Featured Turner: Mike Waldt, In His Own Words

Featured Turner: Mike Waldt, In His Own Words

Mike Waldt, often dubbed 'The Goblet Master'

Mike Waldt, often dubbed ‘The Goblet Master’

ABOUT MIKE WALDT

Full Name: Mike Waldt

Year of Birth:  1951

Nationality:  British (Welsh)

Place of Birth:  Cardiff, South Wales

Where do you currently live?  Bedfordshire, England

What is, or was, your main job? I am a bus/coach driver, and have been for the past 16 years. Prior to that I came from a Sales and Marketing background.

What would be your dream job?  Professional Woodturner/Instructor

Other than woodturning, do you have any other notable hobbies? In the past I used to enjoy building Gaming Computers, and playing golf. But now woodturning, coupled with my garden, take up most of my “free” time.

ABOUT YOUR TURNING

Staved Goblet

A Staved Goblet

Are you a professional turner, hobby turner or something else?  Definitely a Hobby turner.

When did you begin turning, and why? I got my first lathe in November 2011, after randomly watching a turning video by my now good friend Carl Jacobson. I think it’s fair to say that after the first time I turned on the lathe…I was hooked!

Are you a member of a turning club and if so which one? No, I am not, as my “free” time is very limited, but I would like to join my local club one day.

Who (or what!) has had the greatest influence on your turning? There are so many turners that inspire me, I couldn’t single out just one.

 

Who is your favourite woodturner? Again, I don’t have a single favourite turner, as there are so many great and talented people that share their work, for us all to be inspired by.

Do you have a favourite artist, in any medium, other than woodturning? Not really no…however in the art of Opera singing Luciano Pavarotti is my all time favourite “artist” 🙂

Do you have any formal training that helps your turning (e.g. Art, Design, Photography, Engineering etc)? No, I’m completely self-taught…and sometimes it shows!

Do you have any other similar or allied skills? If general DIY and working with wood counts then yes

Birds Eye Maple Bowl

A Birds Eye Maple Bowl

What is the most unusual thing that you have turned? Most of the things I turn are unusual, as they rarely end up as I had anticipated initially.

What are your favourite pieces that you have turned?  I have only a few absolute favourite pieces and they are

A Staved Goblet –

A Birds Eye Maple Bowl –

A Natural Edge Ash Vase – 

An Oak Burr Natural Edge Bowl –

What is your favourite ‘sphere’ of turning (e.g. Bowls, Platters, Boxes, Pens, Hollow forms etc)? Apart from “segmenting”, I enjoy all areas of turning, but I have to say that goblets have a special place in my heart, for some reason.

A Natural Edge Ash Vase

A Natural Edge Ash Vase

Are there any other woodturners (or artists / crafters etc) in your family? No, I am the first in a very short line!

What has been your biggest disaster? There have been many, as each time things go wrong it seems like it’s the biggest “mess up”.  I think the Coventry demo I recently did at UKIWS ranks pretty high on the disaster stakes, as far as turning goes anyway 😉






ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP

An Oak Burr Bowl

An Oak Burr Bowl

Is your workshop a dedicated space or shared with other activities (i.e. a garage shared with a car, art studio etc)? I share my workshop with my wife’s car, and no amount of pleading will make her keep it outside!

How many lathes do you own? Just the one.

What is the make and model of your main lathe? The Axminster Trade AT1628VS

Have you had any previous lathes? The Axminster AWVSL1000

What is your ‘dream lathe’? I think it has to be the Robust American Beauty.

Other than your lathe, what is your favourite tool or machine? My Record Power BS400 Band Saw

Is your workshop very tidy, a ‘work in progress’ or a disaster zone? I do like to keep the workshop as clean and tidy as possible, but there are times it looks like a disaster zone, despite what the majority of my turning friends think!

Mike's lathe (Axminster Trade AT1628VS) is under here somewhere...

Mike’s lathe (Axminster Trade AT1628VS) is under here somewhere…

 

YOUTUBE

Do you have a public YouTube channel that you would like to promote?

Yes I do here’s the link to it – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_tt3HOlpZguB8ebtB4k1w

FOOD

What is your favourite drink and snack food whilst in the workshop? Diet Coke and Walkers Plain Crisps….lol

AND FINALLY…

Anything else you would like to say or be known about you and your turning life? I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my friends in the turning world, who have given me incredible support, and inspiration over the years, for that I am truly grateful.


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Coming up in future Featured Turner articles we have, amongst others, Stephen Ogle, Erik Anderson (The Naked Turner), Carl Jacobson and Cindy Drozda

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Featured Turner: Sam Angelo, In His Own Words

Featured Turner: Sam Angelo, In His Own Words

ABOUT SAM ANGELO (a.ka. The Wyoming Woodturner)

Image12 - Sam and CocoFull Name: Samuel Joseph Angelo

Year of Birth: 1950

Nationality: Italian. I grew up in a strong Catholic, Italian family. Until I travelled off to college, the family met each Sunday at my Grandmothers house. It was something we looked forward to and was no doubt a contributing factor in setting my values and strong bond with my family.

