Hope
Sweet Janice and I were talking over the weekend about why people of all ages love turning wood. Hope, she said. Turning wood gives them hope. When someone decides to take a simple lump of wood and make something beautiful from it, they have the hope of creating an item which others will admire, enjoy and appreciate as much as they do.
I was on the phone with a customer when he said with all of the excitement of a kid at Christmas time, “I’m sorry I have to go now, my new lathe just arrived!” You could feel the hope and joy in his voice. I can imagine all of the wonderful gifts he will create for this special Christmas of 2017 with his new lathe.
One of the highpoints at any turning symposium and especially the AAW annual event is the youth area. To see the kids standing in front of a wood lathe turning things, many for the first time ever, is inspiring. In our high tech digital world, a tangible physical hands-on craft may seem to be a lost art, but it isn’t. How you see the world after you have turned your first pen, spinning top or bowl has been forever altered.
I see it every day in my email. Folks write to let me know how much I mean to them through my newsletters and teaching videos. As I explain the mysteries of lathe speeds, or sharpening lathe tools, or making things as simple as spinning tops, acorn boxes and kitchen utensils, the hope that they too will soon be able to produce these beautiful items is obvious. Pictures often follow and I always share them with my team so they can understand that our mission is to help folks get more enjoyment from turning wood. But it isn’t just about the fun.
I do what I do because I’ll never forget one particular Saturday morning at the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association. We had lost one of our members some weeks before and his forty-something daughter came to this meeting just to meet me. She wanted me to know how much her dad loved coming to the meetings and just how much hope we had given him. But she especially wanted to thank me for all of the mementos the rest of the family and her kids had to remember him by now that he had passed. When you turn something out of wood and give it to a loved one, hope lives on long after we are gone. They will remember that this came from my Dad or from my Grandpa or Grandma and it gives them hope that we all will meet again someday.
From our family to yours this glorious Christmas season we wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. Hope is a beautiful thing, pass it on every chance you get because wherever you go, there you are.
Here is my inspiration for this message:
Isa 40:31 NIV but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Rom 15:13 KJV Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Job 11:17-18 NIV Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
We will be getting on an airplane on Jan 3, 2018 for Baltimore, Md and the season opener for The Woodworking Shows. There is so very much to do and we are not nearly ready, I am extending the sale through Dec. 15. Thank you for a wonderful 2017. Show Schedule Here
Save 20% on All purchases of $50 or more with free USA shipping.
Enter Coupon Code "thankful" at checkout to receive your discount.
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Simple Jam Chuck
(New Item)
My son, Christopher, loves to turn cast resin and burl projects. He has developed a simple jamb chuck which you will find very useful and durable. Cast from Alumilite resin so it is almost unbreakable the Simple Jam Chuck is meant to be used between centers. Simply expand your chuck jaws into the cast recess in the back of the jam chuck and mount your project using the tailstock. <more> Very Limited Quantities Available.
Shipping policy for this Christmas Season:
Free USA shipping for all domestic orders over $50. For orders less than $50 a flat rate of $7.99. I simply cannot afford to continue shipping the smaller orders for free.
Just so you know, here is a partial list of the items we make right in our own shop in Atlanta, Georgia, USA:
Amazing Doughnut Chucks, Amazing Bucket Caddy, Universal Setting Jig, Quad Setting Jig, Golden Mean Calipers, Indexing Wheels, Laser Cut Kits and Inlays, Gluing Guides for Laser Cut Kits, Made By Medallions for your work, Gouge SetUp Blocks, Angle Gauge SetUp Blocks, How-To DVS's 100% produced and published in-house
And this week you can save 20% with free USA shipping on orders over $50
Special prices for Club Buys
If your club is interested in putting a Group Buy together, CBN Wheels for example 10 or more, Laser Cut Kits 50 or more, Turners Laser Guides 10 or more, Amazing Doughnut Chucks or Longworth Chucks, I can provide very special pricing. Drop me a note at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Made By Medallions Identify your work
This year, mark your treasures with a professionally created wooden "Made By Medallion" available in 1" and 1-1/4" disks with your name and information. Cut from 1/8" Baltic Birch, you simply drill a shallow recess with a Forstner bit and glue it permenantely in place. Those who receive your treasure know exactly who made it and if you wish, how to contact you.
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Including Bottle Stopper Designs - 50 Plus classic designs. Free PDF.
Amazing Doughnut Chuck™ Instructions
ProGrind Instructions
We have bundled several of the most popular documents into one downloadable zip file for your convenience. Still no charge.
