Jim Mattheiss
Member
- Messages
- 467
- Location
- Long Hill Township, NJ
Hello:
Today was a beautiful day here in NJ, so the family packed up and went the the State Fair of NJ, held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.
We wandered around looking at all sorts of stuff when we eventually wandered past the Peter's Valley booth. Peter's Valley is as best I can define it is a teaching craft village in Sussex County NJ. They hold classes in woodworking, metalworking and countless other skills. The first time we passed by nothing was going on but a Jet Mini lathe was setup on a table. Later on we wandered by again an a gentleman by the name of Harvey Fein was operating the lathe. He was turning a walnut bowl. The whole family stood and watched him for a while and he described what he was doing as he did it. He completed turning the bowl, separated it from the "base" block it was attached to and handed it to my daughter - who was thrilled . He the chucked up another blank and turned a spinning top and handed it to my son .
Towards the end of making the top he was describing how inexpensive turning was - that the lathe was $X, the chuck was $X and the turning tools were $X dollars. My whole family was saying - this is cool and you should get a lathe and make us things. Harvey Fein teaches a turning for lefties class at Peter's Valley that I'll have to check on the schedule for - I'm a leftie - BTW. The Woodcraft in Allentown has a number of beginner turning classes that my wife and daughter were intrigued by some time ago. I think they are going to get me to buy the lathe, tools and accessories and them I'll have to wait in line to use my own tools.
I'm not sure but if I'm not already caught in the vortex I think I'm going to get pushed in . Right now I like the process of making things, but the hardest part of the process is deciding on a project. A lathe could open up a whole new world of opportunities for projects.
I have to think about this . . .
Watch out - those people already caught up in the vortex are sneaky!
Cheers
Jim
Today was a beautiful day here in NJ, so the family packed up and went the the State Fair of NJ, held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.
We wandered around looking at all sorts of stuff when we eventually wandered past the Peter's Valley booth. Peter's Valley is as best I can define it is a teaching craft village in Sussex County NJ. They hold classes in woodworking, metalworking and countless other skills. The first time we passed by nothing was going on but a Jet Mini lathe was setup on a table. Later on we wandered by again an a gentleman by the name of Harvey Fein was operating the lathe. He was turning a walnut bowl. The whole family stood and watched him for a while and he described what he was doing as he did it. He completed turning the bowl, separated it from the "base" block it was attached to and handed it to my daughter - who was thrilled . He the chucked up another blank and turned a spinning top and handed it to my son .
Towards the end of making the top he was describing how inexpensive turning was - that the lathe was $X, the chuck was $X and the turning tools were $X dollars. My whole family was saying - this is cool and you should get a lathe and make us things. Harvey Fein teaches a turning for lefties class at Peter's Valley that I'll have to check on the schedule for - I'm a leftie - BTW. The Woodcraft in Allentown has a number of beginner turning classes that my wife and daughter were intrigued by some time ago. I think they are going to get me to buy the lathe, tools and accessories and them I'll have to wait in line to use my own tools.
I'm not sure but if I'm not already caught in the vortex I think I'm going to get pushed in . Right now I like the process of making things, but the hardest part of the process is deciding on a project. A lathe could open up a whole new world of opportunities for projects.
I have to think about this . . .
Watch out - those people already caught up in the vortex are sneaky!
Cheers
Jim