Place of Birth: Akron, Ohio

Where do you currently live? Worland, Wyoming

Image1What is, or was your main job?  In 1973 I began a career in education. My experience as a teacher began in a one-room schoolhouse in southeastern Montana. I taught grades 1-8 with 12 students in school. My school was 65 miles from any town. I lived in a teacherage with no running water. I continued in various settings which included a Catholic parochial school and the Montana state reform school for boys. Somewhere in that mix I served a term as Custer County Superintendent of School. In this position my duties included supervision of 17 rural, one-room schools in Custer County, Montana. In 1980 I accepted a position teaching history at Worland High School. For the better part of my 40 year career I coached various sports. For my remaining 25 years I served as a school guidance counsellor. I have been retired since 2010.

Image2What would be your dream job?  This is perhaps an oxymoron: dream-job. I worked with students of all ages and setting for 40 years. I never “went to work” in the morning. It was not a job but for the most part, it was a dream. Being a teacher or educator is a privilege and I was honored to work with kids for 40 years. But now? I turn every day in my shop: another dream. I have been blessed.

Other than woodturning, do you have any other notable hobbies?  First, woodturning is not a hobby for me. It is who I am. It is my life. But years ago, I used to fish a lot…..

ABOUT YOUR TURNING

Are you a professional turner, hobby turner or something else?  Since 1983 I have had a woodworking business which supplemented our household budget. I refinished furniture, built furniture, and eventfully turned to working on the lathe. All that I have done outside of education has financed my shop and all the machines. Yes, I consider myself a professional.

Sam Angelo Image3When did you begin turning, and why?  I started turning in 1988. I borrowed a worn out Boice Crane wood lathe and started to teach myself how to turn. I can’t pinpoint why I started other than someone gave me an old worn out lathe. I literally never saw another person turn for maybe 4 or 5 years. We had no internet at the time. I eventually ran across a turning magazine and started to understand. My biggest regret is that in 1986 the American Association of Woodturners was founded. I simply did not know it was there. I do not want anyone to have that experience. I try to pass on what I know either by my YouTube channel or through teaching in my shop.

https://www.youtube.com/user/WYOMINGWOODTURNER

Sam Angelo Image4Are you a member of a turning club and if so which one?  In 2007 I co-founded the Worland Wyoming Woodturners. In 2009 we became a sanctioned chapter of the AAW. It is the only chapter in Wyoming. We meet once each month in my shop. We have 6 to 8 faithful members who attend. Our main club fundraiser for the community is the Festival of Trees which brings in money for local charities and organizations. Last year our tree was auctioned off for $2200. We do receive about 25% of this amount which helps with our own activities. Our club includes turners of all levels as well as a painter, a gold leaf gilder and a very promising pyrographer.

Can you share contact details of the club (address, website etc)?  We currently have no newsletter or website. My e-mail address is samandcheryle@gmail.com if you have questions or comments.

Sam Angelo Image5Who (or what!) has had the greatest influence on your turning?  Hands down it would be Richard Raffan. In the early 1990’s I discovered Richard’s work: VCR tapes (yes VCR) that still work and I still watch. I have all of his books which are classics and timeless. Richard taught me “long distance.” I turned scoops, spurtles, boxes and everything contained in his books. He was the mentor I never had. I was lucky to see him demonstrate at the Utah Woodturning symposium this past May.

Who are your favourite woodturners?  Here is my list….. Jimmy Clewes for his teaching and demonstrating style, Cindy Drozda for her friendship and kind, supportive nature. I learned all I know about finials from Cindy. She is one of the most articulate and precise teachers in the world. Stuart Batty who I believe to be technically the best overall woodturner in the world. His videos on Vimeo are a must watch. He is also one of the best teachers of woodturning. Nick Agar who is so willing to share his knowledge. Alan Lacer who is also a great teacher. My first experience demonstrating was with Alan who helped direct me in ways he may never know. Finally, I must acknowledge David Nittmann who is missed by anyone he touched. His influence on us all was immense.

Sam Angelo Image6Do you have a favourite artist, in any medium, other than woodturning? Not really. Although I do look at many forms of art including pottery which is an important comparison to turning wood.

Do you have any formal training that helps your turning (e.g. Art, Design, Photography, Engineering etc)?  No

Do you have any other similar or allied skills? I am 66 years old. I began working for framing contractors the summer before high school: age-15. I continued through college and after. I have worked with wood in one form or another ever since. I have built furniture and cabinets and turned replacement parts for chairs and tables which was my foundation for turning.

Sam Angelo Image7What is the most unusual thing that you have turned?  I am not sure if I have turned much of anything that is so unusual. Maybe it would be chasing threads by hand which is out of the norm for most turners. (I do have a few very weird items I would never show on the internet).

