What is your age?

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What is your (general) age?

  • 18 or younger

    Votes: 25 2.4%

  • 19-29

    Votes: 64 6.3%

  • 30-39

    Votes: 144 14.1%

  • 40-49

    Votes: 233 22.8%

  • 50-59

    Votes: 259 25.3%

  • 60 "and better"

    Votes: 299 29.2%
  • Total voters
    1,024
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Penultimate said:
Interesting statistics, of 617 respondents over three fourths are 40 and above. Do you think that woodworking is waining? I worked for a company that sold woodworking machines and we found that sales were declining. We thought is was due no new blood in the hobby.
Click to expand...

I think I know the answer to your question and my friend, you have nothing to fear, wood-turners will never die-off...!

The reality of wood turning is that, you either get the "turning bug" yearly in life or after retired, there is one other type of wood turner, the ones that are true artists and have the financial capabilities so support their passion for many, many years before their name is worth something and the money starts to come in for sales.

Starting young is a great way to get kids off the streets and allow them to feel rewarded from their work however, without financial support from someone/somewhere, the whole think becomes unaffordable for them and they lose interest.

There is also the fact of life that, of those that tried to make a living out of wood-turning at young ages, soon realised that wood-turning doesn't pay the bills, get them a place to live and food in the table, then the family starts and all odds are against you so, you have to find a properly paid job to survive and wood -turning goes dormant for decades until, the financial situation allows for some toys and some time to play with before retirement comes.

For those that retire, many were in this category and never forgot wood-turning, even though rusty and totally unaware of how much prices went up on these things and how much of their "put a side money" has to be used before they are making shavings...!

As also been proven that wood-turning is a great distressing option and certainly a very pleasant way to spend some quality time with one self and see some results in the end.

This explains why the average age of wood-turners is hight, it has always been like that and I very much doubt that will change...!

I often wondered, how young and how old are the youngest and oldest IAP members, this thread is giving some answers and I now know who our youngest member is, (not counting some of the very young kids that have been assisted by their parents to turn a pen and show it here) those do count but not as the legal "members" as the ones I'm targeting at this point.

The 11 year old member is the youngest that have posted here and while there are a lot of senior members on IAP, some of which I already knew they age, I wondered who the oldest/most senior member is and, I believe that I know who that person is, at 98 (ninety eight) years of age.

I would like to tell who he his, as recently he was at the centre of a very stupid and unnecessary act that put a lot of us on edge, shame on him...! I'm obviously very upset about it and feel annoyed that he felt that would probably be "fun" to see people's reactions however, I'm divided in hating his guts or put it all to pour/lack of, mental capabilities and self control of his actions due to age...!:mad:

Anyway, I'm 54 and I don't feel a day younger than, if I was 100...!

All from me, now...!

Cheers
George
 
47 years old here and have turned 1 pen. Just started buying the necessary gadgets all of a couple of weeks ago and then got hit by the flu bug. Looking forward to spending some time in the garage this weekend.
 
I'm 47 i'm from Italy......and i would like to learn a lot from IAP.....

Thanks in advance

Augusto
 
I'm 29 and have really only been working with wood for about 2.5 years, but I've built things since I can remember. Hoping to keep all my fingers but we'll see how that works out
 
59 1/2

I an 59+ and have just recently gotten back into wood turning/woodworking. I taught Industrial Arts for 15 years before
transferring into maintenance for Crossett Public Schools in southeast Arkansas. And now, 37 years later, have found/made time to start
a most interesting hobby! If arthur will allow, I hope to be turning for a long time to come!:rolleyes:
 
Whoa, I cannot really claim 60 and "BETTER", but older works for me. Smarter, wiser, fatter, crankier seems to fit too.
 
having spent many winters in RV parks in the Rio Grande Valley happen to know many people from all over the us and all the provinces of Canada. that in fact turn Pens besides unlimited type articals turned, and we are ALL of retired status. Me I am 73 and I have met others older than me !! I have done at least 10 of the laser cut inlaid pens from Kallenshaan Woods Personalized Laser Engraving
 
Just turned 60, not sure how that happened.

By the way the guy who started this thread, are you still turning.
Let us know.
 
I never expected or planed to see 30 so I am now 39 years past my sure death:ghost: and still have all my fingers.:biggrin: Now my remaining number of brain cells is another question entirely!:eek:

Charles
 
Tom T said:
Just turned 60, not sure how that happened.

By the way the guy who started this thread, are you still turning.
Let us know.
Click to expand...

Tom the thread was started by Brian Goulet, now Goulet pens. He employs a half dozen people, I am told, selling fountain pens and the inks and papers used by fountain pen writers. More information can be obtained from Bruce Robbins, who knows Brian and his wife pretty well.
 
I am 47, I made my first pen in 2006 for a gift to my daughter, when I retired from the military. They had a wood shop on base and the guy was nice enough to walk me through how to do it. In 2012 I saw a flyer for a Demo at Woodcraft for pen turning, so I drug a friend of mine to it with me and thanks to that demo and the Instructor (John) I was hooked. My friend I took the class at woodcraft, and I have expanded into pouring my own blanks now.

Dennis
USAF Retired
 
I am 63, retired the second time in 2013. Started turning about 8 years ago. mostly freedom pens and bowls..My desire is to make pens that will have the WOW factor when other turners see them. Proud to have turned on my 9 year old grandson to pen turning in 2013, now he turns with his dad on Travis AFB.

thanks for sharing your knowledge.
 
I am 67 going on 68 but act like a twenty year old and suffer for it the next day. I have been working with wood since the age of 11 and still find it the most fascinating material to work with. Colin(just got down after felting the roof of my workshop after a storm)
 
I'm 68 - just started turning about a year ago, but I've been doing woodworking & carpentry since I was old enough to hold a hammer & hit a nail more often than my fingers.
 
Looks like I responded to the poll but never posted. I am 29 and have been working with any kind of tools I could get my hands on since I was about 4 when I built my first bicycle (as in the first one I ever owned dad brought home a 5 gallon bucket of parts and a frame and said "When we finish it you can have a bike"). Didn't start turning until about a year ago and have been trying to constantly improve ever since.
 
I'm 16 - I have been into woodworking for as long as I can remember. My family use to own a cabinetry shop. I started penturning last year and love it! I hope to continue doing it for a long time.
 
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