Hobby and I’m pleased to say that some 14 years later, I’m still doing it! (I swear my long suffering wife thought I was just going to give it up after a few months!).
During this time, my workshop was the garage with it’s rather rubbish asbestos roof, it leaked, my tools get damp, I couldn’t turn during the cold weather.. You get the picture?
For a lot of those 14 years I only turned for a few months of the year but what I did do, was join a local club and oh boy was that the best decision I could make! There’s a wealth of information to be had within a club, some of the old boys that belong have forgotten more about wood turning than I’ll ever know! My turning improved leaps and bounds over the years and I decided it was time to upgrade my workshop to a decent size building that was sealed to the elements and easy to heat. Even on the coldest days of winter, it doesn’t take long to bring the workshop up to a decent working temperature and this last winter has been one of my busiest in the last few years with more items being made in 8 months than the previous 2 years combined!
I’ve found my mojo again, my love of turning has bloomed! My aim of this blog is for me to share some of the techniques that I’ve learned, show off some of my pieces and to provide a place where members of my work community, can come and have a look at the non IT side of me.
Paul.