What are your favourite pieces that you have turned?  (Images of these are interspersed through the article)

What is your favourite ‘sphere’ of turning (e.g. Bowls, Platters, Boxes, Pens, Hollow forms etc)?  I would have to say that chasing threads by hand is the most important aspect of my turning. I make items such as burial urns and lidded boxes so I can include a threaded fitment. I connected with John Berkeley author of the book All Screwed Up and the video series Screwples. Through several months and countless e-mails he mentored and taught me proper thread chasing. Any thread chasing skills I have, I owe to John. Below is a playlist of 26 thread chasing videos.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL5-IWEcq6B9UA1YSW19pZGTanviEKNTy

Sam Angelo Image8Are there any other woodturners (or artists / crafters etc) in your family?  My brother Carl is a master at stained glass work: including Tiffany style lamp shades. My brother Mike restores late 1960’s cars. I have learned much from him about finishing and sanding.

What has been your biggest disaster?  On February 6, 2015 I lost part of three fingers on my table saw. Since I had no inclination to stop or alter anything I was doing in my shop, I uploaded a video announcing my mishap and my intentions for the future.

“My Accident” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThMHyEeG8BM

Sam Angelo Image9ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP

Is your workshop a dedicated space or shared with other activities (i.e. a garage shared with a car, art studio etc)?  It is a free standing, 1800 square foot building totally dedicated to messing around with wood.

How many lathes do you own?  I own four lathes currently: …..And I teach woodturning classes in beautiful Wyoming.

  • Powermatic 3520
  • Oneway 1224
  • Jet JWL-1221VS
  • Delta 16″ Steel Bed

What is the make and model of your main lathe? Powermatic 3520

Sam Angelo Image10

YOUTUBE

Do you have a public YouTube channel that you would like to promote?

 https://www.youtube.com/user/WYOMINGWOODTURNER

If you produce YouTube or similar videos, what are your three favourites?

Video ONE: Turning Two Burl Bowls

Video TWO: Resin and Maple Burl Lidded Box

Video THREE: Carver’s Mallet: Chasing the Threads (part 1) (Link to part II in video I).

WEBSITE

Do you have any websites that you would like to promote?

I spend much of my time in my shop turning, making videos then editing videos. I must admit I should spend more time watching videos and visiting websites. I could list 20 YouTube channels and many websites. Here are a few that are my favorites:

Alan Stratton–As Wood Turns – https://www.youtube.com/user/AsWoodTurns

Mike Waldt – https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCymruBoy

Stuart Batty on Vimeo – https://vimeo.com/woodturning

Yuval Lahav – https://www.youtube.com/user/yuvallahav, (See Featured Turner Article)

RonBrownsBest – http://www.ronbrownsbest.com

I do watch or visit other sites.

FOOD

What is your favourite drink and snack food whilst in the workshop? Black coffee, Peanut butter, it does not matter what I put it on.

AND FINALLY…

Anything else you would like to say or be known about you and your turning life?  Just keep in mind that YOU are a better and more experienced turner than someone else. That means you can pass on knowledge and skills needed by someone else. And finally a big THANKS to Tom for setting all this up and making it possible. I appreciate your support and friendship over the years. Sam Angelo


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Coming up in future Featured Turner articles we have, amongst others, the ‘Goblet Master’ himself Mike Waldt and Stephen Ogle

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Featured Turner: Jeff Hornung, In His Own Words

Featured Turner: Jeff Hornung, In His Own Words.  Jeff Hornung tells us his woodturning story, from car crash to creativity!

ABOUT YOU

Full Name:  Jeffrey C. Hornung

Year of Birth:  1968

Nationality:  American

Place of Birth:  St. Louis, Missouri.  USA

Where do you currently live?  Florissant, Missouri.  USA

What is, or was, your main job?  I have been a full-time woodturner and supplier since March 2016.  The 24 years before that I was a retail florist

What would be your dream job?  I think this full-time woodturner and supplier gig may actually be my dream job.  I can create, sell, experiment, talk shop with awesome people AND work from home!

Other than woodturning, do you have any other notable hobbies?  Fly tying and Fly fishing.  I do also enjoy hiking and kayaking too.  Haven’t had much time for any of that but I’ll work something in soon!

ABOUT YOUR TURNING

Are you a professional turner, hobby turner or something else?  Hmm…I am an artist and supplier that turns. So, “Something else” is probably accurate!  Lol.  I’m also a recently hired woodturning instructor at the Craft Alliance here in St. Louis. 

When did you begin turning, and why? I began turning in October 2012 as therapy for a minor brain injury I sustained in a car accident in March of 2011.  I received a minor concussion in the accident but had pretty severe Post Concussion Syndrome;  Headaches, trouble focusing and concentrating.  My wife wanted to take a vacation and I wasn’t helping choose anything.  She tossed a course catalog, for a place called John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, at me and said to “just pick something I’d like to do”.  Folk School…but I don’t want to be a hippie, honey!!”…Ok, I said that last part on the inside.

I wanted to take blacksmithing but was pretty sure St. Louis County wouldn’t let me build a forge in the backyard if I ended up liking it.  I settled for Woodturning because I was fairly sure I could pick a lathe out of a product catalog if I needed to.  Fairly sure.  We went and I really didn’t feel well.  Classes started and I really didn’t want to be there.  My head was pounding and I was just going through the motions…figured I’d get through an hour or two then go back to the room and lay down.  The instructor had us put a spindle blank between centers, pick a tool and mess around for a bit.  Just to get the feel for things.  My head was really hurting but I figured we spent the money and I needed to at least try. 

Now,  I doubt this is what actually happened but it’s how I remember things…

The second the gouge touched the wood, my headache stopped.  I swear, it just stopped.  Next thing I knew it was lunch time and I didn’t want to turn off the machine.  Before the week was over, I had a wobbly old mid-’80s vintage Craftsman lined up from Craigslist and picked up the $45 turning tool set from Harbor Freight when we got home.  Have been addicted ever since and I know this not only helped me finally recover from a brain injury but has also made me even sharper, mentally, than before. 

Are you a member of a turning club and if so which one?  Yes, I am a member of the St. Louis chapter of the AAW…Woodturners of St. Louis.

Can you share contact details of the club (address, website etc) We meet at the St. Louis Carpenters Joint Apprentice Building in Afton, Missouri.  The website is http://turnedtreasuresllc.com/wstl2/

Who (or what!) has had the greatest influence on your turning?  Kirk DeHeer has been the biggest direct influence on me.  I’ve been fortunate to not only have been able to attend 2 different week long classes with him, I’m also (still) allowed to contact him by phone.  His influence has been game changing for me in technique, tool use and sharpening.

Carmen De La Paz has been the biggest indirect influence as I’ve not met her personally yet but we have talked many times and her input tends towards things more artistic and business related.

Who is your favourite woodturner?  I cannot honestly answer that.  I also cannot honestly answer who my least favorite would be, either.  I see turners as a group of people I’m honored to be a part of and understand that we all bring something different to the lathe. 

Do you have a favourite artist, in any medium, other than woodturning?  Same answer, I can’t honestly say.  Art is subjective so I try to keep my view of art and artists as fluid as possible.  I might like or dislike a piece of work or a style but I try and understand what that piece or style means anyway. 

Do you have any formal training that helps your turning (e.g. Art, Design, Photography, Engineering etc)?  I started my work life in the family ceramics business back in 1984.  That evolved into a retail florist in 1991.  I think everything I’ve done up to this point has contributed to my turning. 

Do you have any other similar or allied skills?   I’ve started doing more with pyrography and plan to start dabbling with carving.  I’m also going to start a metalsmithing class for jewellery making… I have ideas to incorporate metal into my turned art pieces but have no experience with any level of smithing.  Time to change that. 

What is the most unusual thing that you have turned? 

Don’t tell anyone but I did try to turn crushed glass inlay once.  DO NOT TRY THIS!!!   I ruined a HSS tool and risked getting glass in my eyes and lungs, even though I was wearing a filter and eye protection.  Another unusual but successful turning was a piece I ended up calling “Discarded”.  It was mystery wood and just really oddly shaped.  I was able to use the natural “dents” in the piece to create a bowl that when finished with reactive metallic paint, actually looked like it could be an old discarded metal bowl. 

What are your favourite pieces that you have turned?

In no particular order: 

The Clarinet Pen.  This was my first real concept piece and my first attempt at metalsmithing.  Yes, those are real clarinet parts.

'Clarinet Pen' by Jeff Hornung

‘Clarinet Pen’ by Jeff Hornung


Smoke and Mirrors. Dyed, textured and silver leaf in the bowl.

'Smoke and Mirrors' by Jeff Hornung

‘Smoke and Mirrors’ by Jeff Hornung


Cherry Vase With Crysacola Inlay. Some carving of the natural flaws and cracks first. 

'Cherry Vase with Inlay' by Jeff Hornung

‘Cherry Vase with Inlay’ by Jeff Hornung


Celtic Pool.  Inspired by the Viking Sunset Bowls of Nick Agar

'Celtic Pool' by Jeff Hornung

‘Celtic Pool’ by Jeff Hornung


Large Ambrosia Maple Platter.  18 inches diameter and hard as stone

'Ambrosia Maple' by Jeff Hornung

‘Ambrosia Maple’ by Jeff Hornung


Pill Boxes, inspired by headaches!  Threads are hand chased

'Pill Boxes' by Jeff Hornung

‘Pill Boxes’ by Jeff Hornung

What is your favourite ‘sphere’ of turning (e.g. Bowls, Platters, Boxes, Pens, Hollow forms etc)?  I can’t honestly answer that.  I’m the kind of person who gets bored easily and one of the major things that appeal to me about woodturning is the vast variety of things we can do.  Though, I do like making “spheres”. 

Are there any other woodturners (or artists / crafters etc) in your family?  My Mom was a certified ceramics artist and instructor. 

What has been your biggest disaster?  I’ve been fortunate to not have anything overly disastrous happen yet.  The scariest thing was discovering the quill on my Powermatic didn’t have a built in stop…while I was drilling blanks with a 10mm bit…and the bit got stuck…then the bit, Jacobs Chuck and quill all came out of the tail stock…while the machine was running and I was on the other side of the spinning mess and couldn’t reach the power button.  That was tense.  The drill bit snapped and the assembly hit the wall…and the wall held.  Whew!

ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP

Is your workshop a dedicated space or shared with other activities (i.e. a garage shared with a car, art studio etc)  I have about ¼ of a very small 2 car garage.  The deal is my wife’s car is supposed to sleep inside the garage every night.  I also lay claim to one of our spare bedrooms.  This is my office as well as paint, pyrography, pen prep and new design development work area. 

How many lathes do you own?  3

What is the make and model of your main lathe?  Powermatic 3520B

Have you had any previous lathes?  Yes, that 80’s vintage single tube Craftsman

What is your ‘dream lathe’?  Not sure I have one as my Powermatic does exactly what I need it to do.  If someone were to say “I’ll give you any lathe you want, just pick one.” I’d probably say a Robust.  Just don’t think that I have a dream lathe. 

Other than your lathe, what is your favourite tool or machine?  This is kind of the same deal as asking what do I like to turn the most.  It totally depends on the moment.  If you asked what my one go-to tool is, I’d say a 5/8 inch bowl gouge.  I’m not brand specific. Right now I have a Woodriver and a Sorby. 

Is your workshop very tidy, a ‘work in progress’ or a disaster zone?  It will never be “Mike Waldt” tidy but it’s a lot better than it used to be.  I’ve discovered I need a certain level of clean and tidy in order to function best.  Right this second, it’s a disaster zone because I’ve been pretty busy.  Before I turn anything again, I’ll have to clean up first!

YOUTUBE

Do you have a public YouTube channel that you would like to promote?  Yes, you can find my channel on YouTube at The Walnut Log Studio.  My current series is The Turning Shed. I’m still newish at vids and don’t have as big a selection as many. 

WEBSITEWalnutLoglogothumb-300x300

Do you have any websites that you would like to promote?  My website is www.thewalnutlog.com

FOOD

What is your favourite drink and snack food whilst in the workshop?  Coffee for favorite drink and Poptarts for favorite snack.  Now, if you want shop time or lessons…I can be bribed with pizza.  Just saying. 

AND FINALLY…

Anything else you would like to say or be known about you and your turning life?   I fully believe woodturning not only brought me back from a brain injury but has also made me not only a better artist but a better person.  Woodturners in general seem to be some of the best humans I’ve come across.  Doesn’t seem to matter where in the world they are from, either.  Outstanding group of people.  Much respect to everyone who reads this. 

Two favorite quotes:

“The best I can ever hope for is to stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before me”

Kirk DeHeer

“Give good, get good”

Carmen De La Paz


Jeff Hornung is a US reseller of Teknatool (Nova) products, Yorkshire Grit and Hampshire Sheen.  Stop by his website, The Walnut Log, and check him out!

 


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Coming up in future Featured Turner articles we have, amongst others, Sam Angelo (The Wyoming Woodturner) and the ‘Goblet Master’ himself Mike Waldt.

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Featured Artist: Ruth Niles, In Her Own Words

Featured Artist: Ruth Niles, In Her Own Words.  Ruth Niles explains her woodturning history and growth as an entrepreneur.

ABOUT YOU

Full Name: Ruth Niles

Year of Birth: A long, long, long time ago!

Nationality: Polish / Ukrainian

Place of Birth: New Jersey

Where do you currently live? In the middle of beautiful Amish farmlands in central Pennsylvania.

What is, or was, your main job? I had a job in 1971 and 5 years later I knew I was meant to be an entrepreneur and started my first business.

What would be your dream job? Exactly what I’m doing but with a marketing assistant and my own IT guy!

Other than woodturning, do you have any other notable hobbies? I love to garden; vegetables and flowers.

Ruth Niles - SS Niles Bottlestoppers

ABOUT YOUR TURNING


Steelers.cap2apple.stopperAre you a professional turner, hobby turner or something else?
 
I guess I’m a professional turner only because I always had to support myself so whatever I did had to make money.  Professional in that I worked for contractors, furniture repairmen and antique dealers doing reproduction turnings.

When did you begin turning, and why? I got my first lathe in 1990, a Craftsman monotube.  I always liked working/playing with wood and I love all crafts so I wanted to give it a try.  I borrowed a book from the local library, opened it up on the lathe and started to turn. It was “Turning Projects” by Richard Raffan.  It was about 2 years before I saw another person turn on the lathe. 

Are you a member of a turning club and if so which one? I am a member of the Cumberland Valley Woodturners club in Chambersburg, PA.

Can you share contact details of the club (address, website etc) The club’s website is: www.cumberlandvalleywoodturners.com

Who (or what!) has had the greatest influence on your turning? I think I learned the most from books and my own trial and error.  Then over the years, attending club demonstrations and just talking turning with various people.  Woodturners love to share how they do things, the best tools and personal techniques.

pendant.1IMG_1867

Who is your favourite woodturner? That would be Richard Raffan and the reason being that I love to turn small, useful items and his earlier books were filled with small projects.

Do you have a favourite artist, in any medium, other than woodturning? That’s a difficult one to answer because I love art; from music to oil painting, from welding to stitchery and my “favourite artist” is whichever one I am reading about, watching work or attending an exhibit of their work. 

Do you have any formal training that helps your turning (e.g. Art, Design, Photography, Engineering etc)? I like to tell people “I don’t have a background” when they ask this question.  When I think I am interested in learning or doing anything, I read all I can about it and give it a try.  Not everything works but I am learning constantly.   I do often wish I had taken an art or design course at a community college; it might have saved me a lot of time experimenting and failing!

Do you have any other similar or allied skills? I am an excellent seamstress, even made a living at it.  I love to draw; gave myself a 30 day challenge to draw an eye that was as real as possible and did it.  I can turn any yard into a beautiful garden; I love playing in the dirt.  My 20 year old grandson says “If Grandma’s outside, there’s going to be a garden.”  I can sell, I am an entrepreneur, I started 4 different businesses over the years and each succeeded.  That’s the only skills I have. 

What is the most unusual thing that you have turned? A “sampler” hollow form.  I was going to give a demo at my woodturning club on various embellishments on turnings.  Rather than make 3 or 4 different items, I divided the hollow form and did a different enhancement in each section.  What was done with little artistic thought, rather “I’ll just put stuff on this to show the club members”, turned out to be (in my opinion) the best piece I ever did.

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What are your favourite pieces that you have turned? The piece I mentioned above; the sampler hollow form.

IMG_2943A “Fairy Forest” ornament.  I made it for a little girl who had a hard time going to sleep, she felt scared.  I told her the good fairies would go inside the ornament and stay with her all night.

My coffee scoops.  They are replicas of seed scoops that were used over 100 years ago.

What is your favourite ‘sphere’ of turning (e.g. Bowls, Platters, Boxes, Pens, Hollow forms etc)? Small boxes, individual salad bowls, rice bowls and bottle stoppers.


Are there any other woodturners (or artists / crafters etc) in your family? 
My granddaughter, Sarah, is very artistic and creative.

What has been your biggest disaster? Well, I haven’t had my “biggest” yet ….. not that I’m looking forward to that!  The only thing that comes to mind is when I demonstrate for a club, I always feel it’s a disaster because I am too nervous. 

RN.coffee.scoopsABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP

Is your workshop a dedicated space or shared with other activities (i.e. a garage shared with a car, art studio etc)? I have a wonderful workshop, it is approximately 30’ x 30’ with big windows, double doors in the back and a nice audio system.  It’s a metal 3-bay building, 2 of my sons, my grandson and a friend divided it in half, insulated, wired and built my shop in one weekend …. for food and beer!

How many lathes do you own? Two lathes, a General 260 and a Jet Mini.

What is the make and model of your main lathe? That is the General 260.

Have you had any previous lathes? Just the one I started with, the Craftsman monotube that I do wish I had kept.

What is your ‘dream lathe’? I’m quite content with my General.  At the woodturning shows, I look at all the new lathes and they are beauties but the General and I get along nicely.

IMG_1970
Other than your lathe, what is your favourite tool or machine? I like my Burnmaster for doing pyrography and my dremel for carving and making unique enhancements.

Is your workshop very tidy, a ‘work in progress’ or a disaster zone? If I’m really into working on a project, my workshop is a disaster zone.  When I’m done, I would like to say it becomes very tidy but a “work in progress” is a better description.

YOUTUBE

Do you have a public YouTube channel that you would like to promote? Well now, I would have to say Eddie Castelin, Tom Stratton, Allen Tyler and Carl Jacobson.  These all did demonstrations on turning bottle stoppers and using the Joyner off-set jig that I sell.  Each is great in their own way which I really like because we all turn projects a little differently.

WEBSITE

Do you have any websites that you would like to promote? My website is: www.nilesbottlestoppers.com

FOOD

What is your favourite drink and snack food whilst in the workshop? I don’t take food nor drinks in the workshop.  Not for any purposeful reason, I just don’t.

ssNilesLogo


Coming up in future Featured Turner articles we have, amongst others, Sam Angelo (The Wyoming Woodturner) and the ‘Goblet Master’ himself Mike Waldt.

 


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Featured Artist: Alan Adler, In His Own Words

Featured Artist: Alan Adler, In His Own Words.  Alan Adler gives an insight into his creativity in both work and play.

ABOUT ALAN ADLERAlan Adler Profile

Full Name: Alan Adler

Year of Birth: Before 1950

Nationality: US

Place of Birth: New England

Where do you currently live? New Jersey, USA

What is, or was, your main job? Business founder of Cases By Source and Source Packaging (http://www.casesbysource.com/).  We design and manufacture cases and speciality packaging solutions to enhance our customer’s brand.

What would be your dream job? Philanthropy.  Having a foundation that helps people and organizations that do not have access to mainstream funding.  I have the name and business plan, just need to do it.

Other than woodturning, do you have any other notable hobbies? Family and Career.

ABOUT YOUR TURNING

Norfolk Island Pine Bowl

Norfolk Island Pine Bowl

Are you a professional turner, hobby turner or something else? Hobby turner.  My portfolio is available at http://www.AATurning.com

When did you begin turning, and why? April 2009.  After more than 30 years of designing projects for clients it was time to return to my design roots and create things that were of a personal nature. I was looking at painting, print making, sculpture when I came across a Norfolk Island Pine bowl by Ron Kent in a gallery. It was several thousand dollars and after struggling with it, I decided I would take lessons and see if I could learn this skill.  After a two day class at Woodcraft, I was fully addicted and purchased a Nova DVR one month later.  Attached is photo of a Norfolk Island Pine Bowl that I made.

Are you a member of a turning club and if so which one? Hudson Valley Wood TurnersWe meet once a month in Mahwah NJ.  www.HudsonValleyWoodturners.org.  Write me at Alan@AATurning.com for more information.

Who (or what!) has had the greatest influence on your turning? It was a Ron Kent piece that captured my attention to learn woodturning.  Also, Betty Scarpino‘s work which influenced me to cut up and reassemble turned items.  Michael Hosaluk  who influenced me to explore color, texture, carving and making a piece with personality.

Who is your favourite woodturner? Michael Hosaluk

Do you have a favourite artist, in any medium, other than woodturning? Henry Matisse and Rene Magritte

Do you have any formal training that helps your turning (e.g. Art, Design, Photography, Engineering etc)? Drop out engineer.  Master’s Degree in Package Design from Pratt Institute.

Do you have any other similar or allied skills? What fascinates me about woodturning is all the other skills we use and learn to make our work better.  I had no idea how to sharpen tools, make tools and fixtures, set up a vacuum chuck system, do pyrography, airbrush or replace motors until I discovered woodturning.  I must thank all woodturners who openly share information not seen in any other art form.

What is the most unusual thing that you have turned? On my To Do List is an Urn for my favorite cat, Weinstein.

What are your favourite pieces that you have turned? StarFish Bowl, Sea Urchin Series, Zipper Series, Matisse inspired- Dancing On Air, Jewelry pendants

 

 

 

Jewelry Pendants

Jewelry Pendants

What is your favourite ‘sphere’ of turning (e.g. Bowls, Platters, Boxes, Pens, Hollow forms etc)? I never go on the lathe without knowing what I want to accomplish.  Usually the project is supported with sketches and I do not seem to favor one area over another.  I do enjoy making jewelry from colored pencils and have never made a pen.

 

Are there any other woodturners (or artists / crafters etc) in your family?  There are several artists in our extended family mostly in print making, painting and sculpture. My wife helps me with the jewelry making and I can be found in a bead store more frequently than her.  I used to hate going into those stores, now I lead the way.

 

 

Zipper Series

Zipper Series

What has been your biggest disaster?  Nothing comes to mind as a disaster.  I have had many failures due to the wood not cooperating or my skill set is not capable of pulling off the challenge.  I put these items on the side, look at them for a year or so and then come back to them for completion.  The Zipper series was a result of a cracked vase that was not deserving of firewood.

ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP

Is your workshop a dedicated space or shared with other activities (i.e. a garage shared with a car, art studio etc)? I have a dedicated space in the basement.  I like to call it a studio, but that would be a stretch.

How many lathes do you own? One lathe

What is the make and model of your main lathe? Robust American Beauty.

Have you had any previous lathes? Nova DVR

What is your ‘dream lathe’? Got it.  I thought the DVR was my last lathe, until I tried a Robust.

Other than your lathe, what is your favourite tool or machine? High Speed Piercing and texturing tools

Is your workshop very tidy, a ‘work in progress’ or a disaster zone? Depends who you ask.  To my wife, it is a filthy disaster zone.  To me it is Man Cave Heaven.

YOUTUBE & WEBSITES

If you produce YouTube or similar videos, what are your three favourites? Never did a video.  Been asked several times, but it is not on my list.

Do you have a website? http://AATurning.com

FOOD

What is your favourite drink and snack food whilst in the workshop?  Never eat in the workshop except for flying wood chips.

AND FINALLY…

Anything else you would like to say or be known about you and your turning life? Woodturners are the most giving and generous artists.  There are no secrets and the masters are accessible to the beginners.  The support system to learn this craft is like no other and now that I have learned a few skills I am able to give back by teaching and sharing my skills with others.


Coming up in future Featured Turner articles we have, amongst others, Sam Angelo (The Wyoming Woodturner) and the ‘Goblet Master’ himself Mike Waldt.

 


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  If you have enjoyed this review, please

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You can find all the other Featured Turner articles here

 

Featured Turner: Yuval Lahav… In his own words

Featured Turner: Yuval Lahav… In his own words.  Yuval Lahav shares insights to his woodturning methods and inspirations.

Yuval Lahav Headshot

The Man Himself – Yuval Lahav

ABOUT YUVAL LAHAV

Full Name: Yuval Lahav

Year of Birth: 1977

Nationality: Israeli

Place of Birth: Beer Sheva

Where do you currently live: Italy

What is, or was, your main job: Web and mobile multi players games programmer, front and back end.

What would be your dream job: A pilot

Other than woodturning, do you have any other notable hobbies: Scuba diving, hang gliding (both out of practice), snowboarding and having kids.

 

ABOUT YOUR TURNING

Are you a professional turner, hobby turner or something else: Hobby, more of a weekend turner, although by twists of life I have more time to turn over the week than the weekend.

When did you begin turning, and why:I started turning on August of 2012, and a year before I’ve seen a video of a guy turning a lamp shade out of a log, and I thought to myself that it was something I had to learn how to do. For a year I consumed every turning video I could find, and bought a very (VERY) cheap lathe to start with (which is why I don’t discourage people from buying cheap lathes, you’ve got to start somewhere).

Are you a member of a turning club and if so which one:  No. Italy, or at least central Italy, is terrible for turners. There is nothing for us here, a club that does social gatherings at best, not a single shop for tools or wood.

Who (or what!) has had the greatest influence on your turning: That is difficult to answer, since I’ve learned all I know from Youtube, each of the great teachers there have gave me different bits of information which I compiled into my current knowledge base. I learned to most from Carl Jacobson, but I’m in awe by the artistic turnings and carving of Mark Henry Doolittle.

Who is your favorite woodturner: Cindy Drozda.

Do you have a favorite artist in any other medium than woodturning: Salvador Dalí.

Do you have any formal training that helps your turning (e.g. Art, Design, Photography, Engineering etc):

I’ve been a student and practitioner of art most of my life, be it painting, drawing, sculpturing in clay and more, as the son of an art teacher, and the grandson of an art teacher, and the only child of four who showed artistic tendencies, I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.

Do you have any other similar or allied skills: See answer above.

What is the most unusual thing that you have turned: One of my last project was a footed torus bowl, that is by far my most unusual project to date.

What are your favorite three pieces that you have turned: Footed torus bowl, Olive emerging goblet, and spiraled vase.

What is your favorite ‘sphere’ of turning (e.g. Bowls, Platters, Boxes, Pens, Hollow forms etc): I find Hollow forms most enjoyable to work on, but I fear that is because I like adrenalin and things that scare me the most. I thrive when I put myself to a challenge.

Are there any other woodturners (or artists / crafters etc) in your family: Both my mother and grandmother were artists of sorts, my sister makes decorated cakes. 🙂

What has been your biggest disaster: While turning the Christmas ornament for 2014-15 I cut my right index finger almost to the bone on the table saw. It took me a few days to get used to not use the hurt finger, yet it took me almost a month to get myself used to use it once it healed. If we’re talking lathe disaster, I had a ring of wood detach from a plank of wood which I was parting off for an economy bowl, which went on the explode into large and small fragments. Luckily I was away from the line of fire and I wasn’t hit. Should I have been hit, I doubt my face-shield would have stopped any of the fragments.

 

 

ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP

Is your workshop a dedicated space or shared with other activities (i.e. a garage shared with a car): My workshop doubles as my smoking room at night, as I don’t smoke in the house or much, if at all, during the day.

How many lathes do you own: One.

What is the make and model of your main lathe: Fervi 0751. It’s the same Chinese made lathe most hobbies have, but for some reason the Italian version is only ½ horse power where most of these are ¾ horse.

Have you had any previous lathes: Yes. I had a brandless lathe, super simple design, which I found on sale for 90 euros. It is what I got to find out if I would enjoy woodturning. I did.

What is your ‘dream lathe’: I would love to have one of those British made, cast iron, short bed, large bowl turning lathe, I can’t remember their name right now, but everyone knows those. I want to turn large, very large, things. Failing that I really like the Robust line of lathes. I would love a lathe I can turn a delicate finial on, but chuck a 60 cm (two feet) wide log on and turn a drum shell.

Other than your lathe, what is your favorite tool or machine: I love the angle grinder, I always wanted to start carving in logs, but I never find the time. I’m pretty sure I would have said a bandsaw if I had one, but I never did, so I might just be dreaming it’s my second favorite tool.

Is your workshop very tidy, a ‘work in progress’ or a disaster zone:  A “work in progress” is a good description. I don’t tidy up while working on something to the point of loosing a kid in the mess. But when I’m done with a project, I reset my shop in a way that will make most people scared to come near me, I vacuum the floor, I set my glues in order like soldiers, every single tool, bolt and container has to go back to its place, or else I can’t start another project.

 

YOUTUBE

If you produce YouTube or similar videos, what are your three favourites:  See answer to “What are your favorite three pieces that you have turned”.

FOOD

What is your favourite drink and snack food whilst in the workshop: Lipton green tea lemon iced tea, Romanian pickled hot peppers.

AND FINALLY…

Anything else you would like to say or be known about you and your turning life: I turn because I love it. I don’t seek fame and fortune. If it finds me, I won’t send it away. What I love the most second to turning is being able to teach others.

Yuval Lahav at Rest

Yuval Lahav at Rest After Completing His Torus Form

 

 

Many thanks to Yuval for allowing us a look into his life and for sharing his thoughts.  Please take the time to peruse his videos and subscribe to his growing YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/user/yuvallahav


Buy Coffee Logo

  If you have enjoyed this review, please

BUY ME A COFFEE!

Content will always be FREE at TOMTURNS.COM

 

 


Coming up in future Featured Turner articles we have, amongst others, Sam Angelo (The Wyoming Woodturner) and the ‘Goblet Master’ himself Mike Waldt.

You can find all the other Featured Turner articles here

If you have enjoyed this article, Subscribe to my newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on these wonderful insights, giveaways and more!